Belly dancing

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ghoufran89
ghoufran89 Posts: 37
edited December 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello
I have a question? Can you lose weight by belly dancing everyday ? Like only belly dancing and eating healthy?
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  • crashchamp
    crashchamp Posts: 147 Member
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    You can lose weight by eating at a calorie deficit. No belly dancing needed. However I love watching it so the more belly dancers in the world the better.
  • ghoufran89
    ghoufran89 Posts: 37
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    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited December 2014
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    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?
    Like fewer calories than you need to maintain your current weight.
  • ghoufran89
    ghoufran89 Posts: 37
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    I want to lose weight for my wedding in 2 to 3 months. But my problem is I don't know what to do or where to start from.

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?

    Calorie deficit = Eating less than what you need to maintain your current weight. The exact number will be different per person, but it is not a good idea to eat less than 1200 calories without being medically supervised.


  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Hello
    I have a question? Can you lose weight by belly dancing everyday ? Like only belly dancing and eating healthy?

    ghoufran89,

    You can belly dance the night away and eat healthy all you want and still gain weight if you eat more calories than you burn. Besides, healthy is always an individual interpretation. :)

    The big secret to weight loss is you must eat at a calorie deficit. How you create a reasonable calorie deficit is up to you.

    Years ago, my uncle didn't change his eating habits but starting running 5 miles a day and lost about 30 pounds, therefore him adding exercise is what created his calorie deficit.

    I've known other people who refuse to exercise, or who can't for some reason, and they lost weight literally cutting back on the amount of food they consume.

    For me, restricting calories and not food type helped me lose the weight, and it also helps me to maintain. In turn, losing weight has helped improve my running and my weight lifting. It's an all-around good deal.

    So, no belly dancing every day can't help you lose weight, but it will probably be loads of fun an tone you up while you lose weight eating at a calorie deficit.

    Good luck! :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?

    Not less than 1200. How much weight are you trying to lose?

  • ghoufran89
    ghoufran89 Posts: 37
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?

    Not less than 1200. How much weight are you trying to lose?

    I'm trying for 10 kg i really want to get my belly down. I'm not asking for a 6 pack but just a normal. I'm a size 14 now and I want to be a size 7 or 8 in that time. Hopefully more than 10 kg. But I don't go by kg i do the inches.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    OP, when you set up your account the entire process should have given you a rough estimate of how much you can eat without exercise included to maintain your weight, if you were being accurate with your energy levels (most would fall under lightly active). From there setting a goal of 1lb a week is usually enough for most people, and that will be your deficit without exercise involved.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?

    Not less than 1200. How much weight are you trying to lose?

    I'm trying for 10 kg i really want to get my belly down. I'm not asking for a 6 pack but just a normal. I'm a size 14 now and I want to be a size 7 or 8 in that time. Hopefully more than 10 kg. But I don't go by kg i do the inches.

    Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

    You want to lose 22 pounds and go from a size 14 to a size 7 or 8 in 2-3 months? Sweetie, your goals are not realistic, and are way too aggressive for the small amount of weight you have to lose.
    ana3067 wrote: »
    OP, when you set up your account the entire process should have given you a rough estimate of how much you can eat without exercise included to maintain your weight, if you were being accurate with your energy levels (most would fall under lightly active). From there setting a goal of 1lb a week is usually enough for most people, and that will be your deficit without exercise involved.

    Please listen to this advice.
  • ghoufran89
    ghoufran89 Posts: 37
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    ghoufran89 wrote: »
    Calorie deficit? Like 1200 calories a day or less ?

    Not less than 1200. How much weight are you trying to lose?

    I'm trying for 10 kg i really want to get my belly down. I'm not asking for a 6 pack but just a normal. I'm a size 14 now and I want to be a size 7 or 8 in that time. Hopefully more than 10 kg. But I don't go by kg i do the inches.

    Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

    You want to lose 22 pounds and go from a size 14 to a size 7 or 8 in 2-3 months? Sweetie, your goals are not realistic, and are way too aggressive for the small amount of weight you have to lose.
    ana3067 wrote: »
    OP, when you set up your account the entire process should have given you a rough estimate of how much you can eat without exercise included to maintain your weight, if you were being accurate with your energy levels (most would fall under lightly active). From there setting a goal of 1lb a week is usually enough for most people, and that will be your deficit without exercise involved.

    Please listen to this advice.

    Thank you very much!
  • ghoufran89
    ghoufran89 Posts: 37
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    Thank you very much!

    I will take her advice and will focus on a week at a time. Hopefully I will lose a lb a week. It's just not at all easy with this weight thing.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »

    Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

    You want to lose 22 pounds and go from a size 14 to a size 7 or 8 in 2-3 months? Sweetie, your goals are not realistic, and are way too aggressive for the small amount of weight you have to lose.

    Agreed. I've lost 25lbs in like 6 months and I've only gone down a couple of sizes, probably 2 or so? For a few months now I've been trying on a pair of size 29 jeans that I could not get over my thighs and I only just recently discovered that they now fit.

    your fiance wouldn't be marrying you if they didn't like how you currently look, and your family and friends aren't going to judge how you look on your wedding. Just be healthy, have a slight deficit, eat things you love, don't force something drastic to happen in such a short time. Obese people can lose 22lbs in a few months, but most people cannot do this in a healthy manner without significantly under-eating.

    And I doubt that 22lbs is all you'd need to lose to fit into a size 7. It took me about 50lbs to go from a 12-14 to a size 7ish, and then probably another 5-10 to get down to a size 5.
  • ghoufran89
    ghoufran89 Posts: 37
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    I don't know how the sizes are in the states here in sweden it's a lil different haha. I was a size 46/48 3 months back now I'm a size 42/44 by just adding insanity workout here and there and eating normal. But I don't want to go down much I want to be a size 38 I don't know how much that is in the states. And the thing my fiancé is from a totally different country and his family is like support skinny and their lifestyle is different. And they havent seen me in person only over skype. That's why I want to lose so much in so lil time. But I will take it slow and see how it goes in the end. It's just on that special day every girl wants to look her best.
  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
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    I used to teach belly dance. It's great for toning up and ok for cardio. Along with a caloric deficit it will help to get you to your goals.

    I miss dancing. I loved it so. Maybe it's time to make some me-time and get back into it!
  • ViolaLeeBlueberry
    ViolaLeeBlueberry Posts: 182 Member
    edited December 2014
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    I take belly dancing classes for the fun of it. I like to dance, although choreography-wise, I could be the comic relief. I think it's good for core fitness, or at least that's how it feels to me afterwards, and it probably does tone abdominal muscles if you do a LOT of it -- gosh knows the teachers look great -- although I don't think it's much different from dancing energetically around the house for calorie burn.

    Incidentally, 10 kg was exactly my weight loss goal, and after three months, I'm within 1 kg of being there. (Although I'll be happy if I just maintain over the holidays, LOL!) I was a size 14 in US-sized jeans and now must be a 10, because my 12s that used to be too tight to wear practically fell off me while I was walking yesterday LOL. I wear a mix of US/European sizes where I live, but I'm a 36 or 38 at the moment (depending on cut, though I don't mean pants; have only bought those in US sizes.) Your goals are pretty much exactly what mine have been and I've been losing steadily, so that's one gauge of what's realistic. I'm 5 ft 2, eat at 1200 and don't have trouble with it or feel hungry.

    Definitely take the advice and do the goal setting; it's really key to succeeding with this whole MFP thing. You can lose a good amount within 2 months, and in 3 months you could get quite close to your goal. But it really helps to log every day (accurately!), aim to get exercise every day, and not eat back the calories earned from exercise. (Well, unless you're hungry or it happens because such is life. It's not about torturing yourself, or it'll be unhealthy and will all come back the week after the wedding anyway LOL.)
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Belly dancing is hot.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    Belly dancing is hot.

    I'd be down for Shakira's stomach.
    tumblr_nd5q806RaL1tmq9vlo1_500.gif
  • Marianna93637
    Marianna93637 Posts: 230 Member
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    I have been a professional belly dancer for 12 years, and the answer is yes and no at the same time.
    I used to make my living just with dancing for 4 years, that meant teaching 2-3 classes a week, and performing an average of 5 times / week. The dancing itself didn't help me lose weight, but I'm sure it helped stay in shape and not gain weight. (it was mostly because I wasn't eating before I performed and didn't eat after because it was too late. I know that's not promoting healthy eating habits, but it helped on the weekends). Teaching classes (or you can just take classes) definitely helped, because it was repetitive, and it really toned my body.
    However whenever I lost significant weight (5-15 lbs overall) it was due to changing my diet. Honestly what has really helped was the fact that I knew I had to stay on top of my game and take care of my body and look good, and dance well.

    Now this is the sad part. I stopped dancing a lot due to the economy going down and dancing opportunities became less and less, and I was focusing more on my teaching career (I was exhausted). I gained about 10 lbs. Then I moved to the Fresno area in March 2013. I didn't dance at all for 6 months and since then I have been performing an average of 1-2 / month.
    I gained 20 lbs since then. I was still eating healthy, as always but I know I was not at a deficit for sure, it was always over. It added to the problem that there isn't much to do here so i got lazy.

    I lost 8 lbs in the past 3 weeks and that was just with eating. I am very motivated, especially since i am performing this Friday and it will be nice to feel my costume fitting better, and my body looking and moving better.

    Anything you can do to motivate yourself, you should do. Bellydancing is very good for you, because it promotes a healthy body image. You don't have to be skinny to dance well, in fact you should have some curves to look right, and with dancing you can definitely tone your entire torso and somehow make your hips nice and round. I don't know how, but it happens :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    Do the belly dancing as well as the calorie counting and don't eat back all the calories.
    I love belly dancing even though I have 2 left feet. It really improved my posture, so I look taller than 5'1, and it really does give your abs a good all around work out. My waist was a couple of inches smaller after doing it once a week for 8 weeks while on maintenance.
    Try to do some strength training also, you won't add any muscle mass because you are eating at a deficit, but it will help maintain your LBM and give you a leaner rather than skinny look.
    Have a great wedding.
    Cheers, h.

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