So you want a nice stomach
Replies
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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. http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ (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 .8 grams to 1 gram 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!
i'm going to cut out dairy to see if this will help me with belly fat (in addition to the above mentioned that i'm already doing)
If you don't change calories and only change the dairy aspect, it won't do anything, unless you have a lactose issue, which may cause bloating.6 -
Thanks for this. I need to learn more about macros. I do cardio mostly (spin class and zumba) and I watch my calories but I can't lose weight
I'm not sure if my hypothyroidism & age has anything to blame but I will incorporate strength training and see if it makes a difference. I need to lose 10 in 2 months and 20 by September. It's sooo hard. 0 -
Thanks for this. I need to learn more about macros. I do cardio mostly (spin class and zumba) and I watch my calories but I can't lose weight I'm not sure if my hypothyroidism & age has anything to blame but I will incorporate strength training and see if it makes a difference. I need to lose 10 in 2 months and 20 by September. It's sooo hard.
How many calories are you eating? Do you eat back exercise calories? Do you use a food scale? What are your stats?4 -
Thanks for this. I need to learn more about macros. I do cardio mostly (spin class and zumba) and I watch my calories but I can't lose weight I'm not sure if my hypothyroidism & age has anything to blame but I will incorporate strength training and see if it makes a difference. I need to lose 10 in 2 months and 20 by September. It's sooo hard.
why the hurry to lose so quickly? and you do know the less you have to lose the slower its going to be right?4 -
good reading here1
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marissafit06 wrote: »OMG! There was a young woman at my gym wearing a cropped hoodie exposing the Saran Wrap she had wrapped around her midsection. Lordy, I wanted to tell her that wasn't going to take her midsection away. It just wasn't my place, I didn't feel. I wanted to give the Op's advice but held my tongue. Thanks for your post Op.
But..... It Works!! Lol
Planks are mediocre for working your core. There are much better ab exercise that engage the core more and will develop ab muscles better. The below video is a good explanation of them.
https://youtu.be/_xdOuqokcm4
Great share -thanks1 -
Bump4
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I'm running 3 times a week and doing 60 sit ups every other day...hoping it shifts the weight!!0
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daniellewhiteliving wrote: »I'm running 3 times a week and doing 60 sit ups every other day...hoping it shifts the weight!!
sit ups mainly work the hip flexors and not so much the abs2 -
Do u know what would?0
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daniellewhiteliving wrote: »Do u know what would?
you can strengthen your abs with ab work but if you are trying to lose fat from your stomach all the exericse in the world wont help. have you read the post from the beginning? the very first post tells you what works. also the video above tells you what works your muscles .fat comes off where it wants when it wants unfortunately5 -
daniellewhiteliving wrote: »Do u know what would?
I was told once that leg raises were great for abs. And planks are always super popular.1 -
daniellewhiteliving wrote: »Do u know what would?
I was told once that leg raises were great for abs. And planks are always super popular.
the video above is very helpful and informative on what works the best.4 -
Replying to this so I can track it. You know, for the days in the summer that I internally whine to myself about “why I can’t see my abs yet” haha. Great reminders in this post!1
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bump4 -
Bump!
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Bump!0
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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. http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ (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 .8 grams to 1 gram 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!
Quoting this for a thread bump, because it's awesome and answers so many questions I see posted here.
That, and I want a flat stomach.
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Thanks for the pointers. What is wrong with cardio?0
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