Getting Abs?? Where am I going wrong?

Options
24

Replies

  • jcr85
    jcr85 Posts: 229
    Options
    low carbs do not equal abs.


    Reduced bodyfat = abs.

    OP are you losing weight? If you're not that's what you need to do.

    I'm not losing weight. Please look at my pics. I don't have any to lose. My hip bones protrude. I weight about 130 lbs right now but at 110 lbs (years ago) I didn't have abs then either.

    You have to reduce "body fat" this is where the weight loss comes in. If you build muscle you will weigh more. Yet it won't show your abs because they will be hidden under fat. You have to get rid of the fat. fat loss.

    If you maintain your weight you will look the same, your weight has to change. You won't build muscle and lose weight at the same time. You can probably take a break and work on building more muscle then cut down on body fat, that would also help.

    This is pretty much the answer.

    This is the basic guide lines for women's body fat percentage:

    Competition Shape (“ripped”): 8-12%
    Very Lean (excellent): < 15%
    Lean (good): 16-20%
    Satisfactory (fair): 21-25%
    Improvement needed (poor): 26-30%
    Major improvement needed (Very poor): 31-40%+


    Get some calibers and find out where you are at then adjust your goals accordingly. So if you want to stay the same weight and lose body fat your going to have to go through a few bulk and cut cycles until you reach your ideal body fat percentage and weight.
  • Investorhyde1
    Investorhyde1 Posts: 11
    Options
    As mostly everyone else has said, seeing abs is all about body fat %. Basically, you want your body to use stored fat for energy. There are a number of ways to do this. I would suggest looking into Intermittent Fasting (NO it is not a diet!). You will still eat your normal calorie intake, just in a smaller eating window. I lost my last 20 lbs doing this, and fat melted off. I am bulking this year, have gained around 5 pounds and still leaned out some, as I have more definition and am closer to my abs showing. Everyone is different though, gotta learn what works for you! Also, just reading about IF taught me a lot about how fat works in the body and why it is stored etc. Helped me understand the body more, which helped me overcome some obstacles.
  • XDiet_SlayerX
    XDiet_SlayerX Posts: 88
    Options
    I'm starting to wonder if my weekend cheat meals are what's keeping me from my dream abs? Maybe I'm not as hard core as I think I am? 90% or more of my diet is clean, unprocessed foods and still no abs =(. I usually only have one cheat meal on the weekends. I don't have cheat days. What do you all think? I eat some cheese, cream and almond milk but the rest is fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Where am I going wrong?

    I work out 5 or more days a week. I do group fitness classes like step, kickboxing and aerobics. I love running and do at least 2 days a week of lifting heavy (I hope to increase this soon).

    My profile and diary are open. First thing you will notice is my weekend cheat meal yesterday. I usually do a meal like that once a week but all other meals are pretty clean. Take a look and let me know what you think. Thank you.
    I know you have an open diary and all on here but really how much sugar are you intaking? Even eating too much fruits can hinder your results raising your insulin levels if you eat super sweet fruits like bananas and grapes. Another problem with a high fruit diet is that it can lead to problems involving the hormones that regulate your blood sugar; insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone.
  • Missylydia
    Missylydia Posts: 304 Member
    Options
    I would say try some weighted abs exercises, and you possible genetically have smoother abdominal muscles rather than the 6 pack shape. Look up Jamie Easson, she has smoother abdominals rather than the 6 pack shape and she is ripped. You already clearly have a very low body fat percentage, so it isn't your diet.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    I looked at your pics, and I disagree with pretty much all the other responses here- I think you should concentrate more on lifting and even do a small bulk with a slight caloric surplus. You may even want to do some weighted ab-work (not a million crunches and planks). I almost *never* recommend ab work, but I think in your case you're already lean and may need to develop those muscles to get them to pop.

    Thank you. This seems more realistic to me. The "drop weight/body fat" argument seems to apply on to a select few and not me. How much more body fat can a 5'7" female drop when she weighs 110 (I did a few years ago and I didn't have abs!)? Thanks for the advice!
  • Investorhyde1
    Investorhyde1 Posts: 11
    Options
    As mostly everyone else has said, seeing abs is all about body fat %. Basically, you want your body to use stored fat for energy. There are a number of ways to do this. I would suggest looking into Intermittent Fasting (NO it is not a diet!). You will still eat your normal calorie intake, just in a smaller eating window. I lost my last 20 lbs doing this, and fat melted off. I am bulking this year, have gained around 5 pounds and still leaned out some, as I have more definition and am closer to my abs showing. Everyone is different though, gotta learn what works for you! Also, just reading about IF taught me a lot about how fat works in the body and why it is stored etc. Helped me understand the body more, which helped me overcome some obstacles.

    IF didn't cause you to lose bodyfat, your calorie deficit did.

    Yes, it was the calorie deficit, but that does not mean IF did not accelerate the fat loss. You can lose 5lbs, but that 5lbs can be configured in 100 different ways, maybe 1lb of it was fat, or 2lbs, or 3lbs, etc. I could give 100 scenarios and breakdown numbers but I will not waste my time. I have done the eat every 2 hours, spotless diet, blah blah blah. This worked for ME, and I eat about the same diet I did before. Not to mention, being I have gained weight, and have more veins showing than ever before, I think IF is doing something different. Not hi-jacking her thread though, as mentioned, this was just another suggestion, works for some, doesn't for others.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    As mostly everyone else has said, seeing abs is all about body fat %. Basically, you want your body to use stored fat for energy. There are a number of ways to do this. I would suggest looking into Intermittent Fasting (NO it is not a diet!). You will still eat your normal calorie intake, just in a smaller eating window. I lost my last 20 lbs doing this, and fat melted off. I am bulking this year, have gained around 5 pounds and still leaned out some, as I have more definition and am closer to my abs showing. Everyone is different though, gotta learn what works for you! Also, just reading about IF taught me a lot about how fat works in the body and why it is stored etc. Helped me understand the body more, which helped me overcome some obstacles.

    I disagree to a point. Anorexic people have dangerously low body fat and they don't have abs. I don't know what mine is but it's not much.

    I love IF and did it for a while. I still do some days. The fruits and veggie diet seems to keep me hungry so it's harder to push through a longer fast.

    Maybe I need to bulk. That's the only thing I haven't done. I mean, yeah I'm bigger than I used to be but I've never actually purposefully bulked or cut. I'm afraid of cutting because I'm already very thin.
  • Parks0613
    Parks0613 Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    I went through and looked at your Diary, Did you set your Macros (Fat, Pro, Carbs)? Did you set your cals? Reason I asked is that your consistently not with in +/- 5 of your Macros. That could play a big factor on results. Also are you doing abs daily? Friend me and I can help you!

    I don't watch my macros much. I put the emphasis on eating fresh foods and stopped worrying about the rest. I do not do abs daily but usually about 3 or 4 times a week.

    You should really watch your Macros, You can still emphasize on eating fresh but your consistently high with your sugars extra sugar means extra fat is stored. Try some hanging leg raises and do some toes to bars maybe some mason twists as well. You can work your abs moderately everyday But if your doing it hard Every 2 days.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    I looked at your pics, and I disagree with pretty much all the other responses here- I think you should concentrate more on lifting and even do a small bulk with a slight caloric surplus. You may even want to do some weighted ab-work (not a million crunches and planks). I almost *never* recommend ab work, but I think in your case you're already lean and may need to develop those muscles to get them to pop.

    Thank you. This seems more realistic to me. The "drop weight/body fat" argument seems to apply on to a select few and not me. How much more body fat can a 5'7" female drop when she weighs 110 (I did a few years ago and I didn't have abs!)? Thanks for the advice!

    And before I get attacked...I didn't weight 110 on purpose. I weigh in at a nice healthy 130 now.
  • BoatReadyBody
    BoatReadyBody Posts: 376
    Options
    Just speaking for myself I believe in avocados,chicken and Ripped in 30.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    I went through and looked at your Diary, Did you set your Macros (Fat, Pro, Carbs)? Did you set your cals? Reason I asked is that your consistently not with in +/- 5 of your Macros. That could play a big factor on results. Also are you doing abs daily? Friend me and I can help you!

    I don't watch my macros much. I put the emphasis on eating fresh foods and stopped worrying about the rest. I do not do abs daily but usually about 3 or 4 times a week.

    You should really watch your Macros, You can still emphasize on eating fresh but your consistently high with your sugars extra sugar means extra fat is stored. Try some hanging leg raises and do some toes to bars maybe some mason twists as well. You can work your abs moderately everyday But if your doing it hard Every 2 days.

    Thanks for the advice :)
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    I looked at your pics, and I disagree with pretty much all the other responses here- I think you should concentrate more on lifting and even do a small bulk with a slight caloric surplus. You may even want to do some weighted ab-work (not a million crunches and planks). I almost *never* recommend ab work, but I think in your case you're already lean and may need to develop those muscles to get them to pop.

    Thank you. This seems more realistic to me. The "drop weight/body fat" argument seems to apply on to a select few and not me. How much more body fat can a 5'7" female drop when she weighs 110 (I did a few years ago and I didn't have abs!)? Thanks for the advice!

    Yeah, you definitely do not need to lose any weight or reduce your calories!! Lift weights, with good form, you will feel it in your core.

    Edit: Glad to hear you are at a higher weight now. Not that I am quick to judge on that (being naturally slender myself). :smile:
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Options
    I looked at your pics, and I disagree with pretty much all the other responses here- I think you should concentrate more on lifting and even do a small bulk with a slight caloric surplus. You may even want to do some weighted ab-work (not a million crunches and planks). I almost *never* recommend ab work, but I think in your case you're already lean and may need to develop those muscles to get them to pop.

    This. You're low in bodyfat now, just a bit of surplus in calories and build those muscles. :)
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    I would say try some weighted abs exercises, and you possible genetically have smoother abdominal muscles rather than the 6 pack shape. Look up Jamie Easson, she has smoother abdominals rather than the 6 pack shape and she is ripped. You already clearly have a very low body fat percentage, so it isn't your diet.

    Thank you. I have looked at her 100's of times and never picked up on her abs. I wonder if my abs are flatter. I have extremely good core strength but no bulges =(.
  • gungho66
    gungho66 Posts: 284 Member
    Options
    based on your looks I would say your body fat is low enough, what you need to do now is more high intensity training, mountain climbers,wind sprints, high kness ect.. jump rope. exercises that will engage the ab muscles but not necessarily ab exercises, your on the right track, good luck
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    Options
    ...but your consistently high with your sugars extra sugar means extra fat is stored...
    No.

    If you're consistently high with your calories (as in a caloric surplus), fat is stored. If you're in a caloric deficit, your body doesn't store fat. Calories in < Calories out has nothing whatsoever to do with sugar intake unless you're creating a surplus.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    I'm starting to wonder if my weekend cheat meals are what's keeping me from my dream abs? Maybe I'm not as hard core as I think I am? 90% or more of my diet is clean, unprocessed foods and still no abs =(. I usually only have one cheat meal on the weekends. I don't have cheat days. What do you all think? I eat some cheese, cream and almond milk but the rest is fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Where am I going wrong?

    I work out 5 or more days a week. I do group fitness classes like step, kickboxing and aerobics. I love running and do at least 2 days a week of lifting heavy (I hope to increase this soon).

    My profile and diary are open. First thing you will notice is my weekend cheat meal yesterday. I usually do a meal like that once a week but all other meals are pretty clean. Take a look and let me know what you think. Thank you.
    I know you have an open diary and all on here but really how much sugar are you intaking? Even eating too much fruits can hinder your results raising your insulin levels if you eat super sweet fruits like bananas and grapes. Another problem with a high fruit diet is that it can lead to problems involving the hormones that regulate your blood sugar; insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone.

    I get a ton of natural sugar. I LOVE my fruits and especially bananas. Thanks for the information.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    I looked at your pics, and I disagree with pretty much all the other responses here- I think you should concentrate more on lifting and even do a small bulk with a slight caloric surplus. You may even want to do some weighted ab-work (not a million crunches and planks). I almost *never* recommend ab work, but I think in your case you're already lean and may need to develop those muscles to get them to pop.

    Thank you. This seems more realistic to me. The "drop weight/body fat" argument seems to apply on to a select few and not me. How much more body fat can a 5'7" female drop when she weighs 110 (I did a few years ago and I didn't have abs!)? Thanks for the advice!

    And before I get attacked...I didn't weight 110 on purpose. I weigh in at a nice healthy 130 now.

    So if you add muscle mass... your body fat will stay the same or increase. When you cut for your abs what will happen? You will reduce body fat.

    The issue with people who are anorexic is they don't have much muscle mass, I honestly don't think their bodyfat is that low. For example, Imagine someone who's really muscular and lean and you pinch whatever skin you can, you can't pinch much(not much fat). Do the same to someone who is anorexic, there is a large chunk you can hold on to. They're always pinching themselves and say "see, i am fat."

    I see what you're saying. I just don't have much body fat as it is. I wouldn't know where to guess myself but you really can't pinch much more than skin on me. I know I have some body fat but I can't see it being enough to hide my abs. I can rub my ab area and I don't feel any bulges. I wonder if I'm just lacking muscle there? Although my abs are hard as a rock.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Options
    I looked at your pics, and I disagree with pretty much all the other responses here- I think you should concentrate more on lifting and even do a small bulk with a slight caloric surplus. You may even want to do some weighted ab-work (not a million crunches and planks). I almost *never* recommend ab work, but I think in your case you're already lean and may need to develop those muscles to get them to pop.

    ^What MoreBean said.
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    Options
    based on your looks I would say your body fat is low enough, what you need to do now is more high intensity training, mountain climbers,wind sprints, high kness ect.. jump rope. exercises that will engage the ab muscles but not necessarily ab exercises, your on the right track, good luck

    Thank you! I appreciate the input :)

Categories