fat off stomach?

[Noos]

I work out four times a week for around 5hrs doing cardio - cycling, treadmill, elyptical trainer.

 

I've dropped seven kilos over the past 7 months and have lost centimetres all over. But now I find that my legs are really fit, my bum is better and my arms are better but my middle is still doughy.

 

I know you can't spot reduce. How can i get rid of my pot belly?

 

I eat healthily and I'm exercising. What elese is there to do?

 

I'm 5'5" and 65 kilos.

[Tony T]

Sit ups and waist twists are excellent.

 

If I were you, I'd spend just a few bucks going to a gym for a trial and asking one of the trainers what you can do. People who're into fitness absolutely LOVE to tell others how to do this or that. You may get your head talked off...but hopefully it will be your pot belly. Don't give up. You're almost there.

[deepimpact]

Keep on training and consider going to a gym. It really helps. I have lost 16 kilos over 6 months and i have a nice 6 pack now. You definitely need to have a good diet for abs. Eating healthy may not be enough.

You might consider to use supplements too. They work great...

http://www.getshredded.com is a great site.

[Bullgator]

Losing fat from the midsection can be difficult. It involves 3 things: toning exercises, cardio, and diet.

 

It sounds like you're doing well with the cardio. And the weight is coming off at a good, healthy pace. You probably just need to add some toning exercises for the abdominal muscles. If you don't have access to a gym, do a web search and you'll find them.

 

Depending on how much fat is stored there, it may take a long time before it really looks tight and toned. You may reach a plateau with your weight first, which will then require a change in diet or increased cardio. But it will get there if you stick with it.

[thegoodhubbie]

Crunches, crunches, crunches, sit-ups, sit-ups, and crunches. Sorry, its the only way.

[Dawn82]

How exectly having better/bigger/stronger abs going to make the fat disappear from your midsection?

 

You workout 20hours a week? or a total of 5 hours a week?

if its 20 hours it seems a bit insane tbh.

 

The only way to lost the fat is to keep at it.

You have been doing good so far, do not stop now.

If you wish to speed up the progress I would look at your diet

what are you eating? how many times a day? What are your nutrition macros?

 

another thing you may wish to consider is adding some resistance training to your routine. They won't make you lose weight on the scale faster but they will make you look better.

 

Shahar.

[Noos]

Dawn 82

How can I whittle my waist down?

Is it true that resistance training will improve my metabolism?

I am at a gym and we have all the weights equipment. How many reps should I be doing for triceps?

You sound like you're a professional trainer. Any help would be appreciated.

[Dawn82]

You sound like you're a professional trainer

Lol, I'm just a former obese guy who is currently down to

"overweight" category. 40lbs down 30lbs to go.

 

I read a lot about nutrition and training and such,

That’s something I suggest to you as well. read stickles/articles on bodybuilding/fitness forums.

A very good book about the basics is

Burn the fat feed the muscles by Tom Venuto

Just spend 20-30mins a day reading a bit about fitness

instead of watching the TV. This is a time investment toward

being healthy and not just drop a few more kilos now, Its an investment you are going to enjoy for the rest of your life...

 

to reduce your waist you have to burn fat.

you can't control where you are going to burn fat though.

Your weight loss is fairly slow but steady. as long as you keep it up

your tummy will also get smaller. Log measurements with a tape

once every 1-2 weeks, and also take photos once in a while to keep track of progress. its often hard to see subtle changes

when we see ourselves everyday.

 

Its good you are in a gym you have everything you need to train.

I highly recommend you get a session or two with a personal trainer, Resistance training is a huge topic and there are many many different approaches and methods, but any basic beginners program your personal trainer will give you is 10 times better then doing nothing. Once you have been doing it for a while you may decide to use other known workout programs or maybe even build your own.

 

To your specific question about Triceps :

There is no magic number of reps you should work at.

a safe range for a beginner would be 8-12 reps. which means

work your way up to 12 reps. once you can do 12 reps, increase the weight and start at 8 reps again. The most important thing

about any type of training routine is improving what you can do.

if you do not strive to improve your lifts/speed while running/incline ect you will stop improving and greatly reduce the benefits of exercise.

 

 

Another suggestion I can make is to log your food intake on

fitday.com or nutridiary

You would be amazed how much we can underestimate our calorie intake.

 

 

Edit : I missed your metabolisim question -

Is it true that resistance training will improve my metabolism?

 

Some study(ies?) have shown a very large increase in resting metabolisim due to increased

muscle mass while a more recenty study has showed a much smaller increase.

Who is correct? I do not know.

 

What I do know is that anarobic activity such as resistance training and high intensity cardio

(sprints for example) do not only burn calories while they are being performed but also during

hours after the exercise. Think about it, When I go and Benchpress some weights I am not

only expending energy to get the iron up. I am also tearing up my muscles, damaging connective tissues, depleting glycogen stores ect. This may sound bad but its a normal process. Now after my workout my body Has to rebuild my muscles, and not only rebuild them but rebuild them bigger and stronger, stranthen lagiments and other connective tissues, bones ect... all these activities use energy. meaning your metabolisim is increasing.

There have been some studies regarding this but I have no links.

Afaik most of the energy output of resistance training occuers hours after the exercise.

 

Hope this helps

 

Good luck.

 

Shahar.

[gfto]

Noos,

 

The key to getting rid of that last stubborn bit of fat over the abs is DIETING, not sit-up/cruches. There is no such thing as "toning exercises." Get your carbs from whole grains (whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, etc.) and lots of vegetables (particularly leafy greens). Lots of water, too. And, keep up the cardio. It will take time. But, don't kill yourself doing crunches. That won't help.

[erika2610]

Crunches certainly will help. They won't make the fat go away right away, no - but they do help. I lost 6 inches off my waist so far doing Pilates and crunches, with the help of dieting of course.

[eyeswideshut]

I run every day for 30 minutes.

That's it.

I do hills, or I run flat, fast, slow, whatever my mood is on that day.

I have absolutely no tummy.

I eat like a pig, but I eat healthy most of the time.

I eat loads and loads of yogurt after every meal.

I don't know if it's a true abs 'secret' but i have a really nice sexy midsection and all I do is that 30 minutes a day.

[erika2610]

I run every day for 30 minutes.

That's it.

I do hills, or I run flat, fast, slow, whatever my mood is on that day.

I have absolutely no tummy.

I eat like a pig, but I eat healthy most of the time.

I eat loads and loads of yogurt after every meal.

I don't know if it's a true abs 'secret' but i have a really nice sexy midsection and all I do is that 30 minutes a day.

 

Well rooty toot for you

 

Noos.. EWS is right, you have to eat healthy. 5-6 small meals a day, lots of fruits and veggies.

I mostly walk.. I walk for a while, then I jog for a minutes, and I switch on and off between walking/jogging. I usually do that for at least a half hour, and then 3-4 days a week I do pilates. Sometimes I change it up, and I have an excercise ball. You should also drink lots of water. I was VERY unhealthy before, but when I started eating better, I loved it I love to excercise now too. When I step on the scale, I haven't lost alot, but as I said, I did lose 6 inches on the waist crunches do help.. trust me.

[Pink Amulet]

If I eat badly for even a few days, my stomach shows it. I find crunches alone won't eliminate the pot belly. I have to do cardio as well. Maybe it's just me but that is how I keep my tummy toned.

 

P.S Dawn 82 Congratulations! Keep it up!

[erika2610]

Crunches alone won't do it, no. You have to combine crunches with another form of exercise too..

[Pink Amulet]

Oh excellent. Glad to know I am on the right wave length then

[erika2610]

Oh excellent. Glad to know I am on the right wave length then

 

 

Yupper dupper I actually don't do crucnhes too often anymore.. used to do em all the time. I now do Pilates all the time

[Pink Amulet]

I don't know why but I much prefer being outdoors to excercise. I prefer adventureous sports, so I use my excercise time to be outdoors taking in my surroundings. I even do my crunches outdoors in the middle of my run!

 

One indoor excercise I did enjoy immensely was pole dancing! They have added them to most gyms where I live. It is fantastic. I am a dancer so I am already pretty flexible which I think is pretty imperative, even to start out with.

 

Do you have any such things in the US? Pole dancing isn't just for strippers

[Pink Amulet]

Sorry, OP I didn't mean to attempt to steal your thread

[erika2610]

I don't know why but I much prefer being outdoors to excercise. I prefer adventureous sports, so I use my excercise time to be outdoors taking in my surroundings. I even do my crunches outdoors in the middle of my run!

 

One indoor excercise I did enjoy immensely was pole dancing! They have added them to most gyms where I live. It is fantastic. I am a dancer so I am already pretty flexible which I think is pretty imperative, even to start out with.

 

Do you have any such things in the US? Pole dancing isn't just for strippers

 

I love being outside also... yardwork, hiking, walking, I love it all. But when it's rainy or cold, I do my videos

[Noos]

I love cardio, you feel cleansed after you do it and you sleep better. I don't really like weights but I have started doing them again. I once had a trainer who showed me what to do. So I've done leg presses, leg lifts that attack your quads, and the ones that do you inner and outer thighs and bum. I've done hand held weights lifting from behind my head to attack my triceps too.

Yesterday, I could barely walk.

[HokeyReligions]

Check with a doctor and/or nutritionist. One of the things that was discussed in some recent medical seminars I've attended are that there are some foods that, while nutritionally sound, actually add or decrease weight from certain parts of the body. Sometimes it's the order you eat them as to how and where your body will store them. The exercise is a must and will help - but check into some nutritional information too. I know with me startchy foods like potatos will add more to my lower section, whereas dairy foods will add more to my midsection. It's just how my body processes and stores the fat from these foods. When I cut out startches I lose all over - but is shows mostly in my fanny and legs. When I cut out dairy again, I lose all over, but it shows mostly in my waistline. My husband is the opposite. It sometimes depends on when you eat what. If you drink a glass of milk then 20 minutes later do an ab workout the chance of the milkfat 'sticking' to your middle is reduced whereas if you drink milk then get on a bike the muscles that are burning the most energy are your legs - giving the milk time to settle on your waist. At least, that's how it is with me.

[eyeswideshut]

that is hilarious!

I've never heard of such a thing Hockey.

 

I'd ask my nutritionist friend, but I find that sometimes one person says one thing and the other says the opposite.

You know, the old drink milk, don't drink milk, argh...

 

i want to try to be a vegetarian this summer, just because I don't run as much during summer weather. (i'm usually a fall/winter/spring runner)

And maybe if i cut don't on meat I will feel lighter and it'll make up for the fact that I don't run.

 

there is this yoga pose that is excellent for the tummy because it aids digestion. It's the seated twisted pose. (i don't recall the proper name)

but it's the one where you sit, and say the right leg is straight on the ground the left foot is over the leg and flat on the ground next to the right thigh, and the right elbow goes against the left leg and you twist your body to look to the back.

 

maybe i should start my own thread, but it's not all that important to me but I heard eat less salty foods for less water retention, which brings me to the question off subject....

 

do any of you have puffy eyes?

I tried everything for dark circles, and now i just found a concealer, but when i wore concealer for the first time i noticed that i have puffy eyes!

concealer will hide the dark circles, but man, does it ever emphasize the puffy eyes!!

I know i go to bed late, but even when i am on vacation and i sleep a lot of hours, i still have puffy eyes.

(i'm a smoker, i smoke about 3-4 cigs a day) could that be enough to affect my looks????!!!!!