How to reduce the size of one's tummy?

[BloodyRose]

Hello. Could you give me a couple of advices on what to do to reduce the size of one's tummy?

[Lyric]

You can't really lose weight/fat in one perticular spot, it's an all over thing. You would really have to to cardio to help lose the fat, and strength to help tone it up and make it firm, reduce your caloric intake to less then you are expending, less saturated fats, you know, the regular stuff.

Edited December 17, 2009 by Lyric

[xjohanx]

You reduce the amount of calories you are eating and/or increase the amount of calories you are burning (excersise).

[Fjodo]

Are you speaking of fat in the tummy area or are you rather speaking of the actual size of your tummy, which is defined by the size of your muscles, your innards and of the food you've been eating?

[BloodyRose]

Are you speaking of fat in the tummy area or are you rather speaking of the actual size of your tummy, which is defined by the size of your muscles, your innards and of the food you've been eating?

It's fat in the tummy area, of course.

[Im Your Man]

MOst people need to lose fat for few weeks or even months before they see a difference on the tummy because that often the last place they will lose fat, this and the thighs and buttocks.

[VeganEssentials]

+1 to what IYM said. I've been slowly dropping fat the past 6 months, and while I see a noticeable change from the belly button up, my lower back and midsection are the two areas that budge the least and only start to shrink after everything else has. It would be nice if spot reduction were a reality, but sadly, every time you see an ad for a device or supplement that claims to "target your problem areas", it's all a load of b.s. made to convince people to buy something that doesn't work.

 

Just be persistent, stay on track and things will change in time. But, some of us were not gifted with even fat loss, so it might take a little longer for the problem areas to finally show improvement.

[BethL]

Everyone is different in how they lose fat. Some lose off the midsection first and some the thighs and hips, other all over. I lose all over myself which is a good thing, but also gain all over too ugh. Wish I could just lose my tummy and thighs and keep the butt lol

 

Okay but anyway, eating a whole food diet while keeping the starchy foods at a minimum works best for me, and having a ration about 45/35/20. Like I said no one is the same, some can get away with a high carb diet and lose fat, I am just not one of those people. Also a whole food diet will reduce inflammation too.

 

Unfortunately when I was a meat eater I could lose weight (especially on my midsection) pretty easy, oh what a challenge it is to lose weight as a veggie and still be satisfied.

 

Now for advise I would say work with your diet and see what kind of results you are getting. Stick to something a few weeks and if no change then try something else. You are the only one who really knows your bodies system, looks back at times when a program worked for you and go from there, tweak it some if needed. What was your lifestyle like then, were you a lot more active, is there high stress in your life? Etc. Something the answer is not so simple, but what is simple is Whole Foods.

[Duncan_Idaho]

1. Do ab crunches (for the upper abs)

2. Do leg raises (for the lower abs). You could bend your knees.

3. Train the obliques and the transverse muscles - that's half of your tummy.

4. Train your waist.

This way you get a thick, strong tummy, which metabolises fat better.

You really cannot lose fat only locally, so:

5. Do cardio workouts (jogging, treadmill, etc)

6. Whatever you do, do it regularly:)

7. Eat complex carbs + fruit instead of simple carbs (sweet) Don't get rid of all carbs, your body needs them for many functions, including muscle tissue preservation.

[Marcina]

My favorite core workout? Squats and deadlifts.

 

Seriously.

 

Once in awhile, I'll go do some crunches on a decline bench with a 25 LB plate. Go halfway down, and then back up again about 10 times. The next day your lower abs will hurt like hell.

[BloodyRose]

1. Do ab crunches (for the upper abs)

2. Do leg raises (for the lower abs). You could bend your knees.

3. Train the obliques and the transverse muscles - that's half of your tummy.

4. Train your waist.

This way you get a thick, strong tummy, which metabolises fat better.

You really cannot lose fat only locally, so:

5. Do cardio workouts (jogging, treadmill, etc)

6. Whatever you do, do it regularly:)

7. Eat complex carbs + fruit instead of simple carbs (sweet) Don't get rid of all carbs, your body needs them for many functions, including muscle tissue preservation.

Thanks for the information. How many reps a day for ab crunches and leg raises would you recommend?

[Fallen_Horse]

I'm with Marcina on this one. Good old compound exercises will get you further than any random ab exercise...

[VeganEssentials]

I third the opinion that compound exercises will be best. Like I've said before, I have big-ass abs and haven't done more than 10 total sets of ab work in the past 7 years, but of course, they're covered with enough fat to keep them invisible

 

Nothing will build large, strong abs like having to support heavy weight during compound movements like squats, deadlifts, rows and standing overhead pressing. You may not "feel" extremely sore in your midsection from doing these things, but if soreness were a factor for growth, I'd probably be 40 lbs. lighter with a whole lot less muscle

[RAINRA]

my abs come from reducing processed foods, eating healthy staying away from refined foods, alcohol, and soda and doing compound moves. I almost never do isolated workouts on my abs.

[Theresaann]

ONE WORD: KETTLEBELLS!

 

Seriously core toning and major fat burning in just (3) 20 min workouts a week....not kidding. Check out these resources:

 

dragondoor.com

ontheedgefitness.com

artofstrength.com

 

Working out with kettlebells also give you a great ass

[JãoP]

I'm thinking maybe you're not worried about the fat, but the size of your tummy. Here in Brazil people are big on stomach vacuum. It's said to work core muscles that hold your belly inwards even when relaxed. I like doing it, just for the soreness the day after. Never measured my waist, so I can't tell it worked for me, but after a while doing it I stopped having bellyaches (I mean that nasty cramp feeling next to an oblique) when I run.

If you give it a shot, I'd be glad to hear back from you.

[Veganluv]

Cut back on your (fat) intake - from 25-30 percent of calories from fat to 10 percent.

I did this and it made a big difference!

[denial]

If you have very heavy weight then it will be reduced by your daily diet.you have to make a good diet chat which contain good energy and low calories.That can help you to reduced weight.If you are doing regular exercise then it also help to reduced your wight.

[medman]

Just like everyone has said, you can't spot-reduce (lose from one specific area). It has to be overall fat-loss, and your genetics pre-determine where you gain/lose the quickest and where you don't.

 

That said, advice like working on ab tone (crunches etc) can certainly affect the way your stomach looks, even though it doesn't make you lose fat there specifically. At the same weight, tightening up your abs certainly affects your appearance.

 

As for weight loss, I have a few friends who have had great success with HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and swear by it.

[HawaiiDolphin]

If you're having trouble losing body fat particularly in your abdomen, this can be stress-related as well, due to hormones like cortisol that trigger fat storage.

If you're dealing with a lot of stress, find ways to manage it. This might make losing body fat easier.