how to lose upper body fat?

[rainbowbutterfly]

I'm having a hard time losing weight. I'm always working. I just don't have any motivation. I really need to lose weight. I'm vvvery overweight. What's a good diet plan? My body: my legs are kinda skinny, stomach is round and huge. I have a wide back. My upper body is huge. I don't know what to do! Please help!!

[y2k]

You can't lose fat in only one place. Your fat is placed throughout your body is a certain proportion that is determined by your sex and genetics. That's why women gain fat in their legs and hips in a higher ratio then their stomach and shoulders. Males usually gain the fat in higher ratio in their stomachs and upper body compared to their legs and butt. Get the picture??

 

You need to get to a low bodyfat percentage in order to have the look you want. That means fat will be lost in ALL parts of your body, but should you get to a low enough bodyfat percentage (11-10%), you'll see a more "even" body. At that percentage, you'll even see your abs.

 

The key is first finding out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). This is the amount of calories your body burns everyday by itself without you doing anything. It's the amount of calories your body automatically burns if you just laid still and did nothing all day. Usually it's around 2000 calories, but check with you doctor. Many doctors have tests to find your BMR.

 

When you get your BMR, you then must make sure to eat AT LEAST that amount of calories everyday. If your BMR is 2000 calories, then eat NO LESS than 2000 calories a day. If it's 1700, then eat no less then that. You don't want to under-eat because under-eating will cause your body to eat away any muscle you may have instead of your body using your fat. You don't want to OVER-eat either but I'll get to that in a second.

 

Now in order to be shaped well, you'll need muscle. So work with weights and challenge yourself. Lift heavy. Work ALL the muscles in the body (that means even legs, lower back, and the butt). Working hard with weights burns plenty of calories.

 

Now you have to estimate how many calories to eat. You already know that you can't eat less than what your BMR is. But what amount of calories exactly are you supposed to intake??? Well you'll have to estimate how many calories you burned in the day MINUS your BMR. A hard session of weight-lifting can burn up to maybe 400-500 calories (if you go heavy and really work it). A 2 mile run burns about 250 calories. An hour walk at a decent speed burns about 100. Running an entire marathon burns anywhere between 2000-2600 calories. It's not easy to burn calories.

 

Your goal should be a daily calorie deficit of 500. So say your BMR is 1800. Say you do weights heavy, working every muscle at least once every week. You'll want the muscles to grow, and they need food, so add about 200 calories to your intake. That's 2000 calories to eat a day. Say you do some cardio everyday, so that's about 100-200 calories burnt a day. A whole day at work at a job that is not just sitting down all day could be 300 calories burnt. An hour walk is another 100.

 

^^^^In that scenario, you'd need to eat 2000-2100 calories a day, while burning 500 or more calories in your daily action. Also make sure to get 100-150 grams of protein a day, with plenty of fruits and veggies, and WATER. If you eat a lot of protein, you'll need water to make sure your liver doesn't get hurt. Also food turns into energy in the body in WATER. Without plenty of water, you can forget everything. Try 10-16 cups a day. You'll pee a lot more but you'll be healthy.

 

Of course there's more to the eating part but that's the basic of it.

 

Now the more muscle you gain, the higher your BMR gets. You do that math. Your goal is to increase muscle mass everywhere in your body, which will in turn increase you BMR, which means you'll be able to eat more without having to worry too much about fat gain.

 

Remember, don't overeat or under-eat.

[y2k]

Also I forgot to add that a pound of fat = 3500 calories.

 

If you had a daily calorie deficit of 500 everyday without under-eating, then in a week, you'd lose exactly one pound of fat.

 

In 2 months, you can lose 8 pounds of fat, or the equivalent of a liposuction.

 

Also don't be fooled by the scale. Sometimes in a matter of 2-3 days, the scale will say that you lost 4-5 pounds. Most of that is water weight. Your goal is not to lose water weight or muscle. Your goal is to lose fat. It's not easy, but it's do-able. Good luck. Ask if you need more information.

[rainbowbutterfly]

Thank you soooooooooo much for advice!!! I mean I suck at fixing up a diet plan, well mostly involves in food. Like yeah veggiies fruits blah blah..but I want like a plan. I do well in plans...any adivce on that?

[Lauriebell82]

Thank you soooooooooo much for advice!!! I mean I suck at fixing up a diet plan, well mostly involves in food. Like yeah veggiies fruits blah blah..but I want like a plan. I do well in plans...any adivce on that?

 

You can chart your food intake in a journal, but if you are like me it's hard to continue to keep up with that. A lot of what I do is portion control. I read all nutrition labels and measure things out (especially salad dressing) and that seems to help me lose more weight then just "trying to diet."

 

Weight loss experts have said that eating more often and smaller meals helps also because when you eat huge meals generally you become more fatigued and lazy and dont burn as many calories. So your plan could be to cut out junk food (chips, cookies, candy, ect) and stick to fruit, veggies, whole grains, and light yogurt. I also love to eat spinach salads, I never though I would but I love it! Those will not make you gain weight at all, mostly all other food will (especially processed food like chips).

 

You haven't said anything about exercise, is that something you are interested in? I highly recommend it as it will help you lose weight faster (especially if you are very overweight) and speed up your metabolism. Unfortunately it is impossible to compartmentalize where you lose weight, you generally end up just losing fat all over your body. If you work out and stick to a healthy diet you will lose weight.

[Lauriebell82]

Also I forgot to add that a pound of fat = 3500 calories.

 

If you had a daily calorie deficit of 500 everyday without under-eating, then in a week, you'd lose exactly one pound of fat.

 

In 2 months, you can lose 8 pounds of fat, or the equivalent of a liposuction.

 

Also don't be fooled by the scale. Sometimes in a matter of 2-3 days, the scale will say that you lost 4-5 pounds. Most of that is water weight. Your goal is not to lose water weight or muscle. Your goal is to lose fat. It's not easy, but it's do-able. Good luck. Ask if you need more information.

 

Just to add to that, I suggest using the scale to ensure you aren't GAINING weight, yes there is water weight and fluctuation, but I do not advise to completely ignore the scale especially if it is continuining to go up (or not down AT ALL). Someone once told me that throughout the week you may go up and down by a few pounds, but as long as the scale is going downward then you should be fine.

[betterdeal]

I found that by using these guidelines it was easier to start eating a healthier diet and so lose weight as a consequence.

 

1. Chew every mouthful at least 20 times

2. Eat both soluble and insoluble fibre

3. Reduce meat to about 2oz / 50g a day

4. Reduce / eliminate processed foods (anything with two or more ingredients excluding water)

5. Reduce / eliminate refined sugar and sweeteners

6. More fruit and veg

7. Even more veg

8. Pay attention to your bowel movements. Foods like hard cheese can cause constipation. A happy bowel is a happy gut.

9. Go for wholegrains, e.g. brown rice and wholegrain pasta instead of white rice and regular pasta

 

By slowly changing my diet, using these as guidelines (not hard and fast rules) I've found I eat less and I feel better, and I am losing weight (although I am doing more exercise so I am losing fat faster than weight as muscle is growing).

 

Also notice when you comfort / boredom or panic eat, and find something else to do instead. Again, just a guideline not a commandment. I garden / clean / cycle / meditate more these days and comfort eat less as result.

 

Think of it as making a lifestyle change and changing your relationship with food, and the weight loss will occur as a consequence of a better relationship with your food.