**BELLY FAT**

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  • Juliedungca
    Juliedungca Posts: 22 Member
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    Pretty much what I figured! I have been increasing my calorie count slowly... because I'm terrified of gaining much back. As far as the strength training, I do core boot camp.
  • Juliedungca
    Juliedungca Posts: 22 Member
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    SO I reached my goal weight but still have all this belly fat.... I was under eating... at 800 calories. Over the last few weeks, have increased them to 1200, because my doctor insisted. I do strength training 4 days a week and cardio the other 3. Is that enough of a deficit to lose the rest of this belly, bra and back fat and build lean muscle? I'm 5'4" 118 pounds.

    What kind of strength training?

    The reason you still have belly fat is that you did a very low calorie diet and lost a lot of muscle instead of all your fat, leaving you at a low body weight with a high body fat percentage. A MODERATE calorie deficit, heavy strength training and protein prevents muscle loss as much as possible.

    In your case the damage is already done. You should probably start eating at a calorie surplus (2500 calories or so), doing heavy weight training (compound moves, 6-10 reps per set) and try to gain some muscle back before you continue to try to lose any more fat.

    Awww c'mon! Can't I do something in the middle? So I can lose a little more fat and gain muscle at the same time?
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    Everything I was going to say has been said. I am so slow on the interwebs :cry:

    Good luck to you:flowerforyou:
  • Monkeymomma05
    Monkeymomma05 Posts: 116
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    Bump for future reference.
  • arellolson
    arellolson Posts: 129 Member
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    I see a lot of posts saying strength training. What kind of strength training?
  • Bakerchk
    Bakerchk Posts: 424 Member
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    Pretty much what I figured! I have been increasing my calorie count slowly... because I'm terrified of gaining much back. As far as the strength training, I do core boot camp.

    I get that. Someone above mentioned reading up on "eat more, weigh less" You should do that. I was eating at 1200 cals/day and I started gaining weight. Once I started eating at a healthy level (I'm around 1700 cals/day) I started to lose weight, gain muscle and I feel much much better.
  • Johnogram
    Johnogram Posts: 2
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    Ab work would help shed it too I would have thought. Situps, crunches, leg raises.
  • Lazygal53
    Lazygal53 Posts: 294 Member
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    Bump
  • Going4Lean
    Going4Lean Posts: 1,077 Member
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    for later
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,667 Member
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    I see a lot of posts saying strength training. What kind of strength training?
    Full body. And that doesn't mean lifting light weights/high reps. To increase "strength" you have to overload the muscle (which doesn't lead to muscle gain on calorie deficit) and using light weights doesn't achieve that. Heavy/light being relative to each person.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Pretty much what I figured! I have been increasing my calorie count slowly... because I'm terrified of gaining much back.

    Body composition is everything. The scale is nothing. That's why you're not happy even at that low weight. Use the scale as a tool to gauge progress but not as a measure of fitness. Does that make sense? Inches have astronomically more value than the number on the scale. In fact I would say that's almost the only thing that people really care about. (inches)

    Now as to your fear of gaining weight losing weight is easy. EASY!!. I personally fear losing too quickly. Why? Because I don't want to lose muscle mass which is the first and foremost reason that losing weight is easy. Work on building muscle, make cardio and the scale a secondary concern and you'll get the look you want. Of course you'll gain some fat if you have a positive calorie intake but if you're lifting heavy then you'll gain muscle too. Work on building some muscle first, then carefully pull off some of the fat. No one is suggesting that you balloon up to 150 pounds. Just have a slightly positive calorie intake, work out hard with the weights, and once you get to say 125 - 130 then strip off the excess and repeat.

    Do some research on cutting and bulking. I know, these sound like lunk-head bodybuilder terms but you're not going to be swinging huge weight differences like the pros. The technique however is sound and the results are amazing. I'm not the expert that some here are but I'm 215 lbs. and about 15% body fat. (Working on that). I can lose or gain weight at whim simply by altering calorie intake. With the right body composition you can too. Do not fear pounds.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Ab work would help shed it too I would have thought. Situps, crunches, leg raises.

    No! Ab work gives you stronger abs but will not remove abdominal fat.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    SO I reached my goal weight but still have all this belly fat.... I was under eating... at 800 calories. Over the last few weeks, have increased them to 1200, because my doctor insisted. I do strength training 4 days a week and cardio the other 3. Is that enough of a deficit to lose the rest of this belly, bra and back fat and build lean muscle? I'm 5'4" 118 pounds.

    What kind of strength training?

    The reason you still have belly fat is that you did a very low calorie diet and lost a lot of muscle instead of all your fat, leaving you at a low body weight with a high body fat percentage. A MODERATE calorie deficit, heavy strength training and protein prevents muscle loss as much as possible.

    In your case the damage is already done. You should probably start eating at a calorie surplus (2500 calories or so), doing heavy weight training (compound moves, 6-10 reps per set) and try to gain some muscle back before you continue to try to lose any more fat.

    Awww c'mon! Can't I do something in the middle? So I can lose a little more fat and gain muscle at the same time?

    Possibly. If you are new to lifting and doing the right kind. You are already at a really low weight. I'm sure your doctor agrees with me. Continuing to lose fat might be unhealthy at this point and probably won't give you the body you want. If you eat at a slight surplus and lift you can gain muscle and very little fat. I did it. I gained 10lbs. It's hard to tell where any fat I gained went. Once you've gained back some muscle (and I think, it's easier to regain it, then it'd be if you never had it) you can rededicate your efforts to fat loss.

    Your body is probably a little messed up right now though. Very low calorie diets can be very damaging. You need to work your way back up to maintenance slowly and maybe eat there for a month or two. You might very well gain some weight back but that's not a bad thing. You need to fix yourself.

    And I'd recommend Stronglifts 5x5, New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women, or Starting Strength for anyone looking for a good beginning weight training program. All these contain the big basic compound lifts. New Rules also contains some other things as well.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Pretty much what I figured! I have been increasing my calorie count slowly... because I'm terrified of gaining much back. As far as the strength training, I do core boot camp.

    Don't be terrified of gaining. You can gain and still look leaner, smaller, healthier.

    I'm up 8 pounds from last summer: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn/view/one-year-of-strength-training-367482
  • Juliedungca
    Juliedungca Posts: 22 Member
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    Let me clarify.. I'm not scared of the scale weight going up.. I'm scared of gaining FAT back as I raise my calorie intake.... I bought all new clothes dang it!
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
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    SO I reached my goal weight but still have all this belly fat.... I was under eating... at 800 calories. Over the last few weeks, have increased them to 1200, because my doctor insisted. I do strength training 4 days a week and cardio the other 3. Is that enough of a deficit to lose the rest of this belly, bra and back fat and build lean muscle? I'm 5'4" 118 pounds.

    You just described why not to eat too little. And 1200 remains too little. You need muscle mass in order to look like you want at your goal weight. See In Place of a Road Map 2.0 and set your calories. Then lift HEAVY (not 30DS as "strength training"). Do cardio if you love it but it isn't necessary. Good luck.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    I see a lot of posts saying strength training. What kind of strength training?
    Full body. And that doesn't mean lifting light weights/high reps. To increase "strength" you have to overload the muscle (which doesn't lead to muscle gain on calorie deficit) and using light weights doesn't achieve that. Heavy/light being relative to each person.

    Great answer.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i want to tell you about staci. http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    believe it or not, she's about 131 on the left, and 142 on the right.

    Screen-Shot-2011-07-21-at-92311-AM.jpg
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    Let me clarify.. I'm not scared of the scale weight going up.. I'm scared of gaining FAT back as I raise my calorie intake.... I bought all new clothes dang it!

    You might have some initial fat increase but you have to eventually increase your calories. If you can, try to find Leigh Peele's e-book called the Metabolic Repair Manual. It has a lot of great information on how to move from underreting and overtraining to health and eventually to fat loss.
  • kaatielove
    kaatielove Posts: 113
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    Thanks for all the advice :)

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