Weight loss question

Purchase the Abs Diet (Bright Orange Cover)

Two elements must be incorporated.

1) Change eating habits so that you can make it a lifestyle not a diet. At least five small meals per day. Real yogurt and other low fat dairy products. Eliminate all soda and candy products. Minimize fast food.

2) Incorporate a workout routine that focuses on your core. Every exercise can be modified so that the abdominal muscle is being used. Ultimately, you have to put in a lot of aerobic time (i.e. run, bike, swim).

Agreed on the Abs Diet. There are several different variants of the book, some more food based, some more workout based, I would check out your local book store and see which you feel you'd benefit the most from.

That said, there are no exercises that will eliminate only belly fat. One of the things highlighted in the Abs Diet is the necessity to work your core muscles (Upper/Lower Abs, Obliques, Lower Back I believe are the sections) and there are many exercises you can use to strengthen your core, but strengthening your core only builds muscle up, it doesn't tear fat down. With more muscle you will burn more fat, but loosing the fat from your belly requires very good self control (eating correctly) and also you need to do do some sort of aerobic exercises as ntrigue said. I've heard that belly fat is basically the last to go, which I would strongly believe since I have been exercising regularly for about 2 years now and my stomach has improved but not as much in fat loss but more muscles built.

And with THAT said, you're 14 and 150 pounds? How tall are you? I feel like 14 is a bit early to start worrying about a six-pack and a lot changes up until you are 16 or 18 years old, so if your goal is to be the next Mr. Olympia then I would say hold off for a few years and see what happens with a good diet and normal exercise(running, biking, soccer, basketball, etc).

bc008 said:

over the past summer i was on a diet, and lost about 20 lbs. I am 14 years old. I started at 170, and now i weigh 150. I am currently happy with my body, except my stomach. i still have a stomach, and i would like to get rid of it. what are the best exercises for stomach only? i also start gym next semester (3 weeks away) and i was wondering what i could do to get ready for that.

thanks!

i also have some gym equiptment in my basement (a weight bench, a bike, and an eliptical)

Click to expand...

You cannot do targeted fat loss. Your body will metabolize it from different parts of your body according to your genetic coding. Most males will see the first fat gained and the last fat lost over their abs. You will need to get your body fat below a certain percentage to lose the gut.

Hit the bike. Get a heart rate monitor and spend lots of time doing intervals and poking around your lactate threshold. The legs have the biggest muscle groups in the body and anything you do with them will burn more calories and tax the cardiovascular system to its maximum. Nothing wrong with the bench press, but it's not going to help your overall fitness.

Other than that losing body fat is mostly diet. You get a six pack from what you do in the kitchen, not the gym. Get your BMI low enough and you should see the gut melt away and the abs pop out.

crunches, six inches, and stuff of the sorts. work the abs. BUT MAKE SURE to do a total body work out. When you work the whole body, you'll obviously lose it everywhere.

STart watching fit tv if you have cable, or if you have DVR record a few Gilad shows or some All STar Workouts.

That's what got me in shape!

Good for you for caring about your health so young. A lot of kids take going to college and beyond to really realize that they should care about those things. If you start on a path of eating healthy and working out now, it will only make it easier to stick with down the line.

On another note though, you grew 3 inches in 6 months? man I would hate to be your parents buying clothes and shoes for you! hehe

It seems to me you are in the stage in a lot of guys lives where they are finally hitting/going through/ending puberty which means if you were a little heavy as a kid you will start to lose the "baby fat" and bulk up (if you eat correctly... which i assume and it seems you've started to do! good for you!) in the right ways and grow some inches. People who are skinny tend to start to just bulk up and de - bean pole-ify if you will at this age as well.

Since you were 170 at 5'6" (which for a guy that's not that heavy... but i will assume it was fat and not muscle clearly) and now 160 at 5'9 that's a pretty good weight to be at really.

I'd just concentrate on what everyone says. Eat healthy, real yogurt and low fat dairy products, A LOT of protein (you are gonna burn through that if you are working out and excerisizing and protein will help build those muscles which are fat burning machines in themselves) and a lot of fruits and vegetables (i know i know, but the amino acids and vitamins in them really really play a big part in healthy growth of your tissues - muscles AND brain tissues as well as all the other good healthy stuff like heart health and bloodvessles and eyesite yadda yadda) and good carbs like whole wheat pastas and breads are a vital thing to have.

They give you important nutrients (whole wheats etc) as well as get coverted into much needed quick release energy which will be good to get you up in the morning and get your brain functioning well as well as give oyu that much needed energy to go for a quick jog or play some ball during gym .. etc.

Stay away from trans fats (i know ... people think it's a myth sometimes and hype, but for the last 3 years i've been working for a 90 year old emeritus professor who has been working in biochemistry and heart health for the last 70 years and has done very very extensive research in cholesterol and heart health and all that important stuff and is getting a book published on teh subject (already has over 300 papers on it published over the last 50 years too) and trust me... it's NOT hype. it's never too soon to stay away from hydrogenated fats (margarine = bad, butter is actually better for you... cause of the natural fats) and also stay away from soda as much as possible and sugary drinks. Diet tea, WATER (lots of water... this really does fuel your body well for workouts and sometimes craving water can be mistaken for craving food or sugar syruppy things that will only lead to weight gain and sluggishness) ... diet lemonade and crystal light and all that is fine too.. as it's mostly just flavoring for water, the closest to water you stay the better.

I think that's all the health babble I have for you. You are 14, chances are you will onyl be getting more active in school (maybe try joining an intramural you really like or something with some friends, that always helps!) and growing and building muscle and finally coming into the body shape you will have for he next part of your life. You will probably have a huge appetite, and while you can watch it, and watch your weight and eat healthy, DON"T squeltch it... I mean.. heck 3 inches in 6 months?!??!?! your body needs that fuel!

Goodluck!

Good comments about diet here, but I just want to reinforce that REDUCTION of sugar-based or simple carbohydrates (energy that can be stored as body fat) is the biggest thing here... and you'll be replacing with fiber carbohydrates and upping your protein intake. Protein is actually very metabolically efficient in a way that benefits you, plus it is the building blocks of your body's muscle--AKA the only part of your body that you can use to change your metabolism--so make sure you get 20-30 grams of protein per meal.

Also don't solely concentrate on your core and working your abs... you have abs and core muscles, though it won't hurt to strengthen them, you just have bodyfat covering them. Now, if you want larger abs or differently shaped core muscles, then focus on working them out. But just generally incorporate as much weight training as possible for your whole body and do it in a circuit-training style (no or little rest between sets), and then make sure you sandwich it with cardio. And just generally do 20-30 minutes of cardio daily. That should do it for you.

Also, being 14-15, don't listen to what people (like parents) who are misinformed say about exercising, weight training, or protein intake. They do not know. Read up on websites like bodybuilding.com to learn about the realities. It won't stunt your growth, it's not steroids to drink protein shakes, and it is fine for someone your age to be physically active.

From what I understand, targeted weight loss is difficult to nigh impossible, and abdominal fat just happens to be one of the last fat deposits that your body taps into during metabolism (turns out it's pretty important for keeping warm and healthy and whatnot! )

Good luck though. Just keep up the cardio. Also, if you're exercising a lot, but eating properly, and don't seem to be losing it, don't fret. If you've reached some sort of plateau where you're exhausting yourself during exercise but you're also eating right, then you're probably where you should be. A little fat is a good thing. If it just shows when you sit (ie. fat rolls, which most people have), then you're fine. Even if it shows a little when you're upright, it's still pretty much normal. Not everyone has a toned, flat stomach.

That said, ab workouts (sit ups, captain chair crunches, bicycle maneuvers, etc.) will NOT help you lose abdominal weight (maybe a little), but rather, will help you GAIN abdominal weight in muscle mass, and if you don't do proper cardio, you'll find yourself with an even bigger stomach than before!

It sounds like you should be doing mostly cardio, not abdominal exercises. Coupling the two of them will make you gain weight in most instances, not lose it.

Good luck, though!

I would like to add the following. A friend once told me that the key health, fitness and weight control is to know the primary controls for each and adjust accordingly. In this case:

- Control food intake for weight

- Exercise for fitness

In other words, do not exercise to loose weight. And do not expect to be fit by just eating the right foods. Makes sense and it's simple in concept.

Also, as you age, your metabolism slows down. So it becomes harder to control your weight. Eventually, you will not be able to exercise like you do when you are younger. So learn how to decrease your food intake and what exercise you can do for life.

I remember when I was 13 and really fat for my age (btw I'm now 16). I wanted to lose weight really bad so I started to work out by running, pushups, crunches, weights, ect... then I lost some weight and I somehow fell in love with running. So 8th grade I got into something known as Cross Country. I wasn't the fastest runner but over time I got faster and faster and pasted people up. Now I'm a sophomore in high school getting ready for another track season and I've never felt better about myself.

google john stone fitness. that website has a pretty good forum and helped me lose 40lbs 4 years ago.

if possible, go to a gym and lift weights. do an ab workout only ONCE a week. on other days, work on your body with free weights. Make sure you do bench presses, squats and deadlifts because those exercises uses your ab muscles for stability.

make a diet. make sure you are eating enough protein (40%), carbs (40%) and fat (20%). have a cheat meal once or twice a week, it will actually improve your metabolism and ensure that you do not get bored with your diet.

You're also very young so don't go too hard on yourself

Cardio and food - the foods you eat define one's abs - it is a shame, but true. Some folks have better genetics than others when it comes to that as well. The key is the diet, but at your age that is tough to be all protein and minimal fat - probably not healthy for a growing kid.

Keep up with the weight loss program though - good stuff trying to get fit and stay fit.

bc008 said:

over the past summer i was on a diet, and lost about 20 lbs. I am 14 years old. I started at 170, and now i weigh 150. I am currently happy with my body, except my stomach. i still have a stomach, and i would like to get rid of it. what are the best exercises for stomach only? i also start gym next semester (3 weeks away) and i was wondering what i could do to get ready for that.

thanks!

i also have some gym equiptment in my basement (a weight bench, a bike, and an eliptical)

Click to expand...

How tall are you? You wouldn't want your weight to fall too low...

bc088 - You don't say whether you are a man or woman. Which is it? It makes a difference vis a vis your ideal weight etc.

I think its women and i its not right becuase i using Medifast Book to lose my weight becuase they Design A Menu, all you do is pick your favorite flavors and foods and we'll create a customized Medifast 5 & 1 plan for you. You'll receive your food along with a Quick Start Book containing all the information you need to get started.

I've personally found HIIT very useful.

Hmm its good and work well for my friend.

I went from 180 pounds to 140 in 6 months last year.
there are lots of things you can do. here are a few:

1) (most important) DRINK LOTS OF WATER. if you did everything exactly the same, and just drank more water, you would start to see some weight loss.

2) Emotional and physical stress is known to cause fat in certain areas(specifically the stomach), do things that make you happy. Get plenty of sleep everynight.

3) know that doing lots of ab work outs and sit-ups will only build muscle on your stomach. The fat will still be there and your muscle will build up, causing your stomach to actually get bigger in a sense. Do lots of jogging and swimming , and balance the rest of your body work-outs.

4) do the above 3 first. Then when you get into the right mind-set, start watching what you eat. Replace junk foods with healthier foods, and make sure you are getting enough nutrition.

these are simple rules. It's best if you do these 4 before going through advertised diet plans.

nizz said:

I went from 180 pounds to 140 in 6 months last year.
there are lots of things you can do. here are a few:

1) (most important) DRINK LOTS OF WATER. if you did everything exactly the same, and just drank more water, you would start to see some weight loss.

2) Emotional and physical stress is known to cause fat in certain areas(specifically the stomach), do things that make you happy. Get plenty of sleep everynight.

3) know that doing lots of ab work outs and sit-ups will only build muscle on your stomach. The fat will still be there and your muscle will build up, causing your stomach to actually get bigger in a sense. Do lots of jogging and swimming , and balance the rest of your body work-outs.

4) do the above 3 first. Then when you get into the right mind-set, start watching what you eat. Replace junk foods with healthier foods, and make sure you are getting enough nutrition.

these are simple rules. It's best if you do these 4 before going through advertised diet plans.

Click to expand...

Interesting that you say stress causes fat around the stomach. I have lost a lot of weight but it still stays in the stomach. Maybe because of stress?

it sounds like you'd like to have a six pack, which is a muscle group that *everyone* has. some of us don't see them simply b/c our body fat covers them up. assuming that you are a male, you need to have less than 13% of body fat for your six pack to start showing. once your body fat is around 10%, your packs should be washboard-like.

one important thing to understand is that you simply can't target train your abs. no matter how many situps you do, your abs won't show until you reach the mentioned percent body fat. that's why you see skinny folks who hardly exercise would have solid abs. it doesn't necessarily mean that they are fit/healthy, though.

i'd say you should focus on cardio. your cardio sessions are way too short. in fact, they are shorter than someone (me) who's trying to gain weight. 5 mins of cardio is a warm up, 10 mins is the minimum for health benefits. you should be doing at least 20-30 min every other day if you wanna lose weight.

also, the intensities of the exercises you are doing are modest at best. a general rule of thumb is if you can say more than 5 words without catching a breath, you are not working out. instead of biking, try to train yourself to run 5k every other day. then, train yourself to run faster (5k under 28 mins). while ellipticals are designed to prevent potential injuries associated with running, i've always felt that running (or even treadmill) is more intense. also, elliptical won't help you to chase a thief in real world. an important note on cardio equipments - do not hold onto the machines. by doing so, you are shifting your body weight to the machine and your workout will require less effort. your body will also lose the instinct to balance itself in the long run. lower the intensity if you are gonna fall.

at age 14, i would not suggest any diet unless it's recommended by a health professional. your metabolism is going strong and you need the nutrients to grow (and you don't sound like a big kid to me, really). have a trainer/coach show you the correct forms before hitting the gym. you won't believe how many idiots out there w/ awesome bodies but ended up hurting themselves cos of bad forms.

bc008 said:

over the past summer i was on a diet, and lost about 20 lbs. I am 14 years old. I started at 170, and now i weigh 150. I am currently happy with my body, except my stomach. i still have a stomach, and i would like to get rid of it. what are the best exercises for stomach only? i also start gym next semester (3 weeks away) and i was wondering what i could do to get ready for that.

thanks!

i also have some gym equiptment in my basement (a weight bench, a bike, and an eliptical)

Click to expand...

First of all I admire you ambition. Keep it up! Another thing is get off a diet. yes diets work short trem but I have been on so many diets that they just fail. Most americans lose weight and gain much more back, (im sure you hear this,) but what I am trying to say is that there is only so much your body wants to do this diet. You are 14, I remeber when i was a teen Beer, alchohol, pizza, chinese food. Instead why dont you run every day and start out with a mile and work your way up. Then you can eat like a normal person. Just moderate your intake and eat w.e. you want. See people fail at diets because they limit themselves to a particualr food, which is unhealthy. I eat just about everything, but! I eat under 1700 calories a day a nd run 3.5 miles. I eat chesse cake but read the back and only have one serving. Also, a food journal really helps. Good Luck!