[Closed] best way to loose belly fat

Running? Circuits?

Sort your diet... apologies if your diet is already sorted..

well I drink a lot of pepsi max which says sugar free but I never drink beer

Porridge for breakfast with fruit and honey - keeps you full nearly all day and you snack considerably less = smaller belly ;-), long cycle rides twice a week help also. Pepsi max - yeough - try peppermint tea. Stick to porridge, rice, veg, plain meat and fruit teas and the belly will fall off - you will also die of boredom however. Also agree with cut out bread as much as you can.

You cannot specifically target belly fat above any other area of fat. So a combination of diet and exercise is the way forward. Pick a diet and exercise that you can stick to and you'll be sorted.

give up bread

Turbo trainer.

cheers guys it just I weighed myself today and I have pilled on the pounds but I think we all do this time of year !

Liposuction

Lose some weight and the belly fat should decrease.

Road bike.

give up pasta and rice too, oh and alcohol as well.

Reduce calories, increase exercise basically.

You can't target fat loose in certain areas only. You need to target overall fat lose.

Cut out bread, milk and alcohol, or at least moderate the latter. And drop the Pepsi max too!

Drink peppermint tea or black coffee.

Also swimming, proper front crawl type swimming for 30 mins 3 times a week will drop loads of weight too.

I've lost a stone in the last 9 months without trying, and by that I mean I had no intention or need to lose any weight. Currently 12st 12lb at 6' 4" and feeling (and looking 😉 ) great.

I've been on the no bread and milk thing to help "our Gert" lose a bit, and she has lost a stone too, and she does limited activities due to a neck injury and had been finding it difficult to lose any weight at all.

There's no way of targeting fat loss to an area, even liposuction evens out over time. Any core/abs/back and shoulder/arms exercises will make you look thinner by sucking your stomach in and improving posture and broadening your chest/shoulders/biceps in proportion.

Other than that I find it's more down to time spent exercising rather than intensity. So stuff like group night rides, if possible get there an hour early and do an easy ride before anyone turns up (or ride from home if it's practical), I find that easier than trying to plan an extra ride (and cuts down on washing but not going out twice).

Set small goals that are quantifiable, but aren't weight loss which can be influenced by counter productive things like starving yourself making riding harder, or dehydrating, or muscle loss. It can take quite a while to reach a target weight, there's no way I could stay motivated for 20 weeks to lose 10kg, but a target taking about half that time is much more visible.

I've set myself a target of joining the fast group for night rides, this means getting from an average speed of 6.6mph to about 8.3mph. Once you've got a target break it down into even smaller targets. So for me that's:

January:
3x rides a week, ~2 hours each time, staying near the front on group rides so I'm working harder then taking a break which will increase my speed.

Febuary:
As January, + get back into commuting by bike.

March:
As Febuary, but re-join the roadie club for Sunday cafe runs.

So that's 12 weeks planned out, and hopefully combined with some sensible eating some weight loss will be a semi-un-planned result 🙂

Definitely food intake, also running works like nothing else for me. Tones side and stomach like cycling XC doesn't. Apart from in summer, when the ground's dry and I cycle much further/faster! That probably just illustrates that it's intensity of exercise, rather than discipline though...

. And drop the Pepsi max too!

Ditch the carbs. I've lost 4 lbs this week just by reducing the amount of carbs in my diet. More veg and protein, less pasta, rice, bread and starchy veg like potatoes.

Stomach curls to tighten up the flab.

On balance, I think I will keep my mini belly and enjoy what i eat/drink rather than depriving myself of 'comforts' just to conform to a stereotypical image of what is fit or healthy.
If you're riding your bike regularly and not living on Iceland 99p pizza and Stella you're probably pretty fit/healthy anyway. Why stress yourself about a little bit of ballast? What if it gets windy out? Can you afford loads of new clothes? Be bothered to redo all your sag settings?
(Says the guy who's 6'2", 32" waist and 13 1/2 stone....)

Why drop the Pepsi Max?

Insulin is widely thought to be a major factor in how the body stores and uses fat, as well as how it affects cravings for sweet and fatty foods. While diet drinks have no calories some artificial sweetners can stimulate insulin production in the same way as the sugar that they replace.

That's why.

And the iDiet is very good at reducing belly fat. It's an insulin regulating diet.

+1 mattbee! From another guy that's 6'2", 32" waist and 13 1/2 stone.

Loads of advice above, but myfitnesspal is a useful tool too.

I started after new year; I've put on about 20lbs of creeping weight gain since I was last properly making any effort on the bike and while Xmas wasn't a disaster, I didn't gain much then either. It's not that i can't manage longer rides, or be near-ish to the front on shorter ones if i want to be, but it stands to reason if I was 10% lighter it would make a big difference. So I've set the target to lose that (96-86kg, so i'll hardly be 'slim' at 6ft tall - will still be a 26 BMI) at a rate of 1.5lbs/week (assuming that you always start well at 2-3 and then it gets harder, I'd be glad to hit that average).

So after 8 days of MFP, my observations.

1/ The snacks are where the calories were piling on - I'm not that bad an eater at mealtimes, but a few hundred cals on snacks and stuff adds up
2/ Once you start to monitor your calories [against a target] then it's easier to refuse stuff - it's a willpower boost.
3/ You eat smarter - as above, a nice bowl of porridge made with skimmed milk is about 250 cals (so 1/8 of my allowance for the day) and fills me up to lunchtime. However, if i have a bit of fruit or a low cal soup (95 cal) late morning rather than hanging on to lunchtime, I don't feel the need to eat as much at lunchtime so the 95 cals is saved in double.
4/ Sweetener on porridge / skimmed milk / black coffee is perfectly palatable. It takes a few days but look at the calorie saving
5/ Exercise is good. Even getting out for a 20 minute run gives you 250 cals back.

Big ride today though. 30 odd miles, lots of mud, 2000+ calories, so will be getting a few back later!!

edit, beaten to it

Alternative dance classes really give you a good work out, and are a great way to meet new and interesting people.

You'll look awesome performing your moves in your local nightclub once you're in shape.

Good luck!

Apparently artificial sweeteners can have the same effect on insulin levels as normal sugar. And it's the insulin level you're trying to manipulate by cutting out carbs/milk/alcohol.

Says who? They have barely scratched the surface on sugars relationship with insulin let alone the many artificial sweeteners.

And I would NOT cut out milk. It's probably one of the best drinks ever invented. Funny that!

Just eat sensible portions of veg and steamed fish, drink water. Nought else.

Carry on with your riding and add in some weights or circuits. If you have a smartphone check out the Nike training app.

Get a heart rate monitor and learn how to use it.

+1 milk. Particularly if you can wean yourself to skimmed (takes less than week) a glass is only 100 cals and contains all the goodies still.

And after exercise,reduces muscle soreness and promotes recovery.

The ELF diet. Eat Less Food. Forget this carbs vs. protein stuff, that's just over complicating a simple formula. just eat a healthy balanced diet but less of it. The human machine is, unfortunately, very efficient. I know the answer, but struggle myself - I love my food! All these diet experts advice us rubbish.

Ditch the carbs.

Oh and milk was invented for baby cows, to make them into massive cows. It wasn't invented for us.

Id 2nd what Jon says about myfitnesspal although one of my regulars (a nutritionist for the US navy) reckons it over estimates calories used in exercise. Esp if you have good cardiovascular fitness because you use energy more efficiently.

Alternative dance classes really give you a good work out, and are a great way to meet new and interesting people.

+1

I, literally, danced the fat off. Now my disco pants are, literally, just hanging off me.

Jamie - Member
I, literally, danced the fat off. Now my disco pants are, literally, just hanging off me.

pics/vids?

eat less and exercise more

Alejandro Valverde (Spanish pro roadie) give this tip to a friend of ours: 20 mins very gentle exercise before breakfast. For me, that's on the rollers and it seems to work. Add it to your current program and see how you get on.
Tim (www.puremountains.com)

MDMA.

Made me skinnyer than when i was training and riding every day. 😉

although one of my regulars (a nutritionist for the US navy) reckons it over estimates calories used in exercise

I agree. My policy is that it adds to the effect of watching the input, it's not an excuse to replace everything I've been using up exercising.

The sweeteners in drinks like Pepsi Max are artificial. The body can't recognize or process them so it treats them as a poison and creates fat to coat each molecule in order to protect the body. All artificial sweeteners are essentially evil and should be avoided at all costs.
In order to burn fat you need to be exercising at approx 60-80% of max heart rate. Get your heart rate too high and your body burns sugar not fat. You need to be exercising at a consistent rate for at least an hour at a time to get max benefit. I find road cycling to be the best way of achieving this. If you ride at an intensity whereby you're out of breath but you could just maintain a conversation with another rider, you'll be in the right zone. An hour or two, 2-3 times a week and the weight will drop off.
.

Read "Why we get fat" then drop the carbs and go for a run

The sweeteners in drinks like Pepsi Max are artificial. The body can't recognize or process them so it treats them as a poison and creates fat to coat each molecule in order to protect the body. All artificial sweeteners are essentially evil and should be avoided at all costs.

I agree with this scientist.

Yes, you've got to be in the right "zone". No point exercising otherwise. 60 - 80% sounds right for fat burning, any other percentage and you'll just be burning fresh air.

Here's me at my alt. dance class "in the zone" (ironically, I'm just about to catch a bacon and sausage baguette!)

[img] [/img]

No point exercising otherwise. 60 - 80% sounds right for fat burning, any other percentage and you'll just be burning fresh air.

Worse than that, you actually put weight back on if you deviate from the 60-80% range.

Here's me at my alt. dance class "in the zone" (ironically, I'm just about to catch a bacon and sausage baguette!)

Your picture is not showing, David. Here:

[img] [/img]

i lost 22lbs last year on i-dave/4hr body. never felt hungry, no weighing food, no craving sweeties or feeling i was depriving myself. loads of energy. all round win.
id tried tracking calories and reducing portions and all that stuff (and I've always exercised a reasonable amount)but i found i was always either hungry (im a greedy ****er) or thinking about food. it was really slow too.
i-dave/4hr just steers you away from the stuff that's easy to over eat on and the stuff that makes you hungry. learning what foods do to you was the most important bit for me. i no longer stick to it religiously, but i know that if i eat a mars bar because i'm peckish at 3pm then its going to give me a spike, followed by a down then leaved me hungry until i get a proper meal (or hit the biscuits)
let me know if you want the 4hr body audio book

read
'what if its all been a big fat lie'

Its not all about calories. A calorie is the heat energy given off when burnt. Coal is extremely high calorie, but it wouldn't make you fat if you ate it. The human body doesn't set fire to the food you eat.

Its true that excess carbs spiking blood sugar is the primary cause of obesity in the west. Not fat.

Artifical sweeteners are quite dangerous for some people. Lots of money to be made from them so its ok.

Thanks Jamie, I think I look better in your smaller picture!

Hmm. True.

[img] [/img]

Blimey. Didn't set out to offend 🙂
Its simple though, artificial sweeteners are bad for you and stimulate the body to produce fat. Best avoided then.
If you want to exercise to lose weight/burn fat, then exercising in the way I outlined will generate the best results. Of course all exercise is beneficial per se, but overdo it and the body switches from burning fat to burning sugar. Given that the OPs question was about getting rid of his belly fat, I think that the clarification is justifiable.

Its simple though, artificial sweeteners are bad for you and stimulate the body to produce fat. Best avoided then.

It's just good science.

If anyone does find a magic wand to make belly fat go (and love handles particularly!) I would love to know about it - been shifting it everywhere else but that bit is stubborn!

Every January through to end of March I stop sugar, beer, bread and eat less carbs. In this time I eat as much meat, eggs, dairy and non starchy vegetables as I like. I lose all my belly fat doing that. I then enjoy the summer, drink like a maniac through December and I'm a bit fat again by January 1st.

running is the simplest and a fairly quick way to lose belly fat.

You wont see or feel your abs until you have stripped the fat away from the stomach so dont bother with any "get ripped abs in 30 minutes" etc nonsense routines.

Yet you see so many skinny runners with flabby guts.

Take the pie shop off speed dial 🙂

When your saying give up bread, are you meaning all breads?? I at the moment are using pitta bread instead of the usual loafs and so far would say the ones i am using are very tasty and i would like to say i am feeling much better for the switch and no where near as bloated...

For all you tweeters we're discussing nutrition at 8pm (UK time) tonight. #MTBMonday

Tim
[url= http://www.puremountains.com/ ]Pure Mountains[/url]

green tea

Back on the milk point.

Milk is designed by nature/evolution to turn small animals into big animals as quickly as possible.
Calories in drinks are the worst for not filling you up.
Most of the calories in milk are lactose (sugar).
Milk's probably as far from a weight loss drink as you can go!

Google the GOMAD (or less extream LOMAD) diet for a 'good' use of milk, for putting weight on rapidly!

fatlossburn703 - Member
Its all about the diet. Check out fatlossburn.com to get you started. Any one who tries to give you a quick answer like running or eat less is not enough. You need to know what to eat and when to eat it. Body fat burns equally over your whole body it is impossible to target a specific section of your body to burn fat, therefore dieting is the answer. You can also try hypertrophy training for abs to make them more visible. In other words train you body HEAVY.

Eat more SPAM

My solution

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/staley14.htm

Surely skimmed milk is ok?

A very simple start is to remove the hidden or extra sugar your consuming. None in tea or coffee for starters. Porridge with fruit (ummm strawberries and blueberries) for breaky (none of the processed rubbish such as cheerios etc) and cut the bread right down too.

No butter or cheese on your jacket spuds, crème fraîche (control with a teaspoon, 1 or 2 only) with olives or a little pesto can work.
Forget pizza, café latte, muffins, tarts, yoghurts, crisps.

Put your frying pan in the bin now.

If you need to graze, graze on fruit.

Plenty of H2O.

You can have one cake per week, before the ride is best.

Enjoy 😉

PS: I went from just under 12st (my fighting wt) in Oct. '12 to 13st in Jan FFS - based on that observation.....I hate Christmas.

I had the 'bulge' in the middle of the body, so I gave up bread in November and I have cut down since then, its made a big difference.

I think I had a bread addiction and I was eating far too much. 🙂

skimmed milk is low fat, but still has large amounts of lactose (sugar) which if unused will get turned into fat by your body

iDave definitely works as does Paleo, I'm currently on the 5:2 diet not to lose (much) weight - currently 6'1 and 12.5 stone but because I was sold on the whole idea by a [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lxyzc ]Horizon show [/url]

[url= http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/01January/Pages/Does-the-5-2-intermittent-fasting-diet-work.aspx ]NHS blah on it[/url]

[i]Alejandro Valverde (Spanish pro roadie) give this tip to a friend of ours: 20 mins very gentle exercise before breakfast. For me, that's on the rollers and it seems to work. Add it to your current program and see how you get on.[/i]

Agree with that. If I want to loose any weight I do my twenty mile bike commute before eating, cup of espresso before I leave at the house, herat rate around 60% and the weight falls off. Commuted 4 days last week and together with myfitnesspal, cutting out snacks, and a bit of running I've lost 4.1kg since 27th December.

I've been trying myfitnesspal for the last week, I started by just trying to eat/drink what I normally would and seeing whether that was an unhealthy amount. Unfortunately I think just by recording what you're consuming makes you limit what you have. You don't need to record it that accurately, although myfitnesspal makes it incredibly easy with the a huge database of foods and the ability to scan barcodes etc.

I've lost 5lbs in 8 days, but I don't imagine that trend will continue!

I was stuck at 13.5 stone for years. Im now happy at just under 12 which is pretty easy to do and shift a bit extra when I need to for racing. My waist is just under 30 inches and I am 6 ft, so pretty reasonable. Not really advice but it is just what works for me, in conjunction with doing some daily activity

A good approach for me is to be aware of which foods are energy dense as I think kcal ingested is 90% of it. You can make life easier by looking at the carbs you eat, as this affects hunger etc, its hard to sustain any eating habits where you are hungry. So bread is a good example of kcal you do not even notice eating. A few slices of bread with a meal seems like nothing, but it is 3-400kcal that you dont notice, a bit like fizzy drinks. So all the sensible things like veg are great as all that chewing takes time, the volume of it fills you up for a while and there is only a few kcal. Generally if you use ingredients rather than pre made stuff it is pretty easy.
I have a fridge full of randon veg and salad, a joint of cooked meat.

Oh Im a fan of milk, gold top mainly. I like eggs too. I have found by trial and error they seem to help rather than hinder when I am losing weight.

Only eat foods and consume drinks which are not advertised on television or radio ... then you will be fine.

[i]And I would NOT cut out milk. It's probably one of the best drinks ever invented. Funny that![/i]

And Humans are the only creatures who consume the milk of another species.

Milk is an Endocrine stimulant produced to promote growth in the young of whatever species you might be looking at. Which is why you see a drop off in the production of lactase in adults.

Carry on.

And Humans are the only creatures who consume the milk of another species

Maybe other animals just haven't figured out how to milk each other yet...

Glitch!

There was a comment about eating fruit earlier, which if you do eat be careful you don't eat too much, you'd be suprised how much sugar they contain...

Don't be scared of fat, obviously avoid the nasty ones like hydrogenated fat, in fact I avoid low fat foods as much as possible as I find them less good tasting and less satiating which can lead to eating more later in the day.

So what is better for weekdays work lunch - a pint of whole milk or a can of diet coke?

[i]There was a comment about eating fruit earlier, which if you do eat be careful you don't eat too much, you'd be suprised how much sugar they contain...[/i]

Also, Fructose is processed in a unique manner, so when possible. The body will process fructose to be laid down as fat.
Probably a distant survival strategy developed a long time ago.
When most creatures fattened up during the summer months (ripened fruit availability) to see them through the lean winter months.
Sent to hades in a hand cart in our modern era when fruit is piled high on super market shelves all year round.

[i]So what is better for weekdays work lunch - a pint of whole milk or a can of diet coke?[/i]

A small glass of red with some cold meats.
8)

So what is better for weekdays work lunch - a pint of whole milk or a can of diet coke?

You need to define 'better'.

I prefer the taste of milk. So on that basis it wins. Although a glass of red and some antipasti sounds even etter 🙂

Better = overall healthier option I guess. I recently changed from a can of diet coke every lunchtime to a cold pint of whole milk but people describe it as the devil's piss on this thread.

When my crohns flared up I lost 1/3 of my weight in under 6 months.
If I can find a shop that sells it, I'll post a link 😐

[i]Only eat foods and consume drinks which are not advertised on television or radio ... then you will be fine.[/i]

So special brew and turkey twizzlers are fine then?

When my crohns flared up I lost 1/3 of my weight in under 6 months.

Sure it wasn't the bad aids caught off some bloke you met in the dark at Hardcastle Crags car park?

Assuming you are the same fetchez of course 😀