How to lose the gut

[fitmom]

Lots of good advice here. I only want to add that I biked one year quite a bit, but it didn't change my gut. Then I started jogging 2-3 times a week, and dropped 25 lbs. and several inches off my waist. All this was accompanied with healthy eating.

Also, when I am running a lot, I usually increase my calories and eat several small meals plus snacks during the day. This has worked for me. I don't recommend increasing your exercise and cutting back extremely on calories for the long-term. If you rev your metabolism up enough, you can eat just about anything. Some may disagree with this, but I am 44 and I can eat anything I want as long as I do it in moderation.

Find out what works for you. Enjoy your new abs!

This is a good point, especially the last sentence. Here is a link that explains the 3 energy systems in our bodies and how they provide energy for exercise.
Fat (lyposis) is a primary source of energy at rest, so we do not 'burn' a lot of calories as fat is an extremely 'dense' form of energy. Glycosis as you will see is the 'burning' of carbohydrates-glycogen (muscle stores) and glucose (blood stores) of sugars. Carbohydrates is the primary source of energy while exercising, there is some fat burning, but you can never only burn fat during exercise. The reason we can burn more fat and calories (carbs) at lower intensity exercise is mainly due to the fact that we can work longer and a few other factors as is mentioned in the link.

free4all is on the right track, this is how I would direct my clients. Find out what you love and will do and do it. He also says "rev up your metabolism". This is EXACTLY what you need to do. Change your body composition by gaining lean tissue through strength training, find a great way to do your cardio, stretch, eat well and your body will change for the better.
PLEASE do not work out on the cardio machines in the 'fat burning' zone only, that is an advertising gimick.

We cannot exercise effectively if we do not consume good carbs for energy. A good wrokout is a workout with carbs on board.
Check out a pre-marathon gathering, CARB loading is the goal.

Hope this helps, these are great questions. Here is the link: http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/energysystems.html
God Bless, J

 

[HoosierCanuck]

Can you still eat SOME fatty stuff as long as you're eating less? I have a problem....I am constantly on the road and eating at restaurants (not FAST FOOD). I have a horrendous gut that I want to get rid of. I can't seem to get anything to work. :-( I've been walking for a month....my clothes are still tight, the weight is still the same, yet my socks seem too big....weird.....

 

[PastorJoey]

Could someone tell me how to get the camera icon turned on that is next to our cf character?

Thanks, PJ

 

[woobadooba]

Can you still eat SOME fatty stuff as long as you're eating less? I have a problem....I am constantly on the road and eating at restaurants (not FAST FOOD). I have a horrendous gut that I want to get rid of. I can't seem to get anything to work. :-( I've been walking for a month....my clothes are still tight, the weight is still the same, yet my socks seem too big....weird.....

Why not take a lunch with you, such as a simple salad, a turkey sandwich(no mayo or cheese), and some fruit? Also, stay away from fruit drinks, and drinks that contain refined sugar. Just stick to water, and a lot of it.

As for walking, how much of it are you doing, and how often?

Also, don't expect to lose an exorbitant amount of weight in just one month. Only expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week. And don't be deceived by the scale. Just because your weight hasn't changed at all or much, that doesn't mean you aren't losing fat. It could mean that your fat is turning into muscle, if that makes any sense.

Finally, make sure you eat in moderation, especially when eating out(no all you can eat buffets).

 

[HoosierCanuck]

Why not take a lunch with you, such as a simple salad, a turkey sandwich(no mayo or cheese), and some fruit? Also, stay away from fruit drinks, and drinks that contain refined sugar. Just stick to water, and a lot of it.

As for walking, how much of it are you doing, and how often?

Also, don't expect to lose an exorbitant amount of weight in just one month. Only expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week. And don't be deceived by the scale. Just because your weight hasn't changed at all or much, that doesn't mean you aren't losing fat. It could mean that your fat is turning into muscle, if that makes any sense.

Finally, make sure you eat in moderation, especially when eating out(no all you can eat buffets).

Sad to say but I guess the reason my travel partner and I haven't brown-bagged it is partly due to laziness and partly due to the fact that the company we work for reimburses us for our lunches.

Walking...a minimum of 1.5 miles on the treadmill 3x a week at approx. 3.0-3.1mph (any faster and my shins hurt).

We don't do troughs....er...buffets.

I guess I thought going from sedentary to 'something' should have gotten me from 1-3 pounds lost. Today I was weighed at the doctor and am actually 4 pounds heavier (in part due to the holidays...sad) I calves have started to shape up a little. I would like to see proof that my gut is getting the message, thighs too. Any suggestions? Should I do crunches? Pilates?

I avoid soda. My main drink of choice is iced tea. I try to drink extra water on workout days but have to admit I have been bad lately about drinking water regularly. I'm probably not getting enough fluids in general.

 

[woobadooba]

Sad to say but I guess the reason my travel partner and I haven't brown-bagged it is partly due to laziness and partly due to the fact that the company we work for reimburses us for our lunches.

Sometimes it's best not to take advantage of certain benefits. However, you could always go to a grocery mart while on the road and get fruit, as well as a decent salad, and sandwich. Just take the cheese off it, and don't use any mayo. Also, be sure to use fat free salad dressing. Of course, you could always go to Subway. They make a good turkey sub there.

Also, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but it is important to note that weight loss begins with discipline, and discipline is not the result of laziness, but wise choices coupled with hard work.

Walking...a minimum of 1.5 miles on the treadmill 3x a week at approx. 3.0-3.1mph (any faster and my shins hurt).

Not all pain is bad pain. Pain, in most cases when exercising, is your friend. It has been said that "if there is no pain, then there is no gain." Gain, of course, in the context of lean muscle.

Also, be sure to stretch out before walking. It could be that you are feeling this pain because you are tense.

And since you want to lose weight, you are going to have to go on the treadmill at least 5 times a week, 2 miles for each session. Try to work your way up to a speed of 3.5

Also, be sure to incorporate some strength training exercises into your program, light weight and high reps.

And yes, it is good to do crunches. Don't worry about quantity, but quality.
a person who does 15-20 crunches a set, properly, could actually achieve more than a person who does 35-50 crunches improperly. Crunches done properly are not crunches that are done fast, but slowly, so as to maintain intensity.

I avoid soda. My main drink of choice is iced tea. I try to drink extra water on workout days but have to admit I have been bad lately about drinking water regularly. I'm probably not getting enough fluids in general.

Iced tea is okay, if it is not sweetened. But yes, water does help to promote weight loss, so I suggest you drink 6-8, 8 ounce servings of it a day.

 

[gnine]

Wooba says some excellent things.

The other thing to realise, that is very relevant if you're constantly on the road, is that it is not necessary to be a member of a gym in order to build muscle. Although the gyms would have you believe that its necessary to come to them and pay their fees in order to get fit; and the equipment manufacturers want to make you believe that you need to buy their fancy multi-function gym that takes up an entire room, thats entirely not true.

An entire school of physical culture relies only on your own bodyweight and therefore can be done anywhere. Check out

Combat conditioning (Matt Furey)
The Miracle Seven (John Peterson)
The Naked Warrior (Pavel Tsatsouline)

A particular recommendation is the Peterson book, its cheap and its brilliant, with enough exercises to keep you busy for a couple of years at least.

Remember that increasing lean muscle mass increases metabolism, so one of the best ways to lose fat and keep it off is to gain muscle.

P.s. I'm not down on gyms, its just that I don't have the time to get stuck in traffic going to and from a gym, so in travelling time alone I can do an entire intensive workout at home. I need to be more efficient with my time, so this exercise style suits me well... each to their own. Everybody should be aware that there are alternatives so they can make an informed choice and be fit, even if they can't get to a gym.

 

[HoosierCanuck]

Oddly enough, the employer that has me on the road all the time has a fitness center with treadmills, eliptical trainer, bike, recumbent bike, and various weight/conditioning machines. Because of my schedule, 5x a week is feasible but very difficult, especially every other week when I'm out for two nights. Again, I know it goes back to discipline and as my dad likes to say (quoting a song by Don Henley....) "how bad do you want it?"

It's difficult when you don't have a support system but rather a great system for keeping you down ;-( I hope no one else here has these challenges. They are quite frustrating.

Forgot to mention....we do Subway quite frequently.

Thanks for all of your input. It's been helpful and encouraging.

 

[woobadooba]

Oddly enough, the employer that has me on the road all the time has a fitness center with treadmills, eliptical trainer, bike, recumbent bike, and various weight/conditioning machines. Because of my schedule, 5x a week is feasible but very difficult, especially every other week when I'm out for two nights. Again, I know it goes back to discipline and as my dad likes to say (quoting a song by Don Henley....) "how bad do you want it?"

It's difficult when you don't have a support system but rather a great system for keeping you down ;-( I hope no one else here has these challenges. They are quite frustrating.

Forgot to mention....we do Subway quite frequently.

Thanks for all of your input. It's been helpful and encouraging.

It will work out for you; just be patient.