Need to lose belly fat

Paddyboy09
Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, so i've been on a strict calorie diet since september 2015 and I have lost roughly 40lbs but I'm wondering if I am under eating- O eat around 1,300 calories a day and burn 200 calories while running at the gym, I don't feel hungry but I am struggling to lose fat
If anyone can help, Id appreciate it a lot
Thanks

Replies

  • mecoconleche
    mecoconleche Posts: 86 Member
    If you are losing weight consistently, the fat will come off eventually. Also, the stomach area is the last to go for most people
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    You can't spot reduce. Keep eating in a calorie deficit and introduce some form of strength/resistance training to help retain as much muscle as possible.
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    You can't spot reduce. Keep eating in a calorie deficit and introduce some form of strength/resistance training to help retain as much muscle as possible.

    I do Resistance training 6/7 days a week
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    If your username is indicative of your sex, know that 1300 is very low calorie for a man. How are you calculating your calories what makes you think you are struggling to lose fat?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    If your username is indicative of your sex, know that 1300 is very low calorie for a man. How are you calculating your calories what makes you think you are struggling to lose fat?

    Especially for an 18 year old man, as his profile indicates
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    If your username is indicative of your sex, know that 1300 is very low calorie for a man. How are you calculating your calories what makes you think you are struggling to lose fat?

    The app tells me to eat 1600 a day, so I always try to stay under it
    I think I am struggling to lose fat around my stomach area as it just doesn't seem to be getting any smaller
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    What are your stats? You should be aiming for 1500 minimum, if not your goal (and 1600 is still VERY low for you)
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    so i should increase my calories?
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 669 Member
    You should be eating the 1600 and making sure you get adequate protein. I don't know if you are still growing but I didn't reach my full height of 5' 10" until I was 19. No reason to under eat. MFP has already factored in your deficit according to your rate of loss chosen.
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    frankiesgirlie wrote: »
    You should be eating the 1600 and making sure you get adequate protein. I don't know if you are still growing but I didn't reach my full height of 5' 10" until I was 19. No reason to under eat. MFP has already factored in your deficit according to your rate of loss chosen.

    I am eating around 150grams of protein each day
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    What are your height and weight, OP?
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your height and weight, OP?

    I am 5ft 11 and weighing 174lbs
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your height and weight, OP?

    I am 5ft 11 and weighing 174lbs

    You're just into a healthy BMI. How much are you looking to lose? You shouldn't be aiming for more than a pound a week, and likely half a pound a week would be a better option. You're young, and your body needs fuel.
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your height and weight, OP?

    I am 5ft 11 and weighing 174lbs

    You're just into a healthy BMI. How much are you looking to lose? You shouldn't be aiming for more than a pound a week, and likely half a pound a week would be a better option. You're young, and your body needs fuel.

    I want to get down to 165lbs-thats been my goal since the start
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your height and weight, OP?

    I am 5ft 11 and weighing 174lbs

    You're just into a healthy BMI. How much are you looking to lose? You shouldn't be aiming for more than a pound a week, and likely half a pound a week would be a better option. You're young, and your body needs fuel.

    I want to get down to 165lbs-thats been my goal since the start

    If I were you I'd stop focusing on fat loss, eat at maintenance, and build some muscle. You likely have little muscle mass. You're in the golden hour of muscle building. 18 yo males pretty much have the prime hormonal profile to build muscle like crazy. Forget the belly fat.

    Really good watch:


    https://youtu.be/Kxhw_NvdXLc
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your height and weight, OP?

    I am 5ft 11 and weighing 174lbs

    You're just into a healthy BMI. How much are you looking to lose? You shouldn't be aiming for more than a pound a week, and likely half a pound a week would be a better option. You're young, and your body needs fuel.

    I want to get down to 165lbs-thats been my goal since the start

    If I were you I'd stop focusing on fat loss, eat at maintenance, and build some muscle. You likely have little muscle mass. You're in the golden hour of muscle building. 18 yo males pretty much have the prime hormonal profile to build muscle like crazy. Forget the belly fat.

    Really good watch:


    https://youtu.be/Kxhw_NvdXLc

    I would love to just focus on building muscle but mentally (I know it sounds stupid) I can't get over the fact I still have a significant amount of belly fat
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1


    Goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045

    Also check out the MFP BMI app so you can see that you are currently at a healthy weight.
    Re-set your goals so you're not trying to lose 2 lb a week (which is what noobs tend to do, no matter how much they want to lose, nor how close they are to a healthy weight). MAYBE go for 0.5 lb, and start focusing on weightlifting.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Paddyboy09 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    What are your height and weight, OP?

    I am 5ft 11 and weighing 174lbs

    You're just into a healthy BMI. How much are you looking to lose? You shouldn't be aiming for more than a pound a week, and likely half a pound a week would be a better option. You're young, and your body needs fuel.

    I want to get down to 165lbs-thats been my goal since the start

    If I were you I'd stop focusing on fat loss, eat at maintenance, and build some muscle. You likely have little muscle mass. You're in the golden hour of muscle building. 18 yo males pretty much have the prime hormonal profile to build muscle like crazy. Forget the belly fat.

    Really good watch:


    https://youtu.be/Kxhw_NvdXLc

    I would love to just focus on building muscle but mentally (I know it sounds stupid) I can't get over the fact I still have a significant amount of belly fat

    Having fat doesn't mean you cannot lift weights. Heck, I still have around 50lbs to lose and lift.

    Definitely find your true maintenance and eat that number or maybe 100 below that. It's definitely worth it.
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  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited August 2016
    So you are a 5'11 174 pound man eating 1300 calories a day while doing cardio and lifting 6 days a week? What?

    Dude you seriously need to eat more, you are not going to sustain that and if somehow you manange to do so through all the fatigue and soreness and irritability all you are going to do is tear your muscle down from all the resistance training and your body (being in such massive calorie deficit) is going to consume that muscle rather than try to spend calories it doesn't have to repair and build it.

    If you are that height that weight and that activity level as a man you are likely maintaining at like 3500 calories which would mean at 1300 calories a day you are at a MASSIVE caloric deficit. That is not healthy.

    Seriously, eat more...like 1000 calories more.

    I am 175 pounds (your weight), a man (your gender), 37 years old (so older and therefore needing less calorically and developmentally), I exercise less frequently than you (so I need less calories) and I am losing weight rather rapidly eating 2300 calories a day. I cannot fathom how or what possessed you to eat only 1300 calories. Seriously...why?
  • RelevantGains
    RelevantGains Posts: 83 Member
    Just to give you an idea, I'm 5'11", currently at a little under 160, and I'm losing weight consistently at 2000 calories. So 1600-1700 calories still should give you a good rate of weight loss.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I'm 5'8", 65 years old, lift, row and exercise 5-6 days a week & am maintaining at 170-175# on an ave of 2000-2200 net cals/day, even though my TDEE is estimated at 2400.

    This is after I lost over 20lbs down from 196 in 3 months on an ave of 1600-1800 net cals a day doing roughly the same amount of physical activity, which was close to my estimated BMR at 1800. On 1300 cals a day, I would have been just skin and bones in no time.
  • nickisa28
    nickisa28 Posts: 116 Member
    Trixiegirl66 wrote: »
    Another thought is looking into whether your belly fat might actually be bloat. My father was a very lean 6 foot tall man of 165, but his "belly fat" turned out to be Celiac related belly bloat. Within a month of diagnosis, his life long resistant "belly fat" disappeared completely. And seriously, at 18 it is not uncommon for guys to be ravenous as you are still growing, so please be sure to feed your body.

    This was kinda my issue too....I found out I was gluten intolerant. I lost 3 inches off my waist after 10 days of not eating gluten. Also, are you eating right foods? Cut down on sugar, up the protien and fat. I've got down to my target weight and still not happy with my belly so I'm just continuing with the weight loss at a slower rate and doing lots of strength training. So I agree with the others. Up your calories, eat back half your exercise calories and strength train.
  • Paddyboy09
    Paddyboy09 Posts: 9 Member
    nickisa28 wrote: »
    Trixiegirl66 wrote: »
    Another thought is looking into whether your belly fat might actually be bloat. My father was a very lean 6 foot tall man of 165, but his "belly fat" turned out to be Celiac related belly bloat. Within a month of diagnosis, his life long resistant "belly fat" disappeared completely. And seriously, at 18 it is not uncommon for guys to be ravenous as you are still growing, so please be sure to feed your body.

    This was kinda my issue too....I found out I was gluten intolerant. I lost 3 inches off my waist after 10 days of not eating gluten. Also, are you eating right foods? Cut down on sugar, up the protien and fat. I've got down to my target weight and still not happy with my belly so I'm just continuing with the weight loss at a slower rate and doing lots of strength training. So I agree with the others. Up your calories, eat back half your exercise calories and strength train.

    Ive stopped drinking fizzy drinks and i try to keep my sugar low, I eat around 150grams of protein, 40 grams of fat and 100 grams of carbs
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    This gives me the sadz. At your ht/wt/age you should be looking at a recomp to more efficiently lower your BF%, not cutting at a ridiculously low number. You may lose weight, but you'll just be a smaller version of yourself due to the LBM you're sacrificing.

    I'm 3 inches shorter than you and hit the best shape of my life at 172-174.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    I have this one weird old tip...

    No I don't
    If you're already at a healthy BMI, stop trying to lose weight. Your obsession with "belly fat" seems pretty unhealthy. If you are not happy with your belly you would be better to work on your muscles, and that involves eating more than 1300cal.

    You're getting very consistent advice here, I would seriously consider taking it.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited August 2016
    Let me say this in a way that might appeal to you. You are not going to have a hard looking firm looking stomach from continuing to eat 1300 calories a day. Firmness, trimness, fitness comes from muscle and you aren't going to have muscle eating like that.

    Stop eating like that, eat twice as much and start lifting weights. That is how you are going to get rid of that "belly fat" by building a foundation of muscle so that when you are at a low percent bodyfat from cutting your stomach will look flat. If you don't have that foundation and you try to cut as hard as you are now you are just going to basically shrink but look almost the same...that flat toned look comes from muscle and to put on muscle you need to feed yourself.

    If you seriously cannot break yourself away from eating 1300 calories a day then you honestly need to seek professional help from a doctor because that is an eating disorder not a diet for your health.

    I might sound harsh but trust me I am saying this out of concern and really you need to start thinking of your health and the "belly fat" will take care of itself when you get yourself more fit from proper nutrition and a healthy amount of calories to complement your exercise.
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