# Flattening Stomach and losing waist fat



## tyrone_40 (May 5, 2004)

Hi,

How do I get my stomach in and lose the fat around my waist?  Will doing stomach crunches / abdominal exercises be sufficient for flattening the stomach.  I also use the threadmill for 15 mins thrice a week.  Will using the threadmill prevent me from gaining mass?

I will appreciate your advice. Thanks

Tyrone


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## CowPimp (May 5, 2004)

First of all, you can't spot reduce.  You have to lose bodyfat throughout the entire body.  The abdominal area is where men hold the most fat (In general).

There are three possible ways to lose fat: diet, more physical activity, or a combination of the two.  You have to be using more calories than you are taking in, plan and simple.

Diet is most important by far.  No matter how much physical activity you do, if you are eating more calories than you are using you gain fat.  Check out the diet & nutrition forum for more information.

Cardio, weight training, or a combination of both definitely improves weight loss.  I think weight training is always good to do, because you can often times lose fat and gain muscle at the same time if you are just starting out.  As well, more muscle mass means more calories burned all day long.  Cardio also raises your metabolism, and it is extremely good at helping you lose weight.  I suggest doing cardio 3-5 days a week for 30-60 minutes.  Do searches for HIIT cardio as well.

One more very important thing: don't overdo it right from the start.  Take things slow at the beginning.  You don't want to injure yourself or overtrain your body.  You have to gradually condition  yourself.  Good luck.  Peace.


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## tyrone_40 (May 5, 2004)

Hi,

I'm sorry I forgot to mention that I just started weight training and overall I'm 6 ft weight 70 kgs which I think is less for my height.  I'm 32.  So I'm trying to gain mass while at the same time losing the fat around my waist and flattening my stomach.  I hope by doing cardio I won't hinder gaining mass at the same time.  I lift weights about 3 times weekly and use the threadmill on other days.

Tyrone


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## Laurie (May 7, 2004)

The advice is right on the mark.  As a 52 year old woman, I took a strength classes in college for a year.  We were all started out at low weights to learn the form and get used to it.   Found I liked lifting and progressed further than the rest of the women in that first semester and kept going.  Took the class's premise and ran with it. 

Also found out all those myths about female lifting was just trash.  Including the "spot reducing" myth.  Relearned to eat properly too.   

Started out at 245 and lost 60lbs of bodyfat doing this.   At 5'6"/largeboned, I am 180lbs right now and can wear premarriage clothes sizes when I was 165.  I was never skinny but had kept fit, at the time, riding a 10 speed all over San Diego in the 60s.   I realize some of that extra 20lbs...if not all...is lean muscle mass built up.  Dont mind that at all.

The classes ended six months ago and I still lift twice a week for an hour.  My husband found a professional Olympic style bench with Olympic bar/plates for me to keep lifting at home.  That and eating a proper diet has given me a new lifestyle I can keep for the rest of my life.  

My lifting routine has drifted into a combination of strength and powerlifting.  My role models are the women involved in the Strongest Woman contests.   Bodybuilding is fine and cheer for the ones who work hard to get there.   But that is not where I want to go.  Building strength and keeping it is what I am looking at for as long as I can.


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## CourtQueen (May 7, 2004)

Laurie!!! That is excellent.
Such kudos to you for picking it up at your aging and even more for truly understanding its benefits and staying with it.

I so appreciate your view point on your role models.


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## Laurie (May 7, 2004)

Thank you!

Another unexpected benefit of good upper body strength building.

My 79 Cordoba blew a rear tire, a couple of days ago, when I was driving alone on a rural state highway.  So had to change the tire myself.  Used a 2 1/2lb hammer to "break" the lugnuts with while using the "4 way".  Used it to finish tightening them down after pulling on the 4 way.  Hauling out the spare and switching tires was much, much easier with the upper body strength I gained.  

The last time I had to do this was years ago at 245 and was exhausted afterwards.  Not this time.  Far, far easier.   All to show for it was my shoulders having that "good worked" feeling the next morning.....and a blister on the right palm from pulling on the tire wrench.  

Got the muscles and now I can do things with them!


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## Jodi (May 7, 2004)

> _*Originally posted by Laurie *_
> The advice is right on the mark.  As a 52 year old woman, I took a strength classes in college for a year.  We were all started out at low weights to learn the form and get used to it.   Found I liked lifting and progressed further than the rest of the women in that first semester and kept going.  Took the class's premise and ran with it.
> 
> Also found out all those myths about female lifting was just trash.  Including the "spot reducing" myth.  Relearned to eat properly too.
> ...


  Welcome to IM!

Congrats, you've done an outstanding job.


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## tyrone_40 (May 10, 2004)

Hi,

If as you say I shoudl lose more calories, wont that mean that I will lose more weight as Im only 140 lbs for 6 ft.  I am trying to gain some mass.

Thanks


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## Akateros (May 10, 2004)

Tyrone, in your situation, if you are just starting to lift, I would NOT drop calories. Clean up your eating, get started eating five or six protein-rich meals per day if you aren't already (go over to the Diet and Nutrition forum for more information) but do NOT drop calories.

It sounds (without of course seeing you) that you have very little muscle mass at the moment, which is why you think you're "soft". You are certainly very light for your height. A consistent program of lifting, with a little cardio (treadmill) just for overall heart health, will build muscle, but musclebuilding needs feeding. You can't make something from nothing.

As you increase your lean tissue, your metabolic rate will rise. Not to mention, as Laurie points out, your shape will change; you may lose no weight or even gain some, but be better-proportioned and tighter overall.

Once you've got a good base of nice, solid muscle, if you still have lingering fat hiding it, that'll be the time to overhaul your food and maybe start cutting calories.


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## tyrone_40 (May 10, 2004)

Thank you very much Akateros for your advice.  I think I will do once a week of cardio about 15 mins which would be good for heart health in my case.  

Btw, I take Weider's Muscle Builder after a workout or once a day.
I work out using compound exercises every second day i.e. 3 times a week.

Tyrone


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