Reducing Fat Around The Middle

[Firefan]

Dclaryjr; you know that you and I are on the same wave length. People wish to translate your point into a "conspiracy theory" .

The actual reason is (as you mention) simply; PROFIT. It pays to give people what they want/crave, and salty/fatty/sweet foods SELLS - and one craves more the more one gets.

It is so easily available too, as the fast food chains can buy all the best spots so one sees the well known logos pretty much everywhere (in cities).

Anyway; try not to get too emotional about it! Let people eat their crap foods (I do too sometimes but balance it out by generally eating healthly+adding some supplements).

CHeers!

And by the way I do think they'd be much better off following the latest gov't guidlines (that you insist are to support the grain industry)

You're putting words in my mouth now. The way you stated it, you're saying I think the government came up with the food pyramid for the purpose of supporting the grain industry. I didn't say that--that IS the stuff of conspiracy theorist. But the existence of the pyramid DOES help promote the sale of grains.

(Do a little research on farm subsidies and then you'll see some real government support for the grain industry--but that's another topic).

[dclaryjr]

Dclaryjr; you know that you and I are on the same wave length. People wish to translate your point into a "conspiracy theory" .

The actual reason is (as you mention) simply; PROFIT. It pays to give people what they want/crave, and salty/fatty/sweet foods SELLS - and one craves more the more one gets.

I just want to be clear about one thing. I think that most people who recommend lots of grains, and low-fat foods have their heart in the right place. I don't think Jane Brodie is in the pocket of the agriculture lobby. I just think that a lot of people are just going along with conventional wisdom without questioning the reasoning behind it. This to me is the most important part of Gary Taubes' book. He documents how much of what people believe is based on the work of a few individuals practicing bad science.

Anyway; try not to get too emotional about it! Let people eat their crap foods (I do too sometimes but balance it out by generally eating healthly+adding some supplements).

Thanks! I try to discuss ideas instead of getting into personal attacks. I took the bait in this thread but I'm done with that. I also indulge from time to time in food that my ancestors wouldn't recognize--but it's a rare treat rather than a recurring indulgence.

[quiksilva]

I have lost 13 Kgs in 3 months.

Using the old maxim eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a lord and dinner like a paup, as a my guide I decided to eat only salads for dinner from Monday to Friday, its not boring I have all sorts of salad, from cheese, bacon, tuna, shrimps, chicken and a variety of salad dressings, i don't look to closely at them. The main point is that there are no potatoes or rice, and the portions are not huge.

But breakfast, lunch, holidays and weekends I eat whatever I want, within moderation.

I found this easy to live with and it really has worked, I have lost at least an inch around the middle and my face seems slimmer.

Try it, it worked for me.

[GaiYaang]

I have lost 13 Kgs in 3 months.

Using the old maxim eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a lord and dinner like a paup, as a my guide I decided to eat only salads for dinner from Monday to Friday, its not boring I have all sorts of salad, from cheese, bacon, tuna, shrimps, chicken and a variety of salad dressings, i don't look to closely at them. The main point is that there are no potatoes or rice, and the portions are not huge.

But breakfast, lunch, holidays and weekends I eat whatever I want, within moderation.

I found this easy to live with and it really has worked, I have lost at least an inch around the middle and my face seems slimmer.

Try it, it worked for me.

Congratulation on your weight lost. When come to losing weight is not an easy task.

I love rice and noodle, but I don't eat too much of that.

Keep up the good work.

[Firefan]

Dclaryjr; yeah - the grains+lowfat(*milk products etc.) has been the conventual wisdom for many years.

The way I see it is that it is still much better than crap foods being the "conventional diet" today. Baby steps I guess.

Cheers!

* personally I have cut out almost all milk products except for youghurt(hard to find probiotics here) and cheese(must have... ). You know why; but most here don't. Have not found any raw milk products here.

[Old Man River]

I have lost 13 Kgs in 3 months.

Using the old maxim eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a lord and dinner like a paup, as a my guide I decided to eat only salads for dinner from Monday to Friday, its not boring I have all sorts of salad, from cheese, bacon, tuna, shrimps, chicken and a variety of salad dressings, i don't look to closely at them. The main point is that there are no potatoes or rice, and the portions are not huge.

But breakfast, lunch, holidays and weekends I eat whatever I want, within moderation.

I found this easy to live with and it really has worked, I have lost at least an inch around the middle and my face seems slimmer.

Try it, it worked for me.

This is exactly what I do. It really doesn't matter what I eat for lunch, with salad and fruit at night I keep the weight off. It really does work.

[dclaryjr]

I decided to eat only salads for dinner from Monday to Friday, its not boring I have all sorts of salad, from cheese, bacon, tuna, shrimps, chicken and a variety of salad dressings, Try it, it worked for me.

That's a great way to go. My main meal of the day is what I refer to as my "big as* salad." It will have a variety of greens, cruciferous veggies, and a protein source (including the ones you listed above). And no puny little salad bowl for me!

Edited July 14, 2008 by dclaryjr

[vagabond48]

I decided to eat only salads for dinner from Monday to Friday, its not boring I have all sorts of salad, from cheese, bacon, tuna, shrimps, chicken and a variety of salad dressings, i don't look to closely at them.

Although, I am not fat, (I'm 5' 11" 168lb), I have gained 8lbs over the last 12 months and realized that I have been eating very little salads and too much rice. I have resumed eating salads again so I hope to have similar results soon.

[unhappyfarang]

OK. Listen.

Firstly cut ALL the crap out of your diet. Don't eat anything fried. Eat natural, nutritious, wholefoods. Shoot for 5 small meals per day - Wholegrains, clean, lean proteins - meat, fish, poultry, non - fat dairy(organic if possible) and plenty of fruit and veggies. You also need some "good" fats and oils.

A handful of nuts per day and a tablespoon each of codliver oil, flaxseed oil and extra virgin olive oil. Drink plenty of water and slam down a few cups of green tea. Avoid booze. Forget supplements.

Don't jog. WALK - at a clip, 30 minutes a day, more if you can. When you get into better conditon start walking as FAST as you possibly can up steep, long, hills. Whilst walking do some yoga'pilates on the move, suck your gut in, flex your midrift HARD and breath deeply (depending on where you are of course).This will knock bodyfat off you like no tomorrow.

Your body works as a unit. Forget losing fat in a particular area. You need to move if you want to get lean and fit. As you get in better physical condition your body will seek out and FIND any excess fat on you and eat it away.

[benjamat]

Can anyone please give some tips to reduce my stomach fat?

How old are you, what is your waist measurement, do you have large 'love handles and how long have you been oversize?'

If you are over 40 and have carried a large stomach for many years, you are going to find it difficult to regain the waist size you had when you were in your early 30's.

If you are over 50 and don't perform regular manual labour, you can reduce your food intake quite substantially, in fact, you probably should anyway. At that age you don't need huge meals.

If you are physically fit, jogging is the best and quickest way to lose body weight. Not just a quick once around the oval type jog but a timed jog over a good distance.

If you haven't run for a while, you will be sore the next day. If you are not sore, you haven't run far enough.

The next time you go out jogging, either run further or run the same distance quicker. Your ultimate aim is to be able to run a mini marathon without stopping for a breather.

(Have a look at the bodies of some mini marathon athletes...not an ounce of fat on them.)

You will never lose size around your middle in the gym. All the sit ups, leg raises etc. will strengthen the muscle under the fat, but won't do much to get the fat off.

Invest in a good pair of running shoes, be committed and determined, and start jogging....preferably on grass or sand so as to reduce the impact on body joints.

Excellent advice - and that is exactly what I did about 10 years ago.

But be warned it will take quite a while before you notice any marked difference in your stomach size. Probably 3 months of jogging, 4-5 times a week, and even then it won't be that significant. 6 months should see you much trimmer, and once you have achieved your desired weight, it is a relatively easy matter to maintain it by regular jogging and sensible eating.

But it needs dedication.

Good luck

I am concerned about the talk of jogging in this thread.

I think most here are no longer spring chickens and taking up jogging in later years presents a high risk of damaging your knees.

I was a very active sportsman until my early forties then life changes stopped me doing much. At 50 I developed a bit of a belly and took on advice about jogging. After 6 minths I had major problems with both knees requiring surgery. Remember if your weight has increased by 20 lbs since you last did regular exercise you now have to carry this 20 lbs like a bag of sand around with you. As you get older and your body takes longer to recuperate this stress on joints as well as heart is dangerous.

[Jonny B]

i reccommend boxing, not sparring or anything, just hitting the bag, mix it up and do speed intervals, 30 seconds or 1 minute flat out and 30 sec or 1 minute rest, do as many as you can, throwing all different punches. i guarantee u will lose weight quicker than any other exercise and strengthn and tone your stomach muscles.

[AmeriThai]

In most instances, it took time to gain extra fat in the first place, so it's going to take time to shed it. Jogging and doing all sorts of jogging or gym-type exercises are helpful for reducing excess fat, but not everyone is up to such rigorous activity. However, brisk walking can also be helpful. If you have access to a gym and want to go that route, that's fine. But you can also get out and just walk around the neighborhood on a routine basis. Use the stairs when you can. You can start out with shorter distances and time, and gradually increase.

In addition, modify your diet by cutting out fatty junk foods. Eating fatty foods once in a while isn't going to make a big difference. The biggest problem is when a person's diet consists of lots of fatty foods on a regular basis and in larger quantities. Eat healthier foods, and in smaller portions. Skip those second helpings and frequent snacks in between meals. And be sure to walk off those extra calories. As I understand it, fat develops because the amount of calories taken in are greater than the amount burned off. And those excess calories build up after a while and is stored as fat. A person can also have fat build up that you don't see. What I mean is the fat that can build up internally around the organs. You need some fat, but excess is what can be harmful.

Another thing is not to become discouraged if you don't see any results right away. For some people, maintaining a record of what they ate and how much exercise they did may be helpful. But it isn't always necessary. What is necessary is to stick with a routine on a daily basis. If you find yourself slacking off from it, don't put yourself on a heavy guilt trip. Don't give up. Just start in again and keep at it. After a while, it starts getting easier.

Use some scales to weigh yourself to monitor your weight. Personally, I weight myself after I've taken a good crap and showered. but before dressing. As I said, you might not see much in the first few days or so, but eventually you will start seeing a difference.

Set a flexible but realistic goal for yourself. How much should you lose for your age, size and frame? 10 pounds? 25? 50? More? It depends. Start out with a goal of losing say 10 or 15 pounds. When you see you've hit a loss of 5 pounds or so, that can be a big encouragement that you're on the right track. You might find it goes back up again, but again, don't be discouraged. Just keep at it.

[dclaryjr]

I am concerned about the talk of jogging in this thread.

I think most here are no longer spring chickens and taking up jogging in later years presents a high risk of damaging your knees.

Yep, no need for it. Brisk walking will work just fine.

[dclaryjr]

In addition, modify your diet by cutting out fatty junk foods. Eating fatty foods once in a while isn't going to make a big difference. The biggest problem is when a person's diet consists of lots of fatty foods on a regular basis and in larger quantities.

I'd change that to "cutting out sugary junk foods." You can eat fatty foods everyday and still lose weight (and be very healthy). You do, however, have to watch portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

[Wrong Turn]

As I understand it, fat develops because the amount of calories taken in are greater than the amount burned off. And those excess calories build up after a while and is stored as fat. A person can also have fat build up that you don't see. What I mean is the fat that can build up internally around the organs. You need some fat, but excess is what can be harmful.

True, AmeriThai.

There is a caloric suplus, caloric maintenance, and a caloric deficit:

surplus, you gain waith, maintenance, you stay the same, deficit you lose weight.

By losing weight this does not mean you only lose fat. You can lose muscle (lean body mass, LBM) and or water.

Don't look at the scale, you at the mirror with only shorts on or less.

As for body fat around the organs, this fat is the hardest to get rid of, and over a long time there can be negative health consequences.

As for losing fat "around the middle" that means you have to reduce to your total body fat percentage, as spot reduction is indeed a myth.

Best of luck to the OP and others. It's up to us, and only us to get the results we want.

[AmeriThai]

As I understand it, fat develops because the amount of calories taken in are greater than the amount burned off. And those excess calories build up after a while and is stored as fat. A person can also have fat build up that you don't see. What I mean is the fat that can build up internally around the organs. You need some fat, but excess is what can be harmful.

True, AmeriThai.

There is a caloric suplus, caloric maintenance, and a caloric deficit:

surplus, you gain waith, maintenance, you stay the same, deficit you lose weight.

By losing weight this does not mean you only lose fat. You can lose muscle (lean body mass, LBM) and or water.

Don't look at the scale, you at the mirror with only shorts on or less.

As for body fat around the organs, this fat is the hardest to get rid of, and over a long time there can be negative health consequences.

As for losing fat "around the middle" that means you have to reduce to your total body fat percentage, as spot reduction is indeed a myth.

Best of luck to the OP and others. It's up to us, and only us to get the results we want.

Some fats are essential, but too much can be a problem. I agree, body fat can indeed be a problem and potentially cause serious health problems. People can do certain kinds of exercise to target or "sculpt" certain areas, but like you, I have no idea how you can target fat loss in certain areas. You either lose fat all the way around or you don't. To get rid of fat around the organs means a person needs to exercise and make some dietary adjustments. Like I indicated, it takes time. but by maintaining exercise like brisk walking, cutting out the crap foods and increasing balanced nutritious foods, the excess fat will reduce around the organs. I'm not really sure what the process entails. No doubt some of it is used by the body, while the rest is elimated from the body. I gather it must sort of liquify. It is the hardest kind of fat to get rid of, but it can be done as long as a person sticks with their routine.

The mirror can give an indication of how you're doing, but it's so gradual that it's hard to notice results. For me, the scales give a faster indication of the progress and help ensure that I'm on track. I'm not obese, and except for the gut, I don't really show any fat anywhere else. I've been up to around 200 lbs, but I'm now down to about 185. Admittedly, the weight does fluctuate a bit, but it's generally going down. I can finally see the one-eyed trouser trout again. LOL! I'm aiming to get down to around 165 or so. According to my physician and a hospital nursing nutritionist, most of my fat is around the organs where it isn't noticable outwardly.

You're right that it's really up to each person to put in the effort to get the results they want. It's not enough just wanting to do it. You have to be willing to commit yourself, and actually take the steps necessary to do it on a regular basis. It seems like a hassle at first. But it becomes a normal routine after a while.

[Sheryl]

How much fat accumulates is one thing, where on the body it accumulates is another. The first can indeed be addressed through changes to diet and exercise. The second is, however, genetic.

If once already at your ideal weight you still have some fat on your middle -- and this is the case in some people -- yiou have exactly 2 choices: accept it or liposuction.

If on the other hand you are still a bit overwieight, then of course lose the excess weight first, then see where things stand regarding the appearance of your mid-section.