UGH can't lose my belly fat :(

fcandyaple
fcandyaple Posts: 9
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey so I have a pretty small frame 5'00 110 lbs. While most may assume I don't have much to worry about when I have no clothes on or in a swim suit you can def tell I got a bit of a belly.

I know you can't spot reduce. I workout about 5 days a week doing spin class and body pump classes, occasionally running. ( I have been doing this for about a year now)

I lost most of the weight I wanted to.. ( I went from 123 to current weight of 110) I do want to lose another 5 lbs possibly, (though I also want to build more muscle, which may cause me to weight more I realize) anyhow long story short... most of my body is toning up EXCEPT my darn stomach! ;(

I am getting frustrated and beginning to worry I am doomed to never to lose my stomach. Any suggestions are welcome! :)

Replies

  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    The last few lbs are always the hardest. ALWAYS. The less you have to lose, the more your body will want to hold on. Lift weights and eat right. Diet is of most importance in the final stages.

    Patience and not giving up is key.
  • joannerech
    joannerech Posts: 1
    One thing to be mindful of is that your body gets used to what you're doing after about 6 weeks and stops responding as well. Maybe shake your fitness regime up a bit. Add some weights. Don't do body pump one week and do a circuit instead or don't spin one week and do a mixture (10 minutes treadmill, 10 minutes bike, 10 minutes rower as an example).

    It will "shock" your body as it's not expecting it. Give it 3 or 4 weeks before you see any real changes though. Once you've gone through 2 months, change it up again. The key is to be consistently inconsistent :)
  • GravyBrah
    GravyBrah Posts: 34 Member
    Cut down on the endurance cardio and try to incorporate some high intensity interval training like sprinting. Keep eating the same amount of calories but try a cutting macro nutrient ratio of 60% protein, 20% carbs, 20% fat. These subtle variables should help you reach your goals. If they don't work for you, you might want to try overhauling your routine and say focus on weight training rather than cardio.

    And stop weighing yourself, the measuring tape and the mirror are much better for tracking progress.
  • fcandyaple
    fcandyaple Posts: 9
    LOL I will try to cut down on endurance cardio?? However I am pretty stubborn in this area and am more likely to maybe add to it with your suggestions if that may work? If I have to I will switch up my routine, but I LOVE my spin classes! As for your diet suggestions, this is probably a dumb question but you are saying have 60% of my diet be protein, 20% carbs, 20% fat?

    I agree that I should stop weighing myself!! That is a habit I wish I could break! I should hide my scale, I am not even going to mention how often I weigh myself :(
  • fcandyaple
    fcandyaple Posts: 9
    maybe I can keep my same workout routine and just add more weigh lifting to it?? More core work? Again I know I can't spot reduce but maybe more focus needs to be in this area? I know they say "abs are made in the kitchen" so what should and shouldn't I be eating ?
  • jbruced
    jbruced Posts: 210 Member
    Considering the entire digestive/metabolism process the things that most easily store as fat are sugars and starches . Use theem sparingly .
  • GravyBrah
    GravyBrah Posts: 34 Member
    Endurance cardio is great, especially when you get into the zone and endorphins are being released into your body. The problem is the gains you actually see from doing it is pretty much just you getting better at doing cardio rather than fat loss. A commonly referenced example of this is a sprinter's body vs. a marathon runner's body in terms of aesthetics. Maybe try incorporating something different 2/5 sessions a week so you can still catch your spin classes and add something more efficient for fat loss.

    The simplest way to reduce body fat is to moderate your carb intake. Athletic people are generally advised to have a 40% protein, 40% carb, and 20% fat moderation diet. The 60/20/20 is what bodybuilders use during a "cutting phase" to cut their body fat down as fast as possible. The reason I suggested that you keep your calories constant is because you are relatively active (working out 5 days a week) and already have a pretty low body weight. Reducing the caloric variable is more effective with obesity rather someone trying to tone up.

    You shouldn't have to add more to your routine because you already seem very dedicated. If you've been doing the same routines/classes for a year and your progress has plateaued, its time to change some things up. Work out smarter rather than harder because you're already crushing it!
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    Endurance cardio is great, especially when you get into the zone and endorphins are being released into your body. The problem is the gains you actually see from doing it is pretty much just you getting better at doing cardio rather than fat loss. A commonly referenced example of this is a sprinter's body vs. a marathon runner's body in terms of aesthetics. Maybe try incorporating something different 2/5 sessions a week so you can still catch your spin classes and add something more efficient for fat loss.

    The simplest way to reduce body fat is to moderate your carb intake. Athletic people are generally advised to have a 40% protein, 40% carb, and 20% fat moderation diet. The 60/20/20 is what bodybuilders use during a "cutting phase" to cut their body fat down as fast as possible. The reason I suggested that you keep your calories constant is because you are relatively active (working out 5 days a week) and already have a pretty low body weight. Reducing the caloric variable is more effective with obesity rather someone trying to tone up.

    You shouldn't have to add more to your routine because you already seem very dedicated. If you've been doing the same routines/classes for a year and your progress has plateaued, its time to change some things up. Work out smarter rather than harder because you're already crushing it!

    THIS! Sprint, and/or do some sort of interval training instead of all that steady-state cardio. Change your macros, see if that helps. A full body compound lifting program has really given me some great results too, so I'd also suggest you consider doing something like that a few times per week.
  • fcandyaple
    fcandyaple Posts: 9
    Ok thanks for the feedback! I will switch up my routine a few days a week then...starting today! :)

    I will also watch what I eat more closely too. I don't eat much sugary foods.

    A couple weeks ago I cut my calories down to see if that helped, and it left me so tired and weak. Any ideas on how many calories I should be eating a day? again I am 5'00 110 lbs working out 5 days a week (sometimes 6) also my job keeps me pretty active as well (I am a waitress) I was originally trying to stay around 1200 and when I cut back is when I felt more tired and weak. I realize that was too few, but I was just experimenting to see if that helped... my stomach did start to get smaller but I also felt like I was losing muscle or something??

    also being I don't eat much sugary foods (which I know causes belly fat/bloat) what others foods should I be limiting?)
  • carbear02
    carbear02 Posts: 12 Member
    replying to save this thread. =)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Give this a read...

    http://www.metaboliceffect.com/exercise-to-burn-belly-fat/

    Then hit the gym...also, sprints...eat to maintenance

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