how do I get the perfect stomach?!?! HELP :)

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bethcamp
bethcamp Posts: 37
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm on week two off diet and exercise, I'm exercising daily, abs daily and sticking to 1200 calories per day, so far I'm happy with the weight loss - week 1, 5lbs, week 2, 4 lbs. Just wondering what foods I should be increasing/decreasing/avoiding, certain exercises or cardio or any other general tips for weightloss around the middle :)

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  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    I'm working on this myself and the general consensus seems to be lift heavy weights and cut carbs. Ab exercises aren't a great deal of use until you have got rid of the fat on top.
  • bethcamp
    bethcamp Posts: 37
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    Thanks, I'm trying to lower carb and fat intake too but haven't heard much about heavy weights, I've been told low weights and lots of reps ?
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
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    Lift heavy with low reps. If you're female check out the book 'New rules of lifting for women'. Men can check out that too if they want or anyone can check out 5x5 stronglifts for a start.

    Weight lifting is the most important part if you not only want to lose weight but look really good once you're at goal. Its only with weights that you'll get toned, decrease that body fat % to athletic levels.

    You cant spot reduce fat. There is no saying where its going to come off when it does. Mine started with my hands, then face and at the moment its stomach but i still have a lot of fat on my back which im hoping is next!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    What do YOU mean by perfect?

    What's your current weight and body fat?

    I think you need to give a new regime longer than 2 weeks before deciding whether it's working or not.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    What do YOU mean by perfect?

    What's your current weight and body fat?

    I think you need to give a new regime longer than 2 weeks before deciding whether it's working or not.
    ^This.
    Thanks, I'm trying to lower carb and fat intake too but haven't heard much about heavy weights, I've been told low weights and lots of reps ?
    Also, I'd be wary of lowering fat intake too far. Your body needs a certain amount of fat to function properly, and cutting it out won't necessarily make you thinner. Dietary fat doesn't make you fat, unless you eat so much that you exceed your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure; ie. the number of calories you need to maintain weight.) Cutting carbs isn't necessary to cut fat either, although some people prefer to do so. If you have issues with bloating, you might want to look at tweaking your diet - eg. reducing sodium if you are getting to much, or finding out if you have any intolerances that make you bloat.

    If you want an abdomen that is basically flat with little definition, the main thing is to lose fat with a small calorie deficit (small so that you can try to maintain as much lean mass as possible while you lose fat.) If you want defined abs, then lifting will help with that. You don't necessarily have to do specific ab exercises, although planks are good for strengthening the core. If you look into compound lifts - they will work out your whole body, including your abs, even though it doesn't seem like they are being targeted.

    Lifting light weights, high reps isn't going to do very much for changing the shape of your body. It's more for endurance. Lifting heavy, lower reps (for example 8) would likely be better for what you're trying to achieve - but that really depends on what exactly you're trying to achieve! "Heavy" means as heavy as you can, for the rep rang you're using.

    But above all, it's definitely going to take longer than 2 weeks to see significant changes.
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
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    Thanks, I'm trying to lower carb and fat intake too but haven't heard much about heavy weights, I've been told low weights and lots of reps ?

    Heavy weights and lots of reps. I wish you good luck in lower carbs and fats, that drove me insane last time. Particularly the fats, spiked my hormones and went haywire and I got really moodey and agitated.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
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    I don't think lowering carbs is necessary until you are rather close to your goal?

    Ideally you figure out how much protein and fat you need and make up the rest of your calories with carbs.
  • CovaJoser
    CovaJoser Posts: 18
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    Don't worry too much about how many carbs or fats your intake is, but more on where those carbs and fats are coming from. If you're working out, it's likely that youll need more carbs than what mfp says.
    Abs are made in the kitchen. Focus on reducing body fat to under 15%.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    You get abs by lowering your total body fat. Your abs, just like every other muscle, needs rest so do NOT work them out every day. Also, abs are made in the kitchen. A small calorie deficit (1 lb max for you base on only needing to lose 40 lbs) and resistance training to keep your muscle. I also suggest throwing your weight goal out the window and look in the mirror. Don't do low fat, fat is very healthy for you. And lower carbs just lowers weight weight. There is NO benefit to low carb in terms of fat loss.
  • bethcamp
    bethcamp Posts: 37
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    Thanks guys, lots of info here :) I'm not giving up on it two weeks on just wanted guidence to see if I'm goin in the right direction, I'm 5.8 and 84kg with 30% body fat at the moment, ideal weight is somewhere around 70kg mark :) ill try lifting heavier weights and I'm lowering my carbs such as break, rice and trying to replace them with better grains and oats etc :)
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    I disagree that lowering carbs has no effect, after a year of trying various other options I've found ketogenic dieting and it seems to work for me. Its only been a week though so I will probably be proved wrong. Still, it is the first time the scale has moved down more than 1/2lb in a year, so right now I'm happy. I know some of it will be water weight but given I was trying 1200 calories and went up to 1500 to start this keto plan I'm pretty sure some if it is fat too.

    My personal opinion - you will find a lot of people talk about "clean" eating / paleo / primal etc etc. Well, these do seem to work and largely, I think, because they are low carb plans in disguise. At least "lower carb" than an everyday diet provides. Take out the processed foods, grains etc and you cut most of the carbs anyway.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    To get a flat stomach with visible abs, you need to be at a low body fat percent. For women, this generally means sub 18%. To get to THAT, the best way to go is to consume TDEE minus 10-20%, high protein, lift heavy. It's working for me, slowly but surely.
  • NatWillBeSkinny
    NatWillBeSkinny Posts: 111 Member
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    anyone got any tips for someone who had 2 csections and now my belly is mingin haha before my c sections i had a pretty flat belly but all thats gone out the window
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    I disagree that lowering carbs has no effect, after a year of trying various other options I've found ketogenic dieting and it seems to work for me. Its only been a week though so I will probably be proved wrong. Still, it is the first time the scale has moved down more than 1/2lb in a year, so right now I'm happy. I know some of it will be water weight but given I was trying 1200 calories and went up to 1500 to start this keto plan I'm pretty sure some if it is fat too.

    My personal opinion - you will find a lot of people talk about "clean" eating / paleo / primal etc etc. Well, these do seem to work and largely, I think, because they are low carb plans in disguise. At least "lower carb" than an everyday diet provides. Take out the processed foods, grains etc and you cut most of the carbs anyway.

    Let me first say it's great you found something that works for you but you saw weight loss because you lost water weight when you went keto. You were probably or more likely under feeding your body at 1200 calories. Low carb diets do NOT increase fat loss and over an extended period of time, you will see the same amount of weight loss/fat loss assuming calories are the same. Unfortunately, you increase your calories and decreased carbs at the same time, so it's hard to pinpoint the problem. The only time that low carb diets provide greater fat loss is if you have a metabolic issue, PCOS, hypothyroidism, POTS, or another medical condition that comes with an insulin intolerance or gluten intolerance.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    anyone got any tips for someone who had 2 csections and now my belly is mingin haha before my c sections i had a pretty flat belly but all thats gone out the window

    It's the same thing as anyone. A moderate deficit, resistance training to maintain lean body mass, and time. Higher protein will enable a body to retain lean body mass as well. So if you follow MFP, think of fat and protein as minimums, not maxes.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    I disagree that lowering carbs has no effect, after a year of trying various other options I've found ketogenic dieting and it seems to work for me. Its only been a week though so I will probably be proved wrong. Still, it is the first time the scale has moved down more than 1/2lb in a year, so right now I'm happy. I know some of it will be water weight but given I was trying 1200 calories and went up to 1500 to start this keto plan I'm pretty sure some if it is fat too.

    My personal opinion - you will find a lot of people talk about "clean" eating / paleo / primal etc etc. Well, these do seem to work and largely, I think, because they are low carb plans in disguise. At least "lower carb" than an everyday diet provides. Take out the processed foods, grains etc and you cut most of the carbs anyway.

    You saw weight loss because you lost water weight when you went keto. You were probably or more likely under feeding your body at 1200 calories. Low carb diets do NOT increase fat loss and over an extended period of time, you will see the same amount of weight loss/fat loss assuming calories are the same. Unfortunately, you increase your calories and decreased carbs at the same time, so it's hard to pinpoint the problem. The only time that low carb diets provide greater fat loss is if you have a metabolic issue, PCOS, hypothyroidism, POTS, or another medical condition that comes with an insulin intolerance or gluten intolerance.

    Last year I spent 6-8 weeks each eating at 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2000 and stayed the same weight at all calories levels except 2000 where I gained. I tried most of this month back at 1200 as I wanted to try MFP recommendations again, see if I was going mad... and again stayed the same. Thus, I don't think the 1200 was "too low" in the sense you mean.

    I understand what you are saying, it is logical to me and I'm a logical person but for some reason your preferred method did not work for me.

    I tested as borderline hypothyroid so that might be it. Either way it works for me so....*shrug* Perhaps I am that special snowflake... ;-)
  • Beyond_Value
    Beyond_Value Posts: 46 Member
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    That one is a challenge the midsection.

    I heard not eating wheat products, flour products would help.
  • Beyond_Value
    Beyond_Value Posts: 46 Member
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    I had three and I understand.

    Haven't find a solution even when I wore a size 8 that csection belly flap still there.

    Um!!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    I disagree that lowering carbs has no effect, after a year of trying various other options I've found ketogenic dieting and it seems to work for me. Its only been a week though so I will probably be proved wrong. Still, it is the first time the scale has moved down more than 1/2lb in a year, so right now I'm happy. I know some of it will be water weight but given I was trying 1200 calories and went up to 1500 to start this keto plan I'm pretty sure some if it is fat too.

    My personal opinion - you will find a lot of people talk about "clean" eating / paleo / primal etc etc. Well, these do seem to work and largely, I think, because they are low carb plans in disguise. At least "lower carb" than an everyday diet provides. Take out the processed foods, grains etc and you cut most of the carbs anyway.

    You saw weight loss because you lost water weight when you went keto. You were probably or more likely under feeding your body at 1200 calories. Low carb diets do NOT increase fat loss and over an extended period of time, you will see the same amount of weight loss/fat loss assuming calories are the same. Unfortunately, you increase your calories and decreased carbs at the same time, so it's hard to pinpoint the problem. The only time that low carb diets provide greater fat loss is if you have a metabolic issue, PCOS, hypothyroidism, POTS, or another medical condition that comes with an insulin intolerance or gluten intolerance.

    I tested as borderline hypothyroid so that might be it. Either way it works for me so....*shrug*

    haha, sorry you beat my edit. But yes, a condition like yours probably requires a lower carb diet.

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