So you want a nice stomach

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Replies

  • Love this! Thank you! I sent a request and realized you wrote you delete them after I sent it. Whoops sorry!
  • Thank you so much for sharing!! I've done some It Works body wraps and got great results, but they can't do it alone! I'm going to try these tips in addition to wrapping and see where it can take me!! Two piece swimsuit this summer? I think so!
  • cakelight
    cakelight Posts: 9 Member
    I keep reading "cardio is useless" on a lot of these comment sections (not necessarily on MFP) and I guess I'm confused. Cardio is the most fun exercise for me, I look forward to it and it gets me into the gym. I get that a lot of people completely forget about strength training when in weight loss mode, but is it really a waste of time to do more than 1-2 times a week?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited February 2015
    cakelight wrote: »
    I keep reading "cardio is useless" on a lot of these comment sections (not necessarily on MFP) and I guess I'm confused. Cardio is the most fun exercise for me, I look forward to it and it gets me into the gym. I get that a lot of people completely forget about strength training when in weight loss mode, but is it really a waste of time to do more than 1-2 times a week?

    It's not that it is a waste of time... it's that it is typically perpetuated as something that MUST be done for fat loss, when that isn't really the case. It can be a helpful tool to create a larger caloric deficit, and is good for improving cardiovascular health.

    If you enjoy it, keep doing it. As for a more developed midsection though, you'll get more bang for your buck through strength training with compound movements and having your diet in check.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    cakelight wrote: »
    I keep reading "cardio is useless" on a lot of these comment sections (not necessarily on MFP) and I guess I'm confused. Cardio is the most fun exercise for me, I look forward to it and it gets me into the gym. I get that a lot of people completely forget about strength training when in weight loss mode, but is it really a waste of time to do more than 1-2 times a week?

    It's not that it is a waste of time... it's that it is typically perpetuated as something that MUST be done for fat loss, when that isn't really the case. It can be a helpful tool to create a larger caloric deficit, and is good for improving cardiovascular health.

    If you enjoy it, keep doing it. As for a more developed midsection though, you'll get more bang for your buck through strength training with compound movements and having your diet in check.

    ^Nailed it. It's not that "cardio is useless" it's that too many people place emphasis on cardio and neglect strength training and just overall diet.
  • mywendy1
    mywendy1 Posts: 1 Member
    Funny that you say to work out doing cardio 2 times per week and focus on weight training for the rest of the workout days. In the past, I weight trained 3- 4 days and did cardio 2 days for 30 minutes each workout. Had much better results than when I recently reversed it and started running 3-4 days and weight training 2 days. Will revert to the old way. Better at building lean muscle and losing weight.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    ilirlena40 wrote: »
    Usmcmp Does it matter what you eat as long as you are in a calorie deficit to lose weight? Thanks
    You already asked this and someone responded:

    ilirlena40 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    NO! Just no! This is a BS product and does not help.

    ETA: This was in response to a spam post, not my original post.

    Does it matter what you eat as long as you are in a calorie deficit

    Not particularity, unless it impacts overall dietary adherence. However, you should strive to get the majority of your food intake from nutrient dense whole food sources for general health and well being.

    @LOLbroscience is just as well versed

    He actually text me this morning to tell me that he had replied. I didn't even need to ask what he said because I knew that his advice was solid.

    you guys are cute! <3 to both of you =]
  • I'm doing what you have suggested, I've lost 18lb but now I'm stuck at the same weight regardless of resetting my goals. Ive gained muscle but my stomach is still not as toned as the rest of me, in particular my upper gut!Should I cut carbs?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    shelx2013 wrote: »
    I'm doing what you have suggested, I've lost 18lb but now I'm stuck at the same weight regardless of resetting my goals. Ive gained muscle but my stomach is still not as toned as the rest of me, in particular my upper gut!Should I cut carbs?

    Cutting carbs would just be a way to cut calories. There is no need to cut carbs. Stomach is often last to go, so you probably just need to lose more fat. If I was in your shoes I would make sure I'm logging accurately and double check my numbers to make sure my calorie goal is still appropriate. If both of those were good then I would add in a leptin refeed every other week. Most people simply are eating too much, whether it's inaccurate logging or goal is too high.
  • Very inspiring
  • usmcmp wrote: »
    You want to lose belly fat and have a nice flat toned mid section? We see that a lot on this site. Hell, that was my goal for my birthday last year. We all want to be able to take our shirt off at the pool or beach and look great, but how do we do it?

    1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.

    2. Strength training. If you want that toned mid section look you have to put some muscle there. If you just want a nice flat stomach muscle will still help it look tight. You can begin with Strong Lifts, a hypertrophy routine or a strength program from bodybuilding.com (free!). One that includes compound lifts like deadlift, squat, bench press and pull ups will help. Work on increasing the amount of weight you use. When the weight gets heavier you engage your core more and it builds the muscle.

    3. Muscle insurance. There are a variety of studies done on the amount of protein the body needs. I like to think of higher protein as muscle insurance. My suggestion is about 1gram of protein per pound of lean mass. Make sure to get fat in your diet to help joints and metabolic processes. Make sure to get carbs in your diet to fuel workouts.

    4. Cardio. I like cardio once or twice a week for 30 minutes. It's good for the heart and lungs. It doesn't add much to the calorie burn for the week, but it helps even things out in case you haven't been completely accurate weighing food.

    5. Patience! It is not going to happen overnight. If you stick with it you could lose around 1% body fat a month. We aren't going to be perfect all the time. Enjoy birthdays and holidays. It is life and things will happen. Don't stress, learn to love the process.

    FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!

  • This was a great read! Thanks so much for the motivation and encouraging words:)
  • CLanzaMartin
    CLanzaMartin Posts: 4 Member
    Decent diet, 45min of Zumba 2x a week, 45min of total body weight training 2x a week, walk 2miles 2x week.....been doing that for about 2 months now with ZERO results. What am I doing wrong?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Decent diet, 45min of Zumba 2x a week, 45min of total body weight training 2x a week, walk 2miles 2x week.....been doing that for about 2 months now with ZERO results. What am I doing wrong?

    Hard to tell, but most likely you're eating too much. Meaning that you aren't logging accurately 100% of the time (even on weekends and holidays).
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    Trying to figure out when to stop losing and work on a recomposition (maintain weight or add a bit, add muscle, drop inches). I'm getting close to goal, and using the simple spreadsheet done by one of the users here and all of my measurements, my current body fat is at ~28% (mostly the mommy tummy :( ) Any thoughts?

    Current stats 5' 7.5, 136 lbs
  • I love my cardio, I try and do an hour a day fast pace walking, maybe a bit of jogging in there. Abs and core strength training at home on the mat, as well as keeping under my calorie goal for the day. Bit by bit. Not expecting fast results, I am expecting results :-)
  • Love this post!! Thank you!! Can you explain to me what the TDEE-20% menthol is? My phone will not allow the link to open! Thanks :)
    usmcmp wrote: »
    You want to lose belly fat and have a nice flat toned mid section? We see that a lot on this site. Hell, that was my goal for my birthday last year. We all want to be able to take our shirt off at the pool or beach and look great, but how do we do it?

    1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.

    2. Strength training. If you want that toned mid section look you have to put some muscle there. If you just want a nice flat stomach muscle will still help it look tight. You can begin with Strong Lifts, a hypertrophy routine or a strength program from bodybuilding.com (free!). One that includes compound lifts like deadlift, squat, bench press and pull ups will help. Work on increasing the amount of weight you use. When the weight gets heavier you engage your core more and it builds the muscle.

    3. Muscle insurance. There are a variety of studies done on the amount of protein the body needs. I like to think of higher protein as muscle insurance. My suggestion is about 1gram of protein per pound of lean mass. Make sure to get fat in your diet to help joints and metabolic processes. Make sure to get carbs in your diet to fuel workouts.

    4. Cardio. I like cardio once or twice a week for 30 minutes. It's good for the heart and lungs. It doesn't add much to the calorie burn for the week, but it helps even things out in case you haven't been completely accurate weighing food.

    5. Patience! It is not going to happen overnight. If you stick with it you could lose around 1% body fat a month. We aren't going to be perfect all the time. Enjoy birthdays and holidays. It is life and things will happen. Don't stress, learn to love the process.

    FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!

  • Thanks... Hope will motivate me to lose extra weight and be fit.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited February 2015
    Love this post!! Thank you!! Can you explain to me what the TDEE-20% menthol is? My phone will not allow the link to open! Thanks :)
    usmcmp wrote: »
    You want to lose belly fat and have a nice flat toned mid section? We see that a lot on this site. Hell, that was my goal for my birthday last year. We all want to be able to take our shirt off at the pool or beach and look great, but how do we do it?

    1. Slight calorie deficit. Eating 800 calories and killing yourself in the gym is not going to get you there any faster. You need to fuel your body appropriately. I suggest the TDEE-20% method. www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc (If you have questions please feel free to ask them here). Make sure to weigh everything you eat! Guessing could put you well over your calories.

    2. Strength training. If you want that toned mid section look you have to put some muscle there. If you just want a nice flat stomach muscle will still help it look tight. You can begin with Strong Lifts, a hypertrophy routine or a strength program from bodybuilding.com (free!). One that includes compound lifts like deadlift, squat, bench press and pull ups will help. Work on increasing the amount of weight you use. When the weight gets heavier you engage your core more and it builds the muscle.

    3. Muscle insurance. There are a variety of studies done on the amount of protein the body needs. I like to think of higher protein as muscle insurance. My suggestion is about 1gram of protein per pound of lean mass. Make sure to get fat in your diet to help joints and metabolic processes. Make sure to get carbs in your diet to fuel workouts.

    4. Cardio. I like cardio once or twice a week for 30 minutes. It's good for the heart and lungs. It doesn't add much to the calorie burn for the week, but it helps even things out in case you haven't been completely accurate weighing food.

    5. Patience! It is not going to happen overnight. If you stick with it you could lose around 1% body fat a month. We aren't going to be perfect all the time. Enjoy birthdays and holidays. It is life and things will happen. Don't stress, learn to love the process.

    FINALLY: Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure - 20% of calories. So, if you require 2,000 calories to maintain weight; you would eat at 1,600 calories.

    2,000 * .20 = 400 calories
    2,000 - 400 = 1600 calories
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Trying to figure out when to stop losing and work on a recomposition (maintain weight or add a bit, add muscle, drop inches). I'm getting close to goal, and using the simple spreadsheet done by one of the users here and all of my measurements, my current body fat is at ~28% (mostly the mommy tummy :( ) Any thoughts?

    Current stats 5' 7.5, 136 lbs

    @blankiefinder I can't tell you if the spreadsheet is going to help you or not because I have no idea what it is telling you. Recomposition takes a long time. It's combining a bulk cycle and a cut cycle, which each take a while to accomplish any meaningful gains and retain them as you lose fat.

    Based on the stats you gave me I can tell that you have low lean mass. Continuing to just lose weight is not appropriate for you at this point because it could negatively impact your health. Bulking is not appropriate for you at this point because your body fat is too high. Recomposition is perfect for you. If I was to set yours up I would find your approximate TDEE then add 300 calories to 3 days (must be on days you lift) and subtract 200 calories from 4 days. That's how recomposition works in theory. Your average intake at the end of the week should be about your TDEE.