Flatter stomach, please help

[SagaLore]

I weigh 190lbs. I started running on the treadmill every other day, and managed to lose a few lbs but not much more.

I carry my weight well. Except in one spot - I've got this unsightly belly now. I guess this is what happens after 5 years of marriage... 8 years ago, I was 130 lbs, and had a size 29 waist. Now its size 34.

If I could only change one thing it would be my stomach. So help me here. I know that doing crunches aren't going to cause my stomach to shrink, but what else can I do? What can I eat/drink that will help shrink my stomach do to any intestinal inflammation there might be?

You know the drill, typical atot plead for advice.

update:
I did some research concerning belly fat. I've been hearing a lot about cortisol, and this is a stress hormone that works with adrenaline. A few interesting facts I found out about it:

- cortisol production increases 160% within the first 30 minutes of waking up.
- caffeine increases cortisol production.
- cortisol converts energy into fat and stores it around the abdomen.
- if you consume caffeine just prior to exercise, it actually improves your ability to burn fat.

I also looked into greentea extract and research has shown it does help with metabolizing fat.

So basically I have come to the conclusion I need to stop drinking coffee. I will drink a decaffeinated grean tea through the day, and then just before my workout will drink some strong green tea (with the caffeine)... or maybe even a shot of espresso.

 

[Glavinsolo]

No beer, no bread, no pasta, no rice

 

[Kaido]

1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Abs are made in the kitchen.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Glavinsolo
No beer, no bread, no pasta, no rice

No rice? I thought brown rice would be beneficial...

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

Eat a lot of fruit and veggies for added sugar then. There are two guys I know, both of whom were grossly overweight, whose main change was to start eating lots of fruits and veggies (mostly veggies, come to think of it)...they slimmed down and look great now. I am a bigger fan of 5-6 small meals a day to keep energy up, but most people I know can't keep that schedule due to work or school.

 

[tfinch2]

Run, and not on the treadmill.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

Eat a lot of fruit and veggies for added sugar then. There are two guys I know, both of whom were grossly overweight, whose main change was to start eating lots of fruits and veggies (mostly veggies, come to think of it)...they slimmed down and look great now. I am a bigger fan of 5-6 small meals a day to keep energy up, but most people I know can't keep that schedule due to work or school.

if the op is serious about wanting nice abs ....he can forget about extra hours at the gym. It will come down to his diet and discipline.

 

[Injury]

Simple answer to most dietary questions:

COUNT CALORIES. Eat only your daily allowance of calories, follow it religiously, GIVE IT TIME. You aren't going to flatten your stomach in a week. Probably not a month. There's a good chance it might not be in two months.

My brother has been doing it for a year now.. he is 6 foot 1, was 220 (didn't look even the slightest bit overweight, really.) and now he's about 180, and formed very well. Little to no exercise.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
if the op is serious about wanting nice abs ....he can forget about extra hours at the gym. It will come down to his diet and discipline.

I don't even care about a six-pack, I just want the blub to go away.

 

[Crono]

Men typically store most of excess fat around the abdomen, so usually it's the hardest and last deposit of fat to go. I've been working out daily (not for the last 2 weeks though - finals) and have seen a big drop in belly fat after losing excess weight around my thighs. Usually I do about 15 - 20 minutes of stretching before and after working out (I use the Mayo clinic's online guide - it's great), recumbant bike for about 45 min to 1 hr at 21 mph, do some moderate weight lifting (20 lb curls), and, if I have time, train with my wood sword or bo staff. I haven't lost much in terms of poundage (maybe 5 lbs in the past 6 months) but there has been a drastic loss of fat.

So my advice would be to improve your diet by cutting back on saturated fats, increasing fruits and vegetables, eat 5 small meals a day (every 4-5 hours) instead of 3, drink plenty of water, go whole grain, and you should be good diet wise. For exercise, continue what you are doing, but kick it up to daily for treadmill (30 minutes min, but up to 1 hr if you're comfortable), and every other day lift weights and/or do other types of muscle strengthening exercises. You should see a gradual weight loss.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

Eat a lot of fruit and veggies for added sugar then. There are two guys I know, both of whom were grossly overweight, whose main change was to start eating lots of fruits and veggies (mostly veggies, come to think of it)...they slimmed down and look great now. I am a bigger fan of 5-6 small meals a day to keep energy up, but most people I know can't keep that schedule due to work or school.

if the op is serious about wanting nice abs ....he can forget about extra hours at the gym. It will come down to his diet and discipline.

I 100% agree. Most people I know talk big about exercising - and some do - but then they eat junk and wonder why they don't get anywhere. I'm no fitness king, but I do understand that the human body is simply a machine and if you want results you have to tailor your inputs to meet your requirements. It's all about what you put in and whether or not you decide to discipline yourself to eat well, exercise, and sleep well. I think that sleep is a highly underrated part of getting in shape and being healthy.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Run, and not on the treadmill.

:roll:

So I guess the 30 pounds I dropped using a treadmill and an exercise bike were fake pounds.

As for the OP, it's simply a matter of cardio. The first place that your body packs on the wieght is the last place that it gets rid of it. For men it's your gut. The only thing you can really do is dial in your diet and crank up your fat burning potential.

Spread out your calories over 5-6 small meals to keep your metabolism cranked. Start boosting your fiber intake (aim for 30+ grams a day), cut out bad carbs (sugars, non-whole wheat, beer), and bump up your protein intake.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
if the op is serious about wanting nice abs ....he can forget about extra hours at the gym. It will come down to his diet and discipline.

I don't even care about a six-pack, I just want the blub to go away.

Honestly we say these things, but 99.999999% of people's struggle is with discipline. It's hard to make even minor changes to our habits. Make sure you have a workout buddy or someone to check in with (may be your SO depending on how lazy/unlazy they are ). What is your diet like right now? What do you eat and when do you eat it? What time do you go to bed and how long do you sleep for?

 

[vi edit]

Oh, and nice abs are more genetics than anything. Even when I was running 60+ miles a week doing cross country in college and having single digit body fat, I still didn't have overly defined abs. I still had a little layer of fat there that just is part of my body. Some people can have them, some people can't.

You can get rid of the gut and the spare tire/love handles, but you can't necessarily define a 6 pack if your genetics aren't up to it.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim
if the op is serious about wanting nice abs ....he can forget about extra hours at the gym. It will come down to his diet and discipline.

I don't even care about a six-pack, I just want the blub to go away.

Honestly we say these things, but 99.999999% of people's struggle is with discipline. It's hard to make even minor changes to our habits. Make sure you have a workout buddy or someone to check in with (may be your SO depending on how lazy/unlazy they are ). What is your diet like right now? What do you eat and when do you eat it? What time do you go to bed and how long do you sleep for?

Yeah, some details would help

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: Crono
(I use the Mayo clinic's online guide - it's great

Link?

 

[psydancerqt]

my dad lost his belly from eating healthier and walking 2 miles on the treadmill every morning.

 

[chr6]

i find swimming works great for definition and weight loss

 

[SViper]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

QFT. You should break up the 3 meals into 6 smaller meals. Make sure your total calorie intake for the day doesn't increase with the 6 smaller meals.

Also, you should do tons of cardio. You will burn the most calories doing cardio. Swimming would be excellent if you have a pool you can exercise in.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Turin39789

Originally posted by: Crono
(I use the Mayo clinic's online guide - it's great

Link?

Here it is. They have some really good articles on that site. I use those stretches along with a mixed bag of tai chi, yoga, and pilates stretches that I've picked up from various places.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Run, and not on the treadmill.

:roll:

So I guess the 30 pounds I dropped using a treadmill and an exercise bike were fake pounds.

As for the OP, it's simply a matter of cardio. The first place that your body packs on the wieght is the last place that it gets rid of it. For men it's your gut. The only thing you can really do is dial in your diet and crank up your fat burning potential.

Spread out your calories over 5-6 small meals to keep your metabolism cranked. Start boosting your fiber intake (aim for 30+ grams a day), cut out bad carbs (sugars, non-whole wheat, beer), and bump up your protein intake.

I never said treadmill wasn't good, but the OP is looking for more. A treadmill and stationary bike can not replicate 100% doing the real thing, like hills, rough terrain, etc which make you work harder.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: SViper

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

QFT. You should break up the 3 meals into 6 smaller meals. Make sure your total calorie intake for the day doesn't increase with the 6 smaller meals.

Also, you should do tons of cardio. You will burn the most calories doing cardio. Swimming would be excellent if you have a pool you can exercise in.

only if you dont care about muscle loss.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: SViper

Originally posted by: IcebergSlim

Originally posted by: Kaido
1. Go to bed before 10pm
2. Eat 3 healthy meals every day, lots of water, no sugar/smoking/drugs/caffiene
3. Exercise 5 days a week, throw in crunches, pushups, etc.

Check back in with us in 6 months

not very good advice. 3 meals may not be enough to boost his metabolism. your body needs sugar.

QFT. You should break up the 3 meals into 6 smaller meals. Make sure your total calorie intake for the day doesn't increase with the 6 smaller meals.

Also, you should do tons of cardio. You will burn the most calories doing cardio. Swimming would be excellent if you have a pool you can exercise in.

only if you dont care about muscle loss.

You won't have muscle loss by swimming. Training in a pool is one of those things that can be anaerobic and aerobic at the same time. Granted, you won't gain as much muscle compared to simply lifting weights (unless you use those aquatic weights), but because water is heavier than air, it requires more effort to move around.