How to lose belly fat??

libbymaycat
libbymaycat Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been dieting and exercising for the last 6 months. I've lost 20 lbs, but have yet to lose any inches around my waist. I am wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks that work the core and help lose the bulge. I walk daily and walk stairs 4 days a week, but I have yet to add weight training. Tips??

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    lose the other fat and then the belly fat will come off.

    Walking isn't going to specifically help your belly area, not sure if anything does for that matter.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Consistent calorie deficit. The body will dictate where the majority of fat is held and once body fat levels are low enough, you'll start to see a difference.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
    weight training will add muscle, but to lose belly fat, you have to lose body fat in general. There isn't really such a thing as "spot reducing" fat.

    You may also consider reading Wheat Belly. I cut out gluten and grains 6 months ago and my belly is pretty flat with no extreme exercise changes. I weight lift once or twice a week and walk a few times a week.
  • jennismagic
    jennismagic Posts: 243 Member
    lose the other fat and then the belly fat will come off.

    Walking isn't going to specifically help your belly area, not sure if anything does for that matter.


    Walking is a total-body cardio exercise that burns fat and builds lean muscle, so yes, it will help OP in that area and others. Jogging will get you faster results.
  • Fitness_4_Jess
    Fitness_4_Jess Posts: 55 Member
    in order to lose inches you need to lower your body fat % and to do that you need a calorie defecit. Adding weight training will help you lose mucles and since muscle uses calories to work that means the more muscle you have the more calories you burn in general=calorie defecit. Unfortunately you can't target only one area to lose from, but weight training will also help you look more toned.

    Edit* And, yes, walking is a total body work out it just takes A LOT of walking to have that be your way of adding muscle. Maybe try walking with one pound hand weights and add a little more over time. That way you are walking and weight training. :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    lose the other fat and then the belly fat will come off.

    Walking isn't going to specifically help your belly area, not sure if anything does for that matter.


    Walking is a total-body cardio exercise that burns fat and builds lean muscle, so yes, it will help OP in that area and others. Jogging will get you faster results.
    Walking does NOT build muscle. Cardio does NOT build muscle, it actually reduces muscle.
  • jennismagic
    jennismagic Posts: 243 Member
    lose the other fat and then the belly fat will come off.

    Walking isn't going to specifically help your belly area, not sure if anything does for that matter.


    Walking is a total-body cardio exercise that burns fat and builds lean muscle, so yes, it will help OP in that area and others. Jogging will get you faster results.
    Walking does NOT build muscle. Cardio does NOT build muscle, it actually reduces muscle.

    Not true. Cardio doesn't build as much muscle as strength training does, but it reduces fat and builds SOME lean muscle in someone who's losing weight in a healthy way. It breaks down muscle fibers during a workout, but that leads to greater muscle mass during repair and recovery. You don't lose any muscle from cardio, or at least, you're not supposed to. Cardio specifically burns fat and carbs, so if you're losing muscle mass to cardio exercises, you're not doing them correctly, or you're not eating a sufficient amount of protein and/or carbohydrates.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    You can't spot reduce fat.
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
    Pilates and Yoga that focus on your core will build / define your abdominal muscles. Keep losing and they will eventually show through.
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 378 Member
    weight training will add muscle, but to lose belly fat, you have to lose body fat in general. There isn't really such a thing as "spot reducing" fat.

    You may also consider reading Wheat Belly. I cut out gluten and grains 6 months ago and my belly is pretty flat with no extreme exercise changes. I weight lift once or twice a week and walk a few times a week.

    This <3 I read that book and was astounded. Went gluten free because I had signs of gluten intolerance. Am convinced now that I have Celiac disease. Was taking 8 medications and am now down to one medication - thyroid medication - which has been lowered twice now since I went gluten free. Noticed belly fat is going away slowly, but still it is going away. Still have 45 pounds to lose, but belly fat disappearing since cutting out gluten. Most carbs are gotten through vegetables and such.
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 722 Member
    bump
  • Louise1247
    Louise1247 Posts: 670 Member
    lose the other fat and then the belly fat will come off.

    Walking isn't going to specifically help your belly area, not sure if anything does for that matter.


    Walking is a total-body cardio exercise that burns fat and builds lean muscle, so yes, it will help OP in that area and others. Jogging will get you faster results.
    Walking does NOT build muscle. Cardio does NOT build muscle, it actually reduces muscle.

    Not true. Cardio doesn't build as much muscle as strength training does, but it reduces fat and builds SOME lean muscle in someone who's losing weight in a healthy way. It breaks down muscle fibers during a workout, but that leads to greater muscle mass during repair and recovery. You don't lose any muscle from cardio, or at least, you're not supposed to. Cardio specifically burns fat and carbs, so if you're losing muscle mass to cardio exercises, you're not doing them correctly, or you're not eating a sufficient amount of protein and/or carbohydrates.

    Have to say, I only do cardio and since march 3rd ive gone from 33.5% fat to 28.9%

    The muscle is more defined as there is less fat around them.

    it does not provide enough of a stimulus to either build or 'tone' (hate that word) muscle because it doesn't ever overload your muscle fibers
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    lose the other fat and then the belly fat will come off.

    Walking isn't going to specifically help your belly area, not sure if anything does for that matter.


    Walking is a total-body cardio exercise that burns fat and builds lean muscle, so yes, it will help OP in that area and others. Jogging will get you faster results.
    Walking does NOT build muscle. Cardio does NOT build muscle, it actually reduces muscle.

    Not true. Cardio doesn't build as much muscle as strength training does, but it reduces fat and builds SOME lean muscle in someone who's losing weight in a healthy way. It breaks down muscle fibers during a workout, but that leads to greater muscle mass during repair and recovery. You don't lose any muscle from cardio, or at least, you're not supposed to. Cardio specifically burns fat and carbs, so if you're losing muscle mass to cardio exercises, you're not doing them correctly, or you're not eating a sufficient amount of protein and/or carbohydrates.
    That's not how it works. In order for muscle tissue to GROW, it needs to be overloaded. It doesn't matter how much running you do, you are not going to overload the muscles. Fatigue yes, overload, no. Also, endurance activities (cardio) and strength training use two different types of muscle, Type I (slow twitch) vs Type II (fast twitch) muscle. As you do more and more cardio, your slow twitch muscles get more and more efficient at burning glycogen, and need less and less actual muscle tissue to sustain the activity. So the body breaks down the extra muscle mass, as it isn't needed, and also, it keeps weight down, which also assists in endurance and efficiency.

    Think of cardio like an assembly line, and the people working the line are the muscle tissue. At first, the line is inefficient, and you need a LOT of people to keep up with demand. (think, manual assembly line from the early 1900's.) As you get more efficient, you streamline the operations, adding in some machines, robots and computers. This allows you to be more productive with less people. Cardio works muscle the same way. The muscle gets more efficient, and able to burn more and more glycogen and fat through aerobic processes, that it needs less actual tissue to do it.

    Strength training is different, because strength has very little to do with aerobic efficiency, and every thing to do with contractile speed. In order to increase contractile speed, there needs to be larger fibers. Larger fiber = faster contraction = more strength.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member

    Walking is a total-body cardio exercise that burns fat and builds lean muscle, so yes, it will help OP in that area and others. Jogging will get you faster results.
    Walking DOESN'T build muscle. If it were true, then practically everyone would be muscular.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Not true. Cardio doesn't build as much muscle as strength training does, but it reduces fat and builds SOME lean muscle in someone who's losing weight in a healthy way. It breaks down muscle fibers during a workout, but that leads to greater muscle mass during repair and recovery. You don't lose any muscle from cardio, or at least, you're not supposed to. Cardio specifically burns fat and carbs, so if you're losing muscle mass to cardio exercises, you're not doing them correctly, or you're not eating a sufficient amount of protein and/or carbohydrates.
    You need to disregard the source that you use to get your information. You DON'T gain muscle on calorie deficit (with the exception of a few rare "types" of people). To gain muscle you HAVE to add weight. To add weight you need a surplus in calories.
    If cardio built muscle like you state, the long distance and endurance runners should be massive. They're not.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • rixzchick
    rixzchick Posts: 17
    Belly dancing! Hands down. Move your stomach around, shake your hips, do sit ups. Curl-ups, butt-ups. Run. : )
  • libbymaycat
    libbymaycat Posts: 2 Member
    thanks!
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    You have to stress the muscles, cause tears in the microfibres through exertion which is also known as lifting weights heavy enough to promote this stimuli. Then they will grow.

    Think of body fat as a huge bucket, when you burn fat then the total amount reduces as does your body fat. Get it to a low enough level and you'll see a difference.

    Don't waste time concentrating on ab exercises as that will get you nowhere fast, isolation exercises burn very few calories compared to whole body compound exercises will get results.

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