So you want a nice stomach

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  • jesiann2014
    jesiann2014 Posts: 521 Member
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    I have exactly 2 threads bookmarked and this is one of them. I click on it everyday just to see if any new advice has been given. @usmcmp has advised and helped an untold number of folks right here on this site. I'm one of them! She cares about other people and truly enjoys sharing her expertise and guiding others to a higher level of fitness. So pay attention guys, she knoweth of what she speaketh. :D
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
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    Good advice, and attainable! Thank you for posting this! My stomach is one of the areas I'm most concerned about (I think if I could flatten it out I would feel a lot better about myself).
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    dianeEESI wrote: »
    This thread is awesome and I pretty much read over it daily. I've lost 30 pounds since September, with 15 more to go. I am 54 years old, and have the UGLIEST stomach in the world, I've lost everywhere but that damn gut just looks nasty as well as some hangy skin on my arms. I am relegated to my basement and some hand weights, can you recomend weights I should get so I can lose the last 15. I spend about a half hour in the mornings down there and feel like I could use the time more wisely and more efficiently if I knew what the heck I was doing.

    @dianeEESI Look into a program like You Are Your Own Gym, it doesn't require weights to start out and you can add some resistance with your dumbbells as you go along. Unfortunately for the skin it probably won't tighten. Moisturizers and drinking water may help with elasticity. Lifting weights or strength training may help fill in the skin with a bit of muscle.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
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    Ohh thanks for pushing it back up folks!
    *bookmarked*
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    jesiann2014 wrote: »
    I have exactly 2 threads bookmarked and this is one of them. I click on it everyday just to see if any new advice has been given. @usmcmp has advised and helped an untold number of folks right here on this site. I'm one of them! She cares about other people and truly enjoys sharing her expertise and guiding others to a higher level of fitness. So pay attention guys, she knoweth of what she speaketh. :D

    @jesiann2014 Thank you! You can always send me a message if you personally have a question or just want some general information on a topic. I don't know everything, but I try to share practical information.
  • JONZ64
    JONZ64 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    I don't want a nice stomach I want an angry one!
  • debbiezag
    debbiezag Posts: 32 Member
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    bump
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    JONZ64 wrote: »
    I don't want a nice stomach I want an angry one!

    Taco Bell. Extra hot sauce.
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
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    Oh man, I wish this was still a sticky! I love this thread!
  • khaki33
    khaki33 Posts: 20 Member
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    [/b]
    usmcmp wrote: »
    You want to lose belly fat and have a nice flat toned mid section? We see that a lot on this site. Hell, that was my goal for my birthday last year. We all want to be able to take our shirt off at the pool or beach and look great, but how do we do it?

    1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.

    2. Strength training. If you want that toned mid section look you have to put some muscle there. If you just want a nice flat stomach muscle will still help it look tight. You can begin with Strong Lifts, a hypertrophy routine or a strength program from bodybuilding.com (free!). One that includes compound lifts like deadlift, squat, bench press and pull ups will help. Work on increasing the amount of weight you use. When the weight gets heavier you engage your core more and it builds the muscle.

    3. Muscle insurance. There are a variety of studies done on the amount of protein the body needs. I like to think of higher protein as muscle insurance. My suggestion is about 1gram of protein per pound of lean mass. Make sure to get fat in your diet to help joints and metabolic processes. Make sure to get carbs in your diet to fuel workouts.

    4. Cardio. I like cardio once or twice a week for 30 minutes. It's good for the heart and lungs. It doesn't add much to the calorie burn for the week, but it helps even things out in case you haven't been completely accurate weighing food.

    5. Patience! It is not going to happen overnight. If you stick with it you could lose around 1% body fat a month. We aren't going to be perfect all the time. Enjoy birthdays and holidays. It is life and things will happen. Don't stress, learn to love the process.

    FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!

    Thanks :)
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    I believe Rachel rotates them out occasionally; if we made every awesome post a sticky, new posts would start halfway down the page.

    That makes sense. I still think mine is better than the one that seems to have replaced it...personal bias though ;)

    No, no. Lots of people think that!
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    Really? The greatest advice thread in all of MFP history has been de-stickied??? Unacceptable.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?

    Don't forget:
    cut out bread and pasta
    drink lots and lots of water
    eat an apple every day
    don't eat fruit
    don't eat anything white
    switch to diet soda
    don't drink diet soda
    eat breakfast
    skip breakfast
    eat snacks
    don't snack
    avoid calorie dense foods like peanut butter
    eat low calorie treats like peanut butter
    go to bed hungry
  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?

    Don't forget:
    cut out bread and pasta
    drink lots and lots of water
    eat an apple every day
    don't eat fruit
    don't eat anything white
    switch to diet soda
    don't drink diet soda
    eat breakfast
    skip breakfast
    eat snacks
    don't snack
    avoid calorie dense foods like peanut butter
    eat low calorie treats like peanut butter
    go to bed hungry

    No wonder so many people get confused.

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