So you want a nice stomach

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Replies

  • jesiann2014
    jesiann2014 Posts: 521 Member
    I have exactly 2 threads bookmarked and this is one of them. I click on it everyday just to see if any new advice has been given. @usmcmp has advised and helped an untold number of folks right here on this site. I'm one of them! She cares about other people and truly enjoys sharing her expertise and guiding others to a higher level of fitness. So pay attention guys, she knoweth of what she speaketh. :D
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
    Good advice, and attainable! Thank you for posting this! My stomach is one of the areas I'm most concerned about (I think if I could flatten it out I would feel a lot better about myself).
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    dianeEESI wrote: »
    This thread is awesome and I pretty much read over it daily. I've lost 30 pounds since September, with 15 more to go. I am 54 years old, and have the UGLIEST stomach in the world, I've lost everywhere but that damn gut just looks nasty as well as some hangy skin on my arms. I am relegated to my basement and some hand weights, can you recomend weights I should get so I can lose the last 15. I spend about a half hour in the mornings down there and feel like I could use the time more wisely and more efficiently if I knew what the heck I was doing.

    @dianeEESI Look into a program like You Are Your Own Gym, it doesn't require weights to start out and you can add some resistance with your dumbbells as you go along. Unfortunately for the skin it probably won't tighten. Moisturizers and drinking water may help with elasticity. Lifting weights or strength training may help fill in the skin with a bit of muscle.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    Ohh thanks for pushing it back up folks!
    *bookmarked*
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    jesiann2014 wrote: »
    I have exactly 2 threads bookmarked and this is one of them. I click on it everyday just to see if any new advice has been given. @usmcmp has advised and helped an untold number of folks right here on this site. I'm one of them! She cares about other people and truly enjoys sharing her expertise and guiding others to a higher level of fitness. So pay attention guys, she knoweth of what she speaketh. :D

    @jesiann2014 Thank you! You can always send me a message if you personally have a question or just want some general information on a topic. I don't know everything, but I try to share practical information.
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  • JONZ64
    JONZ64 Posts: 1,280 Member
    I don't want a nice stomach I want an angry one!
  • debbiezag
    debbiezag Posts: 32 Member
    bump
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    JONZ64 wrote: »
    I don't want a nice stomach I want an angry one!

    Taco Bell. Extra hot sauce.
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  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    Oh man, I wish this was still a sticky! I love this thread!
  • khaki33
    khaki33 Posts: 20 Member
    [/b]
    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 :)
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    I believe Rachel rotates them out occasionally; if we made every awesome post a sticky, new posts would start halfway down the page.

    That makes sense. I still think mine is better than the one that seems to have replaced it...personal bias though ;)

    No, no. Lots of people think that!
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Really? The greatest advice thread in all of MFP history has been de-stickied??? Unacceptable.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.
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  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?

    Don't forget:
    cut out bread and pasta
    drink lots and lots of water
    eat an apple every day
    don't eat fruit
    don't eat anything white
    switch to diet soda
    don't drink diet soda
    eat breakfast
    skip breakfast
    eat snacks
    don't snack
    avoid calorie dense foods like peanut butter
    eat low calorie treats like peanut butter
    go to bed hungry
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  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?

    Don't forget:
    cut out bread and pasta
    drink lots and lots of water
    eat an apple every day
    don't eat fruit
    don't eat anything white
    switch to diet soda
    don't drink diet soda
    eat breakfast
    skip breakfast
    eat snacks
    don't snack
    avoid calorie dense foods like peanut butter
    eat low calorie treats like peanut butter
    go to bed hungry

    No wonder so many people get confused.

  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    PeachyPlum wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    I'm glad to hear that people find this thread helpful! Hopefully at some point this thread and the calorie counting 101 thread will be stickies again.

    If we had a poll feature, I'd vote for it!

    I can't believe they replaced a useful, step by step thread with one full of disjointed nuggets like "take the stairs." I mean, what the actual *kitten*?

    Don't forget:
    cut out bread and pasta
    drink lots and lots of water
    eat an apple every day
    don't eat fruit
    don't eat anything white
    switch to diet soda
    don't drink diet soda
    eat breakfast
    skip breakfast
    eat snacks
    don't snack
    avoid calorie dense foods like peanut butter
    eat low calorie treats like peanut butter
    go to bed hungry

    Yeah, I didn't get that far... I got to post #3 and thought "*kitten*, this is worthless."

    I'm even sadder now that I know it's full of people's *kitten*, contradicting opinions. How is that helpful to a newbie? If I started off with that thread, I'd get overwhelmed and confused, leave, and never come back.
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  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Yeah, the "Tip" thread could possibly be helpful if they screened what posts get put in it. It's just random stuff, most being not even true or helpful. Weird.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    Yeah, the "Tip" thread could possibly be helpful if they screened what posts get put in it. It's just random stuff, most being not even true or helpful. Weird.

    I'm kind of surprised that it hasn't turned into a dumpster fire yet.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    This thread: Begins with a solid OP full of vital, step by step info and is then monitored by the OP who absolutely knows her stuff and understands how to handle questions and detracting posts, resulting in a brilliant thread which consistently offers sage advice without all the conflicting gobbledygook you find in so many other threads.

    The new sticky: Begins with a question about tips and tricks and is then answered by several conflicting and ill-informed posts, resulting in a thread which could easily confuse new members and prove to be more confounding than it is helpful.

    The rationale for the switch: bgjgjkvtdsvbjujuytrewwqasdcfxrsdgjju
  • giusa
    giusa Posts: 577 Member
    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!

  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    edited May 2015
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    This thread: Begins with a solid OP full of vital, step by step info and is then monitored by the OP who absolutely knows her stuff and understands how to handle questions and detracting posts, resulting in a brilliant thread which consistently offers sage advice without all the conflicting gobbledygook you find in so many other threads.

    The new sticky: Begins with a question about tips and tricks and is then answered by several conflicting and ill-informed posts, resulting in a thread which could easily confuse new members and prove to be more confounding than it is helpful.

    The rationale for the switch: bgjgjkvtdsvbjujuytrewwqasdcfxrsdgjju

    I agree. If I was starting this journey and took that new stickied post as expert, I would be so confused, I would quit after the first month. How could anyone follow all those random recommendations?
  • indianarose2
    indianarose2 Posts: 469 Member
    Sigh...when I came back to MFP 3 months ago it was threads like this one that gave me hope and set me on the right path finally. There was previously so many conflicting, nonsense threads out there. I never knew who to believe but once I came back and saw threads like this one I thought ok! MFP has got it together now and there are some credible sources here to help sort through all of the convoluted nonsense. I feel sorry for the newbies. They will be going in circles once again just like I did...thanks again usmcmp
  • Sephixteeo
    Sephixteeo Posts: 75 Member
    I love this post!

    I do have a question, I'm lifting 2-3 times a week at home (following SL 5x5) but having no squat rack, I'm doing goblet/ front squats, and struggling with the OHP. Also some lighter cardio and circuits with dumbbells while working on form.
    I started shifting over to weights about 8 weeks ago, so don't expect too much of a difference. But, I've lost about 2 inches in my waist and I swear it is looking worse (inner thighs are the same- lost an inch, getting a softer layer of fat. I wanted to get down to about 120-123 , no lower, and then re-comp, but I'm around 125-126 now. Started at 134 or so in March.

    All of this to ask, if this is a normal progression, to get softer before it goes? I'm at a 250 cal deficit, and the cardio is for buffer in case I'm off on calories, and I'm just more hungry. Still tweaking the macros. Honestly I'd be okay if the weight is slow to come off or I just leaned out, I'm aiming for loss of fat. Any advice is appreciated.
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