# Belly



## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

I have been working out for a while now. Mostly weights

Arms Good
Chest Good
Shoulders Good
Belly Houston we have a problem. My belly starts bulging out just below my sternum and stops just above my navel.
I have been slipping on my diet, but even when I was at my peak the old belly just stuck out there.
Any Ideas?
I do walk on the tread mill 25 minutes at 3.5 mph as well.


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## over20 (Nov 15, 2013)

What are you looking for?

You sound very attractive. From your posts you also sound very wise. Do not sweat the small stuff. What does your lovely wife think of your body?


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

over20 said:


> What are you looking for?
> 
> You sound very attractive. From your posts you also sound very wise. Do not sweat the small stuff. What does your lovely wife think of your body?


Meh. She could care less.


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## over20 (Nov 15, 2013)

Thound said:


> Meh. She could care less.


I don't think so..really though? If she loves you, she want's to have to have sex with you? A belly is really cute....


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

over20 said:


> I don't think so..really though? If she loves you, she want's to have to have sex with you? A belly is really cute....


That is the million dollar question. Does she love me? I doubt it. Maybe like an uncle or something. She has sex with me out of duty.


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## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

No beer, no soda! I'm sure there are other members here who can give you better advice but if you have well define musculature in your arms and shoulders, good teeth and a winning smile...your wife doesn't have much to complain about.

Thound, get yourself healthy for you my friend! Once you feel good about yourself, your wife's ambivalence won't affect you as much as it does. Most women I know, who all happen to be wives by the way, aren't nearly as put off by the old gut as they are by passivity...myself included.

What hobbies bring you passion? What are your activities that bring a spark to your eyes?


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## over20 (Nov 15, 2013)

Thound said:


> That is the million dollar question. Does she love me? I doubt it. Maybe like an uncle or something. She has sex with me out of duty.


What does that mean?


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## OhGeesh (Jan 5, 2010)

Diet, diet, diet, and unfortunately diet ;( as we grow older years of visceral fat deposit in our stomach.

That's why you stomach is fatter, but when you pinch it doesn't really feel that fat. It's because the fat isn't subcuataneous. 

Losing visceral fat is hard!! Super strict diet can usually do the trick!! 

Best of luck ...count calories, weigh food if you must, it's hard!


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## Caribbean Man (Jun 3, 2012)

Thound said:


> I have been working out for a while now. Mostly weights
> 
> Arms Good
> Chest Good
> ...


If you getting viable results on your arms , shoulders and chest that's ok.
What about legs and back?
Your legs and back are the largest muscles in your body. If you're not training them then your calorific burn would be less.
What kind of workouts do you do , full body , splits or body parts?
Also you mentioned 25 mins cardio on the mill @ 3.5 mph.

If you want to get your metabolism up and running , select 
" interval training " on the treadmill and use. 3.5 mph is too slow and it's constant . Your body is accustomed to it. In order to burn stubborn fat with cardio,you need do HIIT high intensity interval training. That would get your body into the fat burning zone.

Google HIIT cardio and you'll get more info.

Also Google " body type men" and you'll see the three basic templates , see which one your body fits into,you can go to this website :

Bodybuilding.com - Find A Plan - Bodybuilding.com

There you'll find excellent info on nutrition , proper workouts ,exactly how to burn stubborn fat ,and much more.
Select your age group ,and get yourself better organized.

Best wishes


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

Doing planks always works for me when my belly starts to pooch a bit. Side planks help the love handle area firm up too.

My tummy always looks amazing if I'm disciplined about my plank routine. It even gets the definition on the sides and top

My DH has a little tummy but I love his body. 

Our rule is,it's cute as long as it doesn't stick out further than your man parts


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## Jellybeans (Mar 8, 2011)

Do more cardio (aim for 45 minutes at least) and exercises that are good for the core: sit ups, pilates, etc.

Oh and if you want a trimmer belly, diet is everything. So you really do need to cut out any bad/processed/junk foods.


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## Married but Happy (Aug 13, 2013)

Diet is key, of course. Most exercise affects the belly fat last, it seems. We recently started doing Hip Hop Abs DVD Workout, and we've both lost a little in our waist measurement already.


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## JCD (Sep 2, 2012)

Try a paleo diet


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## Mr The Other (Feb 1, 2014)

We are talking about burning fat here. 

It will be diet and exercise. If you are drinking soda, cut it out completely (harder in the US, but do it). Skip deserts. 

Do not worry about carbohydrates (or Italians would be fatter than Americans), only cut out sugar.

Fat burning is the other side. You should start running, but not to burn the fat off. Run to get fit. Once you are fit, you can then burn the fat off. Once you can casually run 10km/6mile, you will have no trouble keeping fat off.


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## Wolf1974 (Feb 19, 2014)

Agree diet is important. Low carb to drop fat.

I have been lifting for years and encourage you to try core exercise , planks, dead lifts, and so on. Google if you're not sure.

Also don't skip leg day, lots of guys do and I have no idea why. Legs are your biggest muscle grouping that are like an oven burning fat way.

Also don't neglect back. I do to know if this is your particular situation but some people slouch why causes the stomach to protrude out. Lifting on your back muscles will improve your posture.

Good luck


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## jld (Dec 1, 2013)

Low-carb, low-fat, or portion control diets will all get you weight loss.

Ab exercises will get that gut down.

Good luck. Takes a lot of self-discipline -- hard for all of us.


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## JCD (Sep 2, 2012)

If anyone wonders why Americans are fat, look at the portion size in America vs. Italy for example and see why.

Our 'small' sodas (all you can drink and carry away with you) are the size of a ridiculously LARGE soda in other countries.

**

Here is a mental trick. Buy smaller plates. The plate looks fuller but the portions are smaller.

When you go to the fast food place, don't 'go large'. Go small. Small changes which will make a 500 calorie difference.

Here is what I do: I do heavy weight lifting and then go do cardio. You've burned off all the blood sugar in your hour lifting weights, and now any energy you have is coming from protein and fat.

So make sure you take a protein sup to restore your muscle and accept the fat burn.

If you do it the opposite way, you'll waste your blood sugar and not have the same efficiency in lifting.


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## Jellybeans (Mar 8, 2011)

JCD said:


> If anyone wonders why Americans are fat, look at the portion size in America vs. Italy for example and see why.


And the world over!

I ordered a large drink in London and what I got was probably what some would consider a small or medium in the US.

That's one of the reasons US has one of the highest obesity rates.


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## tulsy (Nov 30, 2012)

Abs are built in the kitchen, not just the gym.

I would seriously consider changes to your diet. 

Eat breakfast. Never skip this meal. Even if you're late, grab a black coffee and some oatmeal...get something in the tank, because you've been fasting for 6-8hrs, and you need to "break the fast", get it?

Eat a decent lunch. If you want carbs, like rice, noodles or pasta, bread, etc., lunch is the last time in your day that you should be eating them. None of that stuff for the rest of the day, so fuel up at lunch. Don't think you're helping yourself by eating a salad for lunch...if you are seriously exercising, your body needs fuel, and you DON'T want to be eating those carbs at night. Save the salad for evening meals, trust me...results city.

For dinner, eat salad with chicken or fish....or vegetables with chicken or fish....but no rice, or noddles, pasta, bread...NONE. The dinner plate should be a small plate....like, think cup and saucer? Between saucer and dinner plate size, but not a full dinner plate size. Make your own dressings for the salad, become friends with olive oil and vinegar, dill and garlic, onions and chives, etc.

If you are a snacker after dinner, have 1 small yogurt, maybe some almonds, green tea, berries, half an avocado, maybe some chick-peas...healthy stuff in reasonable portions.

NEVER drink pop. If you must, make it twice a year.

Don't add sugar to anything...ever.

If you drink beer, drink low carb/low calorie beer (ie: Michelobe Ultra is only 95cal, 2.5g of carbs...that's less that a cup of yogurt). 

Drink water, tea without sugar and no more than 3 black coffees a day.

In 1 week, I guarantee you'll see results in your belly. Stick with it and you'll get rid of your belly fat. I had the same problem, but those days are gone. From someone who has struggled in that area, I can honestly say this was the most significant change in my lifestyle and it had the most dramatic results in the shortest period of time.


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## Jellybeans (Mar 8, 2011)

tulsy said:


> Abs are built in the kitchen, not just the gym.


:iagree:

You can do all the exercise you want but if you eat poorly, it's not going to make a dent in your abs.


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks for all of the replies. I know Im going to have to change my dief. Cuting out all sugar will be the toughest.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Machiavelli (Feb 25, 2012)

Jellybeans said:


> :iagree:
> 
> You can do all the exercise you want but if you eat poorly, it's not going to make a dent in your abs.


:iagree: This is it right here. When you're trying to get rid of belly fat, it has to be the top priority in you life (almost). You have to have that mind set. 

You can't work it off by exercise, it's a diet thing, although HIIT may be able to help, see Caribbean Man's post above. However, you only do that a couple of times a week to raise your general metabolism, just as you pump iron to raise muscle mass and metabolism goes up as a byproduct. A ketogenic diet is best for getting rid of the gut. Atkins induction phase is one ketogenic diet. The Anabolic Diet is another. A less extreme diet is the Tim Ferris Slow Carb Diet and some people have been able to get very lean (ripped) on that diet.


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## HuggyBear (Aug 4, 2012)

Sounds like visceral fat is what he's talking about, and there ain't no muscles in there to work on... probably the hardest to get rid of, and often genetic.

I ain't going to recommend ANY diet... just something to ponder...

The fat inside of you is the same kind (most) people would trim from the meat they buy at the store. It's white, very hard when it's cold, and still stays solid at room temp and higher. It's saturated.
Contrast that with most vegetable oils. They're liquid, and when warm, run freely.

"Oils" and "fats"... both lipids, similar caloric content. Very different in fatty acid composition and physiologically active compounds. Think about cleaning... wipe an oil, smear a grease.

Of course, people need certain amounts of fat, and people actually need cholesterol, too (as our bodies require it, but do not produce it in sufficient amounts) for cell membranes as a steroid component.

Imagine if you "changed your oil" by using plant oils, and getting rid of as much animal fat as you could for a while.

Don't worry about caffeine or alcohol, especially if you've had the success you've achieved while using them. If your really concerned, check your BMI, and get a hydrostatic test. These are much more important than how you "look", because your just looking at a piece of glass with a metallic backing, or a two-dimensional, non-stereoscopic image. Hard data, not opinion or image are far more important to your health.


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## honeysuckle (Feb 23, 2014)

I have belly issues Mr honeysuckle replied " you are gorgeous as you are. I don't want some skinny bind under me with bones sticking out everywhere"


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

As others have said, abs come from the kitchen. You can do ab exercises all day long, but if you have fat covering the muscles, they will not be seen.

Aside from surgical intervention, there is no way to spot reduce fat. You have to burn it from everywhere. Now, the stomach area may be the last to hang on to it, but you have to burn it all over.

There has been some really good advice given above. What works for me at contest prep time is to go "relatively" low carb, do 2 days of low intensity steady state cardio and 2 days of high intensity interval training. Now, this was to get me to stage shape. You may not have to go that far. Just get the diet cleaned up and add HIIT training.


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

bbdad said:


> As others have said, abs come from the kitchen. You can do ab exercises all day long, but if you have fat covering the muscles, they will not be seen.
> 
> Aside from surgical intervention, there is no way to spot reduce fat. You have to burn it from everywhere. Now, the stomach area may be the last to hang on to it, but you have to burn it all over.
> 
> There has been some really good advice given above. What works for me at contest prep time is to go "relatively" low carb, do 2 days of low intensity steady state cardio and 2 days of high intensity interval training. Now, this was to get me to stage shape. You may not have to go that far. Just get the diet cleaned up and add HIIT training.


Yeah, they lost me when they said cut out sugar . But seriously I know what I have to do. Just need to manup and gitr done.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NobodySpecial (Nov 22, 2013)

ScarletBegonias said:


> Doing planks always works for me when my belly starts to pooch a bit. Side planks help the love handle area firm up too.


Spot reduction does not work. All core work will do is give him muscles under his layer of fat. He still needs to lose the fat.


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## ScarletBegonias (Jun 26, 2012)

NobodySpecial said:


> Spot reduction does not work. All core work will do is give him muscles under his layer of fat. He still needs to lose the fat.


I understand that.
Just throwing out another idea bc I figured it went without saying that the diet needs to be right and other exercises need to be utilized. I didn't think anyone was dim enough to take my post as saying planks will give the man a washboard tummy :scratchhead:


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## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

There is a water concoction that works. You wil have to look up the full recipe but off memory it's ginger, mint leaves and lemons. I swear it works when I tried it.


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## NobodySpecial (Nov 22, 2013)

ScarletBegonias said:


> I understand that.
> Just throwing out another idea bc I figured it went without saying that the diet needs to be right and other exercises need to be utilized. I didn't think anyone was dim enough to take my post as saying planks will give the man a washboard tummy :scratchhead:


You would be surprised how many people have No Idea that you can't spot reduce!


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## MaritimeGuy (Jul 28, 2012)

Spot reducing doesn't work but improving your posture through core work will help improve the look of your stomach. 

I think there's a lot of good advice being given. Improving your diet not only improves appearance but more importantly reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes and will generally leave you feeling better.


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

MaritimeGuy said:


> Spot reducing doesn't work but improving your posture through core work will help improve the look of your stomach.
> 
> I think there's a lot of good advice being given. Improving your diet not only improves appearance but more importantly reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes and will generally leave you feeling better.


So, are you saying I should abandon the Krispy Kreme Diet?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MaritimeGuy (Jul 28, 2012)

Sadly yes...


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## tulsy (Nov 30, 2012)

Thound said:


> So, are you saying I should abandon the Krispy Kreme Diet?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I realize this is a joke-comment, but in all honesty, you should never eat that crap. Not even once in a while...never. It's covered in sugar...total garbage.

Donuts in general should be avoided. Not worth it.

Don't even buy sugar. I realize it's often used when baking, but you can live without sweet baked stuff too. Plenty of sweetness in natural foods, like berries and fruits.


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## MaritimeGuy (Jul 28, 2012)

I used to think a calorie was a calorie but I've learned that is not the case. 

Calories in things like white bread and cake are converted to sugar very readily by the human body. Your brain requires glucose to work so it's very happy when you take in sugar and requests more. That's why you will find hidden sugars (high fructose corn syrup etc) in almost all processed foods. Just read the labels...you'd be amazed where sugar and sugar substitutes are found. Once you start consuming them it's like a drug addict taking in some of their drug...you can't stop. Obviously manufactures sell more when you can't stop stuffing your face. 

Take in your calories in the form of vegetables on the other hand and you will consume a large volume of food before you consume much in the way of calories. This will make you feel full. Also, your body burns calories just digesting high fiber foods so the net gain from eating 100 calories of brocoli is a lot less than the net gain of eating 100 calories of cake. You won't get the instant spike of glucose so you won't get the cravings either. 

Getting onto a healthy diet is a struggle in the beginning but once you do you actually start to look forward to the healthy food. Junk food will leave you feeling ill.


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

I dont know if its true or not, I have heard that cancer cells love sugar.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

Physiologically, why would cancer cells want sugar? Aren't cancer cells faster growing that non-cancerous cells? Therefore, won't they require greater glucose needs for ATP production via Krebs Cycle?

So, a basic understanding of physiology says that statement makes sense without much thinking further.


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

bbdad said:


> Physiologically, why would cancer cells want sugar? Aren't cancer cells faster growing that non-cancerous cells? Therefore, won't they require greater glucose needs for ATP production via Krebs Cycle?
> 
> So, a basic understanding of physiology says that statement makes sense without much thinking further.


Way over my head Hoss. All I know is when my dad had his PET scan they injected him with Glucose and his cancers cells lit up like a diamond in a goats ass.


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

Basically, cancer cells are like teenage boys..They grow fast and EAT!! So, they need lots of sugar for the energy to grow and multiply.


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## Thound (Jan 20, 2013)

bbdad said:


> Basically, cancer cells are like teenage boys..They grow fast and EAT!! So, they need lots of sugar for the energy to grow and multiply.


Now I understand that!


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## Mr The Other (Feb 1, 2014)

Thound said:


> I dont know if its true or not, I have heard that cancer cells love sugar.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


If you have cells growing quickly, they will mop up sugar. If you have cancer, then the cancer cells will be the cells that are growing quickly. 

If you have an hour and a half, this is a good discussion of sugar:
Sugar: The Bitter Truth - YouTube

It meets my own experience, that people might blame pasta and bread, but it was the soda, beer and cake that made them fat. I will make an exception for USA bread, which is as sweet as many European cakes. 

Being slim in the US is not easy and takes effort, time and money.


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## Middle of Everything (Feb 19, 2012)

Some people just aren't built to be cut. You can be in pretty damn good shape, could be VERY strong, and just not cut. People are different. Makes the world go round. Ever watch the NFL? All different kinds of builds. But all "manly" enough to play football professionally.

As long as you are trying and arent a 300lb soft blob? Good for you. And your wife should say the same.

If not having a full on six pack makes her not want you? My response to such a person would be "[email protected] you." I dont want someone that anything less than ideal is grounds for no attraction.


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## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

I don't agree with that. I have never seen a single person that can't get cut if they really dedicate to it. However, it takes dedication that 99% of the population is not willing to do.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

Carbs are sugar. Bread, cake, beer - it's all the same when it hits your metabolism. The key to fat loss is not a low fat diet. Fat is processed differently than carbohydrates by the body. One would think that eating fat would make a person fat, but that is not true. It is actually the carbohydrates that are turned into body fat.
I would actually recommend cutting out all sugar, most grains and not eat too much fruit, since it's high in fructose - a sugar.
How I have reduced my body fat greatly is to increase the amount of fat I eat, cut out most grains and eat a ton of vegetables. I used to eat steel cut oats with walnuts for breakfast every single morning. I quit that and replaced it with a green smoothie. I have quite a bit of information on green smoothies on my website. Here's one that might help Whatâ€™s a Green Smoothie and Why Would I Want One? | The Feminine Review: Homemaking, Family and the World . I have a ton of energy since I started drinking these. Here's list of smoothie articles and recipes from my site: Smoothie | The Feminine Review: Homemaking, Family and the World
Drinking green smoothies has literally changed my body.
Like everyone has said, it is the diet that will get rid of the fat, but the exercise will tone and strengthen your body. I exercise about six days a week usually and am in great shape at 50, but it is the diet that keeps me slim.
I don't believe in counting calories as a way to be healthy. I never count calories. I just make sure I'm getting enough fat and vegetables. I don't eat processed foods, so our meals are all cooked from scratch.


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## Mr The Other (Feb 1, 2014)

CynthiaDe said:


> Carbs are sugar. Bread, cake, beer - it's all the same when it hits your metabolism. The key to fat loss is not a low fat diet.....
> 
> . I don't eat processed foods, so our meals are all cooked from scratch.


Carbs are sugar, but then cellulose is a sugar and that is fibre. People get fat from cake and beer. Bread is the USA has enough sugar to count as being cake. 

However, the demonization of carbohydrates is over the top IMO. People have not got fat from pasta or bread without added sugar. Your body is pretty well set up for dealing with starch and glucose. However, sucrose/fructose and larger amounts of alcohol (i.e. enough to have an effect) are a different matter. Also, sugar (as in sucrose) and ethanol both lead to cravings with mean you take more calories on. In the case of sucrose (normal sugar), the craving is often mistaken for hunger.

Cooking from scratch is great advice. The diet you recommend, rich in a variety of nutrients, is also great advice as you will not be hungry on the basis of a single missing nutrient.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

I do not advocate a cutting out carbs and I wouldn't say that my diet is low carb, but the only grains I eat are rice and organic corn (most corn is gmo and I do not eat gmo foods). Cutting way back on grains has melted the fat away. I am never hungry, because I make sure I eat plenty of fat in all of my meals. I don't snack much. I have a huge green smoothie in the morning, with plenty of fat. For lunch I have meat, cheese or eggs with vegetables. For dinner I have meat, vegetables and a small grain portion. I do not believe in being hungry. I am not dieting. This is how I eat and I feel fabulous. And I'm thin, but not skinny.
I think the issue with carbs is that we are taught by the food pyramid to eat way more grains than we should. I have not cut out all grains. I eat brown rice pasta and non-gmo corn pasta in small quantities. I eat potatoes and other starchy vegetables. But I don't eat baked goods, even baked goods that are made to be "gluten free" as they are just made of starches. I do not eat anything with gluten in it, as I have a gluten sensitivity.
Yes, my diet is very high in nutrients and keeps me feeling energetic and satisfied.


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## gdtm0111 (Oct 15, 2012)

This is a great thread!

My issue is that I've been doing the P90X workout, but unable to stick to the Meal Plan.

I've gained muscle and 10 lbs which was my original goal. But my belly fat won't go away, so I'll follow what I read earlier.


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## Marduk (Jul 16, 2010)

gdtm0111 said:


> This is a great thread!
> 
> My issue is that I've been doing the P90X workout, but unable to stick to the Meal Plan.
> 
> I've gained muscle and 10 lbs which was my original goal. But my belly fat won't go away, so I'll follow what I read earlier.


My advice is to ignore the meal plan, it's pretty stupid. Workouts are great though.

What works for me is to get yourself a diet app, set it to lose 2lbs/week, put in your weight to have it calculate your base metabolism for you. Make sure you include workouts.

Then track all you eat.

Aim for 1/3 protein, 1/3 fat, and 1/3 carbs by calorie.

Stick with it a few weeks, it seems to take that long to take effect for me.

The bad thing for me is 1 day slip up = 1 week's work undone.


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## Cochise (May 8, 2014)

You can build other muscles through working out, but abs are made in the kitchen. Limit soda, coffee with sugar, sweet tea, and alcohol to once a week; and by once a week I mean on one day a week you can have one or all of those, not monday is soda day, teusday is beer... etc.

Also, what Wolf1974 said about carbs is true as well. If you really want to lose belly fat at the highest rate possible you need to drop your carbs to below 20g a day. Then your body will enter ketosis. This is super difficult to do since that pretty much means you can't eat bread, rice, potatoes, etc. or even drink milk; but if you do want to take that extra step it's very good. That's what I'm doing today actually. Contrary to what people used to think, it's ok to eat a lot of fat because your body burns it quickly, just make sure it's good fat like avocados, eggs, olive oil, or fish, and not stuff like fast food or doughnuts (I love doughnuts). Lastly, cut your salt intake as much as possible and be drinking water or green or herbal tea as often as you can.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

Cochise said:


> You can build other muscles through working out, but abs are made in the kitchen. Limit soda, coffee with sugar, sweet tea, and alcohol to once a week; and by once a week I mean on one day a week you can have one or all of those, not monday is soda day, teusday is beer... etc.
> 
> Also, what Wolf1974 said about carbs is true as well. If you really want to lose belly fat at the highest rate possible you need to drop your carbs to below 20g a day. Then your body will enter ketosis. This is super difficult to do since that pretty much means you can't eat bread, rice, potatoes, etc. or even drink milk; but if you do want to take that extra step it's very good. That's what I'm doing today actually. Contrary to what people used to think, it's ok to eat a lot of fat because your body burns it quickly, just make sure it's good fat like avocados, eggs, olive oil, or fish, and not stuff like fast food or doughnuts (I love doughnuts). Lastly, cut your salt intake as much as possible and be drinking water or green or herbal tea as often as you can.


This is pretty good advice, but I would not bother cutting salt, unless it means cutting out processed foods. In my household, we do not eat much processed or prepared foods, so our salt intake is low. My mother, who lives with us, actually had too low of salt and had to start salting her food. So for the average American, salt can be a problem, but if you are eating fresh, home prepared foods, rather than out of boxes, cans and bags, it is unlikely that your salt will be too high.
"Abs are made in the kitchen." You have to exercise to have a six pack, but it is true that diet will determine whether or not you can see that six pack. You don't want it covered up in a bunch of fat.


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## MSP (Feb 9, 2012)

Eat whole, unprocessed foods, and skip anything that comes pre-prepared (as much as is possible). Apart from anything else, the free glutamate content of these foods will make you gain weight and stop you from losing it quickly. 

Drop the dairy. No other whole food makes you gain weight faster than dairy. Wrestlers and body builders used to drink it to go up a weight class. In fact, there are still dairy-based diets for people looking to significantly gain weight (GOMAD, for instance). I put on a ton of weight with dairy, although I was actually looking to do so, because I was, at that point, underweight. Sadly, I also put on fat, even though I was working out a lot. I had never had a time in my life prior to this when I couldn't see clearly defined abs.


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## bkaydezz (Jul 9, 2012)

Thound said:


> I have been working out for a while now. Mostly weights
> 
> Arms Good
> Chest Good
> ...


hernia?


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## WellyVamp (Apr 26, 2013)

You can't out-exercise a poor diet, unfortunately. Cochise is right, abs are made in the kitchen. 

HIIT has been proven to reduce visceral fat, but only if you stick to the right diet. 

Maybe you are just that shape though. My fella has a little bit of a belly like that, but he's otherwise skinny. 

You can't really change your basic body shape. You can make the best of what you have. I also agree with the poster who said that some people aren't born to be ripped. It takes a huge amount of effort to get like that and it's not sustainable for a lot of people.


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## As'laDain (Nov 27, 2011)

i remember reading something a while ago that said that stress causes fat to be deposited around the belly. 

i cant remember all the details, but it basically said that when our bodies produce more cortisol, the hormone that prepares us for stress(and produced during stress) causes our bodies to deposit more fat around our bellies. 

so, the suggestion is to get better sleep and actively try to do things to make you feel more empowered. its testosterone that causes us(men) to feel more empowered, and it also causes us to produce less cortisol. which, in turn, means our bodies store less fat.


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## Machiavelli (Feb 25, 2012)

As'laDain said:


> i remember reading something a while ago that said that stress causes fat to be deposited around the belly.


That would be visceral belly fat as opposed to subcutaneous belly 
fat.


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## sinnister (Dec 5, 2010)

Wolf1974 said:


> Agree diet is important. Low carb to drop fat.
> 
> I have been lifting for years and encourage you to try core exercise , planks, dead lifts, and so on. Google if you're not sure.
> 
> ...


Caloric deficit. Eat less calories. There is no other way.


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## As'laDain (Nov 27, 2011)

Machiavelli said:


> That would be visceral belly fat as opposed to subcutaneous belly
> fat.


eh, maybe. im not completely convinced about any of it.


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## StayInIt (Jul 27, 2012)

Have you ever checked for this? 

Diastasis Rectus Abdominus


Perhaps you have an undiagnosed injury.


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## larry.gray (Feb 21, 2011)

Thound said:


> I dont know if its true or not, I have heard that cancer cells love sugar.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You pancreas doesn't like it. Forget the obesity epidemic in America and focus on the diabetic epidemic. It's rapidly becoming the biggest killer. 

We incorrectly focused on reducing fat and raised sugar in our diets. Fat _might_ be related to heart disease. But sugar is _certainly_ related to diabetes.


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## Stevenj (Mar 26, 2014)

Exercise To Reduce Belly Fat | How To Get Flat Abs Fast


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## Machiavelli (Feb 25, 2012)

larry.gray said:


> You pancreas doesn't like it. Forget the obesity epidemic in America and focus on the diabetic epidemic. It's rapidly becoming the biggest killer.
> 
> We incorrectly focused on reducing fat and raised sugar in our diets. Fat _might_ be related to heart disease. But sugar is _certainly_ related to diabetes.


The only fats that are connected with heart disease, at least among those paying attention, is the "heart healthy", as defined by the American Heart Association, fats in "vegetable oils." These seem to increase inflammation of the endothelium which leads to arterial plaque. Funny, ain't it? Then you find out the AHA was something that was stood up and running by Procter and Gamble to promote Crisco.


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## CanadianGuy (Jun 17, 2012)

Be ruthless in your kitchen and find all the things that contain liquid sugar. Don't eat that. That's sh*ts in ketchup. 

High intensity cardio works great for reducing belly fat. 

Try this 3 to 4 times a week. 

If you can do this without passing out, excellent. 

All exercises are high intensity for 30 secs each. In other words as hard as you can. No rest in between just keep going even if you feel like stopping. Stretch first. 

Jumping jacks.
Squat jacks
Mountain climbers
high knees ( chop arms while doing these ) 
Burpees ( down to full push up position and jump up ) 
tire jumps 

I would recommend doing these exercises once and rest for a minute and then do them another 2 or 3 times. 

Remember, high intensity. As hard as you can. 
Do this after muscle building exercises. 

Hope that works for you.


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## pidge70 (Jan 17, 2011)

sinnister said:


> Caloric deficit. Eat less calories. There is no other way.


Low carb has always worked for me.


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## rubpy3 (Nov 19, 2013)

Low carbs work short term - I'm on low carb diet right now. 

However, I simply don't believe in the long term health benefits of low carbs. Look around Asia and Europe, we have a lot of functional 80, 90 years old human - they can walk on their own, no need to carry oxygen tanks around, not wheel chair bound. They are not overweight, and they eat a low animal protein, high carbs diet all their life.

The amount of urea that the kidneys have to process from a low carb diet is staggering. Although I have not seen any concrete studies of kidney health for long term low carb diets, my simple brain simply says processing that much waste can not be good for kidney.


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## Machiavelli (Feb 25, 2012)

Don't confuse low carb with high protein, it's not necessarily the same thing. Also note that urea levels rise with fructose intake, leading to gout and other bad things. This is why the cyclic ketogenic diet is the way to go for so many people.


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## As'laDain (Nov 27, 2011)

CanadianGuy said:


> Be ruthless in your kitchen and find all the things that contain liquid sugar. Don't eat that. That's sh*ts in ketchup.
> 
> High intensity cardio works great for reducing belly fat.
> 
> ...



your one of the few i have seen who suggests a realistic introduction into cross-fit type workouts.

that little workout will make just about anyone puke, even me, and i have been doing it for years! but more importantly, i seriously doubt it could lead to exertional rhabdomyolysis. 

i wish someone would have told me about rhabdo before i got into it. i had no idea...


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## As'laDain (Nov 27, 2011)

im not convinced on any particular diet. i know all kinds of people who eat all kinds of different types of diets, and it always seems that diet is not the number one factor in their health. 

its almost always their lifestyle. i know people who eat like hummingbirds but live like sloths and are over weight and suffer a plethora of health problems in their 40s. i know others who eat like hummingbirds well into their 80s and still run five miles a day.


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## rubpy3 (Nov 19, 2013)

Machiavelli said:


> Don't confuse low carb with high protein, it's not necessarily the same thing. Also note that urea levels rise with fructose intake, leading to gout and other bad things. This is why the cyclic ketogenic diet is the way to go for so many people.


You got your carbs, proteins, and fats as 3 primary sources of energy. Unless you are just dialing back on the overall caloric intake for a net deficit compared to baseline diet, lower carbs would necessitate higher proteins / fats to obtain the same calories, no?


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## Marduk (Jul 16, 2010)

What works for me is tracking every calorie via an app on my phone, setting it to lose 2lbs/week, and aiming to come in just under it each day...

While supplementing wisely, and splitting my carbs, good fats, and protein evenly.


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## Forest (Mar 29, 2014)

CanadianGuy said:


> Be ruthless in your kitchen and find all the things that contain liquid sugar. Don't eat that. That's sh*ts in ketchup.
> 
> High intensity cardio works great for reducing belly fat.
> 
> ...


Good stuff here. No easy way out for the belly fat, you have to burn it away from aerobic activity if you want it gone. Exercising the muscles around the abdomen to increase tone and definition will make it look all the better once the fat is gone, but burning fat away means putting in the time running or doing some aerobic activity long enough to eat it away.

Resolve is the real key.

You'll get to a place where you are so smitten with yourself, your wife will be jealous, maybe.

Like others have said, watch that sugar! Learn to love salmon.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

Forest said:


> Good stuff here. No easy way out for the belly fat, you have to burn it away from aerobic activity if you want it gone. Exercising the muscles around the abdomen to increase tone and definition will make it look all the better once the fat is gone, but burning fat away means putting in the time running or doing some aerobic activity long enough to eat it away.


I lost belly fat from changing my eating habits. I don't do a lot of aerobic activity. I do exercise 4-6 days per week, but I haven't hit the treadmill in at least 6 months and I do not otherwise have an aerobic routine. My belly fat is almost gone simply from eating a ton of vegetables and cutting grains down to almost nothing. I have not cut out carbs. I eat fruit every morning in my smoothies and I eat potatoes and a bit of brown rice and organic corn pasta.
My abs are more toned than they've ever been, from the exercises, but they were toned while I still had more fat over them. Now that the fat is almost gone, they are more visible.
Getting rid of fat is all about what you eat and how much you eat of it.


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## As'laDain (Nov 27, 2011)

CynthiaDe said:


> Getting rid of fat is all about what you eat and how much you eat of it.


i wish i could agree with you, but i cant. i know people who eat terribly and yet have very little body fat. 

in fact, im one of them. the difference is that i often go for runs that last hours on end, often with a heavy pack on my back. others bike for hours on end.

others hike. 

we eat a diet that would freak most americans out. like, four classic tripples at wendys. in one sitting. common for me. 

or four double cheese burgers and fries. and a large soda. 

even my last first sergeant ate crap. he was 40 and never went a week without throwing the ruck on and spending saturday running trails as fast as he could. 

most people dont move enough to justify their diet. 

whats funny is that those i know who are overweight dont overeat. they eat far less than i do. about a fourth, so far as calories go. but they never MOVE. they never get out and go.


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## Cynthia (Jan 31, 2014)

As'laDain said:


> i wish i could agree with you, but i cant. i know people who eat terribly and yet have very little body fat.


Interesting. We have had a totally different experience and from the reading I do, it really comes down to diet. It sounds like you get a fair amount of fat and protein, which could be the reason.


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## SurpriseMyself (Nov 14, 2009)

Thound said:


> I have been working out for a while now. Mostly weights
> 
> Arms Good
> Chest Good
> ...


Your body has become accustomed to the walking you do, particularly at that slow pace. You will need to push yourself to burn the fat and change your belly. Harder aerobic and anaerobic exercise will get the job done.


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