you can't lose stomach fat if you don't eat "clean"?

i disagree w that statement. i do not eat clean and i have a pretty flat stomach especially for having 3 kids ...i do try to make healthy choices but never "clean eating".

"clean" diet has very little to do with it, honestly. But it is easier to keep water under control and keep a caloric deficit when you aren't eating a lot of junk food.

Well put. I lost a lot of weight eating at a deficit but lots of processed food and some days you could see my abs, and some days I was so bloated you couldn't. Likewise, I lost a tiny bit of weight eating mostly fruits, veggies and lean meats and my abs looked flatter anyways because I wasn't all puffed up
Your best bet? Try to eat healthy foods, add "treats" and things you can't live without in moderation while still eating at a deficit, add some cardio to help get rid of fat and add some lifting to define muscle. Good luck!

It should probably be stated that despite the fact that you don't need to eat "clean" (man, I hate that term), you do need to pay attention to macronutrient ratios while maintaining a deficit in order to preserve lean muscle while you chip away at fat stores.

A lot of the reason people advocate "clean eating" is because it's generally easier to fit you macronutrient ratios into your calorie budget when you eat more whole foods. Restaurant food is notoriously difficult to track macros with, and "junk food" will usually have loads of carbs and fat with very little protein and be very calorie-rich.

Given that a fairly high protein intake and lower overall calories are what you're going to end up wanting to shoot for, it makes the junk food an easy thing to cut out. That having been said, I regularly save room in by diet for cheeseburgers, fries, ice cream, etc as long as they fit within my calorie total for the day and my macronutrient goals.

MY PERSONAL experience is to cut back on carbs, not just eat clean. No alcohol, period and most all of my sugar came from fruit or vegetables when I took this picture. (I am 45 bu the way)

I am a clean eater due to an auto immune disease I have, if I eat processed, refined or chemically laden foods, I have pain levels off the charts. But I think I look better now than I have for the last 15 years.

Wow! That's awesome! You look amazing and by cutting out the things you don't need in your system. Albeit the reason was intense pain but maybe that was your body telling you something. Good for you! Very inspirational. :happy:

Can someone look at my diary from yesterday and tell me if that looks good, food wise.

And thanks for the answers!

Your numbers in your diary from yesterday look pretty solid, although you left quite a bit on the table, so to speak. I shoot to get as close to my calorie budget as I can every day. Remember that the number MFP gives you to eat per day is the goal you are shooting to achieve. Undercutting it substantially isn't the best idea long-term.

Only ab work will get you definition in your abs, and you still need to do your cardio and eat fewer calories in order to lose the fat. But you need to eat a good, healthy diet with protein and fruits and vegetables for optimal progress. Learn to cook and your weight loss will be so much easier.

Yah no...you have definition in abs by default.

Cardio does not help you lose fat a calorie deficet does.

As said more then a dozen times...abs are revealed in the kitchen. If you want "bigger" ab muscles you need to work them and eat at a surplus.

Not saying ab workouts aren't good they are fine but in all reality you can do as many crunches and sit ups as you want but if you have a layer of fat you will never see them.

I lift weights don't do any ab workouts and I am seeing some definition...but I still have appx 10-20lbs of fat to go still before I am at the bodyfat % I want to show my abs.

This is just personal thought, but I believe what you eat is 'almost' irrelevant in terms of defining the muscle structure (Note the word almost there as fuel for the body IS relevant for proper body function). However, what you get out of it (ie. your physique) is what you put into it in every sense. Yes, to get definition, you need to work the muscles, but you also need to feed them properly for the best effects. Sure, people can lose weight eating junk, but the amount of strain put on the body as it has to filter everything is surely increased significantly, and I don't see how just eating right can strengthen and firm a muscle. It needs to be worked.

Main point: As it shows in my post, there is a lot of confusion, and always will be as the body is a very complex machine.

you cant exclude the fact that genetics do have some influence on this subject.
i have a brother (same parents) who eats whatevver he wants, doesnt work out and has an 8 pack and every visible muscle there is.
I have to lose 50pounds and watch what i eat and im still miles away from him. at the end, you take all the info from this blog and make your own coz no body is identical to another... NEVER...

pz

V

all you need is a deficit and good macros. Paired with a good progressive loading routine you just need to put in the effort and your are on your way.
I eat ice cream and chocolate every day.
Abs are not all there yet, but next summer they will be