Losing weight in the stomach/waist area...

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jdp21
jdp21 Posts: 155 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so, this is surely a common thing people wonder about. I, too, am wondering.

I have fat on both my sides (love handles) and my stomach... um, area? Haha. It makes me feel awkwardly shaped. If I could at least cut down on the fat on my sides, I think I would be a bit happier and okay with the fat on the front of my body.

What are the ways to lose this weight? Is it simply a matter of proper dieting and cardio? I've often heard that sit-ups are the key to it. But is that all? Thoughts? Articles?

Replies

  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    Through the process of losing weight, my whole body shrank, especially my stomach. The love handles went away and my stomach is pretty flat (where it used to be all flabby and huge). It's just been diet and cardio. I'm pretty sure you can do as many abdominal exercises as you want, but if your abs are covered with inches of fat, you will never see that definition. I wish you the best!
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    "Spot reduction" is a myth. As you lose bodyfat, your body will remove the excess from where it pleases, and there ain't really much you can do about it. I've lost 25% of my starting weight and 14 inches off my waist.

    And I still have my $^%@#! double chin.

    Yep, you're on the right track, calorie control & cardio,,, keep losing bodyfat and it'll go.
  • krl523
    krl523 Posts: 53
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    Running and core exercises...diet is the key when it comes to the midsection. As you continue to loose body fat then the definition will start to form naturally. Good luck:)
  • SugarHi
    SugarHi Posts: 452
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    "Spot reduction" is a myth. As you lose bodyfat, your body will remove the excess from where it pleases, and there ain't really much you can do about it. I've lost 25% of my starting weight and 14 inches off my waist.

    And I still have my $^%@#! double chin.

    Yep, you're on the right track, calorie control & cardio,,, keep losing bodyfat and it'll go.


    Very well said!!!
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
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    "Spot reduction" is a myth. As you lose bodyfat, your body will remove the excess from where it pleases, and there ain't really much you can do about it. I've lost 25% of my starting weight and 14 inches off my waist.

    And I still have my $^%@#! double chin.

    Yep, you're on the right track, calorie control & cardio,,, keep losing bodyfat and it'll go.

    My &*#%(*$ double chin won't go away either!!! Just gotta get the body fat % down for sure.
  • jenniann125
    jenniann125 Posts: 2
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    casper......so funny! and that is soooo true!!!! you all are doing so amazing, be proud!
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Cardio, yes ma'am! I noticed the biggest change in my waist once I started running.

    MY DEFINITION OF RUNNING: slowly jogging, sounding like a hippo on the machine, with my slow jogging equalling the same speed as fast walkers! :laugh: It works! I've built my speed from 4.2 to 5.2 on the machines. Running works the abdomenal muscles.
  • acureese
    acureese Posts: 169
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    I agree with everyone who's posted, abdominal/core exercises are important to strengthen/build muscle/tone abs, but to lose what's covering them, cardio's important and nutrition's super important. :) In my case I've always worked out a lot but my portions were too big/I grazed too much...it really is 80% about nutrition! :)
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Your stomach area is TOTALLY dependent on your diet. You can't do specific exercises to spot reduce there.
  • jdp21
    jdp21 Posts: 155 Member
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    Ah I see! I sort of assumed it was just nutrition/cardio/core exercises. I figured it would be good to get some advice from others who've felt my pain. I've got a really annoying muffin top thing going on, and no part of my body has more fat than that area.

    As for nutrition, is it a particular type of thing you avoid? Or just healthy eating in general?
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    I just read a study done at Duke

    "high amount, vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 20 miles/wk (32.0 km) reduced visceral and subcutaneous fat."

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16002776?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=8
  • lucky1ns
    lucky1ns Posts: 358 Member
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    My love handles never go away.

    They showed up when I was 12 and weighed 80m pounds.
  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
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    Nutrition/Cardi/Core exercises are great, and that's how you'll do it. What we're kind'a saying is that there's no way to cause the bellyfat to be the first lost,,, or to make your progress "concentrate" on that one area. As you lose you'll lose from everywhere, including the muffin (hopefully) and you'll get where you're going.

    Remember this, it may be the 1st thing you lose, or it may be the last, but no man,,,NO man,,, with 12% bodyfat has love handles or a muffin top or bread foot or any of that crap. It'll go. :happy:
  • jdp21
    jdp21 Posts: 155 Member
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    Thanks, guys.

    I have to get back into the cardio thing. I was doing quite well. In October/November I lost 18 lbs (in spite of what my ticker thing there says), and I haven't gained it back, but I felt out of the gym thing and I haven't really be losing anymore either.
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
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    My love handles never go away.

    They showed up when I was 12 and weighed 80m pounds.

    OMG...me too! I TOTALLY remember getting ready to go to cheer practice when I was 13 and my parents going what the heck are those! :noway:
  • Supermel
    Supermel Posts: 612 Member
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    I'm really finding the circuit training within Jillian Micheals 30dayShred dvd to be really helpful to my body shape. I had done weight watchers last june-dec and lost 25 pounds paired with moderate walking, treadmilling and family cycling (slow but longer distances). I lost weight but gained no tone nor did i see much change in my stomach area at all. With the 30Day dvd, you do 3 circuits which have 3 min of strength training (doing two muscle groups at the same time to burn more calories, using hand weights and lots of reps), 2 min of cardio and 1 min of abs. In 15 days i lost 4.5 inches off my waist and 2 inches off my belly/hips. i am ecstatic and seeing much more definition. i've 'only' lost 6.4 pounds but the differences i've seen in my body are crazy!!

    I've also heard great things about the couch to 5k program for reducing belly fat. My dh is starting this sort of on his own (heard idea but hasn't checked out the actual site), and in 3 weeks he has worked his way up to 15 plus minutes jogging on the treadmill. He is also doing some free weights following the body for life book loosely. The diet plan in the body for life book is REALLY helpful. He has seem some obvious changes already :)

    Some great food advice a trainer friend of mine gave me, is to pair a complex carb with protein for every snack or meal. If you are working out really hard try to eat every 2 hours or so and try in general not to go longer than every 3 hours between eating. If you are starving EAT, its your metabolism picking up. Lose the less complex carbs completely like pretzels and popcorn (her advice).
    You've already received some great advice, not sure if this is helpful or not, but thought i'd share. Good luck on your journey!

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