fat midsection reduction

I'm 5'10" and was at your weight at around 185. I had the same problem as my weight stayed in the midsection as my arms and legs showed no weight. The only time anyone noticed it was when I took off my shirt but if I had clothes on, it would be very hard to notice I had any problems in the mid section.

That said, I am now around 165. It took me a long time, may be around 2 years of training and though I still gain most of my weight in the mid section, I can see a 2 pack now.

What I did, and not necessarily will work for you is:

1. Watch the carbs.
2. Eliminate weight training completely. Used swimming to tone my upper body as a substitute to weight training. This would help you tremendously, as you would add 30-45 minutes per training session doing cardio and would help you still maintain your muscle.
3. Bought an exercise ball and sit on it while I watch TV at night. This helped build my core while doing something, I would have been doing sitting on the couch.
4. Bring an exercise ball to work and sit on it once in a while. Just tuck it under the desk when you don't use it.
5. Eliminated biking and concentrated mainly on running. I noticed if I run, I sweat a lot more, and burn alot more calories than biking. As I got closer to my races, then added biking, but pretty much used running and swimming as my cardio.

I think you're almost there. Like you said, 10-15lbs and I think you will really notice a difference. You're at the hump that's the hardest to get over because you are so close.

Again, this is what I did to help me. May not work for you, but I think it will.

Good luck.

MAN you hit it on the head for me. Even though at 6' 235#, I have been checked at <11% BF but still flab on the sides. May not have much fat left but its all in one place. BTW I am built more like a Bodybuilder then a triathelete but the wife is okay with that

At 48 yo is there anything I / we can do? I am hoping someone else has gone through this before and can share some wisdom.

FINALLY!!! I hate wt training and I love swimming!!! I think the key to slim down the midsection is lots of cardio. Once you get down to your goal weight (%bf) then move to weight for definition.

I'll echo Auto here... It will come, but it will come last.

I'm the same height as you, and went from 250 or so back to 175ish. The last 10 pounds have all been around the waist. I still have about 8-10 to go (over the next 6-8 months), and I think it may continue.

I'll probably always have some extra skin around the waist, but it's actually getting really manageable.

Give it time, and keep the faith. You can't lose in specific places, but you can gain. I'll take a slight exception with the weight work for that reason. If you're feeling 'belly heavy', build those pecs, lats and triceps - weights and swimming both work well. Build muscle around the fat you have left, and you'll be losing fat as you do it.

FWIW, my before and after/during pics are here. Coincidentally, inspired by all the beautiful belly pics around these days, I just put up a bare-chested pic earlier this morning.

Remember, every day you define who you want to be.

-Josh

Not sure if this will help, but I've started doing an abs class at my gym that has done amazing things for me.  I think most gyms have something like this....at mine it's 25 min. long and all focused on different ab stuff.  It's helped me out a lot because it's given me so many more options besides just sit-ups to work my abs, as well as professional advice on how to get rid of the fat there.  I have A LOT more weight left to lose then you do so it may be different for you, but I have been absolutely shocked at the change after just a few weeks of going!  I can actually feel muscle in that area now and it was like I literally lost a pants size overnight!  Maybe look in to something like that....at least for a time or two to get some ideas for things to do on your own.  I asked the teacher some of my specific questions after the class and she was awesome about helping me out.  Good luck! 

I can say it's somewhat calming to hear that I'm not the only one with this problem. A few years back I was about 40 pounds heavier. Part of what is frustrating is that I am only 26 - I feel like it should be easier at this age to work off some of this weight. I have read a lot about metabolism slowing as we age and difficulty putting on lean muscle (although I have to admit there are some older adults at the gym who not only impress me but put me to shame sometimes!).

I have upped my swimming recently and am noticing some slow but good changes in my body. Doing cardio machines seems to do little anymore - I've spent far too many hours on ellipticals anyways. Increasing my weights seems to be controversial (both from what I read here and from what I have read elsewhere). I have noticed great positive changes as I increased my strength training. At the same time, my goal is to become smaller, leaner - you know, faster I fear if I do too much, I will grow big (and just keep increasing in weight or perhaps even more frustrating - stay the same despite all this work!!) yet it's hard to give it up given the positive changes I see. I know I should focus on body fat %, but there's something psychologically rewarding about coming down in weight. My BMI (although I know this isn't a truly accurate measure of health) still puts me @ slightly overweight @ my h/w, and I don't have a body fat % scale/device.

I think most embarrassing is my chest - I still have flab hanging off my pecs/chest which makes me look like a chubby kid when I go to swim. THAT is what I'd truly like to lose - I can live with a little pudge on my stomach.

The only way to reduce the fat on your midsection and chest is to reduce your overall bodyfat. On a male, the midsection will typically be that last pocket of fat to disappear.

Yeah, unfortunately it is first in, last out with fat gain.  Dudes gain around the bellybutton first usually, so that is your last 5-10 pounds that almost never goes away.   Your body is going to burn the little 1/8 inch you have everywhere else and save the 2-3 inches on your gut for a rainy day.   You are just going to have to bust your arse to lose the last of the gut.    I have lost 50 overall and have almost no fat anywhere but my stomach.   It is SLOWLY going away and I think in another year I might see a can or two of my six pack.   Just keep working and be paitent.  

 

 

Edited by tkbslc 2007-06-20 9:13 PM

Count me in also folks! I am 35, 6' 1". Went from 280 lbs last July to 193 lbs, BF% going from 32% to 11.5%.

And now the last battle begins. The abs and the belly. Yes, the overall reduction of BF did have impacts there also, but I want it out! Starting swimming next week (finally) and looking forward to the impacts it will have on my body.

OMG, I can't even believe I am talking like that!! I use to be the COUCH KING!!

90ish pounds eh?  That's awsome!!! Congrats on the hard work and accomplishment.

No advice here, just encouragement. Keep up the great work and be patient. You'll get it. If it was easy everyone would not have midsection fat problems.

Edited by mazdageek 2007-06-21 10:45 PM

Thanks for that. Actually, it's 88.5 lbs thus far, but I rounded it up!

I am coming up on the one year anniversary (July 18th) and thinking how I am going to celebrate that.

Glad to know Im not the only one with this problem. My weight/BF is finally starting to drop. I was stuck at 200 for about a year and finally had to start choosing healthier options. I use honey or splenda instead of sugar. Reduced or no fat everything. I think its starting to make a difference.

Dirt!! As a kid, a neighborhood mom used to make that for us. I loved it, but never really find anyone who has a recipe...care to share, Josh?

Back on topic...congrats to everyone with a great weightloss story. Keep up the training.

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GO GATORS!

I am new to tri training, but not to weight loss or the dreaded midsection problem. I have been pretty fit most of my adult life (child and ten year were a completely different story), mainly from cross training (weights and cardio). I wanted to reply to this post because I think some people are confused regarding midsection fat. At 22 I was 169 lbs and had only 8.5% body fat. Even at that weight I had love handles and could only just make out abs. I was really concerned about it at the time (almost to the point of developing a complex) so I stared to do a lot of reading on nutrition, body composition and what not. I also spoke with a coupled of Docs, three or for nutritionists and a whole bunch of trainers from my local gym. Basically what I learned is this. Of the three body types (Endomoprh, Mesomorph, endomorph) I was a Mesomorph with endomorphic properties. What that basically means is that genetically speaking, my body stores most of its fat in the tissue closest to the skin. Unless I were to get down to about 5-6% body fat, I would still have the midsection fat. Conversely, if I were Ectomorph, I could be upwards of 13-15% body fat, but still have great abs (Ectomorph store most of there fat internally around organs and deep tissues). My point is this, if you are a naturally roundish person in the midsection... try as you might, you will find it incredibly difficult to get to and maintain a full eight pack (even a six pack is tough). This is not meant to be discouraging in any way. If you are carrying a few extra pounds, loosing them is a great goal… but a Hollywood midsection is not. Go for good health and feel good about you body being healthy.

Oh, and as for a good comparison… Sylvester Stallone in Rocky had a body fat index of about 8% (and not terrific abs if you remember)… in Rocky III, his body fat was 2.8%. He is a Mesomorph with Endomorphic properties too… now personally, I preferred the body of Rocky over the body of Rocky III.

Cheers,
Dave