Pot Belly / Lower stomach Fat

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2

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  • toddyvdt
    toddyvdt Posts: 3
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    Hi All,

    I seem to be losing and toning my mid torso but I have lower stomach fat / pot belly which i cant seem to shift as fast,

    Anyone got a good exercise to specifically target this area?

    Thanks in advance

    :)

    Number one...most everyone posting here is right on the money. Exercises to target this area aren't going to help. What you're putting into your body is the main issue, the secondary issue is how you're exercising.

    I suggest you determine your body type, first and foremost. There are three basic body types (endormorph, ectomorph and mesomorph) and each has its own characteristics. For example, I most closely identify with the endomorph body type. Here are some of the characteristics I share.
    •Smooth, round body
    •Medium/ large joints/ bones
    •Small shoulders
    •High levels of body fat (may be overweight)
    •Body fat tends to settle in lower regions of body, mainly lower abdomen
    •Pear-shaped physique
    •Can gain muscle easily, but tends to be underdeveloped
    •Difficult to keep lost body fat off
    •Lose weight slowly
    •Have to work hard to lose weight
    •Slow metabolic rate
    •Attacks of tiredness/ fatigue
    •Fall asleep easily

    There are different things you'll need to do with your diet and exercise plan, based on your body type but what I can tell is these things will work for just about anyone, regardless of body type.
    -increase your metabolism by drinking lots of water, eating 5-6 small meals a day and building lean muscle
    -combine strength training with intense cardio and mix in something different once in a while, like Pilates (very good for balance and core strength - you won't lose much weight but your clothes will fit better and your posture will improve almost immediately)
    -eliminate processed foods
    -eliminate any form of sugar that is not natural (no artificial sweeteners, no white sugar, no high fructose corn syrup - instead use natural honey, sugar in the raw, agave, etc.)
    -cut back on dairy (limit cheese, if you drink milk make it organic, get rid of the ice cream)

    I know that's a lot. Hope this helps.
  • chase7512
    chase7512 Posts: 76 Member
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    "ABS are made in the kitchen not the gym" - David Zinczenko Editor in Chief Men's Health
  • LeanMeanFitnessMachine
    LeanMeanFitnessMachine Posts: 659
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    Planks, planks, & more planks! Continue to reduce overall body fat as well. Remember, abs are made in the kitchen.
  • rrrbecca11
    rrrbecca11 Posts: 477
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    When I finally stopped eating meat completely, my 5-6 extra pounds fell away, and with it, my lower belly pooch I had carried around for years. (Just saying, not trying to start an argument or even a discussion re vegetarian v. meat eating.) I also have not been constipated once since the last meat that went through my digestive system. And that had also been an issue for me for years.
  • countdowntotarget
    countdowntotarget Posts: 108 Member
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    Bump - to read later :)
  • jkburns29
    jkburns29 Posts: 10
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    THere are books out by Tosca Reno all about clean eating.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Hi All,

    I seem to be losing and toning my mid torso but I have lower stomach fat / pot belly which i cant seem to shift as fast,

    Anyone got a good exercise to specifically target this area?

    Thanks in advance

    :)

    It's a carb belly. (I lost my belly when I ditched the grains, beans and dairy and increased my fat - protein was already up there). I spent 6 months counting calories and following the Standard American Diet and exercising and dropped 10lb - hit my goal. But I never lost off my waistline. I still had a belly - a "pouch" in front and a 31" waistline. Even P90X wouldn't touch it. But when I dropped out certain carbs and replaced them with fat. WOW!! I'm at a weight and size I haven't been since before puberty and I'm 41 years old. I now have a 26" waist - I have never seen this as an adult. And my health is better than it has ever been in my life including my childhood. (But I still have insulin resistance. I found Primal too late to fix my broken metabolism. But I can at least manage it now and look good and stay healthy while doing it).

    Oh and I eat maybe two times a day - big old meals - dinner is my biggest. I don't find the need to eat 5-6 times a day - in fact since dropping the crap carbs I don't get hungry every couple of hours. Life is too busy to be worrying about eating all day. (I'm 5"2" and holding steady at 112lbs without even trying!!)
  • lindamac101
    lindamac101 Posts: 22
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    Try pilates, nothing beats it. I have a DVD and did 30 minutes. The next day my abs were sore. I could not believe it.
  • jcg926
    jcg926 Posts: 38 Member
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    This is a very interesting topic- I learned a lot from the responses so thanks to you who gave your experience with it!! I was wondering the same thing! :)
  • trimom10
    trimom10 Posts: 388 Member
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    Overheard a trainer at my club talking to the Weight Loss group. Just like most of the replys here, he said it's dependent upon diet. If you lose weight, you'll lose it in your stomach. Sit up and all of those other ab exercises will only tone the muscle under the fat.
  • scinamon1
    scinamon1 Posts: 158 Member
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    Reverse crunches! i've been doing 36 sit ups and 36 reverse crunches a day and am getting a very flat stomach- when i q. :smile: planks also help a lot! Before I added in the situps my abs were defined but my stomach had a 'pot'. Not any more! (but then,when I stopped for 3 weeks, it began to come back)...
  • EMarvie
    EMarvie Posts: 335 Member
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    cardio, great food choices and water! once you've lost the fat, then do all the tummy exercises to tone.
    Good luck!
  • Goalsforsusie
    Goalsforsusie Posts: 34 Member
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    I call that "HANG BELLY" LOL :sad:
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 616 Member
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    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/
  • WonderKP
    WonderKP Posts: 146 Member
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    Thanks All,

    Main goal is to lose fat / tone my whole torso - Ill try get a pic up here to show what i mean

    (main areas are hip / love handles and lower stomach but at the same time build and define my chest)

    I agree with just keep trying to lower overall body fat...

    Also I notice with me, that my lower belly seemed to flatten a little more when I eat a lot less starchy carbs. Supposedly those are especially stored around the middle. I'm trying to tone my middle and have that trouble as well.
  • LJC44
    LJC44 Posts: 221
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    Reverse crunches! i've been doing 36 sit ups and 36 reverse crunches a day and am getting a very flat stomach- when i q. :smile: planks also help a lot! Before I added in the situps my abs were defined but my stomach had a 'pot'. Not any more! (but then,when I stopped for 3 weeks, it began to come back)...

    This the exact problem I have. My abs are defined but I have the pot!!
  • hexrei
    hexrei Posts: 163
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    ^^^ That's exactly what I meant with my post on the last page. You can tone the muscle under the pot belly all you want, but getting rid of the pot is about losing fat, not building muscle. Keep cutting calories, preferably carbs.
  • Elona_30
    Elona_30 Posts: 66
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    Hi All,

    I seem to be losing and toning my mid torso but I have lower stomach fat / pot belly which i cant seem to shift as fast,

    Anyone got a good exercise to specifically target this area?

    Thanks in advance

    :)

    Number one...most everyone posting here is right on the money. Exercises to target this area aren't going to help. What you're putting into your body is the main issue, the secondary issue is how you're exercising.

    I suggest you determine your body type, first and foremost. There are three basic body types (endormorph, ectomorph and mesomorph) and each has its own characteristics. For example, I most closely identify with the endomorph body type. Here are some of the characteristics I share.
    •Smooth, round body
    •Medium/ large joints/ bones
    •Small shoulders
    •High levels of body fat (may be overweight)
    •Body fat tends to settle in lower regions of body, mainly lower abdomen
    •Pear-shaped physique
    •Can gain muscle easily, but tends to be underdeveloped
    •Difficult to keep lost body fat off
    •Lose weight slowly
    •Have to work hard to lose weight
    •Slow metabolic rate
    •Attacks of tiredness/ fatigue
    •Fall asleep easily

    There are different things you'll need to do with your diet and exercise plan, based on your body type but what I can tell is these things will work for just about anyone, regardless of body type.
    -increase your metabolism by drinking lots of water, eating 5-6 small meals a day and building lean muscle
    -combine strength training with intense cardio and mix in something different once in a while, like Pilates (very good for balance and core strength - you won't lose much weight but your clothes will fit better and your posture will improve almost immediately)
    -eliminate processed foods
    -eliminate any form of sugar that is not natural (no artificial sweeteners, no white sugar, no high fructose corn syrup - instead use natural honey, sugar in the raw, agave, etc.)
    -cut back on dairy (limit cheese, if you drink milk make it organic, get rid of the ice cream)

    I know that's a lot. Hope this helps.




    How do you find out what body type you have??? Im interested in know what type I am and maybe making losing the 65lbs that I to lose a little easier by understanding my body type a little more
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I think some of this is genetic. I tend to lose the belly pouch lower down (a couple of inches below the bellybutton), before the roll around the middle goes.

    Editing to add: And yes, I am a mother.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    When I finally stopped eating meat completely, my 5-6 extra pounds fell away, and with it, my lower belly pooch I had carried around for years. (Just saying, not trying to start an argument or even a discussion re vegetarian v. meat eating.) I also have not been constipated once since the last meat that went through my digestive system. And that had also been an issue for me for years.

    Funny enough i increased my protein from lean meats and got rid of most of my grains and lost my belly fat.

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