Stubborn lower belly fat!!
SashThompson
Posts: 130 Member
Hi gals,
I'm at a point now where most of my body looks great and I feel great, my strength is improving hugely and I'm lifting weights I never even dreamed possible before. I just REALLY want to get rid of the little bulge of lower stomach fat I have. It's not enough for most people to notice and if I point it out people say "oh that's not fat, don't worry about it" which pisses me off. If I tense my abs its disappears, which would be wonderful if I could get away with tensing for 8 hours straight but I can't. The main thing is I notice it and its getting to the point where I'm sure it's starting to taunt me! :P but seriously, it's all I see when I look down, a stupid little bulge of fat that just won't go away!
At the moment I train 6 days a week, I do 30-40mins of high intensity cardio (10 mins on various machines each) and 40mins of heavy weight lifting. I eat reasonably well, could probably do better (have definitely splurged lately because of my birthday but normally don't)
So what I'm wondering is, should I be doing more cardio and less weights? Or continue what I'm doing and mainly focus on being stricter on what I put in? :S
Any advice or tips and tricks you have would be muchly appreciated!
I'm at a point now where most of my body looks great and I feel great, my strength is improving hugely and I'm lifting weights I never even dreamed possible before. I just REALLY want to get rid of the little bulge of lower stomach fat I have. It's not enough for most people to notice and if I point it out people say "oh that's not fat, don't worry about it" which pisses me off. If I tense my abs its disappears, which would be wonderful if I could get away with tensing for 8 hours straight but I can't. The main thing is I notice it and its getting to the point where I'm sure it's starting to taunt me! :P but seriously, it's all I see when I look down, a stupid little bulge of fat that just won't go away!
At the moment I train 6 days a week, I do 30-40mins of high intensity cardio (10 mins on various machines each) and 40mins of heavy weight lifting. I eat reasonably well, could probably do better (have definitely splurged lately because of my birthday but normally don't)
So what I'm wondering is, should I be doing more cardio and less weights? Or continue what I'm doing and mainly focus on being stricter on what I put in? :S
Any advice or tips and tricks you have would be muchly appreciated!
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Replies
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I know what you're going through! You can't sport reduce but reducing your bf%will help. It also depends LARGELY on what you eat. If you don't eat healthy food that fat will stick around and your abs will be hidden. Try upping your cardio a bit and see if that helps
Edited to say: keep doing the same amount of weight training because muscle helps you burn fat and you don't want to lose lean body mass when you up your cardio.0 -
Keep doing what you are doing as far as exercise, but the only way to get rid of that belly fat is through your diet. Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.0
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Girl - I feel ya 100% I am currently 106-110 pounds and happy with that weight, but the stubborn little belly bulge will NOT go away! Grrr.....:grumble:0
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I gain all my fat on my belly
I stay the same except a fat tummy 0 -
Thanks for the tips ladies, am going to keep on track at the gym and work a bit harder in the intake and definitely up the water, hopefully my belly fat is just water and will miraculously disappear when I up my water intake haha! :P ill let y'all know how that works out for me lol0
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Keep doing what you are doing as far as exercise, but the only way to get rid of that belly fat is through your diet. Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.
I agree with her. Your exercise routine sounds killer (way to go!) so just be strict with your diet. As long as you have decent muscle under there, it's all about the diet. Since you lift I'm going to assume your core is pretty solid. Pay attention to your sodium, sugar and carb intake. Sodium will bloat you and sugar will make you hold excess fat. As far as carbs go, I think carbs are fine, just try to focus on the right kind of carbs. Most of your carb intake should be from fresh veggies. And finally, this is going to get a bit gross, but you have to poop regularly too. If I get backed up abs go bye-bye A diet high in veggies should keep things moving along pretty smoothly, so that's another reason to make sure you get plenty of them.
In general also remember that you cannot "spot reduce" fat. You have to lose fat all over, and we will all lose in different places first depending on our genetics. Me, I lose boobs first, then arms, then tummy, then things and butt start to shrink. The key is to do a well-rounded exercise plan that regularly hits all of your muscle groups and get your diet right.0 -
I gain all my fat on my belly I stay the same except a fat tummy
It could be what you are eating. I hold more weight in my stomach when I eat more grains. Not saying that's the perfect answer for you, but something to think about.0 -
No your probably right about the grains thing. I'm so bad for breads/pastas/starchy veggies. Its something I need to get better at limiting0
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Hey there! I have a ton of friends who train for bikini shows and I know that area is tricky. i am working on it myself. The nest thing I can say is what my friend noreen told me "abs are made in the kitchen" so if you clean up your nutrition I bet it will melt right off. I have been leaning like crazy. Down 14lbs in 21 days, if you want a break down of my plan shoot me an email KrissyKrash@gmail.com
PS I just found this group and I am SO STOKED about all these girls in the same place as me where we are not heavy but we want ot lose weight and get LEAN!
:-)
Krissy0 -
I'm with you, I hate that lower pooch! I've gotten mine smaller with cutting carbs and reducing body fat through exercise. I also read an article the other day about how poor posture -slumping or leaning back in your chair- creates a lower pooch. Try to sit up straight and suck in those lower abs!0
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If I were you, I would cut back on the cardio and make sure you are lifting 3 x per week - 60 minutes per session.
You CAN get rid of stubborn lower belly fat!
(Check out New Rules of Lifting for Abs....)0 -
This is a great thread. I've lost all the weight I wanted to lose. A little extra actually. That darned pooch is still plopped there saying "Haha, can't get me!". GRR!
I go to the gym 4x / week - cardio, yoga and strength training plus I run a couple of nights a week after work. I am really interested in hearing how other "not that heavy girls" deal with this problem.0 -
Grrrr me too!! I've got maybe 5-8lbs left to lose but that stomach thing is driving me crazy. Like you if i stand up straight and flex..it flattens...but we can't walk around like that all the time :laugh:
I'm thinking carbs might be the culprit for me, when I upped my calories it sort of opened the door to getting lax on my eating. This month I'm focusing on cutting sugar and bad carbs and see if it helps. i'm already doing cardio and started lifting, so the concept that abs are made in the kitchen makes sense.
Glad to know I'm not the only one in the Not so Heavy Girls with Stomach Pooch Thingies Club :flowerforyou:0 -
can you share you plan with all of usHey there! I have a ton of friends who train for bikini shows and I know that area is tricky. i am working on it myself. The nest thing I can say is what my friend noreen told me "abs are made in the kitchen" so if you clean up your nutrition I bet it will melt right off. I have been leaning like crazy. Down 14lbs in 21 days, if you want a break down of my plan shoot me an email KrissyKrash@gmail.com
PS I just found this group and I am SO STOKED about all these girls in the same place as me where we are not heavy but we want ot lose weight and get LEAN!
:-)
Krissy
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Some of it is hormones, too. That goes along with lowering your body fat. The higher your estrogen, the harder the pooch is to get rid of. Lower body fat means lower estrogen, just make sure not to let your body fat get too low--ladies need some estrogen. And I also agree with the carbs recommendations--try to avoid simple carbs and concentrate on complex. More whole foods, fewer processed ones, and keep working on your core so that when you are able to get rid of it, you will have something pretty (sexy, rock hard) underneath.0
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OK, I'm going to go totally against the grain here and say it...
That pooch is probably supposed to be there.
It's perfectly normal and healthy for women to have a little lower abdominal pouch of fat. It's nature's way of making sure we've got what's necessary for making babies and feeding fetuses.
With that being said, my advice would be to find out your body fat percentage. Not the old caliper method, but find somebody with a water tank or an ultrasound that can measure more exactly. If you've got 20% body fat or under, you really need to stop - your internal organs can (and will) start to shut down. It starts with your reproductive system and goes from there. If you've got over about 23% body fat, keep going! Fat burn is the way to make it smaller. That golden spot for athletes is between 20-23% body fat.0 -
OK, I'm going to go totally against the grain here and say it...
That pooch is probably supposed to be there.
It's perfectly normal and healthy for women to have a little lower abdominal pouch of fat. It's nature's way of making sure we've got what's necessary for making babies and feeding fetuses.
With that being said, my advice would be to find out your body fat percentage. Not the old caliper method, but find somebody with a water tank or an ultrasound that can measure more exactly. If you've got 20% body fat or under, you really need to stop - your internal organs can (and will) start to shut down. It starts with your reproductive system and goes from there. If you've got over about 23% body fat, keep going! Fat burn is the way to make it smaller. That golden spot for athletes is between 20-23% body fat.
I'm not trying to be rude, but this is very wrong. Going under 20% body fat WILL NOT automatically cause harm to your internal organs. Below 15%, and your body may stop menstruating, but you would be fine between 15 and 20%. For instance, I am currently at about 23%, and my goal is to be sitting comfortably at about 18%. Also, you need o have body fat acurately measured. Calipers don't cut it. Find a gym that performs "BodPods". This will measure ALL fat, not just the fat you can see. Yes, your body needs fat to cushion the organs (called visceral fat), but going below 20% isn't going to affect that until you get MUCH lower. I would venture to say that a majority of women here are looking for the type of physique achieved when you're at about 16-20% BF. This gives you a more lean appearance, and really allows for your hard-earned-muscles to show.0 -
I didn't say it will automatically cause harm to your internal organs. Read it again. I said it "can (and will)" cause them to shut down. The closer a woman is to the 20%, the closer to the "can" and not the "will". Perhaps the majority of women here are looking for a 16-20% physique, but it may well serve as a good reminder to know that percentage is borderline acceptable for swimsuit models. In fact, most swimsuit and fitness models have between about 15-17% body fat. Many of them have lost the ability to menstruate.OK, I'm going to go totally against the grain here and say it...
That pooch is probably supposed to be there.
It's perfectly normal and healthy for women to have a little lower abdominal pouch of fat. It's nature's way of making sure we've got what's necessary for making babies and feeding fetuses.
With that being said, my advice would be to find out your body fat percentage. Not the old caliper method, but find somebody with a water tank or an ultrasound that can measure more exactly. If you've got 20% body fat or under, you really need to stop - your internal organs can (and will) start to shut down. It starts with your reproductive system and goes from there. If you've got over about 23% body fat, keep going! Fat burn is the way to make it smaller. That golden spot for athletes is between 20-23% body fat.
I'm not trying to be rude, but this is very wrong. Going under 20% body fat WILL NOT automatically cause harm to your internal organs. Below 15%, and your body may stop menstruating, but you would be fine between 15 and 20%. For instance, I am currently at about 23%, and my goal is to be sitting comfortably at about 18%. Also, you need o have body fat acurately measured. Calipers don't cut it. Find a gym that performs "BodPods". This will measure ALL fat, not just the fat you can see. Yes, your body needs fat to cushion the organs (called visceral fat), but going below 20% isn't going to affect that until you get MUCH lower. I would venture to say that a majority of women here are looking for the type of physique achieved when you're at about 16-20% BF. This gives you a more lean appearance, and really allows for your hard-earned-muscles to show.
The information provided is not wrong. What I stated comes from years of experience working in the medical profession, along with keeping up with the most recent research available to me. I personally find it better to provide this information to people who may not know that it could be a potential issue. What people choose to do with the information is up to them.
I also said to not use calipers, and to try to find a place with either a water tank or ultrasound. I have used both of these. Bod Pods are an air displacement system - something I have not personally tried, so could not recommend in good conscience.0 -
I've noticed that I have significantly less lower belly fat ever since I reduced the amount of dairy and wheat in my diet. I don't have a flat stomach (yet) but when I avoid those things I am much less puffy there.0
