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Backstory: Over age 40, female, high and weight proportionate, BMI 24, and as stated in a thread I started previously: I love fruit and vegetables. Yes, I also salty snacks and sweet snacks on occasion but don't go overboard. I try to drink at least 64 oz of water daily, I workout at the gym 3x week for about 45 minutes between the elyptical machine and power-wallking on the treadmill. Nevertheless, a fleshy muffin top sits on top of the waistband of jeans or pants that I wear. Taking my fingers, I can actually hold the flesh in my fingers and jiggle it like a block of jello. I've also notice this belly fat on some younger slim people. so it's not just an age thing. It affects fat and slim alike of all ages.
Reading a Redbook magazine yesterday, I saw an article stating belly fat is only water weight which is from eating salty foods/snacks. I thought it was stored fat that for some reason I can't get my body to burn it for energy. A thread on Health & Wellness touts intermitted fasting (IF) to lose weight / burn fat but I already do this and it hasn't diminished my love handles at all.
Has anyone dealt with this and been able to get rid of it? How did you do it?
Eliminate all things made from grains from your diet and anything you eat or drink that has any kind of sugar in it. Don't eat bananas, as they have a large amount of carbohydrates. No need to make this more complicated than that.
May want to get better fitting pants. The skinny jeans are horrible and give many people a muffin top. Unfortunately there’s no spot reduction. You’ll need to do more cardio and really pay attention to how much you eat. Lifting weights really doesn’t eliminate belly fat you will need your overall fat percentage to go down to see your core work
The typical American diet is filled with sugar, and snacking. I'm in my 40s, a guy, and guys usually have weight issues in their stomach areas before anywhere else. In my late teens, I was "loose" in my torso but skinny everywhere else (arms/legs). Around my early 20s I started to form a guy, 5'9" and approaching 170. I immediately cut out all sugar drinks like Coke and stuff. I went from having two or three a day to maybe ten in a year, if that. I never drink Coke either, always Sprite or 7UP (no caffeine). I went through three days of horrible caffeine withdraw headaches, but that was it. I also started bringing my lunch to work, eating light and such.
I got down to around 150ish and pretty stayed there for years. I also drank orange juice for breakfast and sometimes at other times. Lots of sugar in that. When I hit 30 I decided I needed to get into better shape. Used P90X and other workouts. Definitely made a difference in my muscle mass in my arms and shoulders, not so much my torso (thought my chest was definitely stronger, just not defined as too much fat still). I flat lined as I never did eat right while trying to gain. Co-worker said I needed to eat more protein, which I did, and I gained a lot more muscle. I had slightly visible four pack, but I still had the love handles.
The only way to get rid of the love handles, for my body at least, will be to strictly limit my sugar/carb intake and focus more on protein. I also had gotten away from drinking OJ and switched to vegetable/fruit juice. About two months ago I dropped that as there is just so much sugar in those drinks even though they are more healthy alternatives than sugar water soda pop.
You should start to include some sort of weight training with your workouts, nothing big. Additionally, you need to do core exercises. I use a Fitness Blender video from YouTube, but the P90X Ab Ripper X routine is where I started. At first I was unable to do most, but within weeks I could keep it. It works. My job also allows me to walk, and walk a lot, so I naturally have a very active lifestyle through my job. Building even slight muscle will likely help, but you still have to really cut down on the sugar. It is hard, but at your position, should be much easier than most. You should see results within a month, and two months for sure. Try to push-out all excess sugar and carbs (or limit to 50% of what you normally eat) and see if that helps any. Make sure to increase protein (a simple shake) because your body likely needs the calories.
My wife has also always been a more slender build and had a slight belly and some cellulite on her upper legs. She started doing more muscle building exercises like lunges and squats with just light weight (10 pounds). She started using a band as well for back muscle building. The results are that she has no muffin top at all. She also reduced her cellulite by about 50% or more. She also changed her diet, cutting back on the amount of bread she (we) would eat.
You need to do resistance (ie weight) training. Not with machines but free weights. Look into various kinds of core workouts - there are leg lifts etc that really work your core.
Look at the difference between a sprinter and a long distance runner. Most folks running long distances doing just cardio are frail looking and "skinny fat".
Ok. Weights for what areas of the body? I ask because I don't want bigger thighs, chest or arms. No liposuction, I want to lose it through natural methods.
You are unlikely to lose that excess flesh. Some people are just shaped that way, and as we grow older, we get fleshier. I think the key is to not stress over little stuff like this. Stress will kill you far faster than a few extra ounces of skin and small fat deposits will.
I've never understand how yoga is considered a form of fitness since it seems to me to be stationary and meditative rather than physically intensive (ex: cardio workout). Pilates is offered in my area during a time when I'm at work so unable to attend. But, I could purchase a pilated dvd or pull it up online now that I think about it and get the workout that way. Thanks for the suggestion.
Have you ever done yoga? It’s fantastic for strength, flexibility and the mind. Are you just doing cardio? You need to do strength and build muscle. Stop worrying about getting bigger thigh, you’d have to start working out insanely to make this happen.
See if there is an Orange Theory Fitness in your area. Great workout all around.
Eliminate all things made from grains from your diet and anything you eat or drink that has any kind of sugar in it. Don't eat bananas, as they have a large amount of carbohydrates. No need to make this more complicated than that.
C'mon, that is just wrong. Whole grains like faro, quinoa, oats, etc... are a great source of fiber and nutrients. They are not the devil, and bananas are a great food. Filling and full of potassium.
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