I need advice

[naturalblonde]

I have been working out for about 2 years now. In that time i've lost around 90 pounds. I am 5'10 and 1/2 now and about 131-132 pounds. My bodyfat percentage is 18.8 or so. The problem is I don't want to lose much more weight because my face and arms are really skinny. But my stomach and hips aren't. That is where all 132 pounds is located I just know it I'm very confused because i've talked to several personal trainers and everyone tells me something different. I want to look more like these women and less skinny/flabby :

 

http://michelleberger.com/images/IMG_0383_0057.jpg

 

http://michelleberger.com/images/174.jpg

 

http://christinalindley.net/images/portfolio/fit-swim/023.jpg

 

So my main questions are:

 

Do I need to do more weight training and less cardio?

Do I need to do more cardio so i'll lose the fat I still have?

Do I eat less fat or more?

What does your daily/weekly routine look like?

 

It's so weird because I think i'm at a good weight and some of my body parts look to skinny but then others make me look chubby.

A huge thank you to anyone who responds

[kollision]

There is no such thing as spot reduction, meaning you cant burn off fat from one particular place, its the entire body. Generally, the fat will come off in reverse order then how it came on. So if fat came on the stomach first, it will be the last to go.

 

 

Do I need to do more weight training and less cardio?

 

Depends. Is it fat or is it muscle there? Sometimes if you work out the transverse abdominis (the part where the dip is) it can make your hips look big. If this is the case, then stop working out the transverse abdominis as much.

 

If it is fat, still continue to do cardio but dont stop on the weight training. Also, what are you eating? Have you calculated all the macronutrients and calories that you are intaking? Nutrition is bigger than the weights.

 

Do I need to do more cardio so i'll lose the fat I still have?

 

I answered this in the top.

 

Do I eat less fat or more?

 

Again, answered in the top

 

What does your daily/weekly routine look like?

 

Its really different. For one I am a guy. Second I am bulking so it sure aint close to yours.

[naturalblonde]

The weight did go to my stomach last. It's driving me crazy though because the fat on my stomach won't budge. It's all fat on my stomach. I am starting to see lines under some fat on my tummy but that's as close as i've been to having a stomach like the girls in the above post. I eat around 1,200 -1,400 a day. I have tried eating more calories because some people say to eat more but honestly I found I gain weight if I up it anymore. So my new questions for you are this..

 

How many times a week would you suggest I do cardio and for how long?

How many times should I do weights and for how long?

I've been a junk food vegetarian for many many years but am new to veganism and very very new to eating healthy. Anyone care to share what a day of healthy eating for someone trying to lose stomach fat should look like?

 

THANKS SO MUCH !!!!

[Renecarol25]

I don't mind sharing what I had today.. I'm trying to lose some weight and get cut as well. I have lots of muscle I seriously want to show it off.

 

breakfast bagel with strawberry jam

lunch tofu with vegetables

preafternoon workout luna bar and gatorade

dinner gardenburger riblet with a spinach salad (broccoli, carrots, snowpeas, bacos, sunflower seeds and a vinagrette dressing)

 

total somewhere around 1700 calories with approx 20% coming from fat and protein and 60% from carbohydrates.

[kollision]

How many times a week would you suggest I do cardio and for how long?

How many times should I do weights and for how long?

I've been a junk food vegetarian for many many years but am new to veganism and very very new to eating healthy. Anyone care to share what a day of healthy eating for someone trying to lose stomach fat should look like?

 

First off you would need to list what you are doing currently in all those aspects.

[andesuma]

Man... the first girl definitely has the kind of physqiue I am going for

as well.. I tend to be softer, but I would like to be super lean.

 

The only advice I could give would be to start running or doing more

cardio, that will strengthen your abdominals as well as shed fat from them.

I would say do 30-45 minutes 4-5 days a week to get any results.

Also, lots of crunches/pilates ab preps couldn't hurt

 

Eat lots of raw foods and try and cut out added sugar and breads.

Check out some of the articles on body building websites for more info,

also check out pre-contest meal plans, because that is when body

builders are getting super lean and trying to show off the muscles.

 

 

Oh, and a good trick when doing crunches is to hold them for

5-7 seconds and release each one slowly and with control, this will

work the lower part of your stomach more.

& don't skip on the weight lifting, thats important as well.

 

 

good luck! definitely let me know if you make any progress...

[Guest]

you can't do spot reduction but you can do spot building which should definately help out a bunch.

[lmmy]

Here's one of my recent menus:

 

Luna bar

1.25 cup kidney beans

2 cups wheat bulghur

Italian (romain lettuce/radicchio) salad with Goddess dressing

5 apples

Green beans + elephant garlic sauteed with shirataki noodles and 1.75 cup fresh spinach

More spinach

Pear

Banana

 

This came to a little over than 1,600 calories, and it was spread widely throughout the day -- I don't like to eat all at once.

[Guest]

Also you should increase your cardio considerably but lower the intensity. Nothing is better for burning fat than low intensity cardio...the longer the better. When pro cycists are doing they're hardest training the get some fat and right before the season starts they do 7-10hr rides with a heart rate typically at 130 or less to burn off stored fat...surely you don't need to go that long but the longer the better

[clsupnorth]

Ah, the standard cry of women everywhere......

 

If you remember only one thing, remember this (I speak from experience)... we hold our primary fat stores in our ass/upper thighs/abdomen. For men, it's abdomen/lower back. This is the very last place your body will hold on to it's fat. It will try hard to lose it everywhere else first. Sounds bad, but it gets good....

 

As you lean out, you are actually losing fat all over. But since your upper body/arms/legs generally have less covering, they lean out fast. Then and only then does the ass fat get tapped into. Generally, your upper body has to be really lean before you notice tremendous changes in your lower half. But once that occurs, it happens at a rapid rate.

 

If you ask any female bb/figure/fitness girl, she'll tell you that everything up top will look pretty damn excessively lean, but she'll still have butt fat. Those last few weeks of stage prep take care of that.

 

What I'm trying to say is this: If your upper body has already gotten lean, then continue doing what you are doing, because you are obviously doing something that works. Assuming you continue making progress, You will now naturally start tapping into changing the lower half/middle. Your upper body will NOT get scrawny and skinny. Trust me.

 

Just continue what you've been doing. Don't turn into a cardio bunny and sabotage what you've already achieved.

[clsupnorth]

Also you should increase your cardio considerably but lower the intensity. Nothing is better for burning fat than low intensity cardio...the longer the better. When pro cycists are doing they're hardest training the get some fat and right before the season starts they do 7-10hr rides with a heart rate typically at 130 or less to burn off stored fat...surely you don't need to go that long but the longer the better

 

This depends on what her goals are. Increasing endurance cardio alone will catabolize her muscle gains considerably... all for the sake of a couple extra lbs lost. A more effective (and less time consuming route) would be to add in some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). One 20 min session of HIIT will burn significant amounts of fat, not only from the increased cardiovascular load during the sprints, but also the raised metabolic rate for hours and hours afterward. The anaerobic aspect of it will retain muscle (and likely stimulate growth) in her large muscle groups. But the biggest benefit (in my mind) is that she won't have to spend hours and hours doing extra cardio.

 

Given the choice of 20 mins HIIT vs. hours of Steady-state endurance cardio for the same fat loss benefits.... I'd say the best choice is the HIIT. Sure, you'll burn the same amount of total fat. But you get more bang for your buck... and you are out of the gym in way less time.

[Guest]

I do high intensity interval training on my bike but it lasts for hours...it really works well for triming but if you do it right your body can't take it more than 3x a week

[clsupnorth]

I do high intensity interval training on my bike but it lasts for hours...it really works well for triming but if you do it right your body can't take it more than 3x a week

 

But if it lasts for hours... then it's aerobic and endurance, right? The HIIT I'm referring to are maximal intesity sprints of 20-30 secs, tops. With only 40-60 secs recovery between. At that high intensity, you shouldn't be able to go more than 20 mins without nearly dying. If I'm able to crank it out longer, either in interval length or total time, then I wasn't sprinting hard enough. I think we may be talking about two different types of Interval training.

 

I do agree, however, that no HIIT can be done more than 3x/week. I don't advise people to do it more than 1-2 times. If they want to add in SS, then I still say no more than 2-3 SS sessions with HIIT. Reason being is that HIIT is such a lower-body workout that too much will lead to overtraining and muscle mass loss. I consider my HIIT intervals to be a lower body training... so since I already train lower body heavy with weights 2x/week, I wouldn't do more than 1 HIIT a week.

[Guest]

I normally do really high intensity 8-15minute pulls on my bike...then I start up again once the pain in my legs goes away and I can breath normally

[clsupnorth]

Ok... I think I understand what you are applying now... but it is definately different than the anaerobic sprints.