Help me get rid of the "donut"?

Alexhatton

Hey guys! So I'm 5 pounds away from my first goal, which is 42 pounds gone! i look and feel amazing, but I still have just one area that won't go away.
I have the donut.
Only around my midsection, starts at the hips to give me those lovely "love"handles, and goes just until my bra starts on my rib cage, is a layer of fat that WON'T LEAVE!!! How do I get rid of it? Any tips and/or advice would be greatly appreciated! I'll post pictures later when I figure out how to

ebr250

Cardio, cardio, cardio, cardio...

drmerc

You can't remove fat from one specific area without liposuction. Just keep losing weight and it will come off

pkw58

I find that upping my activity and adding more core work (my core work of choice is barre 3) is melting my mid section away... and believe me, it was in the last 7 pounds of weight loss! Keep at it...

sunsnstatheart

Oh d*mn, another one of these - I really wanted that donut!!

Okay, seriously, you've made great progress. Keep it up doing what you're doing, you know it takes time and fat comes off everywhere when you're losing - not just where you really want it to come off.

vjrose

I too am an apple, but when I added strength training I finally started to see results, I still have some stubborn fat but I have lost 16 inches of my "donut"

MoreBean13

Patience and a calorie deficit, unfortunately.

Lifting weights can help- big compound movements that use as much muscle as possible will help hormonally drive the process in the right direction- things like squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, lunges, overhead press, etc. You can add some HIIT to your workouts if you like, too.

Capt_Apollo

have you heard about staci?? http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

on the left she is 131lbs, on the right she is actually heavier at 142lbs.

Aleph13

core strengthening exercises. Try ana brett and Ravi Singh's Fat Free Yoga and also their Kundalini Yoga Bootcamp x

LorinaLynn

Patience and a calorie deficit, unfortunately.

Lifting weights can help- big compound movements that use as much muscle as possible will help hormonally drive the process in the right direction- things like squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull-ups, lunges, overhead press, etc. You can add some HIIT to your workouts if you like, too.

This. And make sure you don't have too large of a calorie deficit, so you're losing fat, not just pounds.

Athijade

You just have to keep lowering your overall body fat percentage. Sadly, you can't really spot reduce.

Capt_Apollo

also, TDEE - 20%

STrooper

A xouple of things, some noted above.

You cannot exercise away fat from a specific area. But do try core strengthening with your cardio, whether that is walking with hand weights or with trekking poles. Do some other exercises that also work to strengthen your core a simple one without equipment is the pushup.

Also people vary in how their bodies respond to weight loss. In my relatively large second drop in weight (from 228 down to 190) there was a significant change in my weight and body shape but then I hit a kind of plateau of weight. But seven months later I finally recognized that while my weight was stable, I was losing the "bubble wrap" or as you described it, the doughnut.

As you press on down to your targets to reach and maintain a stable weight, you may find that the doughnut gradually goes away.

Of course, YMMV. Keep at it.

plaingirly

have you heard about staci?? http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

on the left she is 131lbs, on the right she is actually heavier at 142lbs.

Wow - she looks amazing!!

Mutant13

Compound lifting.

My donut started melting as soon as I began doing squats, deadlifts etc

Eg
Before




After

notenoughspeed

have you heard about staci?? http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

on the left she is 131lbs, on the right she is actually heavier at 142lbs.

That's it. I'm going to bed early, and hitting the gym before work now. I keep doing things after work, that prevent me from going at night. Holy Machine!

As far as the donut situation, everything I am reading says to keep working out more. Dieting can only get you so much results.

LoraF83

Cardio, cardio, cardio, cardio...

Actually nope. Cardio is great for a variety of reasons, but strength training will be just as (if not more) beneficial in getting rid of that extra body fat. Focus on compound lifts.

Either continue to lose weight or start reducing your body fat % until your "donut" disappears.

DanaDark

Time to start lifting weights.

Start now to get into the groove of it and upp your calories very slightly. Like an extra 100 on weight lifting days.

Once you get to your goal weight, go to maintenance and really pick up the weight.

It won't be gone at your goal weight, but after a while of weight lifting, it'll go away.

MANY people see it still at their goal weight and think they need to lose MORE weight, so they start shooting for weight that is too low and unrealistic for them. This causes them to lose more muscle mass which just makes the problem worse. Sometimes the extra fat we got isn't supposed to be dieted away but lifted away!

DeborahHatton

Time to start those belly dancing lessons! Fun and flirty way to tighten up your "donut".

Alexhatton

Thanks guys!
I'm currently doing a pretty rigorous core workout, but it's just not coming off. I can fit into the pant size I'm dreaming of, but got the lovely over hang that we adore so much (Barf)
I guess I'm doing the right things, so I'll just keep doing them and wait a bit longer.

TavistockToad

Cardio, cardio, cardio, cardio...

You spelt it wrong, it's strength training, strength training, strength training , strength training!