Why are abs impossible?!

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hnaquin280
hnaquin280 Posts: 26 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I've been on MFP for about 5 months and have lost 35 pounds and hit my goal weight. I'm now focusing on maintaining and strengthening. Overall, I think I've lost a significant amount of weight, but my midsection still bothers me. I eat clean, do all kinds of abdominal excercises that are not just sit ups and crunches, and I do cardio 45 minutes a day 5 days a week. I'm just not seeing any progress in my midsection. I'm not going for a ripped 6 pack, I'd just like to tighten up and tone and see some definition and not flabby lower belly fat ): is this a problem for anyone else?
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Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Having abs or a toned mid section comes down to two factors: low body fat and adequate lean mass.

    My suggestion is to eat at maintenance and start lifting. Check out suggestions on programs in some of the lifting threads. You need to add a bit of muscle to continue to get leaner.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Everyone else!! lol Spot training is difficult to see in the mid section when spot reducing is impossible. I would kill for my stomach to be as ripped as my fore arms!! Honestly just keep up the great work and maybe throw in a 30 day ab challenge so when you do drop the fat percentage they are ready to be admired.. My 2 cents
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    What are your current abdominal exercises? Do you have any loose skin?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having abs or a toned mid section comes down to two factors: low body fat and adequate lean mass.

    My suggestion is to eat at maintenance and start lifting. Check out suggestions on programs in some of the lifting threads. You need to add a bit of muscle to continue to get leaner.

    All of this ^^
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    leggup wrote: »
    What are your current abdominal exercises? Do you have any loose skin?

    I don't do ab exercises and I have abs. What her ab workout looks like is irrelevant. Loose skin is also not going to prevent her from having a lean mid section.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
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    wait this isn't an AMA?

    idk lift weights
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    Nice post by usmcmp. She's awesome. You should listen to her.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    why does everyone equate clean eating with abs?
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    why does everyone equate clean eating with abs?

    it cleans the fat off dat washoard na mean?
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    why does everyone equate clean eating with abs?

    Social media. Mostly those bikini competitors who use steroids to get super lean and then tell everyone it was detoxing and clean eating. Because lying about how they got lean is better than admitting to using steroids and starving themselves.
  • Naener
    Naener Posts: 167 Member
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    I agree with the weight lifting suggestions. ive switched my focus to mostly weight training with cardio only 2 days a week, the results have been pretty satisfying so far.

    and remember the adage... "Abs are made in the kitchen!" maybe you're not eating as clean as you think?
    ALSO and lol watch things like sodium intake and certain medications or supplements for water retention. as women, we hold water like CRAZY and for the craziest reasons sometimes. Luck!
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    leggup wrote: »
    What are your current abdominal exercises? Do you have any loose skin?

    I don't do ab exercises and I have abs. What her ab workout looks like is irrelevant. Loose skin is also not going to prevent her from having a lean mid section.

    I was using her phrasing. She could be futilely doing bodyweight exercises. I wasn't going to suggest she do a progressive lifting program if she had already started one and was just too early in expecting results.

    Some people (post pregnancy women, people who have lost a lot of weight) do have loose skin that hangs despite an otherwise lean torso. I'm 70 lbs down and I have weird skin pooling in certain areas that no amount of lifting will undo. It's about expectations.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    why does everyone equate clean eating with abs?

    Social media. Mostly those bikini competitors who use steroids to get super lean and then tell everyone it was detoxing and clean eating. Because lying about how they got lean is better than admitting to using steroids and starving themselves.

    I knew this was the answer....I guess it was a rhetorical question lol :)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Naener wrote: »
    I agree with the weight lifting suggestions. ive switched my focus to mostly weight training with cardio only 2 days a week, the results have been pretty satisfying so far.

    and remember the adage... "Abs are made in the kitchen!" maybe you're not eating as clean as you think?
    ALSO and lol watch things like sodium intake and certain medications or supplements for water retention. as women, we hold water like CRAZY and for the craziest reasons sometimes. Luck!

    If she's already at a healthy weight clean eating won't magically give her abs. She needs more muscle and less fat. She can do that while eating "dirty".
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Naener wrote: »
    I agree with the weight lifting suggestions. ive switched my focus to mostly weight training with cardio only 2 days a week, the results have been pretty satisfying so far.

    and remember the adage... "Abs are made in the kitchen!" maybe you're not eating as clean as you think?
    ALSO and lol watch things like sodium intake and certain medications or supplements for water retention. as women, we hold water like CRAZY and for the craziest reasons sometimes. Luck!

    so eating more clean = abs?

    OP here is what you need to get abs

    dedication
    patience
    hard work
    a food scale
    accurate logging
    a structured heavy lifting program
    some cardio (if you want)
    micro/macro adherence

    note, that clean eating is no where on that list.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    leggup wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    leggup wrote: »
    What are your current abdominal exercises? Do you have any loose skin?

    I don't do ab exercises and I have abs. What her ab workout looks like is irrelevant. Loose skin is also not going to prevent her from having a lean mid section.

    I was using her phrasing. She could be futilely doing bodyweight exercises. I wasn't going to suggest she do a progressive lifting program if she had already started one and was just too early in expecting results.

    Some people (post pregnancy women, people who have lost a lot of weight) do have loose skin that hangs despite an otherwise lean torso. I'm 70 lbs down and I have weird skin pooling in certain areas that no amount of lifting will undo. It's about expectations.

    I have loose skin. I still have visible abs.

    She stated she does lots of cardio, but never mentioned lifting.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
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    I feel like there's a Philosophical Raptor for this thread out there somewhere
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    why does everyone equate clean eating with abs?

    10,000 pins on Pinterest that say so can't be wrong!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    draznyth wrote: »
    I feel like there's a Philosophical Raptor for this thread out there somewhere

    clean-eater-dino-meme.png
  • Neversettle78
    Neversettle78 Posts: 208 Member
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    hollydubs85 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    why does everyone equate clean eating with abs?

    10,000 pins on Pinterest that say so can't be wrong!

    Yes because if it is on the internet it must be true....right?

    Actually "clean" (whatever the f that is) eating is irrelevant to abs...it is the amount of calories you consume combined with the type of training you do.

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