the belly issue again and again :)

diletta24
diletta24 Posts: 91 Member
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
just for the record: even at my lowest weight (skinny arms, skinny legs, skinny face) I've been swearing onto my round belly.
It wasn't ... and it isn't ...neither just water retention not excessive skin.
Well, I've never worked a lot on crunches and similar, so my questions are:

* is it possible that - despite a very low carbs and hypocaloric regime - I can't see improvement WITHOUT exercise. or better..do you think it's because of no abs exercise?

* I'm planning to add crunches+planks to my cardio routine. are these correct exercise? any additional or better?

* If I did cardio on mon/wed/friday, could I do strenght exercises the other days or it's better to combine them for better results? I'm not an expert :)

Replies

  • daybyday
    daybyday Posts: 537 Member
    *bump*
  • lvnspoonful
    lvnspoonful Posts: 391 Member
    I would definitely incorporate some ab exercises and cardio. Run if you can, if not, walk but try to walk on an incline. My personal trainer said walking on an incline works your legs and your lower abs at the same time.

    Good luck!!!
  • kstamos27
    kstamos27 Posts: 4
    yes, it is tough to get those abs we all covet. i've been doing 100 crunches each session with the help of a 10 pound medicine ball. it adds that resistance that really helps get the burn going and results are seen just a little but faster than if you were doing crunches without one. i hate personally hate crunches, but the medicine ball makes it more fun and challenging. i highly recommend it! :)
  • Emagali74
    Emagali74 Posts: 132 Member
    bump
  • kalexander2005
    kalexander2005 Posts: 223 Member
    Back in my skinny days, this was always a problem for me. Fast forward to a systemic fungal infection when I had to go on an almost completely carb free diet, and also took Caprystatin and other yeast cleansers. After losing 45 pounds, for the first time in my life, I had a flat stomach. I recommend looking into yeast -- The Yeast Connection is a great book to help you. Just a suggestion. :)
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Hun, you can do ab exercises till your blue in the face, but without burning off the layer of fat thats there, you'll never see them/have a flat stomach.

    Ab's start in the kitchen.. so you need to have a pretty clean diet. That means minimal processed foods, lots of fruit, veggies, lean meats and complex carbs.

    Crunches/planks are great exercises for abs and can help improve that area a lot. As far as doing both cardio and weights, you can do them on the same day or do them on separate days.. it's up to you. The program my trainer has me on, has me do 35-45 minutes of weights, about 5 minutes of ab work and then 20 minutes of cardio at the end.
  • elizamc
    elizamc Posts: 285 Member
    Is your belly fat or just large? It is worth seeing your Doctor to discuss this, there are a number of possible health reasons for a large belly and it would be worth getting a check-up.

    x
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    In my understanding, most belly fat is related to stress and what you eat, a lot less about the exercises you do. Of course the ab exercises will tone up the muscles, but if there is still a layer of fat over the muscles your belly will still protrude a little bit. So I would absolutely do the crunches and planks, etc., but also be very intentional about what you are eating. Good luck!
  • paulahenn
    paulahenn Posts: 8 Member
    Bump.....
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Although you can't spot reduce as such, I have read that recent research showed that cardio favours using visceral fat (around your organs), which is what shows as a rounded belly, whereas resistance training targets subcutaneous fat (just under your skin, hiding muscle tone).

    However, the difference isn't super-significant and overall burn is what counts, so incorporate a mixture of both. Think functional core exercises rather than just targeting your abs.

    Also, alcohol tends to deposit visceral fat (including a fatty liver) so cutting booze right back may help.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Here's a good, well-researched article on the subject:
    http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.shtml

    Extract here:
    "So what can we do about tubby tummies? A lot, it turns out. The starting point for bringing weight under control, in general, and combating abdominal fat, in particular, is regular moderate-intensity physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight. Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won’t get at visceral fat.

    "Diet is also important. Pay attention to portion size, and emphasize complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and lean protein over simple carbohydrates such as white bread, refined-grain pasta, and sugary drinks. Replacing saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats can also help. "
  • diletta24
    diletta24 Posts: 91 Member
    @lvnspoon: thx! I run pretty well (5.5 mph and 40 min straight at my best) but not so frequently and WITHOUT inclination. the INCLINATION hint sounds interesting! It even motivates me to run around my home, which is up and downhill and I do not love to run usually for the uphill part :)

    @kalexander: thx for the suggestion. I'll google further info about the book

    @dad106: it sounds like I've to stay focused on eating before taking up strenght work-out ... thx for the training tips.

    @elizamc: thanks for worring about but It isn't a disease. I'm sure cus well... I'm not a trainer, but a young-ish doc :) no celiac disease or malabsorption or similar ;)

    @mbcarren: that's the point. not the missing abs muscles, but the fat layer :) I've to stick to the cardio more...

    @berryh: thx for the article! it's sound interesting and proved. I always prefer good scientific sources to relate to. thanks for sharing!
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
    I've got a similar issue. I've stripped off every single inch of fat off the rest of my body (my legs have muscles coming out of muscles!!) Yet my stomach seems to have some right at the bottom, I'd say the chest and midsection were quite nicely toned but the bottom has a little hanging bit that seems to be a bit of fat and some skin.

    I eat pretty clean, lots of lean meats, lots of veggies etc. Drink about 6 green tea's a day and a LOT of water.

    Do 70 mins of moderate/intense cardio a day

    Any ideas on what I can do to improve my stomach? It's devastating me a bit that all the hard work I've put in has been for not a lot because I still don't want to take my top off anywhere near anyone.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    i would just maintain a consistent caloric deficit and eventually you'll slim you're belly.
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
    Did you have to do that or were you already pretty toned and athletic? My problem is that I've lost 9 stone in a year! Then again It was 20x worse a few months ago, just the last bit is really frustrating me. It looked good on Sunday just not yesterday or today, is that water retention or something or fat?
  • LeanMeanFitnessMachine
    LeanMeanFitnessMachine Posts: 659
    Try yoga! I've heard that works wonders for tummy troubles.
  • slay0r
    slay0r Posts: 669 Member
    Yeah I've been told Yoga before, will look into it definitely! Although I've been told it's a bit rubbish unless you do the full 90 mins which is a bit annoying if you're doing it in your evenings! That's the best thing about my current exercise is that it's to and from work so it doesn't take any time out of my normal day, actually gives me extra time!
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