Stomach fat and extreme-ish diets

McGoose · Outlaw Joined: 25 Jun 2004 Posts: 146 City: R.I.

Ok. After a bit of soul searching and some scale up-and-down action for a few months, I need to pull the ripcord and lose about 20 lbs in 3 months. Come hell or high water.

I am 5 foot 11 and tip the scales at 188 lbs. I have a goal of about 170 or even 165. Looking in the mirror, I see that I am a big-ish guy to begin with, with decent muscle mass. But my stomach is I think where the weight is. If I tighten my stomach muscles, I don't have a blubber going on or anything.
I work out and diet pretty carefully but to no avail - I can't figure out why I can't lose the weight.

So on to the point. I've read about certian crash diets and they affect on stomach fat. I was considering some of these crash diets just becuase I am tired of feeling lumpy and dumpy, and I am sort of at my wits' end. I've read about some orange-juce only diets but some of these sound too extreme.

I am willing to go through a decent amount of physical discomfort to reach the goal. I don't want to harm my health or anything - but I'd like to hear any feedback on diets with which you or your friends have achieved pretty extreme results. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

BR_WB · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 2850

Whatever you do DO NOT crash diet - it will make things worse in the long run. If you want to lose the weight you have to make a commited and diligent effort. Doing a diet strictly of orange juice is setting you up to fail and not healthy whatsoever.

andrew james · Addict Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 889 City: austin, tx

I wouldnt do a crash diet. Even if you lose 20lbs you'll gain 40 when you stop.

Try a longer term diet; my mom has lost 45lbs on the south beach diet, she still gets to eats very well. There are no pills or stupid drinks involved, and you still get three meals a day. It isn't going to lose you 20lbs in a matter of weeks, but it's very succesful and easy to come off of without gaining weight back.

Nephilim · Addict Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 658 City: Ephrata, WA

You don’t need to go on any of the diets like the Atkins, south beach or whatever else is trendy right now. What you do need to do is get in to the gym at least 3 times a week and at max 6. Make sure that you not only hit hard cardio but you also lift weights. People will also tell you that a good way to lose weight is to do light weights and do a lot of reps... Not true do not do that. Lift weights like you normally would just keep it intense with only about 30-40 seconds in-between sets and about a minute in between different exercises. Also remember that it is better for you to eat 5 or so smaller meals then it is to eat 3 big meals. So eat you breakfast then in about 3 hours eat some fruit or a protein shake then lunch then another snack then diner and then another snack. Also an increase in the amount of protein that you consume will help by increasing your nitrogen levels which will help with the breakdown and rebuilding of muscle. Even though your main objective is to lose weight and not gain muscle, the increase in muscle will speed up your metabolism because muscle burns.

Nephilim · Addict Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 658 City: Ephrata, WA

Oh another misconseption of excersize is that doing a bunch of sit ups or crunchs or whatever will burn that off your stomach and give you six pack abs, which it wont. To get it off it is all diet and cardio.

pyrocasto · Posted: Dec 10, 2004 10:55 pm Post subject:

Nephilim, who said it wont burn anything doing crunches or situps?
That I would like to see, though I agree everyone that wants to lose weight needs to do more cardio. Cardio will not build that 6 pack up though with out doing some workout on your abs. Weather sit ups on a decline chair thing(whatever it's called), an ab machine(one that actually works) or the right kind or crunch or leg lifts. I say get rid of most the belly with cardio, then work on the muscle with the work outs, but continuing the cardio as well.

Nephilim · Addict Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 658 City: Ephrata, WA

pyrocasto, you dont "build" a six pack everyone has six pack abs all you have to do is get the layer of fat that is over them to go away. I'm not saying you shouldnt do any ab work outs because you should, you should work out all your muscles. I'm just saying that if you have a big gut and that you think you can get rid of it by doing sit ups you are wrong.

Tyler T · Posted: Dec 11, 2004 3:09 am Post subject:

Trying....so...hard....not to....flip out....

Dragonlady8 · Black Widow Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Posts: 9198

Following the Guidelines of the South Beach or Mediterrean ( sp) Diet with Exercise should help.
Basically if you stay away from processed/refined/fast foods, stop snacking on junk food, sugary substances, drinls lots of water and workout at least 40 minutes ( continuously) 4x/wk you should be able to lose weight.

Nephilim · Addict Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 658 City: Ephrata, WA

Pyrocasto Is response about abs from a magazine sufficient.

Tyler T · Posted: Dec 11, 2004 2:19 pm Post subject:

Nephilim, when was that published? I think I know who wrote that letter. Laughing

pyrocasto · Posted: Dec 11, 2004 4:07 pm Post subject:

Sounds right to me.

Nephilim · Addict Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 658 City: Ephrata, WA

Tyler T, It was in this month of MAX muscle magazine, which is a free publication from max muscle its just a huge ad for them with 1 or 2 article they have a ton of them laying around at my work

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

pyrocasto · Posted: Dec 11, 2004 10:32 pm Post subject:

That's why I said you need to keep doing cardio and such workouts. I work my abs, arms, legs, etc... But not usually without running a few miles a day, or at least a good bike ride. Running will burn the fat, but it wont bet you huge abs, if that's what you want. You do have to do the right ab workouts and such, to get there.

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

harken · Newbie Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 5

check out The book from mens health: The Abs Diet. It's not a diet at all but the entire book teaches you what is in the foods you eat and what causes you to gain weight and make it so hard to get rid of it. You'll learn about High Fructose Corn Syrup and other additives that your body has no idea what to do with so it stores it as fat.
It also bags on the trendy diets like south beach and atkins because it tells you things you can't eat. This diet you can eat all day long, 6 times a day, but once you learn the right things to eat you'll never be hungry.

Plus it will show you exactly what exercises to do to burn fat. The workouts are complete body work outs that uses circuit training 3 days a week with optional 3 days of cardio. I started back in August and went from 25% body fat and 170 lbs at 5'8" to 19% and 174 in 6 weeks. Not a big change in stats but I'm leaner and traded fat for muscle.

Check it out: http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article/0,2823,s1-1-0-0-1736,00.html

You can get this book at Barnes and Noble and borders.

Harken

BR_WB · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 2850

You can't spot reduce fat. Fat around the stomach and the love handles is the last to go, so you have to be patient and persistent to get the results.

jason_ssr · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 6:40 am Post subject:

Scott Weiland seems to have a good diet plan. He has lost ALOT of weight. Maybe his plan could work for you? Maybe Tyrone Biggins?

eeven73 · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 6:46 am Post subject:

Leggester · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 6:50 am Post subject:

Actually, he said he doesn't have fat.

Also, you're worried about poundage when you should be focusing on shape.

You may be doing situps incorrectly for stomach shaping. If you hold your hand behind your head, or otherwise stretch the stomach muscles vertically during exercises, you will increase the inches.

To shape/reduce a stomach, grab 5-15lbs and hold it to your chest with both arms. Then do your situps.

Think about it. When the muscles are stretched, at a relaxation point they will be larger, not smaller.

That sounds more like what you want.

jason_ssr · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 7:29 am Post subject:

eeven73, AHH, youve heard of it!!??

jason_ssr · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 8:27 am Post subject:

Seriously, the thing that has always worked for me is playing games. Participate in games, even if you arent that interested in that sport in particular. The competition seems to make me work harder than I do just lifting weights. In a good football or basketball game, I push my muscles much harder than I do in the weightroom. Even when I try to push myslef in the weightroom, its just do my sets and be done with it. With an immediate goal (winning) I feel I do more for my body than just lifting does.

J-Ro · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 9:53 am Post subject:

Another small thing is to cut out the sodium in your diet. It really does help and it keeps you from retaining water and feeling "Lumpy and dumpy"

pyrocasto · Posted: Dec 13, 2004 11:19 am Post subject:

The problem is there is alot of sodium in almost everything now days. It's hard to cut down, though I'm trying...