How to lose this BELLY without doing situps?

CharityEaton

Interesting...unless I missed it, I don't recall anybody addressing quality of food. I saw people suggest a caloric deficit, but quality of food plays an integral part as well. It's great if you are staying at or under your calorie goal, but there is a difference if those calories are coming from processed, white flour, sugar laden, fried foods versus whole grains, fruits, veggies, low fat dairy and lean meats/fish. So also keep in mind the quality of food you are eating quality, not just quantity. Good luck!

Yeah, what she said^^^^ that counts too!

belinda_b

easy, a consistent caloric deficit as you cannot spot reduce

I have been doing a consistent caloric defict for months, am at my goal weight and been exercising (running, weights, sits ups, burpees, etc) and my stomach is sooo not bikini ready at all.(am going on vacation and wish it was) I have no idea why or what's happening. I hate to blame it on age (39) but is that it?

Age will affect it because as you age, it's harder to maintain/increase muscle mass. That is why strength training is even more important as you age. It may be that your core muscles aren't as strong or developed as you would liek to get that defined ab region. Working the whole core will increase the muscle mass and help improve the visibility of definition but still requires an overall deficit (probably a much smaller one) in order to get the results you want. It is one reason it's suggested to reduce your deficit as you approach yoru goal.

I think this may be the key for me. I do ab work, but I have thought to really work my whole core (after having a baby I believe it got mushy ). I will look up exercises for this.

Someone said something about quality of food. I agree with this too. I don't eat fried or processed food. If it is processed, I make sure I can read the ingredients. I know fat on my stomach went down when I switched to a cleaner diet.

oaken

Can't spot reduce fat. It will eventually come off.

I've heard of some studies that show a diet with balanced Omega-3s help with belly fat, but I have a feeling Cortisol might've been the cause for this belly fat as Omega-3s are shown to reduce Cortisol levels.

The only thing that situps do is make the abs stronger. The only way to see the muscle is cardio to burn the fat off the muscle.

And last but not least, the last place fat goes on is the first place it comes off.

sandhillcrane

At this stage? I'm 55 with plenty of health issues. Please don't use your age to determine what you can do. If anything, I would love to get back where I should be and I am determined to do it....even at a whopping 55! Sit ups is probably your answer. There is no easy way out. Think young!

Elizabeth_C34

High knee kicks (basically walking in place but pulling your knees as high as you can) is a great lower ab workout. Without actually getting down and doing crunches, you're not going to get any new strength in your abs.

As others have said, you can't spot reduce fat, but strengthening the muscle can help you look leaner and tigher.

albayin

I blame my issue (thunder thighs) on heredity, other women in my family are built the same. I've been thin and I've even been too thin .... still keeping the big thighs! Sometimes a perfect body is just not meant to be.

Simply quote this one for agreement.

I'm like paper thin on top but those thighs...my husband keeps saying that i need to lose another 10-15 pounds before I can see them changes in size, but how could that be possible? I don't want to look like Nicole Richie. LOL.

albayin

I never thought doing situps would help to lose belly anyway.

pinkgigi

I'm 50 and don't use my age as an excuse for anything! Having said that, it is a fact that women put weight on around their middle. I have about 2 kgs to go and my spare tyre is still there, albeit shrunk a lot. However, it is great to do the best we can to improve what we have, so I agree with the others that tightening the underlying muscles and losing more fat is the answer.

GG

CLA2801

What worked for me, is cutting out things like bread and milk - and replacing it instead, with meal combinations like salmon and egg whites with a bit of low fat cream cheese. Or spinach. You need to eat raw, whole, foods. Nothing processed. Basically, reduce your caloric intake - and don't consume a lot of carbs and empty calories. Also, drink a lot of water and chew on ice for hunger pains. Exercise wise - it's a good idea to do some swimming, running and also, there's a little trick I'll share with you : Suck in your stomach, then take 30 deep breaths with your lungs. This will tighten your stomach muscles, and you should see a difference right away.

This. For some people the only way to get rid of the belly bloat is to cut back on the processed carbs. I know it's the case for me. I get much more dramatic results when my carbs come from fruits, veggies, and a small amount of legumes or yam.

Google "Wheat Belly" --- he has a website and a book. It's really eye-opening and fascinating.