Flat stomach

concavity
concavity Posts: 143 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I used to have one (Good days before I went to college). Now I'm doing abs and walking a lot (I absolutely CANNOT run) but I still seem to have pudge there. I haven't been able to get a good exercise to have it go back down.

I also eat minimal carbs cereals on ocassion usually 3 times a week since its easy to pack for when I have class.

I need exercises/help to aid in reducing my stomach pudge please!

Replies

  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    You need to watch out your diet. Unfortunately you cannot spot reduce fat. To be able to have a flat stomach, you need to work on lowering your overall body fat percentage which you can achieve by creating a moderate calorie deficit. Ab exercises are great for toning the ab muscles underneath the belly but it won't give you a flat tummy.
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
    You need to watch out your diet. Unfortunately you cannot spot reduce fat. To be able to have a flat stomach, you need to work on lowering your overall body fat percentage which you can achieve by creating a moderate calorie deficit. Ab exercises are great for toning the ab muscles underneath the belly but it won't give you a flat tummy.

    ^^ This!
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    ^This.

    One thousand times.

    Your body decides where it wants to store extra lbs. The ONLY thing you can do is to keep losing fat until it decides to eat into that particular hated storage facility. It doesn't matter what you are eating, or what exercises you are doing, just lose weight and it will eventually come off.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    when you do stomach/ab exercises all you are doing is making those muscles stronger..you are not reducing the fat in that area. You may have abs of steal but they will still be covered in a layer of fat. You need to eat at a caloric deficit (not a crazy deficit), do cardio or HIIT or some other fat reducing exercises. The body will take the fat from different parts of your body and you just have to be patient hoping it chooses your stomach.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    You need to watch out your diet. Unfortunately you cannot spot reduce fat. To be able to have a flat stomach, you need to work on lowering your overall body fat percentage which you can achieve by creating a moderate calorie deficit. Ab exercises only tones the ab muscles underneath the belly but it won't give you a flat tummy.

    ^^^^+++^^^^ "Abs are made in the kitchen".. No truer statement. Actually, "Muscle definition is made in the kitchen"... Reduction of calories will help but also push the protein and reduce fat. I will use myself for an example here... I do have a six pack, unfortunately, this 6 pack is covered over by a keg... in other words, it does not matter how much I work my abs, if it is covered over by 15-20 lbs of tummy fat, you are not going to see it. Therefore, eat at a deficit but push the proteins. Of course, work the abs through crunches, sit-ups, ab machines @ the gym etc to build the muscle BUT also work the kitchen and get plenty of protein to lower that body fat percentage. Best wishes on your journey.
  • MrsButler82
    MrsButler82 Posts: 6 Member
    It's really about your posture. Tuck your hips in. (Squeeze your butt tighten abs.) Try to be in this position all the time. Natural position is for our hips to stack without a tilt right above our knees. Rather than doing that most people tilt their hips forward like a ballerina. Maybe some want to make their but stick out others may be trying to flatten their tummy. Anyways get rid of that tilt. Your muscles will tighten and your guts will role back into your hip girdle.
  • lythiam
    lythiam Posts: 32
    Ehhh, not to be Debbie Downer, but just losing weight may not do it. I went from weighing 138 pounds to 100 when I was younger, and I still had a tiny little pooch on my tummy. I was working out, and walking, but nothing too hardcore or anything, I mostly cut calories in my diet.
  • concavity
    concavity Posts: 143 Member
    Cardio was the answer I was looking for thank you JerseyPump.

    Any possible cardio I can do in an apartment? I don't have any gyms in my area either.

    Kdeaux1959: Any foods you'd recommend? I eat a fairly moderate amount each day ~1200 so I'm willing to find new things to eat.
  • merisendabills
    merisendabills Posts: 54
    Diet and maybe something like hip hop abs. I've heard great things about it from friends, I'm about to try it myself in July.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    Cardio was the answer I was looking for thank you JerseyPump.

    Any possible cardio I can do in an apartment? I don't have any gyms in my area either.

    Kdeaux1959: Any foods you'd recommend? I eat a fairly moderate amount each day ~1200 so I'm willing to find new things to eat.

    Personally, my favorite cardio is jump rope. but there is so much you can do at home. just run up and down stairs. I like doing HIIT which is a short period of intense cardio followed by like a minute or so of moderate to little cardio--followed by intense again...for like 15-20 minutes. Its great for fat reduction. But remember, reducing fat by cardio will not change your body composition, which can lead to "skinny fat"
  • concavity
    concavity Posts: 143 Member
    Jump roping is a great idea thank you! I might try roller blading down the hall if the neighbors don't complain too much.
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
    I eat a fairly moderate amount each day ~1200 so I'm willing to find new things to eat.

    1200 calories a day is not a 'fairly moderate amount'. It's very little. It's the minimum recommended daily amount here and many people including myself think it's too little for most people. There are some good posts on here about how much you should really be eating. Search TDEE and BMR.
  • concavity
    concavity Posts: 143 Member

    1200 calories a day is not a 'fairly moderate amount'. It's very little. It's the minimum recommended daily amount here and many people including myself think it's too little for most people. There are some good posts on here about how much you should really be eating. Search TDEE and BMR.

    I eat less during the summer since I tend to sleep more since I don't have much of an appetite. But I will search to look it up thank you.
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    I know I'm swimming against the current, but IMO you can change the shape of your stomach. For most of my life I had a round belly, even when I was at my thinnest. In recent years, through a lot of ab/core focused exercise, I have changed the shape of my stomach. There's still a layer of fat but it is no longer round. It's the flattest it has ever been. I love ab/core work, kickboxing, and yoga. All of which tone your tummy in different ways. Make ab/core part of your regular routine and, IMO, you will see results.
  • concavity
    concavity Posts: 143 Member
    I know I'm swimming against the current, but IMO you can change the shape of your stomach. For most of my life I had a round belly, even when I was at my thinnest. In recent years, through a lot of ab/core focused exercise, I have changed the shape of my stomach. There's still a layer of fat but it is no longer round. It's the flattest it has ever been. I love ab/core work, kickboxing, and yoga. All of which tone your tummy in different ways. Make ab/core part of your regular routine and, IMO, you will see results.

    Thank you, I love to hear the different opinions and its different for everyone so I'm willing to try different things. Any yoga videos or routines your recommend or just any yoga is fine?
  • shuckerlove
    shuckerlove Posts: 19
    I love Jillian Michaels 6 week 6 pack! I do it at home in a pretty small space lol
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
    I know I'm swimming against the current, but IMO you can change the shape of your stomach. For most of my life I had a round belly, even when I was at my thinnest. In recent years, through a lot of ab/core focused exercise, I have changed the shape of my stomach. There's still a layer of fat but it is no longer round. It's the flattest it has ever been. I love ab/core work, kickboxing, and yoga. All of which tone your tummy in different ways. Make ab/core part of your regular routine and, IMO, you will see results.

    Thank you, I love to hear the different opinions and its different for everyone so I'm willing to try different things. Any yoga videos or routines your recommend or just any yoga is fine?

    Sara Ivanhoe's Yoga Makeover Flat Abs. (Available for about $6 on Amazon)
    Rodney Yee's "Strengthen Your Core" practice which is on his Daily Yoga DVD. (He also has an Abs Yoga for beginners DVD.)
    Although it's not yoga, I'd also recommend Kathy Smith's Tummy Trimmers because with five short ab workouts, it has a nice variety of exercise styles. And any Violet Zaki ab routine is always well designed.

    Good luck!
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    80% diet. You can do ab work all you want but it will never help unless you have your diet in check. Lower your body fat by calorie deficit (don't get carried away and restrict too much), and cardio. I would suggest maybe some higher intensity cardio than just walking.
  • concavity
    concavity Posts: 143 Member
    I know I'm swimming against the current, but IMO you can change the shape of your stomach. For most of my life I had a round belly, even when I was at my thinnest. In recent years, through a lot of ab/core focused exercise, I have changed the shape of my stomach. There's still a layer of fat but it is no longer round. It's the flattest it has ever been. I love ab/core work, kickboxing, and yoga. All of which tone your tummy in different ways. Make ab/core part of your regular routine and, IMO, you will see results.

    Thank you, I love to hear the different opinions and its different for everyone so I'm willing to try different things. Any yoga videos or routines your recommend or just any yoga is fine?

    Sara Ivanhoe's Yoga Makeover Flat Abs. (Available for about $6 on Amazon)
    Rodney Yee's "Strengthen Your Core" practice which is on his Daily Yoga DVD. (He also has an Abs Yoga for beginners DVD.)
    Although it's not yoga, I'd also recommend Kathy Smith's Tummy Trimmers because with five short ab workouts, it has a nice variety of exercise styles. And any Violet Zaki ab routine is always well designed.

    Good luck!

    Thanks so much! I'm probably going to start the first one today!
  • concavity
    concavity Posts: 143 Member
    80% diet. You can do ab work all you want but it will never help unless you have your diet in check. Lower your body fat by calorie deficit (don't get carried away and restrict too much), and cardio. I would suggest maybe some higher intensity cardio than just walking.

    I have a TDEE of ~1300 calories and I'm already eating under that.

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