Any advice on how to lose belly fat?

Options
callherbeautyxo
callherbeautyxo Posts: 124 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
i'd like to lose 10lbs in my stomach for the month of june but i have no idea how to do it besides drinking alot of water and staying away from sugary drinks and sodas. Help please :)

Replies

  • Liz55
    Liz55 Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    Unfortunately you can't target one specific area of the body. Add cardio to your list and that will help.
  • marcia724
    marcia724 Posts: 180 Member
    Options
    Yea, you can't lose in one specific spot. It's just not possible.
  • Ashshell
    Ashshell Posts: 185
    Options
    If you are just needing to tone up (I am assuming since you only want to lose weight in your abdominal area), just focus on ab work.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Options
    i'd like to lose 10lbs in my stomach for the month of june but i have no idea how to do it besides drinking alot of water and staying away from sugary drinks and sodas. Help please :)
    Myths:
    Sodas do not make your belly flat.
    Drinking water does not make your belly flat.
    Targeting muscles in a specific area does not make you lose weight in that specific area. If you are large and muscular in that area, exercising that area will make you preserve those muscles, making them harder to get rid of. If you wish to be more muscular in that area (particularly if your weak there and have low muscle) or if you are over weight and want to preserve what you have (ie so you can see your abs eventually), have at it! However, it will not spot target that area, but resistance training will help keep your muscle which is good which is explained below.

    Since you can't spot reduce, to make your belly flat, you need to get rid of fat...it helps to know how to get rid of fat.

    Truths:
    When we lose weight we lose fat, and lean body mass.
    to lose fat, eat at a calorie deficit.
    To preserve lean body mass while on a calorie deficit, lift progressively heavy weights. This way when you lose weight, there will be a higher ratio of fat being lost compared to everything else. Make your whole body strong and healthy by working your whole body, not just one spot (since we can't spot reduce anyway).
    If you get to goal weight and you feel flabby still, you weren't lifting, or you weren't lifting heavy enough.
  • purplestarburst
    purplestarburst Posts: 13
    Options
    Good luck. I feel your pain.
  • cherryd69
    cherryd69 Posts: 340
    Options
    Nope, you cant just target like that..

    Cardio, Abdominal crunches, abdominal leg raises and planks...

    Keep to it, dont give up... you will get where you need to be, although i cant personally say when you will get there.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Options
    HERE'S WHAT I JUST POSTED IN RESPONSE TO A SIMILAR QUESTION -


    Sadly what everyone else has said....You can't target one specific area for fat loss. Just stick with your calorie deficit.

    However - while your working on that calorie deficit it certainly is not a waste of time to strengthen your core!!

    Planks, planks and more planks and planks with variations does a body good.

    Also compound moves are super effective - squats, lunges, dead lifts, did i mention planks. And while your at it throw some pushups, bench presses and overhead presses in the mix.

    Burpees is another good exercise.

    All the above will not help with fat loss (all together now...calorie deficit does that) BUT it will strengthen the core muscles which will make you look awesome once those muscles are uncovered through weight loss!
  • viragoeap
    viragoeap Posts: 107
    Options
    Core work and eating less wheat based products have helped me lose belly fat.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    Options
    It is not possible to spot reduce fat. When you diet, your bod takes fat from all over. Certain exercises may tone the area up a bit, but you can't spot reduce fat. The belly area is a primary fat store, so it's usually one of the last areas to go. Even my buddy at 15% BF has a visible layer of fat on his belly.

    You just have to keep cutting...the slower you can go the better off you'll be because you'll maintain more LBM. Also, lift weights...big compound lifts are great for your core and ab muscles and tightening everything up there. You can do direct work as well, but it should be more or less ancillary and not primary because they do provide some benefit, but it's nominal as compared to those big compound lifts.
  • cicijewel
    cicijewel Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Staying away from sugary drinks and sodas is a good start, but you need to keep in mind that controlling carb intake overall is important...that raises insulin levels and tends to put weight on in the middle. I have been successful following a Primal Blueprint /Paleo way of eating...have lost 100 lbs over the last 2 years. Lots of protein, controlled carbs (higher carb on workout days to replace glycogen stores), and eating good fats...avocado, coconut oil, some nuts. I plan my whole day out in the morning to stay on course and adjust when necessary. I eat clean, no processed foods, lots of fish, turkey, dark greens, sweet potato, fruits and no grains ( grain free for over 2 years). A good place to find more info is at marksdailyapple,com and the book that got me started was Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution. I eat between 1300-1600 calories per day with an approximate ratio of 40% carb, 30% fat and 30% protein...which is the Zone formula, I believe. Listen to your body and do what works for you. Keeping track on my fitness pal gives you a good diary to refer to so you can see when you are losing and what you are doing/ eating on those weeks. Stay flexible, keep tracking, stay active and just keep on keepin' on !
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    Options
    Like everyone else already said :) Can't spot reduce on your body unless you get lipo unfortunately. Doing ab work won't do anything either. The phrase "Abs are made in the kitchen" holds true for a reason. Get back to basics with tightening up your diet and working out and all good things will unravel. :flowerforyou: Good luck!
  • cicijewel
    cicijewel Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    Oh...and also work on doing Planks ! That will give you some core strength....I also started Zumba 4 months ago and it is a real workout for your middle and lower half !!,
  • SpazQ
    SpazQ Posts: 104
    Options
    Core work and eating less wheat based products have helped me lose belly fat.

    this is also my case.

    I'm not against starches (sweet potatoes, rice etc) but anytime I eat wheat my belly bloats up and I look pregnant. My face also looks horrid and I get black circles and baggy eyes.

    I would rather eat processed-to-the-end-of-the-earth-and-back white bread before I touched a piece of whole wheat bread (or anything for that matter).

    I am the same way with dairy outside of cottage cheese.

    My carbs are 4-6 fruits a day and vegetables with a little starch mixed in on lifting days.
  • viragoeap
    viragoeap Posts: 107
    Options
    Finding the right diet and exercise can be a minefield! We are all individual and our bodies have different tolerances to certain foodstuffs. I would recommend that you experiment in different areas. Wheat for some leaves them bloated and feeling uncomfortable, yet for others, it's not a problem. I abstained from bread for a week and boy did my stomach feel better. No more bloating, wind etc. Diary is another area. It would be a shame to make the effort to reduce food intake, workout like crazy and still end up with a bloated uncomfortable tummy because an intolerant food is still be consumed.
  • dianaa87
    dianaa87 Posts: 3
    Options
    Hi there.
    I got great results by combining exercises with a good diet and I also take some healthy supplements. It really helps a lot if you combine this three.
    I always check out this website before buying any products in fat loss - www.darnelreviews.com . My personal favourite is Fat Loss Factor because it takes care about your diet, your exercises and your supplements. Is anyone here that tried that before?
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    Options
    1. Nutrition. Eat in a deficit, preferably whole foods, less processed foods.
    2. Exercise. A good lifting program and some solid cardio....interval training, circuits, HIIT.

    You can't spot reduce, the fat will come off where it wants to come off but this ^^^^ is the way to get there.

Categories