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Weight loss: losing zee belly

iZac

iZac

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Apr 28, 2003
2,947
4,028
UK
Probably an inappropriate forum to post this question, but due to my increasingly sedentary lifestyle (office work) i'm gaining a few pounds around the midriff. I do 100 sit ups and a few push ups a night before i shower and head to bed, but I heard that crunches and similar 'spot burning' is no good, and that cardio is the best way to remove the podge.

Any tips from those of you who are / were in this situation too?
 
Remember that the situps and crunches (more "anaerobic") are predominantly going to build muscle mass and not burn fat as much. Fat burning requires calorie expenditure, that means bringing more cardio-type stuff (more "aerobic"). Walking, treadmill, longer-term exercises that kick you into a "higher gear". That, and taking in less than you burn off.

Hugely oversimplified, and not really that black & white, but you get the idea.
 
Yep, you've read right :)

Spot workouts wont work.. You could build abs by doing situps or crunches or whatever, but you won't see them with all the fat covering them. In order to get rid of that belly fat, you will need to lose body fat all around. It doesn't matter what you do to lose weight, as long as your caloric intake is less than what you use in a day. For example, lets say you use 2000 calorioes in a day. You would need to eat 1600 or so to lose any extra body fat. With that tends to come muscle too, so that is why people suggest working out as you want to keep that.

The fastest exercise for losing calories is running. You could try Google and see how many calories you lose and with what exercise for some ideas, but nothing will get rid of calories as fast as running.
 
Don't underestimate doing some weightlifting to balance out the cardio - it will help build lean muscle mass which should help raise your metabolic rate so you burn more calories even at your desk.

So far as cardio goes, don't just get on a treadmill/bike/elliptical and slog for an hour. Try some shorter periods with intervals of high/low intensity to get better results.
 
As an x, broken-down weightlifter, to cut fat you cut carbs and up protein. Simple. You exercise and stay away from sugars, pastas, regular breads, beer (ouch) and up vegtables, certain fruits, lean meats, chicken and fish.
I have had to get on this all over again, because I have let myself go after I hurt my back and knees from lifting. Plus my computer job doesn't get me out.
And now my blood sugar is high.
So I have incorporated all this stuff again like I used to do when I was lifting in the military. I feel if you do this you will lose the belly which is the key to dropping blood sugar and other ailments.
Also, reduce stress is good for weight loss as well.
 
Also, don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Abdominal fat is among the last of the fat stores to be utilized in men. You might even see your face slimming down before you see your waistline decreasing!
 
Applespider said:
Don't underestimate doing some weightlifting to balance out the cardio - it will help build lean muscle mass which should help raise your metabolic rate so you burn more calories even at your desk.

So far as cardio goes, don't just get on a treadmill/bike/elliptical and slog for an hour. Try some shorter periods with intervals of high/low intensity to get better results.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you need muscles to burn calories, which is why becoming unhealthy is a vicious cycle: the fitter you are, the easier it is to burn calories and stay slim. That also means that fat people with low muscle mass will have the hardest time staying slim, since the fit, muscly co-worker sitting beside him will burn more calories at work, even if you both do the same job. Sucks to be unhealthy. ;)
 
iZac said:
Probably an inappropriate forum to post this question, but due to my increasingly sedentary lifestyle (office work) i'm gaining a few pounds around the midriff. I do 100 sit ups and a few push ups a night before i shower and head to bed, but I heard that crunches and similar 'spot burning' is no good, and that cardio is the best way to remove the podge.

Any tips from those of you who are / were in this situation too?
Click to expand...

my wife lost weight by getting pregnant and then doing weight watchers.


she actually only gained 4lbs during the pregnancy, however since the baby was born she's lost 35lbs.
 
some good advice guys, I think ill try some at home cardio, as well as some light running, though city living doesnt have a lot of fresh air. I'll try to find a nearby park, or run along the Docks (for better or worse i live in Liverpool city centre) Ill also pick up some weights to help my upper body.

It occurs to me that i know a guy who did a sports science qualification, so i think i could get him to arrange a feasible workout plan for me. He might also get on my back to keep it up. (i know if i join a gym, ill end up wasting the money)

Sad to know ill should give up sugar in my tea though! Also, im vegetarian, so i'll have to give up pasta, which is quite a staple of my diet, and eat more egg, dairy and that crappy meat substitute 'Quorn'

Edit: im 25 btw ;)
 
Well, joining a gym might make you go to avoid wasting money? But I know where you're coming from.

Bear in mind that you may not need to buy weights since one of the best forms of exercise are ones that use your own bodyweight. Pushups, dips, pullups and planks all use your own bodyweight and can be quite effective!

Also most things are OK in moderation. If you really like sugar in your tea (yuck! ;)) then keep it but do a little extra. Similarly unless you're going seriously hardcore body-building, there's nothing wrong with some carbs in your diet. Switch to a wholewheat/spelt pasta and you can still have it a couple of times a week.
 
I don't know what the OP's age is, but your age can be a huge factor in this. The younger you are the more muscle mass you have naturally, and it decreases as you age. I started gaining weight around the age 30. While doing 2 hours of hard cardio a day (nordic track, rollerskating, running) I could not keep the pounds off. (My diet has always been good, take vitamins, very little carbs, not into sweets, lean meats, etc.) So I decided to start weight training. Best thing I could've done. (I'm 41 and female and I'm still wearing the jeans I wore in high school.)

One other thing. If you like sweets, you'll be tempted to use artificial sweeteners. You should go with stevia (sweet herb sold in health food stores) or saccharine (no, it does not cause cancer). Sucralose and aspartame are not good for you at all and should never be ingested into the human body! These substances have been linked to joint and auto-immune problems and organ failure, but on the lighter side, can actually cause weight gain. They trick the body into thinking it's injested sugar, so insulin levels rise even though there is no sugar to act upon, thus increasing the body's tendency to store calories as fat.
 
I'll tell you what I did a few years ago. I dropped 45-50lbs in about 5 months.

I went to the Gym 3-4 days a week and spent an 45 running on the elliptical with it set to randomly change incline, I mean a good jogging pace without a break, where you look like you were in the shower fully dressed when leaving the gym. You can get to this pace pretty quickly if you keep pushing yourself.

I cut out beer and switched to wine and vodka tonics:D.

For the most difficult part I cut out fast food and giant sodas completely. It is tough at first but you really just need a good tasting and healthy alternative. I switched to sandwiches using a variety of good deli meats, deli cheeses, bakery fresh bread, romaine lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes and fresh fruit for the side. Instead of Mayo use Balsamic Vinegar and a good olive oil. For a drink I used good fruit juice as in 100% fruit juice from the refrigerated section. The biggest thing here is fresh and variety you will not miss fast food. My personal favourite sandwich is Dutch crust bread, with sun dried tomato turkey, port salute cheese, romaine lettuce, vine ripened tomato, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

In fact after eating this way for a month I tried some fast food and it was disgusting and made me feel quesy. Whenever I have no choice but fast food it always makes me a little ill know. Though I usually only have fast food 1-2 times per year. I haven't had any since October of last year when I spent a week driving from California to Georgia.
 
Personally, I wouldn't cut every bad thing out of my diet. I'm sorry, but if you enjoy it, then continue eating it. Live a little. I think that by reducing the amount of crap that you ingest, you'll feel better. However, cutting out fast food, Coke, beer, fat ass steaks, pizza, or even pasta from your diet wouldn't motivate me. I'd think, "Not only am I working my ass off, but I have to eat stuff that I find boring as well?" I reward myself. I don't go overboard, but as a person who's naturally quite concerned about his overall health, my natural tendency would be to stop eating crap anyway.

I think you should decrease the amount of junk you eat, but not cut it out entirely. It's not the best solution for your weight loss, but it may be better to live a balanced life.

And no, don't cut out pasta completely if you love the stuff. :) Just run more often.
 
I don't keep myself from eating anything I really enjoy. I just don't keep a ton of junk at my house. I'm having pizza tomorrow, and very much looking forward to it.:D
 
Abstract said:
Personally, I wouldn't cut every bad thing out of my diet. I'm sorry, but if you enjoy it, then continue eating it.
Click to expand...

Since you said that, i'm actually making a vegetarian Shepherds Pie tonight :rolleyes:

I guess what's best then is everything in moderation? I don't lead an unhealthy life, but i do have a high carb intake, and a sweet tooth. I guess i chose my words poorly before, i should say "cut back on" instead of "give up".

As well as more regular exercise, i was going to try to swap out pasta with things like Jacket Potatoes for a healthier option.
 
iZac said:
Since you said that, i'm actually making a vegetarian Shepherds Pie tonight :rolleyes:

I guess what's best then is everything in moderation? I don't lead an unhealthy life, but i do have a high carb intake, and a sweet tooth. I guess i chose my words poorly before, i should say "cut back on" instead of "give up".

As well as more regular exercise, i was going to try to swap out pasta with things like Jacket Potatoes for a healthier option.
Click to expand...
Spaghetti squash, whole grain pasta, brown rice, whole grain breads - It's really not that difficult if you think about it. My tofu/vege lasagna is always a hit, even among our meat-eating friends. Oh, and sauteed zucchini squash has a texture much like spaghetti.
 
well, im 15 and weighed 190 at the end of 8th grade, now at the end of 9th grade i weigh 180, but i have grown about 3-3 1/2 inches taller.

i just play DDR, and watch what i eat. this is probably going to be the best advice in the thread.. serving size. eat what you want, but keep it in the serving size.. only 2 cookies, 1/2 cup pasta etc.
 
Cutting down the serving size gets down to the basic fundamental of eating fewer calories. Knowing how many calories are in what you eat is crucial. You can still eat whatever you want, just watch the calories. The only thing that you will really notice have an impact on your everyday health is cutting out soda, completely. Look at soda as a desert or special occasion treat and get it out of your system.
 
I agree with the very first part, but not sure about the second. Counting calories is possible and will probably work (if followed closely), but surely there's a more natural, easier, more instinctive way to deal with this. If you go out to eat, it's not always practical.

If you start making a conscious effort to eat better/healthier today, you'll already be making progress and eating fewer calories than you were last month. I don't think you need a quantitative number to know whether you're consuming fewer calories. Being aware of what you're eating and thinking about your diet every time you pick up food is probably an adequate solution. If you reach October and you find that you're not making any progress, THEN it's time for more drastic measures like calorie counting, or more exercise. :eek:

Where would calorie counters be without food labels? Probably following their instincts and common sense. That means eating 2 cookies instead of the whole bag, eating less potato chips, doing some exercise instead of nothing (!!!), having 2 cans of coke a week instead of 6, and possibly reducing your milk intake (debatable, but I think it would work).

redwarrior said:
My tofu/vege lasagna is always a hit, even among our meat-eating friends.
Click to expand...

They were being polite. :eek:
 
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