This belly fat thing, help!
mla1076
Posts: 5 Member
I am 38 and have just started my 60 pound journey (Week 2 starts today). What the heck is with the upper belly fat thing, where did that come from?? I'm an hourglass and have never had that (I've also never had this much weight to lose either). Green tea, clean eating, gym and patience..... any other suggestions?
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Eat at a deficit. Patience.0
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I am 38 and have just started my 60 pound journey (Week 2 starts today). What the heck is with the upper belly fat thing, where did that come from?? I'm an hourglass and have never had that (I've also never had this much weight to lose either). Green tea, clean eating, gym and patience..... any other suggestions?
No, no, yes and yes to the bolded part. Green tea doesn't do squat for weight/fat loss, and "clean eating" is not required. As for suggestions, figure out your calorie needs based on TDEE (or use MFP), eat a moderate deficit below that, consume a variety of foods to meet you nutrient needs, exercise to improve appearance and overall health (and help with meeting your deficit), and be patient.0 -
I am 38 and have just started my 60 pound journey (Week 2 starts today). What the heck is with the upper belly fat thing, where did that come from?? I'm an hourglass and have never had that (I've also never had this much weight to lose either). Green tea, clean eating, gym and patience..... any other suggestions?
FIFY0 -
This really. I've just lost 60lb in 6 months, eating anything I want to but in a decent deficit. I don't eat clean but my body is still nicely getting a decent shape (so I've been told).strong_curves wrote: »Eat at a deficit. Patience.
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Agreed. If you're replacing other beverages like soda or sugary juice with green tea (assuming it is not also loaded up with honey/sugar) it's a better choice. But it's not some miracle elixir.0
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Might add that I do drink twinnings green tea but just because I really like it!0
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this is my standard advice:
1. Enter stats into MFP and set for x amount of weight loss.
2. Eat to the number that MFP gives you.
3. get a food scale and weigh all solid foods, and as many liquids as possible.
4. log everything
5. make sure that you are using correct MFP database entries
6. realize that there are no bad foods and that while the majority of foods should come from nutrient dense sources, there is nothing wrong with having pizza, ice cream, cookies, etc, as long as ones micro and macro needs are met.
7. macro setting are typically .85 grams of protein per pound of body weight; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight; fill in rest with carbs.
8. find a form of exercise that you like and do it < not necessary for weight loss, but is for overall health and body comp.
I would also recommend reading the below sticky:
sidesteels guide:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
Dropped 60 last year and I think the best advice was indeed in that sexypants link.
The key is really maintaining a sustained deficit. As easy as MFP makes it to track it, it does take willpower to resist overeating all the time. Just like on any diet.
I think food choices matter some in that you can use these to somewhat control how hungry you will feel to an extent.
So, eating a 600 calorie lunch could be a very large salad with a little low-cal dressing, plenty of veggies, topped with lots of chicken or tuna that will help keep you feeling full enough to make it to dinner.
Or that 600 calories could be a small burger with cheese, mayo, and a few fries on the side that will leave you feeling hungry two hours later as you are tempted to buy a doughnut and a coffee (another 300-400 calories) to hold you over and ruin your count for the day.0 -
I am 38 and have just started my 60 pound journey (Week 2 starts today). What the heck is with the upper belly fat thing, where did that come from?? I'm an hourglass and have never had that (I've also never had this much weight to lose either). [ eating at a defecit, moving more, progressive resistance training at the gym and patience..... any other suggestions?
FIFY0 -
Eat normal amounts of healthy food, do some exercise and you'll lose weight. Losing in the belly? Can't force it. If only we could choose where it comes off! My belly and OMG, my thighs would lose some more before, say, my arms. For me, it seems like it comes off from the outside-in. My feet and hands are now normal. My fat fingers thinned out. But my thighs? Lord.
It's like it comes off the stomach and thighs last, lol.
Do sit ups, planks, six inches - that kid of stuff, to help tone the muscles. Lift weights.
But you just cannot force it off the belly. You have to wait. (Dammit.)
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ceoverturf wrote: »
It's just a way some women put on fat, above the waistline.
OP, all you can do is lose fat. It will go away. You can't spot reduce, but if it was the last major place you gained you might well lose it there first.0 -
Yeah, just work on losing weight, building muscle mass, etc.
Sometimes that kind of fat distribution is related to stress (cortisol) (and e.g. lack of sleep), so maybe work on that if it's an issue, but the main thing is to stick with your program.0 -
There is some good advice here but lets be honest: Weighing/measutring all of your food for every meal, every day is a bonafide pain in the *kitten*. Its extremely hard to do that if you like...have a job and stuff like that. You have to pre-prep/cook/store every meal, have food scales and measuring devices at various locations, and god forbid you go out to dinner with friends or something. Now what? Bring a food scale to the local diner? Thats lame and urealistic.
Im NOT disagreeing with the advice, just saying its very, very hard for "regular" folks to do all of that. Its hard enough to get everything into fitness pal let alone down to the exact ounce, gram, etc. Sure, its the "right" thing to do but thats for a perfect scenario. Most of us dont fit that profile.
So, as others have said: Watch your calorie intake but stay super-active too. You "know" what you're eating and are only fooling yourself if you only log "one" burger when you really ate one and a half or if you "forgot" to add the bacon on that burger into your fitness pal data. Just get your portions close - small variations wont matter and IMO going a little over gets negated by walking whenever possible, parking far away from stores, taking stairs, sneaking in an extra cardio session, etc, etc.
Workout hard and regularly. Be reasonable about diet and portions but dont make it into a science project
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There is some good advice here but lets be honest: Weighing/measutring all of your food for every meal, every day is a bonafide pain in the *kitten*. Its extremely hard to do that if you like...have a job and stuff like that. You have to pre-prep/cook/store every meal, have food scales and measuring devices at various locations, and god forbid you go out to dinner with friends or something. Now what? Bring a food scale to the local diner? Thats lame and urealistic.
Im NOT disagreeing with the advice, just saying its very, very hard for "regular" folks to do all of that. Its hard enough to get everything into fitness pal let alone down to the exact ounce, gram, etc. Sure, its the "right" thing to do but thats for a perfect scenario. Most of us dont fit that profile.
So, as others have said: Watch your calorie intake but stay super-active too. You "know" what you're eating and are only folling yourself if you only log "one" burder when you really ate one and a half or if you "forgot" to add the bacon on that burger into your fitness pal data. Just get your portions close - small variations wont matter and IMO going a little over gets negated by walking whenever possible, parking far away from stores, taking stairs, sneaking in an extra cardio session, etc, etc.
Workout hard and regularly. Be reasonable about diet and portions but dont make it into a science project
not that hard at all. It takes me about five minutes a day, if that, to log all my food in for the day. It takes me five minute to prep my lunch for the next day, and about another five to take some chicken breast and add some Italian dress to it to soak over night. When I come home it probably takes me about twenty minutes to cook my dinner.
So we are talking about maybe ten minutes a day to prep and pre log, and 20 minutes to get a meal ready. That is about the length of your average TV show...
Oh, and I run my own business which involves me working 50+ hours a week, plus I workout about an 1.5 four times a week ..but I guess I am not "regular folk"....
Who said bring a food scale to the local diner? Obviously, when you go out to eat you guestimate it, or eat a little less during the day to compensate for the fact that going out will probably involve more calorie dense foods.0 -
There is some good advice here but lets be honest: Weighing/measutring all of your food for every meal, every day is a bonafide pain in the *kitten*. Its extremely hard to do that if you like...have a job and stuff like that. You have to pre-prep/cook/store every meal, have food scales and measuring devices at various locations, and god forbid you go out to dinner with friends or something. Now what? Bring a food scale to the local diner? Thats lame and urealistic.
Im NOT disagreeing with the advice, just saying its very, very hard for "regular" folks to do all of that. Its hard enough to get everything into fitness pal let alone down to the exact ounce, gram, etc. Sure, its the "right" thing to do but thats for a perfect scenario. Most of us dont fit that profile.
So, as others have said: Watch your calorie intake but stay super-active too. You "know" what you're eating and are only fooling yourself if you only log "one" burger when you really ate one and a half or if you "forgot" to add the bacon on that burger into your fitness pal data. Just get your portions close - small variations wont matter and IMO going a little over gets negated by walking whenever possible, parking far away from stores, taking stairs, sneaking in an extra cardio session, etc, etc.
Workout hard and regularly. Be reasonable about diet and portions but dont make it into a science project
If you don't weigh or measure your food, that means you have to be more careful with food choices and work really hard at estimating portions (which few people can do well - although it's easier to do once you've been weighing / measuring for e.g. a year). Which is ok, too, it's just it means it's a different kind of work. It depends on which kind of work you're willing and able to do.
Certainly, doing neither is likely to lead to more gain.
You can just burn it off - however, doing it that way increases your risk of orthopedic injuries and repetitive strain, especially if you're over 30.0 -
Weighing/measuring is no big deal and at most takes just a few minutes. I pack my lunch for work 5x a week and I make it easy on myself. While I am cooking dinner, I simply add measuring as part of my routine and make my next day's lunch. I am in the kitchen anyway prepping so it is nothing really extra or going out of my way. On weekends, I will also prep snacks in advance to make things that much simpler. For example, I measure out my carrots and celery (or other veggies) and put in snack bags so I can grab and go each day. I measure out my hummus into containers for the week also to go along with my veggies. With my weekly lunches, I input the data in advance since I rarely deviate so I ensure I stick to the plan. Those times I don't? It is simple to make the change in MFP.
As for the belly fat, I wish you luck! I have been maintaining a few months now and just had my measurements done. at 5'5", I am 120 pounds and 18.8% body fat and yet, that little tummy pooch is still in residence. Yes, it is smaller than it was but it is not budging. I am figuring that after 2 c-sections, some of that is just going to stay there. However, I continue to persevere with weight training and core strengthening. Perhaps, one day I will look and notice the tummy has shrunk some but I won't hold my breath.0 -
Its extremely hard to do that if you like...have a job and stuff like that. ..., and god forbid you go out to dinner with friends or something. Now what? Bring a food scale to the local diner? Thats lame and urealistic.
While I was losing weight, it helped me to know where we were going ahead of time, so I could browse the menu. Most chain restaurants post their calories online, so I'd always ask we go to chains like Applebee's or something. If not that, I requested we go to restaurants that served breakfast 24-hours per day, since it's easy to know what two eggs, toast and butter is approximately in calories. Dining with friends doesn't have to derail proper logging. Nor does being a "real" person.
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Belly fat can be a sign of visceral fat which is the worst kind of fat and very stubborn. The saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is very true. Watch your sugar intake especially as fructose tends to be turned strait to visceral fat rather than burned. Watch the carbs too. Lift heavy things more than cardio to increase your lean body mass.0
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KombuchaCat wrote: »Belly fat can be a sign of visceral fat which is the worst kind of fat and very stubborn. The saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is very true. Watch your sugar intake especially as fructose tends to be turned strait to visceral fat rather than burned. Watch the carbs too. Lift heavy things more than cardio to increase your lean body mass.
Sugar gets turned into fat even if you are in a calorie deficit?0 -
There is some good advice here but lets be honest: Weighing/measutring all of your food for every meal, every day is a bonafide pain in the *kitten*. Its extremely hard to do that if you like...have a job and stuff like that. You have to pre-prep/cook/store every meal, have food scales and measuring devices at various locations, and god forbid you go out to dinner with friends or something. Now what? Bring a food scale to the local diner? Thats lame and urealistic.
Im NOT disagreeing with the advice, just saying its very, very hard for "regular" folks to do all of that. Its hard enough to get everything into fitness pal let alone down to the exact ounce, gram, etc. Sure, its the "right" thing to do but thats for a perfect scenario. Most of us dont fit that profile.
So, as others have said: Watch your calorie intake but stay super-active too. You "know" what you're eating and are only fooling yourself if you only log "one" burger when you really ate one and a half or if you "forgot" to add the bacon on that burger into your fitness pal data. Just get your portions close - small variations wont matter and IMO going a little over gets negated by walking whenever possible, parking far away from stores, taking stairs, sneaking in an extra cardio session, etc, etc.
Workout hard and regularly. Be reasonable about diet and portions but dont make it into a science project
It is a pain in the butt, but it's very helpful for some people. You learn a lot when you weigh food, too.
I have learned a lot about my diet by logging. I'm watching my micros and am surprised by what I was and wasn't getting. I'm working on building a balanced diet. So, I am still weighing and logging.
It's a horrible pain when cooking. Kind of a nightmare for people who don't always use recipes, but add things as they go to make the food taste good. It's a major pain. Plus, there just isn't always time to weigh/measure the butter, oil, et cetera, before the garlic burns, so there's that, too. Gotta weigh out an amount before you start, then weigh the remainer when you're done and funnel it back into the bottle or whathaveyou.
Yeah, you have to take your own food when you go out. Restaurants will be a major guess, but not eating in restaurants is part of my deal, so it's a pretty rare problem.
Weighing totally means some new habits. But for those who want to reap the benefits, it's worth it. It can be done.
It is a pain and isn't for everyone, though, 0
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