How To Lose The Pot Belly?

[ChiangMaiThai]

I'm in my mid thirties, 5' 11'' and 73kg. No problems so far. But in the past few years, I've slowly grown a pot belly. If I stand up and relax my stomach muscles, it looks like I could be pregnant. Not the most attractive thing. Any tips on how to lose this?

[chiang mai]

The only way is to burn it off through exercise combined with a controlled diet, no food after 7pm, low carbohydrate meals and plenty of running aka sweating. Be warned, belly fat is the last fat on the body to get burned off and the hardest, best way is not to get it in the first place. Also, alcohol is a big contributor to belly fat, so ....!

[ChiangMaiThai]

Well, right now I typically eat two slices of bread every day. Pasta 2-3 times a week. Bean tacos or burritos 1-2 times a week. Rice 5 times a week. Does it all have to go? And what about cheese and milk? I eat feta cheese at least once a week and milk every day. Pizza once a week. And 4-5 alcoholic drinks once a week.

I'm a vegetarian so without the above it will be tough, but I can make the sacrifice if it will get results.

I exercise 3 times a week. Just a light workout. Some weights and 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Reading the above, its no wonder I put on some belly fat, but I got away with it for years so I just got used to being able to eat whatever I want...

[Briggsy]

Calories in vs calories out.

There are many websites to allow you to count the number of calories you are consuming. You need to consume about 400 calories less than you use every day over a sustained period of weeks to lose fat. There is no quick fix.

Edited October 31, 2009 by Briggsy

[kurnell]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

[ChiangMaiThai]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

To each his own. I'm basically a skinny guy with no fat anywhere, apart from this pot belly and for me, it is just something I would rather not have...

[Fishenough]

I would suggest not running until your core muscles are strenghtened, not just your frontal stomach muscles – abs. Every day, the best time being upon waking, do sit ups, crunches, and leg lifts. The web is full of exerises for your core muscles. Doing at least a minimum of two weeks worth every day maybe a month till you notice stronger stomach muscles, and that would be a great time to start taking some long brisk walks.

Running with loose stomach muscles will cause stretching, seen it and you don’t want that.

[ChiangMaiThai]

I would suggest not running until your core muscles are strenghtened, not just your frontal stomach muscles – abs. Every day, the best time being upon waking, do sit ups, crunches, and leg lifts. The web is full of exerises for your core muscles. Doing at least a minimum of two weeks worth every day maybe a month till you notice stronger stomach muscles, and that would be a great time to start taking some long brisk walks.

Running with loose stomach muscles will cause stretching, seen it and you don’t want that.

I haven't heard this before. What does stretching look like?

[chiang mai]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

To each his own. I'm basically a skinny guy with no fat anywhere, apart from this pot belly and for me, it is just something I would rather not have...

Double the exercise that you do and eat half the carbohydrates at present, try that for a month and if it doesn't achieve results, double/half everything again, it can be done and you can do it, just takes a bit of perseverance and trial and error to figure out where the break even point is in your body when it come to food vs exersise.

[alfieconn]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

You forgot to mention early death.

Edited October 31, 2009 by alfieconn

[kurnell]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

You forgot to mention early death.

Sorry mate, not in my family.

[alfieconn]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

You forgot to mention early death.

Sorry mate, not in my family.

If you think Heart disease is always hereditary then keep dreaming

[chiang mai]

Had my belly for for 15 years and I love it, and everything that goes with it: beer, fatty food, lack of exercise

You forgot to mention early death.

Sorry mate, not in my family.

If you think Heart disease is always hereditary then keep dreaming

Dream some more for me also, it's simply not true.

[waza]

Hopefully your beer belly is just fat, then it can be reduced by decreasing intake and increasing excersize. However, if its acities it will take a lifestyle change.

Edited November 1, 2009 by waza

[chiang mai]

Hopefully your beer belly is just fat, then it can be reduced by decreasing intake and increasing excersize. However, if its acities it will take a lifestyle change.

I'm vaguely aware of aicities but a short summary of your view wouldn't hurt.

[wolf5370]

Well, right now I typically eat two slices of bread every day. Pasta 2-3 times a week. Bean tacos or burritos 1-2 times a week. Rice 5 times a week. Does it all have to go? And what about cheese and milk? I eat feta cheese at least once a week and milk every day. Pizza once a week. And 4-5 alcoholic drinks once a week.

I'm a vegetarian so without the above it will be tough, but I can make the sacrifice if it will get results.

I exercise 3 times a week. Just a light workout. Some weights and 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Reading the above, its no wonder I put on some belly fat, but I got away with it for years so I just got used to being able to eat whatever I want...

Yeah I find the same issues (I'm a pescetarian - I eat only veg and fish - no mammals or birds basically), so hard to eat more protein and less carbs when almost everything I eat is carbs! Really couldn't just eat steamed fish eternally.

Its actually better here than in the UK because mostly I ate mass produced packaged supermarket food - and vegie food in a supermarket is nearly always loaded with fats, sugars and salt becuase the makers think it should taste like it has meat in even if it doesn't!

[wolf5370]

Hopefully your beer belly is just fat, then it can be reduced by decreasing intake and increasing excersize. However, if its acities it will take a lifestyle change.

I'm vaguely aware of aicities but a short summary of your view wouldn't hurt.

from wikipedia

In medicine (gastroenterology), ascites (also known as peritoneal cavity fluid, peritoneal fluid excess, hydroperitoneum or more archaically as abdominal dropsy) is an accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity. Although most commonly due to cirrhosis and severe liver disease, its presence can portend other significant medical problems. Diagnosis of the cause is usually with blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the abdomen, and direct removal of the fluid by needle or paracentesis (which may also be therapeutic). Treatment may be with medication (diuretics), paracentesis, or other treatments directed at the cause.

So, lets hope its not that then!

[jim1563]

Stop the beer not easy

[Tonto21]

I'm in my mid thirties, 5' 11'' and 73kg. No problems so far. But in the past few years, I've slowly grown a pot belly. If I stand up and relax my stomach muscles, it looks like I could be pregnant. Not the most attractive thing. Any tips on how to lose this?

It's simple "ChiangmaiThai", but no easy!!! Things to remember it is not the amount, but the type of food that give you a gut and the wall muscles (around the mid-drift area) growing weak due to inactivity, and internal fat build-up around internal organs needing more space, but from your high and weight, Fat build-up is not your problem. As we get older, (sorry mate! But you’re no teenager anymore) we tend to do less, and eat/drink more crap, that with gravity, well you’re looking at the result in the mirror.

Good new, you can get rid of it...... if you really want too. As I said it easy to tell, hard to do. It about on-going maintance, sorry no quick fix's. Excises, and not just sit-ups, in fact unless you do sit –up correctly you can make this problem worse, believe it or not! Get advice on fitness, get on the net! Food, some foods will produce gas, which will push and extend, e.g.: some raw veg, carrots and green peppers est., and carbonated drinks. Look at it like this, the stomach and gut area holds about 3 or 4 bucket full’s of sloppy gloop! All of it trying to break free! Good luck!!!! Excises, Excises, Excises,

[PhilHarries]

This is a tack on to "How to lose the pot belly" and IMO not worth a separate thread. So apologies if it seems I've hijacked this one but the OP will, hopefully, experience the same scenario.

Okay I'm 6' 1" (1.85m) and was circa 100 kg and 40" (1.02m) round the gut.

Now I've got down to circa 90kg and have actually fitted into a pair of 36" (0.91m) shorts but not for very long I have to admit (you just gotta breath sometime ).

My problem is the gut echo. The lump of flab that used to encompass my "generous" girth. It's okay if I am standing up but if I sit down I still look like an impersonation of the Lord Buddha.

Discounting the carving knife, what's the best way to get rid of it?

[khunandy]

Whatever you guys do, forget the low carb diets here in Thailand, no rice..no beer..you are dreaming and any low carb diet is a yo yo diet...whatever you lose you will put back on about 10% if you slip...not just once, but every time. Quick results but long term blow back.

Unfortunately the only answer is to burn more than you eat. Beer is the enemy but I love my beers.

Try speed....joking

Andy

[chiang mai]

This is a tack on to "How to lose the pot belly" and IMO not worth a separate thread. So apologies if it seems I've hijacked this one but the OP will, hopefully, experience the same scenario.

Okay I'm 6' 1" (1.85m) and was circa 100 kg and 40" (1.02m) round the gut.

Now I've got down to circa 90kg and have actually fitted into a pair of 36" (0.91m) shorts but not for very long I have to admit (you just gotta breath sometime ).

My problem is the gut echo. The lump of flab that used to encompass my "generous" girth. It's okay if I am standing up but if I sit down I still look like an impersonation of the Lord Buddha.

Discounting the carving knife, what's the best way to get rid of it?

You could try lots of exercise, or if that doesn't work, try some exercise or failing that just do simple exercise - only alternative is plastic surgery I suspect since the skin loses its elasticity after a certain age! But hey, don't be too worried, we're all in the same wretched boat - I've been a (tall but) skinny runt for much of my life and it's only in the past three years that I've changed my lifestyle and have actually taken on normal or average appearance and how I wish I could go back to what I was before. Previously I could eat and drink until the cows came home and I never gained more than five or six pounds, despite a huge calorific intake. These days I battle against mid rift bulge and as a result I run and work out daily, it's really tough work. If things keep going as present I may end up being the only 60 year old contender for the Mr Universe contest! That was of course a joke but it hopefully makes the point that you can actually control your body weight and your appearance.

[Tonto21]

I'm in my mid thirties, 5' 11'' and 73kg. No problems so far. But in the past few years, I've slowly grown a pot belly. If I stand up and relax my stomach muscles, it looks like I could be pregnant. Not the most attractive thing. Any tips on how to lose this?

GUYS!!! Read the post again..... He’ not overweight, he don’t have a beer belly, love handles or man boobs, weight for height is pretty good. He is looking for advice for a “sticky outie belly”.......... if this is any help, I heard Mothercare is opening a shop in Chiangmai next year.... good luck!