Lost at what to do

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crystal095
crystal095 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I want to lose weight in my stomach. That’s where I carry most of my fat. But I want to grow my legs and butt. I’m confused/lost on how to achieve that?

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    No-one knows anything about you - background helps enormously to get targetted advice or help.

    But you don't get to choose where you lose fat from, it's often a case of first on / last off as people's fat distribution patterns are individual. If you gained fat around your middle first it might be the place that comes off last when losing weight.

    On the other hand you can choose where to add muscle (but most people do better with a well-rounded training routine).
  • Syko7s
    Syko7s Posts: 3 Member
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    Belly fat, which is more than likely "white" aka visceral fat, usually can be converted into burnable brown fat through long but steady methods, not-so-intense cardio and cold treatments (healthline has an article about a method in which you sit in 66°F for two hours). At least that's what I've had success with, I'll spend half an hour just doing flexibility exercises then rest in the coldest room in the house.

    I've also taken to restricting carbs from breakfast after some suggestions. Not so sure about it's fat burning ability but having just fats and proteins in the morning at least keeps me full to prevent snacking

    For growing your legs I can't really suggest much. I've had massive legs all my life probably because I shake my legs like a jackhammer when anxious which is all the time since elementay or genetics.
  • Beverly2Hansen
    Beverly2Hansen Posts: 378 Member
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    First off building your legs takes time and a lot of effort. It will probably take somewhere around 6 months to see the type of results you're looking for in that alone. First my advice is be realistic about how much you can do right now. A lot of people overshoot and can't sustain leg building exercises. I have seen the best results doing 20" step ups, weighted bridges, squats and donkey kicks. Because my inner legs are always the flabbiest part I modify my squats to sumo squats. Walking 5-8 miles a day doesn't affect my legs very noticeably(aside from my calfs) only strength training does combined with lowering my overall body fat. As for losing belly fat that also takes time and sustainability. Drinking 2-3 liters of water per day helps me lose fat visibly faster. It's still a long game from my experience. I have to work at it. I suggest working on stomach vaccumes and building up your elbow plank and side plank. In me combined with weight lose this gave me better posture, a firmer looking stomach and reduced loose skin. It's not a miracle fix though I put in time on this every single day and I've still got 15-20lbs of fat to lose over all and at least that much in muscles that I'd like to build.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,178 Member
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    The posture observation above is a good one. I don't know about you, but there are two very common postural issues that make the belly area look fatter (protrude more). Therefore, doing exercise to improve posture can improve appearance. (Look for exercises from credentialed physical therapists on YouTube)

    The common posture issues:

    1. Anterior pelvic tilt. This means carrying your pelvic bones with the top edge tilted a little forward, and the lower edge tilted a little backward. It can be quite subtle, but essentially it pushes the belly area forward, so that any fat is more hang-y and protruding, and other body tissues may add to the appearance of fat. Ironically, it seems like anterior pelvic tilt has become more common among women in the last few years, because of the desire to emphasize the booty. Poking that booty outward to the rear typically involves anterior pelvic tilt. (BTW, I'm a woman, but old - the 'big booty' goal is pretty new, in my lifespan.)

    2. Slumping the upper body forward, and protruding the chin forward. One technical name is "kyphotic posture" (different from kyphosis which is structural, not postural). More colloquially, it's sometimes called "text neck" or "nerd neck", but it can go beyond the neck. This is a foward-slumping posture, maybe with rounded-forward shoulders, a forward bend in the upper back, and neck bent pushing the chin/face forward. It's very common these days, perhaps partly because we all spend a lot of time slumped forward in front of keyboard/monitor, or a phone. In terms of effect on the abdomen, it tends to press the ribcage downward, compressing the soft areas lower on the abdomen, and making them protrude forward.

    If both of those conditions are present, it pushes all the abdominal tissues forward, then compresses them from above. Improving those conditions leads to more of that tissue staying within the body cavity zone, or stretched out over a taller area between ribs and the lower edge of pelvis.

    People try to fix posture by telling themselves to stand straighter, and that has a role. Doing focused exercises to strengthen the muscles will give better total results, with persistence and patience. If you have fat to lose, that will make a contribution, but even relatively slim people can make their belly look fat via poor posture.

    Growing legs and butt, as others have said, is most efficiently done via strength training. That will require even more patience and persistence.

    Good luck with your exercise and diet program!

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