Declaring War on my Midsection

[DJ Logic]

I been working out for about 3 months now. Lost 20 lbs already and could not be happier with my progress.

Actually that is a lie, there is one area that needs big improvement and that is my lower abs and what's left of these love handles. No matter what I do these stubborn fat cells just hang around ruining my perfect "V" shape.

Has anyone here defeated the stubborn midsection fat? I could really use some pointers. I only know of one person who got over this hump and he told me the key is bursts of high-intensity workouts in the morning on an empty stomach (think sprinting as opposed to jogging) He's a health nut studying to be a doctor and says the key is to burn fat while increasing metabolic rate.

Problem is that I have tried this on multiple occasions and I get the worst migraine and ma pretty much useless for the rest of my day. My friend didnt offer much help aside from "man up". Maybe he does have a point, no pain no gain and all. I'd just like to do this without killing myself!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[MikeBrown30]

Look up the Carb Nite solution, or dangerouslyhardcore.com

 

[marmel75]

I am workng on the same issues, and I can give you some tips:

1) You likely have high cortisol levels. Fat that accumulates around the midsection is usually indicative of a higher than normal cortisol level, aka stress hormone. While cortisol is necessary for our body, having a level that is chronically too high leads to fat storage, especially in the midsection that is hard to get rid of without addressing this issue. 3 doses of 1000mg of Vitamin C(upon waking, before training, before bed), phosphatidylserine(200mg twice a day), and holy basil are all good to lower cortisol levels. Also getting enough sleep is very important as lack of sleep is considered a major stressor for the body. Drinking water while doing cardio ensures cortisol levels don't rise, and drinking a shake with fast acting carbs 30 minutes into a lifting session ensures cortisol is kept at bay due to glucose being in the body. Be careful not to start drinkinh thus too early in the workout as it will blunt the release of growth hormone. Oolong tea is another great way to lower cortisol...drink 3 cups a day of loose leaf oolong(no tea bags). Finally meditation has been shown to slash cortisol levels by up to 50% while also increasing growth hormone and testosterone release.

2) You do not utilize insulin well, and are likely somewhat to very insulin resistant. It has been theorized that people who accumulate abdominal fat show they do not handle glucose well. Actually this goes hand in hand with point 1 as cortisol plays a role in glu ose metabolism and fat storage as well. NEVER eat carbs and fat together as it encourages your body to store the fat due to insulin being present. In fact never eat fat within 4 hours of eating carbs as they take longer to digest and can still be present in the body. Cinnamon(1/4 teaspoon twice daily), R-ALA, and bitter melon all help with glucose storage. Cinnamon makes the body up to 20 times more sensitive to insulin, and bitter melon actually pushes the glucose receptor from the middle of the cell up to the top whete it better absorbs glucose as well. Bitter melon also short circuits fat storage by inhibiting 2 proteins that are very important inside fat cells---PPAR-Gamma which tells the fat cells when to store fat and Perilipase which acts as a vesicle to hold the fat.

Also watch caffeine intake as this extends the half-life of cortisol pretty significantly, so it can make a bad sutuation worse...

 

[Taistelukalkkuna]

I am workng on the same issues, and I can give you some tips:

Also watch caffeine intake as this extends the half-life of cortisol pretty significantly, so it can make a bad sutuation worse...

That is interesting info, since where I lift they give free coffee. Also I´m trying to give up Pepsi. (My one weakness)

 

[Quiksilver]

No problem, just slowly transition to tea.

I dont see the problem with caffeine though... As long as I'm in a caloric deficit, doing a little HIIT and a good amount of low intensity (HR 130bpm) cardio--and ofcourse training hard with the iron--then I seem to have no problem shedding lbs of bodyfat.

What affect cortisol has or doesn't have, I don't know and can't distinguish any appreciable affects.

 

[Quiksilver]

I am workng on the same issues, and I can give you some tips:

1) You likely have high cortisol levels. Fat that accumulates around the midsection is usually indicative of a higher than normal cortisol level, aka stress hormone. While cortisol is necessary for our body, having a level that is chronically too high leads to fat storage, especially in the midsection that is hard to get rid of without addressing this issue. 3 doses of 1000mg of Vitamin C(upon waking, before training, before bed), phosphatidylserine(200mg twice a day), and holy basil are all good to lower cortisol levels. Also getting enough sleep is very important as lack of sleep is considered a major stressor for the body. Drinking water while doing cardio ensures cortisol levels don't rise, and drinking a shake with fast acting carbs 30 minutes into a lifting session ensures cortisol is kept at bay due to glucose being in the body. Be careful not to start drinkinh thus too early in the workout as it will blunt the release of growth hormone. Oolong tea is another great way to lower cortisol...drink 3 cups a day of loose leaf oolong(no tea bags). Finally meditation has been shown to slash cortisol levels by up to 50% while also increasing growth hormone and testosterone release.

2) You do not utilize insulin well, and are likely somewhat to very insulin resistant. It has been theorized that people who accumulate abdominal fat show they do not handle glucose well. Actually this goes hand in hand with point 1 as cortisol plays a role in glu ose metabolism and fat storage as well. NEVER eat carbs and fat together as it encourages your body to store the fat due to insulin being present. In fact never eat fat within 4 hours of eating carbs as they take longer to digest and can still be present in the body. Cinnamon(1/4 teaspoon twice daily), R-ALA, and bitter melon all help with glucose storage. Cinnamon makes the body up to 20 times more sensitive to insulin, and bitter melon actually pushes the glucose receptor from the middle of the cell up to the top whete it better absorbs glucose as well. Bitter melon also short circuits fat storage by inhibiting 2 proteins that are very important inside fat cells---PPAR-Gamma which tells the fat cells when to store fat and Perilipase which acts as a vesicle to hold the fat.

Also watch caffeine intake as this extends the half-life of cortisol pretty significantly, so it can make a bad sutuation worse...

1) Yes this is true, but if you are 20% bodyfat and have a fat midsection, it is different than being 10-12% bodyfat and having a fat midsection.

To determine adipose storage sites in relation to hormone and other physiological factors, one has to be relatively lean to begin with, in the 8-12% range.

People at 25% bodyfat worrying about estrogen because they have manboobs, would be best served by dieting/cutting to 10% bodyfat and then observing where their primary adipose storage sites are.

2) Can you please cite your source for this riveting information re: eating carbs & fats together = fat gain?

I'll give cinnamon a try for the next few months and see if it changes anything.

Right now my macros are roughly:

250-300g proteins (chicken, lean beef, egg whites, tuna, whey)
50-60g fats (egg yolk, coconut oil, fish oil, trace fats)
90-110g carbs (oats, maple syrup or bee honey, apple, orange, banana)

other: lemon, spinach, broccoli, onion, garlic, tea, coffee, BCAA.

Aiming for 1800-2200 calories per day.

Weight training 4-5 hours per week.

And 6-8 hours of low intensity (HR 130bpm) cardio each week.

Losing some bodyfat for the next few months.

------

Are you saying I'll have less-than-optimal body composition if I consume my fruit right around when I eat my eggs/beef and coconut oil/fish oil?

 

[marmel75]

Quiksilver, not sure what your weight is, but I would recommend upping fat intake(especially olive oil and coconut oil as they both have strong T boosting effects and slimming effects), and dropping protein/carbs slightly to stay at same caloric intake... Protein at 1.5 g per lb of LBM, carbs at .5g per lb of LBM and the rest fat.

Regarding carbs+fat make you fat, John Romaniello(Fat Loss Forever and Super Hero Workout) , Ben Pakulski(MI40 and 4th place finisher in Arnold Classic this year), Elliot Hulse(Lean hybrid muscle and lean hybrid muscle reloaded as well as Strength Camp trauner) and the legendary Vince Gironda(father of modern bodybuilding) all talk about this. Ben Pakulski goes so far as to say there is never a reason to eat carbs and fat together ever...

 

[Nik TPT]

There is no short way of doing it. If you want to lose more weight then you have to remain dedicated and consistent with your diet. If you don't then you will lose everything.

 

[d!ckmojo]

Another way you could experiment if you were feeling adventurous is Intermittent fasting. www.leangains.com and www.eatstopeat.com are both good resources.

 

[DJ Logic]

Thanks a lot for all this great info guys. I've made some solid progress (dropped another 15 pounds and down to 8% body fat) I am pretty much where I want to be now.

My doctor friend was right. Nothing burned the fat off better than early morning , high impact training on an empty stomach. I managed to get over the headaches by juicing a whole grapefruit with some ginger after my sprints. I discovered this totally by accident, and upon further research discovered that grapefruit is a proven fat burner due to combination of soluble fiber and bromelain protein dissolver. Taste is acquired but it's grown on me.

@marmel75 and Espi

Thanks for that analysis. As a result I have been making sure to get at least 7 hours of solid sleep and that has really helped me, not just with my physique but my mind overall is a lot sharper. I've also radically cut back on high-glucose foods. I still eat some fruit and the occasional potato, but now the bulk of my diet is vegetables, lean meats, seeds and whole grains (in that order).

Feels really good to finally reach my goal of sporting a 6-pack. I am amazed at how fast the body responds when you do the right thing.

Thanks again for sharing fellas - it was very helpful