Still struggling with belly fat

rottie 11

Tried out that fitness pal app , I'm finding it hard to use because it gives a big list for everything I type in and I'm probably picking the wrong ones ?

Weighed myself this morning and I'm sown more weight , I'm below 12 1/2 now.

Is there anyway I can lose the belly fat without losing weight ?

dashoonage

With myfitness pal i find it easier to scan the food in rather then relying on searches. Yes this requires a bit more planning on your behalf with meal prep but once you get into the hang of its simple

rottie 11

dashoonage wrote: »

With myfitness pal i find it easier to scan the food in rather then relying on searches. Yes this requires a bit more planning on your behalf with meal prep but once you get into the hang of its simple

Il just keep fiddling around with it so cheers. I'm getting way less calories than I'm alowed anyway

The Muppet

Congratualtions on the weight loss, You have very similar losses and current weight to myself, Use more calories than you take in and the belly fat will go, its the last thing to shift just stick with it. Do you do any exercise? I run, it it helps with the using calories and in conjunction with a proper diet it works for me.

CIARAN_BOYLE

bucketybuck wrote: »

I'm genuinely curious, how did you lose 6 stone without already knowing some of the basic things like measuring your calorie intake?

Its not hard to go from very out of shape to being in not bad shape. Much harder to go from not bad shape to good shape.

Congratulations OP.

rottie 11

The Muppet wrote: »

Congratualtions on the weight loss, You have very similar losses and current weight to myself, Use more calories than you take in and the belly fat will go, its the last thing to shift just stick with it. Do you do any exercise? I run, it it helps with the using calories and in conjunction with a proper diet it works for me.

Thanks. I don't really do any exercise apart from my weights programme and walking my dogs.

Think I might post a photo and see how far more ye all think I've to go because I'm not sure tbh. I feel like I'm nearly there but for all I know I could have a long way to go yet

CIARAN_BOYLE

rottie 11 wrote: »

Thanks. I don't really do any exercise apart from my weights programme and walking my dogs.

Think I might post a photo and see how far more ye all think I've to go because I'm not sure tbh. I feel like I'm nearly there but for all I know I could have a long way to go yet

depends on where you want to go. I personally want to be in decent shape. I do a martial art and you need a basic level of fitness. I'm happy with that level. I need to improve a little bit but I'm not far from being there.

its upto you to set your goals. you dont want to be an Olympic athlete so you don't need to be.

TallGlass

rottie 11 wrote: »

Il just keep fiddling around with it so cheers. I'm getting way less calories than I'm alowed anyway

Just one thing to watch is the 'gram' sizes, make sure you are putting the correct amount in and try weigh things to be more accurate.

Also every now and again, do a 'spot check', do manual maths to see if the figure on the MFP match up to what you have in front of you.

Strawberry Swan

I'm aware that it's not possible to spot reduce fat but surely it makes sense that if you exercise muscles they will give a leaner look to the fat on top? Given that the poster doesn't do much exercise I'd reckon the poster would see some results from doing core work such as an abs class or Pilates in conjunction with aerobic exercise.

Mellor

Strawberry Swan wrote: »

I'm aware that it's not possible to spot reduce fat but surely it makes sense that if you exercise muscles they will give a leaner look to the fat on top?

Exercise won't change the appearance of fat on top.
If the same amount of fat is on top of the same muscle, it will look the same.
If the muscle gets bigger, with the same fat on top, it will look leaner. It will in fact be leaner.*



*But there's there a big caveat with that second scenario.

1. The muscle you can build on a calorie deficit is limited.
2. The muscle mass you can add to your core is limited compared to other muscle groups.
3. The typical intensity, rep schemes, etc, used in core workouts are not particularly conducive to mass building. It's endurance based.

So while its technically possible, in order to achieve that goal you need to work specifically towards it. High rep sit-ups, pilates, aerobic core classes are not going to do it.

Brian?

Donal55 wrote: »

rottie 11 wrote: »

Thanks I appreciate your help but if I go reading all that stuff il just lose interest in the whole thing. I think I'm just going to try cutting out the stuff I said earlier and see how that goes for me

What breakfast would u suggest ? Maybe boiled eggs or something ?

Porridge or a granola with perhaps some almond milk!

Granola can be awful muck, packed full of sugar and salt.

OP, eat whole foods for every meal. A high protein content with every meal. But most importantly control your calories. My fitness pal will open your eyes to the importance of portion control.

Some people will say there are no right and wrong foods for weight loss. But I take the attitude that whether you're trying to lose weight or not you should stick to whole foods: fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Nothing processed like sausages or breaded chicken fillets.

Zillah

I have heard multiple times that granola can be awful muck.

bladespin

Tbh I love it, if you macro it in then it's fine and a srep above porridge muck.

(Taste and texture wise anyway)

rottie 11

Weighed myself this morning for the first time in ages

I was exactly 12 stone , not happy about this because I'm way below what I should be and still no change.

Where do I go from here , picture attached

Victoria21

I could suggest a better breakfast  without knowing why it might be a better option:)

Alf Veedersane

rottie 11 wrote: »

Weighed myself this morning for the first time in ages

I was exactly 12 stone , not happy about this because I'm way below what I should be and still no change.

Where do I go from here , picture attached

If you were eating below maintenance, you would be losing weight. If you're using MyFitnessPal then track absolutely everything based on the actual weight of food.

If you're doing that, then reduce your intake. And do some weight training.

rottie 11

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If you were eating below maintenance, you would be losing weight. If you're using MyFitnessPal then track absolutely everything based on the actual weight of food.

If you're doing that, then reduce your intake. And do some weight training.

That's the thing tho I actually am losing weight , I was just under 13 stone when I made this thread I think.

Say I eat eat 2 boiled eggs and a banana. Then I type it into my fitness pal but it gives me a huge list then with all different calories etc I just wouldn't b sure which one to pick

Mellor

I think at this point, you need to change your expectations rather than your diet or training

rottie 11 wrote: »

28/02/17
I used to 19 stone a few years ago, I'm now just over 13.

rottie 11 wrote: »

30/03/17
I was exactly 12 stone , not happy about this because I'm way below what I should be and still no change.

You've lost 15lbs in 30days. Are aren't happy with that.

That's way above what you should be expecting to lost tbh. 4lbs would be normal, 8lbs would be exceptional.
Just so you are aware, I'd guess that 5lbs or more of the weight you lost is water rather than fat. That fine. Just don't be surprised if it comes back on when you rehydrate/carb load/bulk etc

rottie 11 wrote: »

Say I eat eat 2 boiled eggs and a banana. Then I type it into my fitness pal but it gives me a huge list then with all different calories etc I just wouldn't b sure which one to pick

Weight a banana, and google the calores for a banana that size. That will give you an idea which to pick. FWIW about 100-120 calories.

The eggs might have the calories on the box. If not they'd at least have the size. About 50-80 calories depending on size

rottie 11

Mellor wrote: »

I think at this point, you need to change your expectations rather than your diet or training




You've lost 15lbs in 30days. Are aren't happy with that.

That's way above what you should be expecting to lost tbh. 4lbs would be normal, 8lbs would be exceptional.
Just so you are aware, I'd guess that 5lbs or more of the weight you lost is water rather than fat. That fine. Just don't be surprised if it comes back on when you rehydrate/carb load/bulk etc



Weight a banana, and google the calores for a banana that size. That will give you an idea which to pick. FWIW about 100-120 calories.

The eggs might have the calories on the box. If not they'd at least have the size. About 50-80 calories depending on size

Jesus this **** is hard to understand, for me anyway. Like I went to doctor about a year ago and she told me my perfect weight would be 13 stone , I'm now a stone below that and still my belly is same way

Do I need to go down to 11 stone ? I0 stone ? In order to get rid of it ?

I realize this must be starting to get annoying for ye at this stage but I'm genuinely lost

Mellor

It's easy to be confused, especially when the doctor is telling you X is your perfect weight.
But absolutes like that don't exist, a doctor should know better, but many actually don't.

I'd imagine that the doctor choose 13 stone because that would put you into the normal BMI range at 5'1". Which might be adequate in terms of health risk, it's not going to be suddenly "perfect", in terms what you want to achieve.

You need to think in terms of BF% rather than absolute weight. as a very rough guess, I'd put you BF% at around 17-18%. Based on your posts, you probably want to be down around 12% - which is what I'd expect most guys to have a flat belly.
If my above estimate is right, you'll need to lose another 10 lbs of fat to get here.
Obviously 11st4lbs is very light, and might sounds a bit offputting. But it's low because it's directly proportional to your lean mass.
If you put on 9lbs of lean mass, you'd be 12% at 12stone, put on more and it goes up more.

I's not an exact science, and it's we're kinda always chasing moving targets. But that should give you some idea of how to get to you goal.
You have multiple option from here

1. Continue the cut fat,
2. Bulk for a bit to add some muscle, or
3. Take a break, and eat maintenance for a bit

My personal preference would be option 3, a few weeks of maintenance, lifting heavy in the gym, hopefully recomp a little while you do.

rottie 11

Mellor wrote: »

It's easy to be confused, especially when the doctor is telling you X is your perfect weight.
But absolutes like that don't exist, a doctor should know better, but many actually don't.

I'd imagine that the doctor choose 13 stone because that would put you into the normal BMI range at 5'1". Which might be adequate in terms of health risk, it's not going to be suddenly "perfect", in terms what you want to achieve.

You need to think in terms of BF% rather than absolute weight. as a very rough guess, I'd put you BF% at around 17-18%. Based on your posts, you probably want to be down around 12% - which is what I'd expect most guys to have a flat belly.
If my above estimate is right, you'll need to lose another 10 lbs of fat to get here.
Obviously 11st4lbs is very light, and might sounds a bit offputting. But it's low because it's directly proportional to your lean mass.
If you put on 9lbs of lean mass, you'd be 12% at 12stone, put on more and it goes up more.

I's not an exact science, and it's we're kinda always chasing moving targets. But that should give you some idea of how to get to you goal.
You have multiple option from here

1. Continue the cut fat,
2. Bulk for a bit to add some muscle, or
3. Take a break, and eat maintenance for a bit

My personal preference would be option 3, a few weeks of maintenance, lifting heavy in the gym, hopefully recomp a little while you do.

Nice one for the explanation man. Starting to understand it a bit better now , I'm 5.11 tho not 5.1 ha

What do u mean by option 3 ? As in the maintenance part ?

What Id like to do is keep cutting weight and keep doing weights at the same time , is that an option ?

I can feel myself getting weaker week by week as I get lighter

CIARAN_BOYLE

rottie 11 wrote: »

Nice one for the explanation man. Starting to understand it a bit better now , I'm 5.11 tho not 5.1 ha

What do u mean by option 3 ? As in the maintenance part ?

What Id like to do is keep cutting weight and keep doing weights at the same time , is that an option ?

I can feel myself getting weaker week by week as I get lighter

it's very hard to lose weight and build muscle. you need to be eating a caloric deficit (while still eating sufficient protien) and exercising with significant weight. its doable but hard.

bladespin

It's much easier if you separate goals, drop fat then build, you'll see more obvious results.

Alf Veedersane

By all means continue to lift weights. A deficit will make the heavy weights feel heavier in time but that's no reason to not do it.

You want to retain muscle so you keep lifting.

rottie 11

I see what ye mean.

But if I focus my main goal on cutting the weight , would doing weights be any harm to the cutting ?

I really don't want to stop doing them because I'm actually enjoying it atm and could loose interest if I stop

rottie 11

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

By all means continue to lift weights. A deficit will make the heavy weights feel heavier in time but that's no reason to not do it.

You want to retain muscle so you keep lifting.

That's what I was thinkin , and yes the weight is already feeling heavier tbh. I was doing sets of 65 on bench , now I'm struggling with 55:o

Alf Veedersane

rottie 11 wrote: »

I see what ye mean.

But if I focus my main goal on cutting the weight , would doing weights be any harm to the cutting ?

I really don't want to stop doing them because I'm actually enjoying it atm and could loose interest if I stop

If you're in a deficit, it's very hard to build muscle. If you continue to train, you will help to retain more of your existing muscle.

CIARAN_BOYLE

rottie 11 wrote: »

I see what ye mean.

But if I focus my main goal on cutting the weight , would doing weights be any harm to the cutting ?

I really don't want to stop doing them because I'm actually enjoying it atm and could loose interest if I stop

Doing weights won't harm your attempt to lose weight. It burns calories like any other exercise.

kingtubby

Lifting weights when cutting is a good idea, you will lose less strength and muscle mass when you cut if you continue to lift

rottie 11

Thanks for all the replies , I appreciate it. I think I finally know now what I need to do. Il post again with updates. Thanks again