Is it possible I will never have a flat stomach

I'm the same as you, i've been working my butt off (literally lol) these past couple of months, and i've lost inches, (or part-inches) off my thighs, arms and chest but NOTHING from my waist and hips which is my main problem area! It is frustrating, but i'm hoping that just stickinh with it is the key....my official 'weigh in' day is tomrorow, but i did whack out the tape measure this morning for a cheeky check and reckon there could be a half inch or less off my hips. Here's hoping, as it will prove that yes, it CAN happen for people like us....just very slowly

It is very hard and to be honest it might not be worth it. Some people have to work so hard to get there, and it's nearly impossible to maintain. Especially women.

I think it is very doable but patient, persistence pay off. I have found that it takes being with the five pounds of my lowest healthy weight, daily total body & core workouts with Pilates, yoga or barre3 (10-30 minutes a day) , getting my 10000 steps in whether it be walking, running or skipping (or a combination thereof, I use my nike fuel band to record my activity all day long), drinking my water, and getting my sleep. I always practice good posture.

Also, after losing the weight to get to this level, I only buy a few well made, well fitted or have altered clothing items and I make sure they allow for the summer "swell" . I posted in another thread - the heat makes me swell, I go into offices 20 to 30 degrees below the outside temperature, I shrink. I just work with it. I am happy I am a size now that it is easy to find clothing that fits and flatters.

BTW, I never do the ol' hands behind the head crunches or sit ups anymore. THere are a thousand other core and ab exercises/work outs that feel better and seem to work more effectively.

Happy Journey!

I am apple shaped. One of the things I hate the most about my body is my tubby stomach and love handles. Generally when I try to lose weight I lose weight from everywhere; arms, legs, neck but In comparison I lose such little weight from my stomach it looks three times as large. Then I get frustrated. I read somewhere that apple body types will not ever be able to achieve a flat tight tummy but should settle for making it not as fat I guess. Is this true? I will have to adjust my goals accordingly (after being very disappointed for a while, I guess)

most people have this issue with various bodyparts from elite bodybuilders to regular people trying to lose weight. It IS possible...you can have a perfectly flat stomach...heck you could have a 6 pack if you want!

But...it will take time...and you will have to get quite lean.

I'm working with a female now who has the issue with her legs. Her upper body lost a tone and is very fit looking, muscular, and looks in great shape. But it seems the fat from her butt and legs are just the last to leave. She is going to have to get leaner than most people to have the look she wants. She will be able to do it in a safe bodyfat level but it will be on the lower end like maybe in the 15% to 18% range

I am pear shaped so I have different problem areas, but I am focusing on lowering body fat and my lean body mass. Don't cut calories too low, protein protein protein, incorporate healthy fats, incorporate weight training but don't skimp on cardio, hydrate well and often, get enough sleep, and (probably most important) be CONSISTENT.

Good luck!

Everybody can get a flat stomach, anyone who says otherwise just lacks knowledge how. It depends on your situation what the reason is you have a hard time getting rid of your stomach fat. It is about hormones, so keep that in mind when you read articles about losing fat because male and female body's are different. For you I would recommend proteine in the morning, go to bed at around 22h every night and keep 4 hours between meals, take 3 meals a day. The more meals a day theory has no research whatsoever to back up any advantages. Also omega-3 fats and coconut extra virgine oil is good for losing stomach fat. Instead of jogging or stuff like that do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Since you're a woman make sure you have a proper sports bra when doing HIIT. These are the big lines that should help you, if you got questions let me know. Hope it helps.

Eating more meals a day won't improve things (NIH study below), neither will getting protein at a specific interval or going to bed at a specific time. For all you know the OP gets up at 9am or later. The fact is, she does need a good night sleep but not a specific bedtime. The fact is, the OP can get a flat stomach by continuing to lose weight. But if she gets to a low body fat, and still no abs or definition, it means she doesn't have enough lean body mass and it would require a bulk. Most women don't realize that (and some men too). Many associate weight loss with tighter bodies. But if you lose too much muscle, it makes it very difficult to get that look. This is very common with those who are at the bottom of a weight range.

OP, here is the keys: time and weight training (to preserve muscle)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

I wasn't talking about a interval for proteine. For women having proteine on the morning IS beneficial. This has to do with hormones. Same thing as fasting works better for men than women. Different hormones. So proteine in the morning will help and the times you sleep also matter. Most important is the amount of hours, but times actually do affect actual rest (mainly mental rest, which is good to relieve stress).

Adding to my first post: diet is most important in losing body fat. Eat healthy, not more than 2 pieces of fruit. No candy cake or cookies, ice cream, junkfood etc. Just get used to eating fruit and nuts as candy. If you really cant resist keep it to a minimum. Nutrition dense foods and whole foods are always supposed to be in your diet.

As far as exercises go for flat stomach. Lot of leg exercises. Weight training and getting bigger legs will definitely help losing body fat. And do planks and variations for tight abs.

I would say that it is possible for anyone to achieve a flat tummy.

But, different people will have different problems getting there.

Sit-ups, crunches or any type of core work will not give anyone a flat tummy!

This is a goal that absolutely requires meticulous food management along with a regular exercise that includes both cardio & strength/resistance.

In general, for the food. Cut way down on sugars and bad fats. (to get the flat tummy a low %BF is recquired) Do some internet searches for general information and/or speak with a Nutritionist or Trainer you trust.

Everybody can get a flat stomach, anyone who says otherwise just lacks knowledge how. It depends on your situation what the reason is you have a hard time getting rid of your stomach fat. It is about hormones, so keep that in mind when you read articles about losing fat because male and female body's are different. For you I would recommend proteine in the morning, go to bed at around 22h every night and keep 4 hours between meals, take 3 meals a day. The more meals a day theory has no research whatsoever to back up any advantages. Also omega-3 fats and coconut extra virgine oil is good for losing stomach fat. Instead of jogging or stuff like that do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Since you're a woman make sure you have a proper sports bra when doing HIIT. These are the big lines that should help you, if you got questions let me know. Hope it helps.

Eating more meals a day won't improve things (NIH study below), neither will getting protein at a specific interval or going to bed at a specific time. For all you know the OP gets up at 9am or later. The fact is, she does need a good night sleep but not a specific bedtime. The fact is, the OP can get a flat stomach by continuing to lose weight. But if she gets to a low body fat, and still no abs or definition, it means she doesn't have enough lean body mass and it would require a bulk. Most women don't realize that (and some men too). Many associate weight loss with tighter bodies. But if you lose too much muscle, it makes it very difficult to get that look. This is very common with those who are at the bottom of a weight range.

OP, here is the keys: time and weight training (to preserve muscle)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

I wasn't talking about a interval for proteine. For women having proteine on the morning IS beneficial. This has to do with hormones. Same thing as fasting works better for men than women. Different hormones. So proteine in the morning will help and the times you sleep also matter. Most important is the amount of hours, but times actually do affect actual rest (mainly mental rest, which is good to relieve stress).

Adding to my first post: diet is most important in losing body fat. Eat healthy, not more than 2 pieces of fruit. No candy cake or cookies, ice cream, junkfood etc. Just get used to eating fruit and nuts as candy. If you really cant resist keep it to a minimum. Nutrition dense foods and whole foods are always supposed to be in your diet.

As far as exercises go for flat stomach. Lot of leg exercises. Weight training and getting bigger legs will definitely help losing body fat. And do planks and variations for tight abs.

You do not need to give up any candy, ice cream or "junk food". Below is a perfect example of a women who literally eats ice cream every day. Fat loss is all about calorie reduction. Muscle retention is about resistance training and protein intake. You can fit candy, ice cream and other junk in your diary and still get the results you want. Protein in the morning is a satiety thing. I have seen plenty of women that are successful using IF and get the results.




http://www.myfitnesspal.com/Sarauk2sf

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics

Everybody can get a flat stomach, anyone who says otherwise just lacks knowledge how. It depends on your situation what the reason is you have a hard time getting rid of your stomach fat. It is about hormones, so keep that in mind when you read articles about losing fat because male and female body's are different. For you I would recommend proteine in the morning, go to bed at around 22h every night and keep 4 hours between meals, take 3 meals a day. The more meals a day theory has no research whatsoever to back up any advantages. Also omega-3 fats and coconut extra virgine oil is good for losing stomach fat. Instead of jogging or stuff like that do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Since you're a woman make sure you have a proper sports bra when doing HIIT. These are the big lines that should help you, if you got questions let me know. Hope it helps.

Eating more meals a day won't improve things (NIH study below), neither will getting protein at a specific interval or going to bed at a specific time. For all you know the OP gets up at 9am or later. The fact is, she does need a good night sleep but not a specific bedtime. The fact is, the OP can get a flat stomach by continuing to lose weight. But if she gets to a low body fat, and still no abs or definition, it means she doesn't have enough lean body mass and it would require a bulk. Most women don't realize that (and some men too). Many associate weight loss with tighter bodies. But if you lose too much muscle, it makes it very difficult to get that look. This is very common with those who are at the bottom of a weight range.

OP, here is the keys: time and weight training (to preserve muscle)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

I wasn't talking about a interval for proteine. For women having proteine on the morning IS beneficial. This has to do with hormones. Same thing as fasting works better for men than women. Different hormones. So proteine in the morning will help and the times you sleep also matter. Most important is the amount of hours, but times actually do affect actual rest (mainly mental rest, which is good to relieve stress).

Adding to my first post: diet is most important in losing body fat. Eat healthy, not more than 2 pieces of fruit. No candy cake or cookies, ice cream, junkfood etc. Just get used to eating fruit and nuts as candy. If you really cant resist keep it to a minimum. Nutrition dense foods and whole foods are always supposed to be in your diet.

As far as exercises go for flat stomach. Lot of leg exercises. Weight training and getting bigger legs will definitely help losing body fat. And do planks and variations for tight abs.

You do not need to give up any candy, ice cream or "junk food". Below is a perfect example of a women who literally eats ice cream every day. Fat loss is all about calorie reduction. Muscle retention is about resistance training and protein intake. You can fit candy, ice cream and other junk in your diary and still get the results you want. Protein in the morning is a satiety thing. I have seen plenty of women that are successful using IF and get the results.




http://www.myfitnesspal.com/Sarauk2sf

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics

You don't have to give it up to get a flat stomach, but you do to get optimal health. It is indeed about calories. Protein for muscle gain is overrated and needs way less focus than it is given now.

Protein in the context I meant is not a satiety thing, it has way other purposes, it helps making certain hormones (English is not my first language I don't know how to say it better than "making", sorry for that). That's why it is only beneficial to women to specifically eat protein in the morning (preferably before 10.00). And IF could definitely benefit women, all I mean is the effects are different and it would be better to take a different route. Keep in mind I don't just focus on getting a certain body shape, but also the health that has more to do with how the body looks from the inside.

I can see you relaying on research and experience, and you are conscience of the things you say, but I also feel like you relay a little too much on anecdotes and don't concentrate on the complete picture of food and exercise. I don't mean this in a down talking way please dont get me wrong.

Interesting read perhaps, I couldn't find my other sources but this is pretty informative:
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

At the end of the day food and exercise affect your hormones and thats whats its all about, for male and female. And I don't just stop at what works, I always look for things that work even better, for results as far as looks go, but also health or complete body and mind. I think it would be interesting to exchange some knowledge in a less superficial way some time. We could probably learn alot from each other.

Everybody can get a flat stomach, anyone who says otherwise just lacks knowledge how. It depends on your situation what the reason is you have a hard time getting rid of your stomach fat. It is about hormones, so keep that in mind when you read articles about losing fat because male and female body's are different. For you I would recommend proteine in the morning, go to bed at around 22h every night and keep 4 hours between meals, take 3 meals a day. The more meals a day theory has no research whatsoever to back up any advantages. Also omega-3 fats and coconut extra virgine oil is good for losing stomach fat. Instead of jogging or stuff like that do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Since you're a woman make sure you have a proper sports bra when doing HIIT. These are the big lines that should help you, if you got questions let me know. Hope it helps.

Eating more meals a day won't improve things (NIH study below), neither will getting protein at a specific interval or going to bed at a specific time. For all you know the OP gets up at 9am or later. The fact is, she does need a good night sleep but not a specific bedtime. The fact is, the OP can get a flat stomach by continuing to lose weight. But if she gets to a low body fat, and still no abs or definition, it means she doesn't have enough lean body mass and it would require a bulk. Most women don't realize that (and some men too). Many associate weight loss with tighter bodies. But if you lose too much muscle, it makes it very difficult to get that look. This is very common with those who are at the bottom of a weight range.

OP, here is the keys: time and weight training (to preserve muscle)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985

I wasn't talking about a interval for proteine. For women having proteine on the morning IS beneficial. This has to do with hormones. Same thing as fasting works better for men than women. Different hormones. So proteine in the morning will help and the times you sleep also matter. Most important is the amount of hours, but times actually do affect actual rest (mainly mental rest, which is good to relieve stress).

Adding to my first post: diet is most important in losing body fat. Eat healthy, not more than 2 pieces of fruit. No candy cake or cookies, ice cream, junkfood etc. Just get used to eating fruit and nuts as candy. If you really cant resist keep it to a minimum. Nutrition dense foods and whole foods are always supposed to be in your diet.

As far as exercises go for flat stomach. Lot of leg exercises. Weight training and getting bigger legs will definitely help losing body fat. And do planks and variations for tight abs.

You do not need to give up any candy, ice cream or "junk food". Below is a perfect example of a women who literally eats ice cream every day. Fat loss is all about calorie reduction. Muscle retention is about resistance training and protein intake. You can fit candy, ice cream and other junk in your diary and still get the results you want. Protein in the morning is a satiety thing. I have seen plenty of women that are successful using IF and get the results.




http://www.myfitnesspal.com/Sarauk2sf

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics

You don't have to give it up to get a flat stomach, but you do to get optimal health. It is indeed about calories. Protein for muscle gain is overrated and needs way less focus than it is given now.

Protein in the context I meant is not a satiety thing, it has way other purposes, it helps making certain hormones (English is not my first language I don't know how to say it better than "making", sorry for that). That's why it is only beneficial to women to specifically eat protein in the morning (preferably before 10.00). And IF could definitely benefit women, all I mean is the effects are different and it would be better to take a different route. Keep in mind I don't just focus on getting a certain body shape, but also the health that has more to do with how the body looks from the inside.

I can see you relaying on research and experience, and you are conscience of the things you say, but I also feel like you relay a little too much on anecdotes and don't concentrate on the complete picture of food and exercise. I don't mean this in a down talking way please dont get me wrong.

Interesting read perhaps, I couldn't find my other sources but this is pretty informative:
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

At the end of the day food and exercise affect your hormones and thats whats its all about, for male and female. And I don't just stop at what works, I always look for things that work even better, for results as far as looks go, but also health or complete body and mind. I think it would be interesting to exchange some knowledge in a less superficial way some time. We could probably learn alot from each other.

You say that psulemon wants to rely on anecdote, yet no-where have you shown anything to support your comment about protein.

Also, the jury is out on the effects of IF for women. There is a potential hormonal impact and some women do not do too well on IF, but this is very individual, as is actually pointed out in the article you linked.


Your commentary is completely out of context - you say you need to eat protein before 10am. What if someone gets up at noon?

By far the most important thing re meal/macro timing is how well it helps someone adhere to their diet and to allow them to train with the best intensity.

Regarding your comment re protein being over-rated for muscle gain - you give no context. Protein is very important.

And you can eat some 'junk' food and be healthy and get a flat stomach. Overall diet needs to be looked at.