Help on Belly Bulge

I'm 49 years old, 5'6" tall and 125 lbs. I have been dieting and exercising but cannot get rid of the belly bulge. What is the best exercise to reduce this bulge?

Replies

  • Wari87
    Wari87 Posts: 45
    I hav d same problem. Belly n love handles. :(
  • To quote my brother-in-law, who has done marathons, and even more impressively, the Hawaiian Ironman three times, "belly fat is the first thing that comes with weight gain and the last thing to go with weight loss." I've read that crunches, sit-ups and so on do not work-but they can't hurt, I think.

    This is my best info-just keep after it. It will go. Patience.
  • dr3wman
    dr3wman Posts: 205
    You can't spot reduce belly fat. All you can do is reduce your overall body fat. If you arent seeing results from your current diet/exercise routine, you either need to reduce your calories or increase your exercise even more
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    Do you know what your body fat % is? It's possible to be at a good weight for your height and still have excessive body fat, which would be a problem with the belly fat.
  • According to one of those hand held body fat indicators, my body fat % is 19.1%
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    belly fat
    upper thigh fat
    jiggly arm fat.

    There is no specific fat. There only exists, fat. Reduce body fat. If you remove enough even the stubborn places will start to lose. Your least favorite place comes last of course. That's the final boss level in this game.
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    According to one of those hand held body fat indicators, my body fat % is 19.1%
    I'd add some to that. According to the body fat scale we have at work (which includes a hand held device so the current hits my hands and feet) I have 11.2% body fat. I definitely do not have anywhere near that, I'm more in the range of 18-20.

    You can do some ab work to flatten the muscle, but it won't do anything for the layer of fat on top. Just keep up the diet/exercise.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Well you are definitely at a healthy weight for your height - so I would suggest working on body recomposition. What is your current exercise routine? Are you strength training? It's so important for women our age!!
  • My exercise routine is walking the dog at a brisk pace in the morning for about 20 minutes and then I go to curves at noon and work out there for 45 minutes. Should I incorporate a weight lifting routine? If so, what amount should I lift and for how long?
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I'm 49 years old, 5'6" tall and 125 lbs. I have been dieting and exercising but cannot get rid of the belly bulge. What is the best exercise to reduce this bulge?

    I weight what you weight, am your age approx., but am four inches shorter. I certainly hope you're busty, otherwise if your stomach is like mine, it enters a room way before you do !!!!
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    Absolutely start lifting weights. I can't suggest where to start, but I can tell you that my 57 year old mother-in-law lifts up to 20 lb dumbells and she looks straight-up incredible. (Don't start there, but for encouragement I'm 29 and just started with weights, I can *barely* bench press 18lb dumbbells so my mother-in-law is whupping my *kitten*.)
  • stickarms
    stickarms Posts: 6 Member
    There is this great book called Wheat Belly that talks about how since we modified wheat to be more sustainable, our body actually has a harder time digesting it and it turns into belly fat. Since I have cut a lot of wheat from my diet, I have lost belly fat. Might be something to try. It's simple things like using tortilla crumbs instead of bread crumbs, or avoiding pasta.
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    At your weight and height, I do not see that reducing calories or increasing exercise would be very healthy. You really shouldn't weigh any less. You cannot spot reduce, so your best bet would be plastic surgery. If you have had kids, that little extra on your tummy aften never goes away without surgery. I'm gonna do it when I'm done having kids.
  • kuger4119
    kuger4119 Posts: 213 Member
    Absolutely start lifting weights. I can't suggest where to start, but I can tell you that my 57 year old mother-in-law lifts up to 20 lb dumbells and she looks straight-up incredible. (Don't start there, but for encouragement I'm 29 and just started with weights, I can *barely* bench press 18lb dumbbells so my mother-in-law is whupping my *kitten*.)

    Seconded! Weight training is absolutely imperative if you want to shed fat (JMHO of course).

    As for the belly fat, even though I've lost 5 inches off my waist since February, it's definitely the last stand location for most of my fat. As others have said, you have to reduce your overall bodyfat % in the long run.
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
    At your weight and height, I do not see that reducing calories or increasing exercise would be very healthy. You really shouldn't weigh any less. You cannot spot reduce, so your best bet would be plastic surgery. If you have had kids, that little extra on your tummy aften never goes away without surgery. I'm gonna do it when I'm done having kids.
    I'm not criticizing your choice, it's your body and you should do what you want to be happy with it, but your claim that it *must* be done surgically is totally untrue.

    The latest BodyRock host is a mother of 3, including a 10 month old. She's done fine: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/07/03/wow-*kitten*-workout-rts-with-sean-lish/
  • I weight what you weight, am your age approx., but am four inches shorter. I certainly hope you're busty, otherwise if your stomach is like mine, it enters a room way before you do !!!!
    [/quote]

    Nope, not busty so yes, my stomach enters the room before the rest of me does.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    At your weight and height, I do not see that reducing calories or increasing exercise would be very healthy. You really shouldn't weigh any less. You cannot spot reduce, so your best bet would be plastic surgery. If you have had kids, that little extra on your tummy aften never goes away without surgery. I'm gonna do it when I'm done having kids.

    Advising people to have surgery:noway: Unbelievable.