Long term dieet only way to get rid of stomach fat?

[GhostFighter]

Ive read somewhere that the fat on ur belly is the last to go so does this mean u have to dieet for a long time (withouth going in starving mode ofcourse) in order to get rid of the love handles?

[mr_obvious]

Rule #1 of fat weight loss: there is no such thing as spot reduction.

Rule #2: you don't have to starve yourself, or even go hungry to lose weight. Through proper eating (I call it fueling strategy) your body recalibrates it's internal hunger pang threshold setpoint.

What this means, is that no matter how much you target a given area (with crunches, for instance) it won't matter. Your body burns fat from it's source of least resistance. The catch is, that source varies from person-to-person. It may very well be your belly, or it may not. In theory, a person could do 100,000 crunches everyday, lose their butt, and have nothing come off their belly. Their internal wiring "said I'm buring a ton of calories, where Should I take em? The butt....."

The universally accepted, and most healthy way to trim up, is moderate to intense cardio 3-5 times a week; and resistance training to maintain / augment muscle mass. All various depending on what and how you train in MAs, of course.

Also, make sure you get plenty of high-quality lean protein (with the sole exception of Salmon, which is high in Omega-3 fatty acids), veggies and complex carbos. And keep your calorie intake in a slight deficit everyday.

For instance -- in the last 10 months, I've dropped a net 65lbs (offset by ~20lbs muscle gain) by following the above diet and exercise schedule. And I am a card-carrying member of the big-butt, big-gut fanclub; so I know where you're coming from. True.....it's the last thing to come off; but if you look at it from strictly a BMI perspective -- it's all fat, and it will all go away if you stick to it.

[Jay]

Rule #1 of fat weight loss: there is no such thing as spot reduction.

Rule #2: you don't have to starve yourself, or even go hungry to lose weight. Through proper eating (I call it fueling strategy) your body recalibrates it's internal hunger pang threshold setpoint.

What this means, is that no matter how much you target a given area (with crunches, for instance) it won't matter. Your body burns fat from it's source of least resistance. The catch is, that source varies from person-to-person. It may very well be your belly, or it may not. In theory, a person could do 100,000 crunches everyday, lose their butt, and have nothing come off their belly. Their internal wiring "said I'm buring a ton of calories, where Should I take em? The butt....."

The universally accepted, and most healthy way to trim up, is moderate to intense cardio 3-5 times a week; and resistance training to maintain / augment muscle mass. All various depending on what and how you train in MAs, of course.

Also, make sure you get plenty of high-quality lean protein (with the sole exception of Salmon, which is high in Omega-3 fatty acids), veggies and complex carbos. And keep your calorie intake in a slight deficit everyday.

For instance -- in the last 10 months, I've dropped a net 65lbs (offset by ~20lbs muscle gain) by following the above diet and exercise schedule. And I am a card-carrying member of the big-butt, big-gut fanclub; so I know where you're coming from. True.....it's the last thing to come off; but if you look at it from strictly a BMI perspective -- it's all fat, and it will all go away if you stick to it.

Very Good Points

I will just add a few things.

You need to work out you basic metabolic rate (this can be done on the net) and then subtract 500 calories in order to lose weight or add 500 to add weight.

Cardio is not the only way of loosing weight. Weight training will work due to the burning of excess calories just like running.

Weight training has a benefit over cardio as well. It improves your strength which will give you more muscle. More muscle means more calories being burnt when your not doing anything. This is good. You are burning fat when you are not doing exercise.

If you are going to do cardio do HIIT or Tabata(Google them if you not sure there is lots of info) . Much more effective than steady state mainly because it keeps you heart rate higher.

Sufficient Sleep Is very important there have been several studies that show that most overweight people don't get enough sleep.

Also eating complex carbs instead of simple ones is better.

Protein is a big subject. You need roughly 2g per lb of body weight. This helps add muscle which as we know reduces fat. 2g may be a little excessive so just aim for what you feel is right.

If weight training 3 times a week should be sufficient.

Running I would do everyday. Skipping is also amazing and will improve your martial art footwork. Cycling everyday as well.

Even if you cannot do more than 20mins when you do that everyday it all ads up and in a month you will really feel the difference.

Also you are quite correct for men the last fat to go is on your belly.

[hx35543]

First off, don't diet. Change the way you eat. As weird as it sounds, it helps not to think of it as dieting. Eat healthier. Eating baked, broiled, or boiled instead of fried is a good start. Less simple sugars and empty calories from potato chips or soft drinks. Eating 5 or 6 small meals during the day also helps instead or three big ones. It helps keep away the hunger and keeps your metabolism on the move burning calories.

And don't get hung up on the calorie issue so much that you feel you can't have that slice of pizza or Big Mac. The best thing you can do is keep your calories on a roller coaster. Don't stay at, say 1500 calories all the time. Stay there for a few days and then go to 1800 then 1600 then 1400. Or something like that. Keep your metabolism guessing. Staying at one caloric intake for too long can make you plateau and stop losing altogether. Stay strict during the week and fudge a little on the weekend. It won't hurt.

Mr. Obvious is right. No such thing as SPOT REDUCTION. It doesn't work that way. Muscle burns fat. Bottom line. Not telling you to be a bodybuilder but the more you have the easier it is to lose fat. A combination of cardio and weight training is best. You can combine the two with circuit training. And, unfortunately, you won't take it off as quickly as you put it on.

[joesteph]

Ive read somewhere that the fat on ur belly is the last to go so does this mean u have to dieet for a long time (withouth going in starving mode ofcourse) in order to get rid of the love handles?

Not only genetics, but age enters in as a factor, GhostFighter. During middle age, it's natural for weight to redistribute. Your metabolism also slows with age, depending on where you are in time (early middle age, later, senior citizen, elderly). Males tend to collect body fat around the middle; females tend to collect it at the hips and thighs; these are the first places it seems to collect and the last places it seems to leave.

I weight trained with free weights and cables from my thirties to my fifties. Weight training burns calories; muscle mass burns calories; no matter what I did right, the fat collected around the abdomen and love handles (whoever thought of that term was in denial) during my late forties and into my fifties.

When weight training stopped, my eating remained the same. At 5'6" tall, I soon enough weighed 191 and had a 41" waistline, so I went for liposuction. I'm not advocating it for everyone in his/her forties or fifties; it's each individual's decision, and I chose it for myself.

It took eight weeks to recover, so there went the summer, but though I lost only eleven pounds, dropping to 180, I also lost 4" off my waistline, to a more acceptable 37". That was in '06, at age 54, and I'm glad I did it. My weight today at 58 years old is 172 (I try to keep it between 170 and 175lbs), and my waistline is just under 36". The biggest weight-gainer for me comes from pastry, and I not only want to avoid the larger waistline, I want to avoid Type 2 ("adult-onset") diabetes. My New Year's Resolution to cut out the sweets has been holding up well.

Diet, exercise, gender, and age all play a part.

[WireFrame]

Brilliant info everyone. I've nothing to add Im just going to try and use some of it myself.

[GeoGiant]

I may be straying from the topic a little but Jay's comment jumped out at me, "Skipping is also amazing and will improve your martial art footwork".

Has anyone used skipping for their cardo workout? My knees take a beating and skipping seems like it would strengthen the stablizing muscles in the legs. When you skip do you focus on just moving forward or is more of a bouncing up & down type skip movement? How far / long do you skip? Would I be required to carry a basket? (ok, that was a joke. I couldn't resist ).

[KarateGeorge]

Great responses everybody! Definitely good advice. There's not really much I can add that hasn't already been said. But I will say this: When working to lose weight, always remember, the weight didn't appear over night, it won't disappear overnight. With proper diet and exercise, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can shed those pounds, but at the same time, it is still a process and will take time. A healthy weight loss rate is generally considered to be no more than a few pounds a week. Just be patient and stick to your goals, you'll get there.

Lastly, for any exercise program you begin, always try to find things you enjoy. The best way to stick with it is to be doing something you're having fun doing. The best way to ensure you won't stick with something very long is to do something you hate doing.