Unwanted Pooch

[gammachick]

Here is my major dilemma -
I have great definition on all body parts except for the stomach. For the life of me, I cannot get a stomach to match the rest of my body. I lost 26lbs about 6 years ago and I have become a serious fitness buff.
Workout - Monday - Personal Trainer - core strenghth training; 20minutes of cardio
Tuesday - Paddling - 1 hour (Kayak training)
Wednesday - 40 mins weights; 1 hour cardio
Thursday - 40 mins weights1 hour cardio
Friday off
Saturday 1 hour cardio (spinning/biking)
Sunday-40 mins weights; 1 hour cardio
I know diet plays a big role but it has to be a genetic thing too right?
Maybe someone can help as this budha pooch is VERY discouraging and I am at the end of my rope!!!!!!

[redsquirrel]

I hold most of my fat in the abdomen as well, so I feel your pain. I'm currently training for my first comp in June, and I am really concerned I won't have abs. My legs will come in long before I get abs. ( And legs are usually last on a woman) This is, unfortunately genetic. I hold my fat the same exact way my father does.

Losing the pooch is going to be diet and cardio. It is the "brown fat" so to speak on your body. Which means, it will be the last to go...as it will be for me. I know it is discouraging. And it is possible for it to go away with a lot of hard work and great dieting. What is your diet like? You may be able to tweak it to help burn more cals. Also, IMO, I think you should throw another day of good weight training in your regime.

Your body has become complacent. That is why you have not made any additional progress since losing all the weight. How long have you been doing this same routine? You have got to constantly challenge your body to different things in order for it to change. It sounds as though it has responded well so far, but in order to lose that stubborn pouch, you are going to have to do something to "shock it" to get it to keep changing. Same thing with a competition diet. You "shock" your body to get it to change.

[gammachick]

Interesting - I do know that my diet is partially to blame - I wont cut out carbs - I do eat bread cereal and pasta - always in moderation - but I am sure this is key.
As far as my workout - I try to mix it up all the time - that is why I do so many different sports (I will probably be doing an Adventure Race this summer). Paddling keeps my back and arms really buff - and technically I should have great abs as it is a pure core excersise sport and believe me - its tough!! - but I don't have the abs. GRRRRR!- So I guess bottom line - DIET is key - any recommendations on a typical week diet that may "shock" my system? thanks a qazillion.....gammachick

[gammachick]

Monday Wednesday and Sunday when I do weight training I focus on different ab excersises - mostly using a stability ball or incline - Tuesday paddling uses obliques

[Shibby]

You can do as much abs as you want and you'll never see them if your body fat still isn't low enough. Even if you have as little as 1/4 in of fat over your stomach, you still may not see your abs.

Go ahead and post up your diet. Maybe it just needs a tweak and not a make over. If you don't have a certain diet, then maybe give us an idea. Remeber though that there are carbs in other things other than breads or pastas.

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by gammachick
Interesting - I do know that my diet is partially to blame - I wont cut out carbs - I do eat bread cereal and pasta - always in moderation - but I am sure this is key.
As far as my workout - I try to mix it up all the time - that is why I do so many different sports (I will probably be doing an Adventure Race this summer). Paddling keeps my back and arms really buff - and technically I should have great abs as it is a pure core excersise sport and believe me - its tough!! - but I don't have the abs. GRRRRR!- So I guess bottom line - DIET is key - any recommendations on a typical week diet that may "shock" my system? thanks a qazillion.....gammachick

It's possible you may have just found a solution to your problem- reduce your CARBS!!!! It sounds to me like the diet is almost all to blame....as it is in most cases. Bread, cereal, and pasta, for one, are not good sources of carbs!! I'm sure you have the cereal w/ milk, which comverts to sugar, and the pasta and bread will spike you insulin much more than a complex carb like sweet potato, oats, or brown rice.

Diet IS KEY. And the type of diet that is going to shock your body is a low carb diet. What about health fats? Any intake of those?

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by Keiser
LoL I thought this thread was going to be about a homeless dog!

[gammachick]

LMFAO - sorry no dog!

[Shibby]

Originally posted by Keiser
LoL I thought this thread was going to be about a homeless dog!

<---- seriously I am. Not just useing the expression

[shnookbox]

DIET DIET DIET......!!!!!!!!!

I too hold my body fat in the middle, boobs go away first then no butt, and finally a little six pack arrives....

This is a diet issue, I had to COMPLETELY eliminate ALL bread and pasta from my diet, as well as sugars. This has a dramatic impact to my midsection, however the fat in my belly is also the first thing to come back when you come off of your diet.

Day to day I am happy with my midsection, accepting the fact that I don't and can't walk around with a six pack all of the time. I do abs daily, spending 3 days a weeks concentrated on weighted activities. I eat normally, again I try to be conscious of everything that i eat, and how that will effect the overall look. Watching sugar intake, salt intake, carbs and upping the water daily makes a HUGE difference. Calories, fat, sugar and salt all seem to sneak into a healthy diet if you aren't really turing over the package or keeping a log on what you intke a day.


I only suggest the "crash" diet when training for a competition, because your healthy body is telling you that you still need fat, and this is where you're holding it. Accept it for what it looks like when you are on a LIVEABLE normal diet and exercise routine, and then sculpt the hell out of it when you decide it is bikini season or competition season.

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by shnookbox
DIET DIET DIET......!!!!!!!!!

I too hold my body fat in the middle, boobs go away first then no butt, and finally a little six pack arrives....

This is a diet issue, I had to COMPLETELY eliminate ALL bread and pasta from my diet, as well as sugars. This has a dramatic impact to my midsection, however the fat in my belly is also the first thing to come back when you come off of your diet.

Day to day I am happy with my midsection, accepting the fact that I don't and can't walk around with a six pack all of the time. I do abs daily, spending 3 days a weeks concentrated on weighted activities. I eat normally, again I try to be conscious of everything that i eat, and how that will effect the overall look. Watching sugar intake, salt intake, carbs and upping the water daily makes a HUGE difference. Calories, fat, sugar and salt all seem to sneak into a healthy diet if you aren't really turing over the package or keeping a log on what you intke a day.


I only suggest the "crash" diet when training for a competition, because your healthy body is telling you that you still need fat, and this is where you're holding it. Accept it for what it looks like when you are on a LIVEABLE normal diet and exercise routine, and then sculpt the hell out of it when you decide it is bikini season or competition season.

The 'crash diet', as you put it, is actually a very healthy way to maintain muscle and stave of BF. If you are eating enough healthy fats and keeping processed foods out of your diet, it's possible to not gain it back. It's a lifestyle change. It's routine and discipline. If you want it that bad, you can stay"sculpted" all year long. It is possible to walk around at 12%....not necessarily desirable, but not unliveable either. You are right about her need to eliminate the bread, pasta and sugar. Once those are eliminated, fat loss should be easier as long as she eats healthy fats.

[gammachick]

Im currently at 15% body fat. I'm not training for a fitness event - but who knows maybe one day I will. I have always had this problem and it is very frustrating.!!!!!! My diet is not as clean as it should be apparently. I am going away this week and when I return I will come back with a vengeance. Thanks to all the threads I will definitely be eliminating the bad carbs for a period of time and see if this shocks my system. I will be doing Adventure Racing so I am a little worried that my energy level may suffer. I cheat - bottom line.... I need discipline - which you can't buy in a pill! (wish you could though) lol

[redsquirrel]

When you cut the bad carbs, you have to MAKE SURE YOU ARE EATING ENOUGH HEALTHY FATS!!!! When carb depleted your body will start to use the healthy fats for energy instead of muscle.

Stock up on Fish Oil tabs and Flax oil, and take them daily.