Any tips on How to get rid of Belly Fat?

EniBee
EniBee Posts: 274 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, am sure this question has been asked before, but please indulge me! After 3 kids and a few scrtech marks to show for it, I have a mass of wobbly fat/skin around my abdomen. In the last few months, I have completed the 30DS and I am on week 7 of Insanity. I have noticed that the shape of my six pack developing, but it is hidden behind the layer of fat and mainly loose skin, especially around my belly button area! It is a site to behold when I am in the plank position.

I do run, but have reduced this activity since starting Insanity as I don't want to have tired legs during my workout. I have also taken a conscious decision not to consume any type of soda during the month of october. I do eat chocolate, but I am not a chocaholic, although I do have my moments.

Do you have any suggestions on what not to eat and how to target this area? I hear sit ups don't work.

Replies

  • AestheticStar
    AestheticStar Posts: 447 Member
    The only thing I have heard from trainers is there really is no way to spot reduce, & that cardio/HIIT workouts are basically the only ways to reduce the belly fat, or shrink it down. I have been doing that a lot myself, & trying to reduce it, but it also consists of what you eat as well. As the old saying "Abs are made in the kitchen". I've heard so many trainers say this, so I guess it's legit. I have the same issue though, I've got the lower belly pooch, & it hangs when I do the plank too, no matter how tight I try to keep my core. It went down pretty good last year when I worked out a lot, so it might take some time to really get that area tightened up & lose all that. But plus, there could be excess skin from the stretching, & what-not. Not 100% sure though, since I'm not a specialist in this.
    Crunches definitely won't do it, as it'll tone the muscle below, but just push the fat/skin out a bit.

    I don't know if that helped, but I'd just say keep pushing with the Insanity workouts, & probably any Jillian Michaels stuff, eat clean, & you'll see changes. It'll take time, abs are definitely hard to target sometimes.
  • StripedSmoker
    StripedSmoker Posts: 104 Member
    Sit ups don't work because the calories burned by it are minimal and to burn fat cardio is way better, jogging, or just going for really long walks. But while sit ups won't reduce the fat, they do strengthen the muscles in the area which hold your guts in, giving you a better shape anyways. Minimally, though... well, the problem is that nobody can point at an area and go 'I want the fat to go away from this area!', I wish it worked Q.Q Cardio for general fat burning, and I hope for ya that you're a belly burner :) I'm a breast burner <.< They are... gone...
  • sbrown227
    sbrown227 Posts: 16 Member
    I'm in the same position. I'm losing the fat in my legs, but my belly still seems to be sitting there. I once read that you lose weight (fat) in the reverse order in how you gained or put on the weight. So if you gain weight in your belly first, that is the last place where you will start to see any losses. For instance, when I gain weight, I gain it in my belly first, then my breasts, legs, back and arms. Now that I am losing the weight, I started to notice my arms, back and legs decreasing in size. I see a very small change in my breasts and belly. I still have that pouch. So if what I read is true, then hopefully I'll start to see the change in my belly real soon; and so will you.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    There is no way to spot reduce. You can do all the 10,000 crunches a day, but if you have fat stored in other places of your body, your body will most likely take from there to burn first as the mid section can/usually is the last place that the body turns to fat for fuel.

    Getting rid of belly fat is a product of lowering your overall BF%, with the belly fat usually being the last/slowest place to go. Getting rid of belly fat (overall BF%) comes from 3 things.

    Diet (modest caloric deficit) + Work ( Cardio AND Compound Strength Training) + Patience = Lowered BF%.

    You can get to the lowered BF% and a smaller waist with just Caloric Deficit and Patience, but may not like the look of your results when you get there.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    If you know this topic has been asked before, why are you asking it again? Is your situation somehow different from others? Eat less, move more, be patient. There are no secrets, no magic wands.

    Search topics like "belly fat" and "stomach fat".
    MFPsearch.jpg
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    compound lifts - like squats, bench, etc - perfect for this
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    The only thing you can really do is to keep losing body fat using a reasonable fat loss programme.

    If it is excess subcutaneous fat then it will eventually disappear. If it is excess skin because it has lost its elasticity there will be little you can do outside of surgery sadly.

    Really, this is a "wait and see" scenario.
  • EniBee
    EniBee Posts: 274 Member
    Thanks All for your constructive suggestions!
  • EniBee
    EniBee Posts: 274 Member
    There is no way to spot reduce. You can do all the 10,000 crunches a day, but if you have fat stored in other places of your body, your body will most likely take from there to burn first as the mid section can/usually is the last place that the body turns to fat for fuel.

    Getting rid of belly fat is a product of lowering your overall BF%, with the belly fat usually being the last/slowest place to go. Getting rid of belly fat (overall BF%) comes from 3 things.

    Diet (modest caloric deficit) + Work ( Cardio AND Compound Strength Training) + Patience = Lowered BF%.

    You can get to the lowered BF% and a smaller waist with just Caloric Deficit and Patience, but may not like the look of your results when you get there.
    [/quote

    Thanks for this interesting equation! The only thing that I don't currently do is Compound Strength Training. I will look into this. Insanity takes care of the Cardio element of the workout. My calore intake is around 1600/day, although I sometimes go slightly over - especially since starting Insanity. Patience.... hummm
  • EniBee
    EniBee Posts: 274 Member
    Sit ups don't work because the calories burned by it are minimal and to burn fat cardio is way better, jogging, or just going for really long walks. But while sit ups won't reduce the fat, they do strengthen the muscles in the area which hold your guts in, giving you a better shape anyways. Minimally, though... well, the problem is that nobody can point at an area and go 'I want the fat to go away from this area!', I wish it worked Q.Q Cardio for general fat burning, and I hope for ya that you're a belly burner :) I'm a breast burner <.< They are... gone...


    They are definitely getting smaller by the day!!
  • LJSmith1989
    LJSmith1989 Posts: 650
    If you know this topic has been asked before, why are you asking it again? Is your situation somehow different from others? Eat less, move more, be patient. There are no secrets, no magic wands.

    Search topics like "belly fat" and "stomach fat".
    MFPsearch.jpg


    Its a public forum and she can ask/start a thread on whatever she likes.

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