Side Weight of the belly...Lovehandle.

[EmeraldMint]

Hey all,

Right so I'm going to Flordia in less then six weeks and I'm trying to just do a bit. I'm 5'8, 140/145 and working out. However, no matter how I've changed my diet I can not loose the excessive weight of my stomach and the lovehandle area, which isn't much, but I'd really like to begin and turn it into muscle.

Thoughts on how to start this kind of thing?

 

[lostnfound]

You're 5'8 and 145lbs at most. If you lose some weight, you're going to end up looking like a Holocaust survivor!

145lbs is pretty light even at your height. I think what's going on is that you don't have any muscle mass, and all you have is some fat and bones.

Realistically, you're not going to have a drastic change in 6 weeks.

 

[KaraBulut]

You can't really turn fat into muscle. You can work the muscle under the fat with roman chair side raises and side situp crunches but that won't really get rid of the fat.

You should eat a normal diet and just reduce your carb content- no desserts, cut back on bread and eliminate sugary drinks. Increase your cardio- it's more about the cardio not the dieting.

Let's be frank though. We're meant to have some fat on our abdomens. It's normal for guys to carry a bit of fat below the navel and on the top of the hipbones, unless you're 16 years old. The whole manorexia thing is very in right now but unless you are a triathalete or have an eating disorder, it's not a realistic goal. And it can be very unhealthy trying to attain and maintain that look.

 

[gotdimples77]

a little tummy is kinda sexy

 

[AverageJoe]

Only way to get rid of them is to lose more weight, and the only way to lose more weight is to eat less food.

If you're having trouble with your diet, make sure you're sleeping enough. If you're not sleeping enough, you'll be extra hungry. Since you don't get hungry in your sleep and your metabolism doesn't drop too much, an extra hour or two of sleep a night can make a huge difference. Plus, sleep deprivation just causes you to eat extra anyway.

 

[EmeraldMint]

Latinocummin: My friend was actually wanting to do this yesterday; however, we both (he mostly) failed miserably mostly since we had been up way to long and drank way to much coffee and hadn't really prepared ourselves for such. He's actually hellacious fit (and not this damn manorexica I've seen posted in here) and a former marine.

LostNFound: As it had been stated, I am aware of this and do not expect a six pack. That's just a ludicrous thought.

KaraBulut: I appreciate the input, sincerely. However I believe it's being assumed here that I seek to be a twink. What I should have mentioned (and my fault) is that I am in school to become a nurse and seek the muscle weight and physical prowess to be able to lift patients and move them without causing damage. The question I have posted is simply to do what I can in a few week period.

GotDipplesYes, yes it is. It can always come back.

AverageJoe: Sir I'm 5'8 and 145 - I can't really loose weight. Yes I don't sleep (and haven't the past three nights) but maintain my food throughotu the day and eat rather healthy to begin with. I seek to complete a change here, not to be manorexic in style. The twinks can keep to themselves.

 

[nialltt]

Cardio is the best way to lose it so running. Then after you lose the fat work on doing weights. Muscles burn more carbs hence you dont really have to do Cardio to do cardio as much because your muscles burn off the Cals you put in anyways.

 

[AverageJoe]

Sir I'm 5'8 and 145 - I can't really loose weight. Yes I don't sleep (and haven't the past three nights) but maintain my food throughotu the day and eat rather healthy to begin with. I seek to complete a change here, not to be manorexic in style. The twinks can keep to themselves.

Fair enough.

You'll have to decide between gaining muscle mass and fat or losing your current bodyfat. You can't really do both at the same time.

If it were me, I would probably keep my diet the same but add in an extra 250 kcal protein shake in the morning and at night right before bed and then lift like hell every other day for four weeks. Then, two weeks before Florida, I would cut my calories down by 1,000, continue lifting, and run a few miles a day. If you did that perfectly, you'd see a noticeable change, but it'd barely be enough time. You'd end up at roughly the same weight but with maybe 1% less bodyfat.

Also, whether you're trying to get bigger or cut fat, most of the changes will happen in the kitchen and while you're asleep.

 

[lostnfound]

If you want to be in your best shape by Spring Break and beyond, here's what I'd do.

1) Eat a clean diet and lower your carb intake (notice it's 'lower' and not 'eliminate') and make sure you consume 1g of protein per 1 lb of bodyweight. The most important part is "clean" eating--'clean' means real, wholesome, nutritious food and not processed, packaged, or modified. If the expiration date is long, it's been modified to have a longer shelf life, which is not healthy. A bag of chips could last for a year, but spinach only lasts for a week. Also, read the ingredients on everything you buy and eat. If the list of ingredients is super long or contains many preservatives and chemicals, it's trash.
2) Skip the mile runs and do HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) -- look it up. Once you've looked it up you can explain this picture:

Marathon Runner vs. Sprinter

3) Lift big and heavy (Squats, Chin-ups, Bench Press, and Deadlifts)--curls ain't gonna cut it. When losing fat, you are going to lose muscle, it's just a fact of nature. So, we need to minimize muscle loss as much as possible while dieting, so a solid strength-training routine will prevent that.


And like a few have said already, gaining muscle and losing fat are two opposing goals that can't be accomplished at the same. However, it is widely known that newbies are able to put on mass and drop some fat for the first time doing a real "routine."

 

[AverageJoe]

2) Skip the mile runs and do HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) -- look it up. Once you've looked it up you can explain this picture:

Marathon Runner vs. Sprinter

First of all, that picture is not fair at all. The marathoner is much older and can't be expected to maintain the same muscle capacity as the younger sprinter. Second, upper body muscle mass is not that useful to marathoners, so they usually don't try to maintain upper body muscle.

HIIT is great if you're in a caloric surplus, but if you're trying to diet, nothing induces muscle catabolism faster than maximal effort aerobic exercise. If you're trying to lose fat and currently dieting, you're usually going to be better off running a few (2-4) miles every day at low-moderate intensity (140-160 BPM HR for someone in their 20s). If the work load is consistent and oxygen is in surplus, the muscles will preferentially burn fat if glycogen is depleted.

I would only do HIIT if I was eating sufficient calories.

YMMV