Targeting stomach area

itsmebexmfp
itsmebexmfp Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on this journey for a little while now and I am pretty happy with my results however I have an issue with my stomach being a big problem area. It seems not matter how many sit-ups, how much cardio, weights, or eating right I do my stomach seems to still look as though I'm 5 months pregnant! I am 52kg weight and 162cm height. What else can I do to make my stomach flat?

Edit: I should add that I don't have much fat and if I lose too much more weight it will be too much. I'm looking for exercises to tighten up my stomach and hopefully pull it in a bit. I have had two children so I'm not sure if maybe this has something to do with that "pregnant" look.

Replies

  • nineteentwenty
    nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
    Bumping, I'd love to get some help with this too
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    A calorie deficit is the only thing to get rid of fat. There is, unfortunately, no way to target a certain area. Lifting heavy will help with your shape and ab definition once you cut fat enough, but that's it.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    A calorie deficit is the only thing to get rid of fat. There is, unfortunately, no way to target a certain area. Lifting heavy will help with your shape and ab definition once you cut fat enough, but that's it.
    This. Sadly, everyone's body loses fat from different places first. Were it not so, I'd have gotten rid of these love handles long ago. :grumble:
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    A calorie deficit is the only thing to get rid of fat. There is, unfortunately, no way to target a certain area. Lifting heavy will help with your shape and ab definition once you cut fat enough, but that's it.
    this.

    only this.

    there aren't any special foods or workouts to make you burn fat faster from one spot.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    A calorie deficit is the only thing to get rid of fat. There is, unfortunately, no way to target a certain area. Lifting heavy will help with your shape and ab definition once you cut fat enough, but that's it.

    Yup, ^this.

    I wish it wasn't true, though, as it's the last place I lose fat from (and the first place I gain fat) too. I have some awesome abs...under just enough fat that they are completely hidden. *sigh*
  • DuckDynastyMakesMeLaugh
    DuckDynastyMakesMeLaugh Posts: 363 Member
    Here's the link to a great post on the topic …

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach
  • MVY_
    MVY_ Posts: 253 Member
    You can't target a certain area..as far as I heard.

    I heard:

    Do lots of cardio, cardio, cardio until your BMI is lower than hit it with some abs workout. :) Good luck!
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    You can't spot-treat weight or fat loss unless you opt for surgery. Sorry /:
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Have you had a doctor check you out to determine that it is in fact fat and not that the abdominal muscles separated during pregnancy (diastasis recti)?
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    You can't target a certain area..as far as I heard.

    I heard:

    Do lots of cardio, cardio, cardio until your BMI is lower than hit it with some abs workout. :) Good luck!

    No....

    BMI means nothing. I'm obese by BMI. BF% means everything, and you can do all the isolated ab workouts you want, but if your BF% isn't low, you won't see anything.

    Moderate Caloric Deficit + Work (Cardio and Heavy Compound Lifting) + Patience = Lower BF% which = your goal.

    You can probably get there with 1 and 3, but would be happier if you incorporate all 3. You can do 10,000 crunches a day but if you have fat on a different part of your body it wants to use for fuel, it will.

    Since you said that you have little fat, I would recommend a real moderate deficit and start a solid lifting program....like yesterday.
    Have you had a doctor check you out to determine that it is in fact fat and not that the abdominal muscles separated during pregnancy (diastasis recti)?

    Also This ^^^
  • itsmebexmfp
    itsmebexmfp Posts: 4 Member
    Have you had a doctor check you out to determine that it is in fact fat and not that the abdominal muscles separated during pregnancy (diastasis recti)?

    No I haven't but I'm thinking this could play a part. I know when pregnant with my daughter they told me that the muscles had separated. She's now 5 so I was assuming they would have come back together by now. Not sure how that works. Will book in with my GP. :smile:
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    No I haven't but I'm thinking this could play a part. I know when pregnant with my daughter they told me that the muscles had separated. She's now 5 so I was assuming they would have come back together by now. Not sure how that works. Will book in with my GP. :smile:

    Yes, you should have it looked at. And some ab exercises can actually make it worse, so stop with the crunches until you find out.
  • itsmebexmfp
    itsmebexmfp Posts: 4 Member
    No I haven't but I'm thinking this could play a part. I know when pregnant with my daughter they told me that the muscles had separated. She's now 5 so I was assuming they would have come back together by now. Not sure how that works. Will book in with my GP. :smile:

    Yes, you should have it looked at. And some ab exercises can actually make it worse, so stop with the crunches until you find out.

    Yep, found out thats the problem. Stopping all the ab work I've been doing and beginning proper exercises to correct it.
  • jardimgirl
    jardimgirl Posts: 522 Member
    I am in the similar situation as you. Another 5 or 10 pounds I'll be too thin for my own good. But I hear and have seen pics of women that has had children and have amazing tummies! I hope I get there someday, since I am on a small deficit and also strength training. What I do need to do is be more patient :blushing: but anyways, good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Have you had a doctor check you out to determine that it is in fact fat and not that the abdominal muscles separated during pregnancy (diastasis recti)?

    No I haven't but I'm thinking this could play a part. I know when pregnant with my daughter they told me that the muscles had separated. She's now 5 so I was assuming they would have come back together by now. Not sure how that works. Will book in with my GP. :smile:

    They don't repair themselves like that. My kid's almost 11 and I have to get mine sewn back together soon. And I know how you feel. Once it's done, I'm gaining 10-15 pounds! I can't wait! :)
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
    I dunno about you but I'm tired of always looking pregnant. I've never even had a kid. -_-
  • timetravelforfitness
    timetravelforfitness Posts: 242 Member
    Aside from a doctor looking to see if there's a problem with your abdominal muscles, pregnancy can also mess with your spine and cause this: http://stronglifts.com/lordosis-why-it-causes-lower-back-pain-how-to-fix-it/ I've had to work with a physical therapist to fix this after my two kids, and she told me this can cause a "pudge" in your gut. I most likely had this before I got pregnant (it really pushes out my bottom, which makes me mad).
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    I have to disagree on the calorie deficit thing....I think workouts help the target areas. You just have to find the exercise that works best for you.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    I have to disagree on the calorie deficit thing....I think workouts help the target areas. You just have to find the exercise that works best for you.
    you can disagree all you want, a calorie deficit is going to help the OP lose fat. Working out will help define muscle once it has been uncovered. You can't "find a workout" that targets fat loss.
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
    A calorie deficit is the only thing to get rid of fat. There is, unfortunately, no way to target a certain area. Lifting heavy will help with your shape and ab definition once you cut fat enough, but that's it.

    This.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I have to disagree on the calorie deficit thing....I think workouts help the target areas. You just have to find the exercise that works best for you.

    You disagree on a caloric deficit helping reduce BF%, and believe that you can spot reduce/target areas for fat loss?

    IySPC.gif
  • yewbic
    yewbic Posts: 37
    there are some studies that suggest that Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic diets (VLCK) can help target abdominal fat and "trunk fat loss."

    i've read a few of them and dont have the links to all of them right now, but here is one:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC538279/?report=reader#!po=2.08333
    A novel and potentially clinically significant finding was a preferential loss of fat in the trunk region with a VLCK diet, which was approximately three-fold greater during the VLCK than the LF diet.
    In summary, this study showed greater weight loss and fat loss preferentially from the trunk region in subjects on a closely monitored free-living VLCK diet compared to a LF diet. These diets were prescribed to be energy restricted and isocaloric. The superiority of the VLCK diet over the LF diet was most dramatic for men, but when individual responses were examined, a group of women clearly showed metabolic advantage as well. Indeed, 12/13 women experienced greater fat loss in the trunk region during the VLCK diet compared to the low-fat diet. Such a response is consistent with a metabolic advantage of VLCK diets. The ultimate proof for such a theory will depend on the findings from carefully controlled feeding and metabolic studies that encompass physiological measurements to isolate plausible mechanisms.

    in the conclusion it states: "This study shows a clear benefit of a VLCK over LF diet for short-term body weight and fat loss, especially in men. A preferential loss of fat in the trunk region with a VLCK diet is novel and potentially clinically significant but requires further validation."

    While it does say that the preferential loss in the trunk area is potentially clinically significant but requires further validation, there are several other studies that draw the same conclusion, and such correlations between different studies should not be so easily dismissed.

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