Best way to reduce belly fat?

[:-)]

So I work out Mon/Tues and Thurs/Fri, a combination of resistance training and cardio (45 min jogging Tues and Thurs). Body fat in the region of 25% mostly on the belly. Any ideas on how further to kill that belly fat?

An example of my diet consists of:

08:00 - Breakfast:

Muesli with natural yoghurt and fresh chopped banana.

10:30 - Brunch:

2 x Chicken wraps with grated cheese, dollop of sour cream, salsa.
Protein shake

14:00 - Snack

2 x Chicken wraps.
Apple
Nuts

17:00 - Dinner

Turkey breast
Two baby potatoes
Broccoli

21:00

Protein shake.

 

[amazingswayze]

I'm trying to lose belly fat too. I'd say I'm at about 20 % right now. I don't know much so don't take my opinion too seriously. What I would say is that it seems like you're consuming a lot of calories. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less. It sucks to micromanage your diet and count calories, but it will take the guesswork out of your weight loss. What you should do is calculate your BMR. This is how much fat your metabolism burns naturally. Mine is 1900. If I want to lose weight at a decent pace, I have to consume 1400 calories a day. The thing about weight loss though, is that you can't target belly fat. You just have to burn fat. Period. Eat less but lift heavy so you maintain as much muscle mass as possible. Hope my insight helps! Good luck!

 

[Tictac]

Spot reducing does not work, that's just physiology. Diet can help body mass but not a particular part of your body.

If you want to reduce fat, cardio 30 minutes per session, 4 or more sessions per week will do it. Add to that some cardio cross-training (I run and row alternate days) and some basic weight training.

 

[AttackFormation]

1) HIIT is in short better for preserving muscle and losing fat than steady state cardio so I would do sprint intervals instead of jogging. Sprinting is also an effective way to work some of the posterior muscles of your lower body.

2) Eliminate the brunch, eliminate the chicken wraps from your snack, move the protein shake to the morning and add something to your breakfast that doesn't contain a ton of calories and is slow to digest so you feel sated and don't feel the need for a snack.

3) You can't "target" an area for weight loss without surgery.

4) If you ever feel the need for a cheat day or something, you will have to take it into account of your overall stream of energy in vs energy out. In clearer terms, don't think you can add snacks or beer on the weekends and have it affect nothing. You will have to be honest with yourself about how much you eat so you get a working plan.

5) Keep at it and see you on the beach

 

[Who Dares Win]

Cortisol inhibition greatly helps, I tried lean xtreme which is one of the most famous and without changing much in my diet and training, I got much more leaner (didnt reach a 10% bf) while still pushing hard.

Negative sides of lower cortisol is that it makes you sleepy and lazy and in some cases makes you feel pain in your joints, thats why I limited myself on 1 pill daily instead of the suggested 3.

Surely a clean diet and HIIT works but for those that have no patience or wanna be quick, its better to rely on the entire arsenal.

 

[Young OG]

All the advice given so far is pretty good. Another poster said to move the protein shake up. I don't eat after dinner. I would recommend doing the same. The evening is the worst time to eat because you will be going to bed soon.

After reading some of this, I think I need to start running on the treadmill. All my body fat is in my belly and I have been working my abs hard but I do not have a flat stomach. According to my scale, I only have 7.6% body fat right now. I want to be at 2% or less. Getting a flat stomach is not easy.

 

[:-)]

Ok. With regards to eating less my diet is pretty lean as it is. I am hitting 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (200 grams approx).

I am going to up the cardio so should be doing 3 runs per week. Most of the fat is around the belly. Arms and legs are well toned.

 

[Mr_Maximus]

calories burnt > calories consumed = weight / fat loss.

Work done = force x displacement. The more work you do the more muscle you will potentially build and the more fat you will potentially burn.

Eg, 3 sets of 10 reps of multi joint compound movements like squats, pull ups, clean and press, dead lifts, dumbell press with challenging weight for a combined work out time of 15 minutes is more work done than 45 minutes jogging on a tread mill.

You cannot target a specific body area, like the belly/waist to burn the fat just there. Fat is spread out across the whole body. For guys, it goes on to the belly/waist first and comes off from the belly/waist last. To see your six pack you have to reduce your overall body fat percentage. doing sit ups or crunches alone wont strip fat off the belly/waist area and make them visible if your body fat percentage is too high.

Stop eating foods high in simple carbs (white starchy food like pasta, bread, rice, pastries, biscuits) replace with wholemeal and eat in moderation. A portion is about the size of your fist. Don't consume sugars and junk food, that will get rid of the bloated look too.. If you have to cheat eat do it within 2 hours of finishing a hard work out.

Here is a simple workout routine that you can do.

25 wide pull ups.
50 push ups.
50 dead lifts with about 50 kg + olympic bar.
50 squats with 50kg + olympic bar
50 dumbell overhead presses.
25 barbell curls
25 triceps dips.
25 wide pull ups.

300 reps total.

Try to complete as fast as possible and try to constantly beat your best time. do 3 times per week with at least one day rest in between,

Introduce lean and clean diet. eat little and more often. Each meal should include some carbs, some fruit or veg and some protein.

In 3 months you will have a sexy athletic physic.

 

[:-)]

calories burnt > calories consumed = weight / fat loss.

Work done = force x displacement. The more work you do the more muscle you will potentially build and the more fat you will potentially burn.

Eg, 3 sets of 10 reps of multi joint compound movements like squats, clean and press, dead lifts, with challenging weight for a combined work out time of 15 minutes is more work done than 45 minutes jogging on a tread mill.

Here is my current workout:

Mon/Thurs:

Chest/Triceps: (3 x supersets)

Incline press ups 12-15 reps
Decline press ups to failure
Flat press ups to failure

Back/Biceps: (3 x supersets)

Forward grip pull ups 8-10 reps
Bent over rows 10-12 reps or to failure
Curls to failure

Tues/Fri:

Traps: (3 x supersets)

Shrugs 12-15 reps
Upright rows 12-15 reps

Shoulders: (3 x supersets)

Flies 10-12 reps or failure
Military press to failure
Bent over flies to failure

Legs:

45 minute jog
Weighted Squats 12-15 reps or failure
Weight free squats (supersetted) to failure

Weighted Calf raises

 

[marmel75]

the only thing that 100% will reduce abdominal fat is to increase your levels of testosterone.

 

[:-)]

I'm wondering if it's belly fat at all or just bloating from the whey protein shakes I'm consuming. I swear my belly protrudes more since taking them. I use Phd diet whey.

 

[Tenacity]

Can you post some pictures so we (or I at least) can see where you are right now? Also I would get rid of the Chicken Wraps just as a start, but post some pictures. Post a good 5-7 so we can get a good view. You can make a PhotoBucket album and copy/paste the link here.

 

[:-)]

Ok : http://s577.photobucket.com/user/Smileyface1000/library/Mobile Uploads?sort=3&page=1

I have to admit I am a sucker for late night crisps and kebabs on occasion.

 

[:-)]

Definitely 25% minimum BF.

My answer is very simple: less food, more exercise.

You accumulated the BF by eating more food and doing less exercise.

What you've outlined for your current diet and training is good, in my opinion. The key is to stick with it though.

Obviously you're just starting out. Give yourself 6 weeks. Again the key is to be consistent. Don't miss meals...and keep those meals clean...don't miss workouts. Weights and cardio. 3-4 days per week with weights...6-7 days per week on the treadmill, 45-60 minutes per day. Aim for a minimum 300 calories burned per treadmill session and you'll start seeing results. The more calories you burn, the quicker the results.

I would indulge in a weekly reward meal--anything you want to eat and drink, do it--but only once per week. I personally give myself a 2-3 hour window in which I'm free to indulge.

Ok nice one. We shall see what difference there is six weeks from now.

 

[AttackFormation]

Ok : http://s577.photobucket.com/user/Smileyface1000/library/Mobile Uploads?sort=3&page=1

I have to admit I am a sucker for late night crisps and kebabs on occasion.

1. As most people do you underestimate your BF. That's why I told you earlier to be honest with yourself about what you eat, it's not gonna work if you don't include the things you eat on occasion and fat people have a tendency to downplay the amount they eat.

2. You said earlier that your diet was slimmed down already. But evidently it is not, otherwise you would not be seeing this - so don't lie to yourself.

3. I personally don't agree with the advice of spending 45-60 minutes on the treadmill 6-7 days a week, because it is simply more effective to do HIIT for fat loss while maintaining muscle and 30 minutes of HIIT is less time than 45-60 minutes of SSC. Doing too much cardio can be stressful for your CNS in a negative way that breaks you down over time although the exact amount is certainly individual. Ultimately though what's most important is what you feel you can make a habit out of.

4. If you're going to indulge in reward meals, just remember that abstaining from food intake is much more efficient for causing fat loss than exercise. It's better to eat and exercise than to not eat and not have any energy to exercise, because obviously it's better to work out than not do so, but be mindful of how easy it is to eat more food than you are supposed to for the caloric deficit.

 

[:-)]

The diet i outlined above is the diet I am currently on. It is calculated as such in order to hit approx 1 gram of protein per pound in body weight with minimum carb intake. Perhaps the odd crisp on a weekend but strictly out of the question weekdays.

As for the cardio I jog 45 mins tues and fri But will add Sunday. Have I underestimated my bodyfat? In the region of 25%. Point is I feel fat when I walk. I can feel that blubber and it's got to the point where my belly protrudes even when I'm sucking it in! It's hard work walking around with your belly permanently sucked in.

 

[Tenacity]

Okay OP, allow me to lay it out for you buddy. These are my opinions and recommendations, but as I say you might need to try out a couple of different theories to see which one works for your body, desires, etc. But if I were YOU, this is what I would do:

To begin, I would forgot about the concept of reducing "belly fat" right now because your body is too overweight with too high of a fat percentage. I believe that in order to "show muscle" you have to be at a solid bodily base in order to do so. That means having low enough fat and having your weight in a generic proper "range" so that you can then lay into the weightlifting aspects so the muscles can tear down, repair, and grow larger, and you would be at the bodily base to SEE the muscles.

So, what would I do?


1.) The First 60 Days

* Only cardio, no weightlifting.

* Let the cardio be at least 25 - 30 minutes and I want Zone Training, and I want it 5 days per week in the morning on as little food as possible (empty stomach). I need Zone Training, not walking. Get on the Stairmaster, Treadmill, LifeCycle, or Bikes and just program it for Zone Training. I would use the LifeCycle. Get you an MP3 with some good, kick a.ss music that you love and that makes you want to take down the world. Listen to that shyt while you workout and you will FORGET you are working out, and will instead be focused on kicking a.ss.

* I want the eating plan to the point where you are consuming no more than 2,500 calories per day, I prefer the range of 2,000 - 2,300. And I would use intermittent fasting rather than the "eat a small meal every 3 hours rule". I would eat a moderate meal every 6 - 8 hours, the meal should have a baked meat source, veggie source, and fruit source, with at least 40 oz of water. Also one meal can just be a protein shake. Try to lay off a lot of BREAD, matter of fact, just eliminate BREAD.

* Get some supplements but they should only be the protein shake, a good men's multi-vitamin, omega 3 fish oil and green tea extract. I use ON Whey Gold Standard, Opti Men's Multi, Nature Made Fish Oil, and BB.com's Green Tea Extract. The Green Tea is an excellent tool to help curb food cravings and get you to take control over when you eat food.

* For these 60 days, you are going to do very little cheat meals. You would only do 1 every two weeks, or two a month. When you do a cheat meal, it's just a cheat "meal", it's not a pig out day.


2.) After The First 60 Days

* Your body fat and weight levels in general should have dropped all the way down. Take pictures and post them here to confirm this. You should be at Your Base and now can start laying out building muscle because you would be at the point where you (and the world) can SEE the muscles.

* Now we are going to take the Cardio sessions down to 3 days a week, still at Zone Training with 25 minutes per session. When you do the Cardio sessions, add in now doing Ab Exercises but try to focus on doing Ab Exercises that have a "weight" component tied to them. So it could be the Ab Curl machine at the gym, it could be doing leg lifts but having weights tied around the ankles, etc.

* You are going to also add in 3 muscle building sessions per week where you hit of course Chest, Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Back and Legs. Depending on your schedule, you might do "two-a-days" where you would do a Cardio session in the morning and then do the muscle building session later in the evening.

* Keep the eating plan and supplements the same, but you can add in one cheat meal a week now rather than just one cheat meal every two weeks.


3.) After Those 60 Days

Take another slide show, you should look totally different and have somewhat of a "leaned" appearance. At that point, you would just stay on the same plan and within another 45 days, you should be at the point where you could start showing some of your shirtless pics off to chicks. Also during this time you can now do 1 cheat meal every 4 or 5 days, which breaks down to (within a monthly cycle) 22 - 24 days where you eat the normal health based eating, and 6 - 8 days where there's a day when you consume a cheat meal. Again, no pig out cheat DAYS, just a moderate cheat meal.

Also note this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. This is not about "losing 10 pounds," or "losing 20 pounds," this is about getting to the body, health and fitness level you SHOULD BE and STAYING THERE.

 

[:-)]

^ Only cardio for 5 days a week with no weight training?

I can do that. I can jog 40 mins each morning. Ok 60 days from today is around 14th September. The next time I post picks in this thread will be on that date.

 

[Tenacity]

^ Only cardio for 5 days a week with no weight training?

I can do that. I can jog 40 mins each morning. Ok 60 days from today is around 14th September. The next time I post picks in this thread will be on that date.

Instead of jogging, use the LifeCycle so you can program it for Zone Training. Zone Training is where the resistance will increase, decrease, increase, decrease, etc. over the time period established. You just basically jogging won't be enough because it's way too easy for you to just slack off while doing it without putting in a lot of effort. Using the machine set at Zone Training, it will automatically cause you to "bust your a.ss".

Use the LifeCycle, the Stairmaster or the Treadmill with Zone Training. Also 25 - 30 minutes at max is all you will need with this. You are going to almost want to pass out after 15 - 20 minutes though, so I would use 25 minutes only as the final 5 - 10 minutes of the session would be you "pushing through". This is where your metabolism is going to increase and go back to fitness related levels.

 

[:-)]

^ Ok. You will hear from me next with pics on the 14th September. Not a day sooner.