Losing stomach fat

kiteship

Help and guidance please.

I've been using this website/app for a few years on and off. I go to the gym twice a week (and hour at a time) - freeweights, machines and also brisk walking. I eat relatively healthy, keeping calorie intake to about 2,000 per day. I also try to have a 2 mile walk, once or twice a week.

I've drastically reduced my bread consumption, switching to brown seeded loafs, reduced my sugar in tea etc and eat cashew nuts rather than crisps.

I'd heard that building muscle behind the stomach wouldn't help as this would make it protrude and look worse so have avoided too much stomach exercise - just ab crunches and planking.

I've lost weight (about 2 stone) and put on muscle but still have fat on my stomach - it has reduced but I can't seem to shift it, am I missing something?

Joannesmith2818

I always lose my stomach fat last. I have been weight lifting since January and it is slowly improving. I think its dropping your body fat and a whole lot of patience

MissD73x

hi, I'm glad I'm not alone. Sadly I don't have the answer but I'm interested to hear any tips. I've not done the exercise you have, opting for a little aerobic exercise or swimming a couple of times a week and walking daily. I'm really happy with my weight loss and have 9lbs to go to reach my goal but what's left is all sitting round my stomach.

Good luck with your goal Kiteship

Dawn

lemonlionheart

Just keep doing what you're doing to reduce overall body fat. You can't spot reduce, and eating special bread or low sugar won't do anything to reduce fat on one part of your body, neither will any exercise. If it has been getting smaller with your current eating plan then you are on the right track, but if you find that your weight loss has stalled then you may need to re-calculate your calorie goal and tighten up your logging and measuring.

You haven't given any info about your height, weight, goal weight, age or sex - you might get some more specific advice on here if you provide those details.

TavistockToad

yep, you just need to be patient... as you lower your bodyfat it will come off your stomach...just keep doing what you're doing.

kiteship

Thanks everyone!

More details:

Daily calorie goal: 2040
Weight: 85kgs, 187lbs
Height: 6' 5", 196cm
Age: 41
Male

I wasn't expecting to reduce weight in a specific area but felt that removing white bread and reducing sugar would help overall.

Maybe I just need to keep doing what I'm doing. Weight loss has stalled, I haven't lost any significant weight in months but I think (hope) that this is due to fat reduction at the same time as an increase in muscle mass.

I appreciate the advice. : )

TavistockToad

Thanks everyone!

More details:

Daily calorie goal: 2040
Weight: 85kgs, 187lbs
Height: 6' 5", 196cm
Age: 41
Male

I wasn't expecting to reduce weight in a specific area but felt that removing white bread and reducing sugar would help overall.

Maybe I just need to keep doing what I'm doing. Weight loss has stalled, I haven't lost any significant weight in months but I think (hope) that this is due to fat reduction at the same time as an increase in muscle mass.

I appreciate the advice. : )

if you havent lost weight for a while then you are eating too much or over estimaing your calorie burn. essentially, you're not in a deficit.

kiteship

Thanks.

As there isn't a precise way to measure calories burned during weights, I allow 85kal per 20 minutes.

So if i am reducing fat and increasing muscle wouldn't that account for the stall in my weight? Or would I continue to lose weight if my deficit was correct?

TavistockToad

Thanks.

As there isn't a precise way to measure calories burned during weights, I allow 85kal per 20 minutes.

So if i am reducing fat and increasing muscle wouldn't that account for the stall in my weight? Or would I continue to lose weight if my deficit was correct?

you should be able to see progress if you're losing bodyfat even if the scales arent moving?

Mischievous_Rascal

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach?page=1

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

kiteship

Great. I am seeing progress but its very slow. No weight loss on the scales but a definite difference in appearance, dropping trousers sizes etc.

I've started squatting weights twice a week recently so hopefully that will help.

I'm not after a quick fix, just wanted to ensure I'm not missing anything obvious.

Cheers for the advice, I'll reduce calories slightly and keeping working at it and see how I go.

lemonlionheart

Thanks.

As there isn't a precise way to measure calories burned during weights, I allow 85kal per 20 minutes.

So if i am reducing fat and increasing muscle wouldn't that account for the stall in my weight? Or would I continue to lose weight if my deficit was correct?

From what I understand, you can't really gain significant muscle weight if you are in a calorie deficit. Most people who want to cut fat and gain muscle do a bulk and cut cycle, where they eat a a deficit to lose fat then switch to eating a surplus of calories while lifting heavy weights to build muscle. While new lifters can gain a small amount initially, this wouldn't really be accounting for a stall in weight, especially if you are not noticing fat loss- weightlifting while in a deficit really only retains the muscle you have i.e preventing muscle loss. However, you can retain a bunch of water when you introduce new exercises- repairing muscles retain water.If you have just started squats then that might explain no loss for the last few weeks? Once you have settled into an exercise regime for a few weeks the water retention should go away.

Do you weigh and measure all your food?

SingRunTing

Have you recalculated your calories for your new weight. If you're still using the same calorie goal you started with, that can cause a stall. Also, if you're getting close to your goal weight, weight loss slows down.

kiteship

I have recalculated for my new weight.

I try to measure food where I can or where it isn't clear on packaging etc. I'm pretty strict with myself on the food consumption.

Cheers

rsclause

Keep the weights but add some cardio in. I do some lifting but feel that running really kicked it into overdrive. When I was trying to lose my gut (and did) I got up to 35 miles a week. Now it is more like twenty. I also run to the gym and back three days a week. Regarding your post, the gut is the very last to go but it went fast at the end, Had to get all new clothes.

LaurenAOK

As for the stomach fat question, people have given good advice for that - basically, you can't spot reduce. You just have to be patient, because we all lose fat differently. Eventually it WILL come off from your stomach too!

As for the stall in weight loss, have you tried taking measurements? If you really think you're losing fat but gaining muscle, your measurements would still be getting smaller because muscle takes up less space than fat, per pound. So even if your weight stayed the same you'd see a decrease in measurements. Maybe try taking measurements now and then measure again a month from now - if at that point you've lost inches but not weight, you know you're on the right path. If your measurements AND weight haven't changed, you probably have calculated your calorie goals wrong.

Hope that helps and best of luck!

SuninVirgo

If I might say: Nuts are great but eat very little if you are trying to cut carbs. Cashews have a lot of carbs and of courses-calories. Pick a lower carb nut.

Patttience

"I'd heard that building muscle behind the stomach wouldn't help as this would make it protrude and look worse so have avoided too much stomach exercise - just ab crunches and planking. "

That is the stupidest reason ever not to exercise your stomach. IN fact a slack stomach causes stomach protrusion. I know because i have a slack stomach from too much sitting at my desk and it protrudes even when i've got no stomach fat left.

At the moment, i am not at my skinniest so i still have some stomach fat. As i've aged (50 now) this bit of fat is more resistant than it was when i was younger.

Anyway there's nothing you can do to change this except lose more weight. If you are skinny everywhere else and have just a bit of fat on your tummy, it would be much wiser to accept to rather than getting too skinny. Imperfection is fine and normal. Perfection is rare. Whenever i've been at my skinniest i haven't been able to sustain it. IT takes a lot of work to maintain a super skinny self. Its not worth it. If you look around you, guys like all shapes of women, not just the perfect ones. And we apparently seem to like all shapes of men.

katysmelly

Thanks everyone!

More details:

Daily calorie goal: 2040
Weight: 85kgs, 187lbs
Height: 6' 5", 196cm
Age: 41
Male

I wasn't expecting to reduce weight in a specific area but felt that removing white bread and reducing sugar would help overall.

Maybe I just need to keep doing what I'm doing. Weight loss has stalled, I haven't lost any significant weight in months but I think (hope) that this is due to fat reduction at the same time as an increase in muscle mass.

I appreciate the advice. : )

Although they say you can't spot reduce, there does seem to be evidence that HIIT cardio actually does target abdominal fat in ways that ordinary cardio does not.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/

MissD73x

I would recommend taking measurements if your weight loss has stalled. I take regular measurements and often find that when my weight stabilizes I lose inches instead. Take several different measurements (arms, chest, waist, hips etc) as, depending on the exercise you're doing, you may increase size in some areas due to muscle build up

DvlDwnInGA

As others have said, you really can not spot reduce. People who have 6 pack abs generally have very low body fat percentages. 15 percent and lower. My fitness pal is a great forum for losing weight. However, maybe you should check out some other forums as well. I like the bodybuilding.com website. Find a workout plan that will work with your schedule and get in the gym and start working hard at it. 2 days a week is not going to give you the results you are after. Bodybuilding.com is a place for obviously bodybuilders, however, don't be put off by this. The people that are there use the same principals we use here. Counting cals and working out. I like using this forum in conjunction with bodybuilding.com because it has different work out programs, these programs you follow for a set amount of weeks, then you can choose another one. It keeps you from getting bored at the gym, while at the same time allows you to maximize the time you spend there.

Good luck.

kiteship

Cheers everyone

5stringjeff

Although they say you can't spot reduce, there does seem to be evidence that HIIT cardio actually does target abdominal fat in ways that ordinary cardio does not.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/

That's a great link! Thanks!

boredlimodriver

Fat comes off where it wants. No way to spot reduce

DannehBoyy

Best way to lose belly fat is to, drink nothing but water, lots of water, green tea is good to. Make sure you are eating enough food for your body...Use a TDEE calculator. Try and cut out starchy carbs like bread and rice. By doing this along with lifting heavy, you will lower your bdoy fat %. Make sure you get some cardio in there too. I find that HIIT works well hope this helps.

Also, belly fat is usually the last thing to go...you've just gotta work hard at it will go eventually bud

monicastricker9

There is really no way to spot reduce its more of an overall reduction. A nice clean diet and an increase in exercise and mix up what you do for exercise. As for the building muscle on the stomach would make it protude is a matter of technique. When you work abs hold them tight through the exercise.

radimage

Your abdomen does not own the fat over it. Doing abdominal exercises only makes your stomach look bigger. Your body chooses where to take the fat from as it's being used. I think the last place it takes it from is the abdominal area as a protective reflex. Cardio is the way to go for a lean look.

itsbasschick

you're not alone, and there's not much to do about it except keep going, build more muscle and possibly cut a few more calories per day.

i've lost almost 90 pounds but only 2 inches around my belly, although i've lost 5 to 6 inches in several other areas. my belly is literally now several clothing sizes larger than the rest of me. hopefully in the future it will catch up...

rsclause

I wouldn't focus on bulking up much while you are trying to lose fat because you will likely be losing some muscle mass too but keep working out anyway. Although AB exercises wont dissolve belly fat you will need those muscles stronger now and in the future. It also takes time to build them. Start now to get a head start on it. After searching all the smartphone apps for AB workouts. I have settled on planks and leg raises with ab crunches. All the apps would increase with days so I have my ab workout set for 16 minutes daily. Works for me.

The best part of losing your gut is rubbing your stomach and remembering what use to be there, its awesome!

astroophys

Pilates + a reasonable diet. I've always avoided doing pilates until recently, and I was certainly missing out. I have never been this strong and flexible before. I do have a very muscular build to begin with (overweight yet can see and feel various muscles in my legs and arms as I walk, sit, move, etc). My abdominal and my back have always been weak spots (daily back pain since a childhood accident). These weak spots are becoming much stronger since I've started doing pilates. I have lost over an inch from my waist since the beginning of September, and I hold most of my fat in my middle.

I don't believe that pilates is causing me to lose belly fat. But, it is making that area of my body much stronger by developing the muscles of that area. Eating less than you burn is key to losing fat. Genetics decide where you lose it, as far as I can tell. Be patient. Eat well and exercise.