Belly fat!!!

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giuly7112
giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone don't know if this is the right section but anyway hers the question. I am 37 years old i weigh 45kilos for 1.56cm, i lost 3 kilos with myfp trying to gain some muscle now but not sure im doing the right thing, i workout 3 times a week im following a program (low row, chest press, lunges etc) and my calorie intake is 1397......the problem is that i am underweight for my age and height but i still have a pooch.....shoud i put down the calories or just continue to workout with these calories and aee what happens? The 17th of june will be a month that i started this workout program. Thanks.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    You won't have much fat on you when you're underweight. Maybe you just have a normal woman's body.

    Set your goal to maintenance or lowest gain, and eat that, and be active, get enough sleep and rest, and try to accept and love your body.
  • Motor_Election
    Motor_Election Posts: 29 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    You won't have much fat on you when you're underweight. Maybe you just have a normal woman's body.

    This. If you feel like you still have fat to lose in that region, then I suggest just exercising and eating at maintenance or slightly lower. But it might also just be the shape of your body.
    You could try growing muscle size in other regions (chest, back, shoulders, quads) so that your body regions feel more in proportion to each other :smile:

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Being underweight, if your stomach is not as defined as you want to be, it is not so much a matter of fat but lack of muscle. Could also be you are seeing fat when really it could just be your normal shape.

    I would not recommend you keep losing weight...without more muscle base under, your body composition won't change much (and could potentially look worse). Not to mention you are already underweight.

    I would consider gaining some weight/muscle to improve your body composition... eat in a surplus (set MFP to gain 0.5lb per week), get adequate protein (0.8-1g per lb bodyweight) and make sure you are following a lifting program where you are progressing over time. At the very least maintain your weight, although with your stats you probably won't make as much progress in terms of body composition as you would if you gain some weight.
  • giuly7112
    giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
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    Hi sardelsa, thanks for your comment. I set mfp as u said and it turns out i should eat 2060 cal a day, would that not be too much considering the strength training programme i am following? My trainer said to follow the programme for a month to start, after that i onestly don't know what i will be doing. Im just afraid to ruin everything by putting weight back on instead of muscles. Sorry but i am totally new to all this and i am probably talking nonsense!
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Are you following a program set by a trainer?

    Is that how much MFP tells you to gain? Keep in mind that doesn't include your exercise calories which you will enter and have to eat on top of that in order to gain.

    You won't ruin everything, as long as you keep the gain small and continue to progress in your training program. I know it is scary... but continuing to lose weight or even maintain your weight at this point will not give you the results and improve your body composition. Right now you are at a place where you have nowhere to go but up.
  • giuly7112
    giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
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    Yes i started going to the gym on the 17th of may, a trainer set up a programme for me for the first month which is:
    Low row (18kg) 4×15
    Chest press 4x15
    Leg extension (18kg) 4x15
    Leg curl (18kg) 4 x 15
    Frontal raise (3kg) 4x15
    Lateral raise (3kg) 4x15
    Kettlebell lunges (8kg) 4 x12
    Kettlebell lunges pulse (8kg) 4x10
    Since i have started i went up to 23kg on the low row, leg extension and i went up 5kg (4x7)on the chest press. I haven't seen the trainer after the first day so i am basically deciding my self to go up hoping im not making a mess. How do you enter on mfp exercise calories ir better how do i know how much cals i am burning when working out? I have samsung gear watch but not all the workouts are on it, should i just put Other workout on when im in the gym and see how much cals i burn? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks.
  • vaskaxtumir
    vaskaxtumir Posts: 16 Member
    edited June 2018
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    You could try lowering your carb intake for a while: going low carb for a bit often helps with stubborn (belly) fat. The easiest way to do it is to eliminate all or most grains and starches (and sugary foods) for a few weeks. If you do so, make sure to up your intake of healthy fats. All starches and all excess protein will be used by your liver to convert to sugar, and sugar is what then turns into fat to be stored in your belly.

    Going for a long (45 min minimum) moderate-pace walk first thing in the morning, before you've had any breakfast, would also help speed up fat loss from your belly region.

    Best wishes :-)
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Is that the complete program you do, how many times a week? It seems a bit lacking to me, I don't really see too many compound lifts there aside from bench/chest press there. If you are wanting to continue on your own without the trainer, I would make sure you follow a program for most optimal results:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Click exercise and log exercises under cardio, even strength ones (since if you log it under strength it is more for keeping track of your lifts and won't actually add a calorie burn) pick a method and stick to it and monitor your weight over time to make sure it is increasing. If not, then you have to eat more. It will likely jump up initially as your body gets used to the added calories and carbs, but it will level out.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    vaskaxtumir wrote: »
    You could try lowering your carb intake for a while: going low carb for a bit often helps with stubborn (belly) fat. The easiest way to do it is to eliminate all or most grains and starches (and sugary foods) for a few weeks. If you do so, make sure to up your intake of healthy fats. All starches and all excess protein will be used by your liver to convert to sugar, and sugar is what then turns into fat to be stored in your belly.

    Going for a long (45 min minimum) moderate-pace walk first thing in the morning, before you've had any breakfast, would also help speed up fat loss from your belly region.

    Best wishes :-)

    Lowering carb intake has nothing to do with stubborn fat. Any excess calories, be it from fat, carbs, protein can turn into fat. While lowering carbs can help some people reduce bloat and help them get into a calorie deficit which can help lose fat... the OP is underweight and this does not apply.

    Also fasted cardio/walking will have nothing to do with fat loss as well.
  • giuly7112
    giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
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    Yep thats all he said to do for a month! I go 3 times a week. If i put to gain 0.25 instead of 0.5 on mfp it gives me 1810 cals, if i divide macros in 40% carbs 25% prot and 35% fat do you think it will be enough to gain muscle? Two more weeks to go with this training programme and then he should changed it, i will ask him to put more compound lifts (if he doesnt himself)like you suggested. Thanks.
  • vaskaxtumir
    vaskaxtumir Posts: 16 Member
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    There is plenty of research done in the past 10 years that counters the notion that excess calories rather than excess carbs produce weight gain in the form of stubborn (belly) fat.

    Fasted *moderate-pace* walking activates the type of muscles which produce steady, continuous fat burning for hours afterwards. Again, the effect has nothing to do with calories but with human metabolism.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Yes if you continue seeing him and trust him, and he had a plan for you, you can follow his plan maybe he just wants to get your feet wet with some lifts. Just make sure you are working your muscle groups especially your main ones at least twice a week.

    How does that work in g? I recommend 0.8-1g protein per lb bodyweight. 0.35-0.6g fat per lb bodyweight, rest carbs. You set it in % that gives you the closest to these numbers. These are minimums so you can play around with your macro ratios
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    vaskaxtumir wrote: »
    There is plenty of research done in the past 10 years that counters the notion that excess calories rather than excess carbs produce weight gain in the form of stubborn (belly) fat.

    Fasted *moderate-pace* walking activates the type of muscles which produce steady, continuous fat burning for hours afterwards. Again, the effect has nothing to do with calories but with human metabolism.

    Oh yea I'd love to see this research if you have it handy, peer reviewed studies?

    Believe me I have deliberately gained weight many many times..on a very high amount of calories. I would have loved to gain weight by only adding extra carbs.. a few bags of Skittles and bam I'd be on the gain train. But unfortunately it doesn't work like that. Otherwise we could tell all underweight or starving people to eat some extra carbs to gain.
  • giuly7112
    giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
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    vaskaxtumir wrote: »
    There is plenty of research done in the past 10 years that counters the notion that excess calories rather than excess carbs produce weight gain in the form of stubborn (belly) fat.

    Fasted *moderate-pace* walking activates the type of muscles which produce steady, continuous fat burning for hours afterwards. Again, the effect has nothing to do with calories but with human metabolism.

    I walk 15min moderate-pace to get to the gym and 15min to get back home after work out 3 times a week and then 1.6kilometers every day to bring and collect my kid to school.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Also OP I want to show you a photo of myself. Left is almost underweight, right is 20lbs heavier. Muscle makes a huge difference in body composition. Obviously this wasn't a result of just gaining weight.. it took several years of bulk (gaining) cycles then leaning down. Ps. No low carb or fasted cardio involved.

    sozuqgch3dqe.jpg
  • giuly7112
    giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    Also OP I want to show you a photo of myself. Left is almost underweight, right is 20lbs heavier. Muscle makes a huge difference in body composition. Obviously this wasn't a result of just gaining weight.. it took several years of bulk (gaining) cycles then leaning down. Ps. No low carb or fasted cardio involved.

    sozuqgch3dqe.jpg

    Wooow.....well done!!! Wish i will get there someday before im too old!!! Ha ha...
  • giuly7112
    giuly7112 Posts: 15 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    Yes if you continue seeing him and trust him, and he had a plan for you, you can follow his plan maybe he just wants to get your feet wet with some lifts. Just make sure you are working your muscle groups especially your main ones at least twice a week.

    How does that work in g? I recommend 0.8-1g protein per lb bodyweight. 0.35-0.6g fat per lb bodyweight, rest carbs. You set it in % that gives you the closest to these numbers. These are minimums so you can play around with your macro ratios

    I will give him a chance and we will see how it goes after the first month! ;-) ok so following your recommendations i will set the macros as 204g carbs 116g prot 60g fat! Thanks a mill for your help.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    giuly7112 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Yes if you continue seeing him and trust him, and he had a plan for you, you can follow his plan maybe he just wants to get your feet wet with some lifts. Just make sure you are working your muscle groups especially your main ones at least twice a week.

    How does that work in g? I recommend 0.8-1g protein per lb bodyweight. 0.35-0.6g fat per lb bodyweight, rest carbs. You set it in % that gives you the closest to these numbers. These are minimums so you can play around with your macro ratios

    I will give him a chance and we will see how it goes after the first month! ;-) ok so following your recommendations i will set the macros as 204g carbs 116g prot 60g fat! Thanks a mill for your help.

    No problem! Just keep your eye on the prize.. it will be scary at times but you are going to look and feel amazing. Good luck!

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