Trimming the waist

[martyb]

Besides liposuction, what's the best, fastest, surest way to lose inches off the waist? I know "they" say you can't really target weight loss to specific areas of the body, but surely there must be some tried & true methods to slim the abdominal area I'm doing crunches, push-ups and running 1.5 miles 3 times a week, all geared towards my PT test that is required by the AF Reserves, but my waist is just being stubborn. I need to take 2-3 inches off asap....who knows the secret

 

[Martha]

Less food.

Sorry, kind of flip, but I don't think there is magic.

 

[macdaddy]

Every person burns fat differently and from different areas of their body first. It's not unusual for the abs/waist to be the last place to visibly lose fat. In order to accomplish your goal, you need to burn fat. Calories in minus calories burned. It's simple. All the crunches and push-ups in the world won't help you unless you have a comprehensive plan that takes into account your diet also. Monitor your diet - eat 1500 calories broken up in to 5 meals throughout the day. You'll lose a couple pounds a week. If you start weight training with your cardio then you'll lose more. With the exception of lipo, there's no short-term solution when it comes to fat loss.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Well Martha and Macdaddy said pretty much what I would have. If you look at people with rock hard abs they virtually have no other body fat. I guess it must be the hardest part of the body to get rid of fat from.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I know "they" say you can't really target weight loss to specific areas of the body, but surely there must be some tried & true

You can't really target weight loss to specific areas of the body.

The first step in exhibiting a six-pack is to get rid of the fat layer which might be hiding it. Sad but true.

That said, some people (men usually) avidly retain their abdominal fat even at their "ideal" body weight. Just means you've got to work a little harder.

Interesting point: abdominal fat cells are not dumb, inactive storage cells. They produce all kinds of nasty chemicals and are worth getting rid of.

 

[lets-retire]

martyb--Why don't you go to the fitness center on base? Anybody one here would only be able to give you general advice, like has already been given. The fitness center has personal trainers willing to work with you to set up a program, including diet changes. We had one set up a program for our squadron when I was in designed specifically for our mission. It work very well, for those who put it into use.

 

[martyb]

martyb--Why don't you go to the fitness center on base? Anybody one here would only be able to give you general advice, like has already been given. The fitness center has personal trainers willing to work with you to set up a program, including diet changes. We had one set up a program for our squadron when I was in designed specifically for our mission. It work very well, for those who put it into use.

I already am going to the fitness center, that's where I do my running. I reckon I already knew the answer, I was just hoping for a magic secret from you wise sages lol! I haven't availed myself of any of the fitness gurus at the center yet though, been just working on my own. I guess it's time to take that next step and get some help. Looks like it's gonna be harder than I thought. For some strange reason, it's tougher and progress is slower than when I was in my early thirties! Thanks for the input, folks.

 

[Khan]

Practice sucking your belly button towards your spine several times a day (seems easier when sitting).

 

[W2R]

You can't really target weight loss in one area, BUT....

if you are not in very great shape, working out on a couple of abdominal machines four days a week at the gym will result in compliments and people thinking that you lost weight after maybe a month or two. The fat is still there, but you are able to suck it in better.

Worked for me....

Meanwhile, you can work on losing the weight because if there is less to suck in, you'll look even better!

 

[toofrugalformycat]

A trainer should be able to help you. There's nothing magic, but often just doing different things (and a trainer will make suggestions) kind of shocks your body into working harder and burning more calories for longer. If you do the same old things all the time you get very efficient at them.
I got visible results in a month (just four sessions with a trainer), even though my time spent working out each day did not increase.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I have it on good authority that one must stop drinking. Caution: I have no personal experience with this approach.

 

[Texas Proud]

Well Martha and Macdaddy said pretty much what I would have. If you look at people with rock hard abs they virtually have no other body fat. I guess it must be the hardest part of the body to get rid of fat from.

The one thing that can happen... rock hard abs under a nice layer of fat.... if you only do crunches etc.. you work your ab MUSCLES, but that does not burn fat...

 

[RetireeRobert]

what's the best, fastest, surest way to lose inches off the waist? I know "they" say you can't really target weight loss to specific areas of the body, but surely there must be some tried & true methods to slim the abdominal area

Burn more calories than you consume. Works like magic.

 

[Texas Proud]

For some strange reason, it's tougher and progress is slower than when I was in my early thirties! Thanks for the input, folks.

Have you seen the commercial with Peyton Manning.... he said if you are not under 23 (!!!!) or a professional football player you will not have rock hard abs.... kind of a funny one... but so true...

 

[mb]

Eat less, exercise more.

The rule of thumb is that running burns about 100 calories per mile on average (of course it will be more for some and less for others) so your running regimen only burns about 450 calories per week.

There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat so you are only burning an incremental 0.13 lb of fat/week.

MB

 

[haha]

Interesting point: abdominal fat cells are not dumb, inactive storage cells. They produce all kinds of nasty chemicals and are worth getting rid of.

Rich,

I read this term "abdominal fat" and I wonder what it refers to. Does it mean only intra-abdominal fat, or subcutaneous fat that happens to be placed on the abdominal area, or both?

I guess that it means what is internal to your abdominal wall, rather than what is subcutaneous, but I am not sure.

Ha

 

[aaronc879]

Burn more calories than you consume. Works like magic.

Not to be discouraging but i'm not sure that's always true. I've been on vacation for two weeks and have taken in over 4000 calories per day on average and have done zero exercise of any kind and I still lost 3 pounds. At 6'6" and 156 pounds I can't seem to gain a pound no matter what I do so I assume that there are probably people who are the exact opposite.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Rich,

I read this term "abdominal fat" and I wonder what it refers to. Does it mean only intra-abdominal fat, or subcutaneous fat that happens to be placed on the abdominal area, or both?

Ha

Good question and interestingly it seems to refer primarily to subcutaneous fat (as far as metabolic activity and risk go). No one knows why, but intra-abdominal fat is actually less dangerous, ounce for ounce.

 

[lets-retire]

Not to be discouraging but i'm not sure that's always true. I've been on vacation for two weeks and have taken in over 4000 calories per day on average and have done zero exercise of any kind and I still lost 3 pounds. At 6'6" and 156 pounds I can't seem to gain a pound no matter what I do so I assume that there are probably people who are the exact opposite.

I hate to disagree, but the theory is very simple. If you take in more calories than you expend you will gain weight, if you take in less than you expend you will lose weight, it is that simple. You said you took in on average 4000 per day. With your build, assuming no medical issues, I would presume you have a very fast metabolism. I was the same way when younger, it seemed I could eat everything and not gain any weight. When I became interested in gaining muscle, I started monitoring everything I ate and everything I did and found excess energy usage. I was surprised how much unnecessary movment I had in my normal day to day activities. I cut that out and increased caloires to well over 5000 per day and low and behold my muscle mass and weight went up.

There are generally three body types and each type has their issues with weight. While one body type, like yours, seems to have difficulty gaining weight others have more trouble losing weight, but it can be done. It just takes persistance, desire, and knowledge, assuming no medical problems.

 

[Fireup2020]

Here's an old recruiting trick the active duty guys would use....if you are close for measurement purposes (only!)....not sure if urban legend, but the folks in MI swore by it for getting their borderline guys through MEPS: baste your midsection (where they measure) in bengay, then wrap with plastic wrap...several hours before you are schueduled to be taped. This is only a temporary fix!

(for you civilians, we in the military if over the weight for our height on the "charts" (specific for each branch) then they measure you (neck, waist, hips, abdomen, wrist - the measurements also vary by branch of service) and tally the numbers to check your "bodyfat" percentage. No problem if calculated within the limits. Micromanaged weight/workout programs, negative remarks on evaluations, and possible administrative discharge if "out of round" for too long)

 

[Sandy]

In addition to cardio (running) you need to lift weights.

Resting muscle burns more calories than fat, and as we age, we lose muscle. So, as you build muscle, you will burn more calories. You need at least 3 weight sessions per week. And you need to target all muscle groups (e.g. thighs and butt have the largest muscles). There are 2 schools of thought on weights: 3 rep approach is most common but time consuming. I use 1 rep of 8-16 at the highest weight until failure (can't lift it again). Once you hit 16 reps stop, if you do this for 3 sessions, up the weight. Takes 30 minutes to do a full weight workout.

Also, I am not sure that 1.5 miles 3x per week is sufficient cardio. You need a minimum of 20 minutes high intensity cardio every day, preferably longer. Bascially, an 1 hour at the gym 6 days per week,

Plus at our age, a careful diet that gets rid of alcohol and all junk along with low fat. NOT as easy as 20 years ago.

 

[megacorp-firee]

eat less calories and do more exercise. No magic... it works... if I could only implement consistently.

 

[hellodeli1]

Strength Training

Yeah, I have to agree that you need to lift some weights and break up your eating into smaller meals throughout the day. Doing both will increase your metabolism (by building lean muscle mass). Sorry, this isn't a quick fix, but I don't think there are really any quick fixes.

 

[Insanity]

Alas, the "less calories, more exercise" approach, while it works for many, is a little simplistic.

On the eating side of the equation there have been a lot of studies that show it's not just how much you eat, but also what you eat. For example, in studies where two groups got exactly the same number of calories with one group getting more calcium (from dairy) in the other, the group getting more calcium tends to maintain or loose weight when compared to the other group regardless of activity levels. Other studies have shown that people who tend toward foods with a lower glycemic index, meaning they have fewer processed sugars and starches and take longer to digest so their calories hit the bloodstream more gradually over a longer period of time, are less likely to be overweight than people who are just as active but consume more processed sugars and starches.

Then there's also the case of consuming too few a calories, giving your body the message that it has to conserve energy. People who consume half or less than the suggested number of calories for their body size, build, and activity level loose weight substantially slower than people who consume more food. And just to make things even more difficult, different people's bodies start trying to conserve calories at different dietary levels.

So it's not just about the calories. It's about eating right and about eating the right amounts for how your body works.

 

[Ronstar]

cardio & weights about 5 times a week , and eat less. In 2008, I'm dropping ab exercises and replacing with more cardio time.