Belly Fat

We all want the answer to this question... but how long has it been since you are losing the weight? It takes up to 6 weeks to redistribute. My belly is last to go. I'm not the exercise expert but age old sit ups ... all the different ones that work the abs. If you go to the gym there are great machines. If at home, traditional sit ups, and the ones where you lay down with feet pointed to ceiling and looking at the ceiling, reach for the stars. Works out upper abs. Fitness magazine has great ideas. But don't worry so much if just losing the weight and its first few months. Belly for me is always last. Would love to hear from the expert guru's ... and answers on the belly fat.

Exercise types DO NOT target fat. Genetics decide where your body stores it, and by extension where you lose it first. If biology worked as you suggest, runners would have skinny legs paired with beer guts and chubby arms. Forget about targeting, and just make sure you are losing; your body will sort itself out. Good luck.

I am in no way an expert but from my experience-I gain all over but especially in my belly and I lose that last. I'll start noticing change and loss of inches but the pudge stays! I have heard the same from many other pals. I think we just need to keep doing what we're doing and the closer we get to our ultimate goal, we'll start to c our tummies shrink more. Also I have heard while we r doing ab work n stuff, u won't c immediate results if u have allot of fat there cuz u still need to lose the fat! Then u can c the muscle under it. We just have to stay on track, I have tummy issues too and i'm still waiting to get to the point where i'm seeing it shrink although my clothes are fitting differently. I'm sure there are foods and exercises that can help along the way but I just wanted to share some advice from my experience in general. Stay encouraged.

Great advice . . .it will all take time and your diet is 80% of the reason you are holding onto your fat. I have gone to the Fat Shredder 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat and I have noticed an considerable difference in the fat on my tummy as this is the last place I lose too. You can join the group called P90X/Insanity Game Changers and ShawnDMuth will give you great ideas to shred that fat.

I'll keep this short, since there are thousands of other threads you could have looked at about the exact same topic.

1. You can't spot reduce fat. It will come off as you lose weight through a calorie deficit, and strength training will help you. Cardio is also important, although many many of the heavy lifters will tell you otherwise.
2. Yes, it could very well be the food you're eating. Are you eating crap? Processed, packaged, refined carbohydrates? if yes, you can count on that contributing. A calorie IS a calorie, but eating clean and being healthy will help you a lot more and you'll get results a lot faster. Abs are made in the kitchen, never forget that.
3. You shouldn't "not" be eating anything. Eat in a way that will last a lifetime. Don't swear off brownies for the rest of your life, just find ways to make them healthier/ eat them in moderation. Don't eliminate food groups like fats, they're actually good for you.
4. As said before, you can't spot reduce. Calorie deficit, increased protein, and dedication will help you get rid of the wiggle.


Open your diary so we can see what foods you're eating so we can tell you what to cut back on




EDIT: All this being said, you can still work on building up your muscles (by doing strength moves, like ab work, arm work, back) but doing this alone is just going to build muscle with a layer of fat over it, without being able to see as much progress as you would if you combined it with either cardio or heavy lifting. I personally do not lift heavy.

About point number two. Can you please explain how exactly it will help more if I get 100% of my carbs as complex vs. say, 60% complex and 40% refined if one still keeps the same deficit?

ETA: I'm really wondering what you think, not trying to start a fight.

You don't need exactly one hundred percent of your carbs to be complex, but as close to as possible.

Okay so : There are two types of carbohydrates. There are complex carbohydrates, which can be found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unrefined products. Then there are simple (or white) carbohydrates, which come from processed foods, white flours (refined) sugars (the unnatural kind) and just about every junk food you can think of.

Now, onto why you should make most if not all your carbohydrates complex:
Simple carbohydrates may taste amazing for the moment, but once they enter your bloodstream they severely spike your blood sugar, causing you to go on a sort of "high", but then drop down very quickly, thus resulting in unnecessary hunger and cravings. The bottom line is: they won't keep you full for long because unlike complex carbohydrates, they are digested very quickly. Eating them will also often cause you to crave them, instead of eliminating the craving. They are also processed, as you see with white rice and flour. Those things are white because the nutrients have been stripped from them, leaving only the internal portion and not the nutrient-dense casing. This causes simple carbohydrates to be viewed as "empty carbs" or "empty calories" because they're worthless to you, and to your health. They will do no good.


Complex carbohydrates on the other hand, are nutrient rich, slow digesting, blood sugar stabilizing, energy powerhouses. You don't need to avoid carbs, you just need to eat the right ones to fuel your body. You'd probably notice if you ate a bowl of whole grain pasta with some homemade tomato sauce that you have more energy to work out, or you do better in your workout. I always do, and I know it's because of the energy I'm getting from those carbohydrates. Think of them as energy, and think of simple carbohydrates as slower-downers. (sorry.. I couldn't think of a better term.. haha)


This is all based off a lot of research I've done, so you can take from it what you wish. I'm not a scientist or a doctor of any sort, this is just what I know from months and months of extensive research and my own experiences.



edit: I should have mentioned before, your body sees simple carbohydrates entering it and then doesn't understand why it's not getting the nutrients it needs, which makes you want to eat more of it in order to get the nutrients.

I like to eat yummy treats now and then, but I make a very conscious effort to avoid simple carbohydrates. I pay close attention to how I feel during, just after, and hours later after I eat them, and I can see that I do in fact get hungrier, have more cravings for simple carbs, and all of the above. 40% seems a really high percentage to be consuming simple carbs alone. For me that would be around 70-80 grams of my 188 (55% daily intake) carbohydrate allotment. To me, that would seem like a waste of food and calories, because my body would get very little nutrients out of it and probably a lot of calories. I personally try to limit my "wasted" calories to no more than 10-15 grams of carbs, and try to only eat those deliciously sinful carbohydrates infrequently. (Note: this is just my opinion and my lifestyle. Nobody has to listen to what I say or do if they don't want to! Just trying to help, promise!)


I should also mention carbohydrates-no matter what kind- will not cause you to gain weight. Nor would fat, or protein. Calories cause you to gain and lose weight, but balancing your macros and eating healthfully can aid you in weight loss and help you lose fat easier than you would eating poorly.

I hope this helped