Cathe are you still here? Is abdominal fat?????

intensitylisa

intensitylisa

Cathlete
:-( I have been making excellent progress with my weight loss efforts and am finding the last to go is the abdominal fat. I have never had a problem gaining weight in my abs but this time is different. I could pass for 3 months pregnant. Do you believe it has something to do with my age, 42. Also, I would like to know if you will be available the Friday after Christmas to possibly take a class. Thanks for your time :D
 
Hi there I noticed that no one had responded to you question. Not Cathe here but, I found that this was my hardest and last area to lose as well. I am also 42 and 5'2". What I found to work well for me was to limit my Carbs in the evening. I many times will not have any carbs after 3pm and I had great results. Also, make sure that the carbs you are eating are the good ones, whole grains, fruits and low fat dairy! I eat lean proteins and lots of veggies during my evening meal.

Hopes this helps:)
 
>:-( I have been making excellent progress with my weight loss
>efforts and am finding the last to go is the abdominal fat. I
>have never had a problem gaining weight in my abs but this
>time is different. I could pass for 3 months pregnant. Do you
>believe it has something to do with my age, 42. Also, I would
>like to know if you will be available the Friday after
>Christmas to possibly take a class. Thanks for your time :D

I would say that age has something to do with it. As we women get older and starting moving toward menopause (sorry, I had to say it, LOL!), our bodies tend to shift from storing fat in the hips and thighs (necessary for childbearing) to storing it in the mid-section. Unfortunately there's not much to be done about it other than stepping up the "eating less/moving more" efforts, but that's okay. Those things are good for us anyway! :)
 
Not Cathe, but just wanted to say you are not alone! I am 41 and 5'0".... and I have what I affectionately (ok, not always affectionatley... I try to keep it in perspective) call "my wine belly". I am trying to cut back on the wine (which I love) and do better with portion control. Yuck to both!
 
I developed a little pooch on my once flat midsection just after I turned 40. It grew and grew until I changed my eating habits and started working out with Cathe. Now I'm 44 and I'm back to that nice flat tummy, which is also super hard and strong thanks to Cathe's many wonderful core workouts. What worked for me was to change my eating to make it as "clean" as possible. I try to avoid processed food. I also cut out white bread and pasta and switched over to whole grain only (I go for low-cal, high fiber stuff). I replaced white potatoes with Yams (a big staple of my diet) and I try to have more vegetables on my plate than anything else. I'd like to think it's possible to have a trim tummy at any age if you eat the right foods and are faithful to exercise. :)
 
I have this problem too and for years I've blamed pregnancy for the cause..(I gained about 50 lbs with my only pregnancy and my daughter weighed 9 lbs 10 ozs - uug - high blood sugar levels)...but lately I'm starting to see it's my eating habits that's the real culprit...

If I bend forward my tummy hangs pretty low...if I put teets on it, I think it could pass for an udder. harharhar

Well, at least it doesn't look like the rolling hills of Scotland. HAHA!

:+
 
Andrea, Since eating really clean to achieve your results. Is it easier to maintain flatter abs now and total body happiness?
Rocky :)
 
Yes, I definitely believe it's easier to maintain a lean body by switching over to a clean, low-fat diet. (I know "clean" and "low-fat" don't always go together, but I try to do both.) I've never been this lean before and I seem to be able to maintain this more easily than ever before. I think it's because I never considered my change in eating as a "diet" but rather a lifestyle change. I've come to prefer the healthier foods (for instance, I'd much rather have roasted yams than french fries and I don't care for the taste of white bread or white potatoes anymore). My change in eating habits led to a change in the kinds of foods I crave (which are healthier alternatives) and this makes it easier to maintain flatter abs. Totaly body happiness??? Does anyone ever achieve that;)? I am happier with my body than I ever have been because I feel healthier than ever before.
Cheers to good eating! :9
 
Andrea, Thank you for answering me.
Will you tell me what you ate to get to where you are?
An example of a daily food intake calories etc.
And what a daily food intake is now?
How long did it take?
I prefer healthy eating also.
I have a portion control problem.
Thanks again.
Rocky
:(
 
Hi Rocky,
Portion control is soooo difficult...I totally sympathize. I tell my husband that I don't have an off switch so I just can't eat that browinie or cookie or whatever it is because I just won't stop. One thing that has helped me with this is a food journal. I like things neat and tidy so I buy a neat little journal called the DietMinder, which you can order on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. They cost about $15.00 and only last about 6 months but I keep ordering them because it works for me.

Next: I don't count calories but I do count points. I use the Weight Watchers point scale card, which I got years ago. I like this system because it rewards me for eating high fiber, low fat food. The points also help me to watch my portions because I try to keep them within a certain range depending upon how much exercise I have or have not done in a day. It just keeps me honest. I record the food and the points (and the exercise) in my DietMinder.

Also: I have fun on Sundays. This is my day to eat those things I've been craving all week long. If I've been dreaming of a hot fudge sundae then this is my day to eat it. I try not to go too crazy but I do enjoy myself. By the time Monday rolls around I'm craving my healthy diet once again.

More tips: Weigh and measure your food (buy a decent digital scale to help you with this)
Cookinglight.com has great recipes. Once you find the healthy foods that you like to eat you can go here and find great ways to prepare them!

Here's a sample of my daily meals:
Breakfast: Instant Honey Nut Oatmeal topped with berries every morning. (This isn't 'clean food' but I love it and oatmeal, in general, is healthy so I eat it)
Snack: Some kind of Fruit or vegetable (maybe a couple of nuts if I'm hungry)
Lunch: Salad with 3 oz.chicken (or shrimp or salmon usually leftovers from the night before) and Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinegrette (2T.) Or any leftovers from the night before...I LOVE leftovers!
Snack: Hard boiled egg whites or 1T all natural PB on Wasa Light Rye Crackers or Edamame (something with protein) and veggies
Dinner: Some kind of protein (chicken or salmon or even a center cut boneless pork chop) with brown rice or quinoa and loads of veggies (I love roasted cauliflower, acorn squash with cinnamon and nutmeg, grilled zuccini and eggplant with a spice rub and Yams but I also try to buy whatever is in season -so today I found a great recipe for Kale and I devoured that with my turkey sandwich for dinner). I also like whole wheat pasta (watch the calories...some brands have more than others) with soy meatballs. Boca Burgers are also a handy lunch or dinner.
I try not to eat after 7:00, but if I want an after dinner snack I'll have a Kozy Shack light pudding (not clean but satisfies my sweet tooth) or a bag of 100 cal popcorn.

I started this new way of eating last January and it was hard at first. I had to ease my way into it but it did get easier and easier as time went along. I love the food that I eat and, even though it sounds like a lot of 'thinking' and work, it's really not hard anymore.
Good luck, have fun learning about new foods and how to cook them and ENJOY! :)
 
Rocky, I have found similar results to Andrea by cleaning up my diet as well. I am 46 and have a flat stomach and have really leaned out since switching to in in July. I do an exchange system, and for the starches of which I get 3 a day(soon to be 4 because I am trying to stop losing weight), I only eat whole grains, not white sugars. I weight and measure everything, or if out, keep in mind that a serving size is about the size of a pack of cards. I don't even eat the instant oatmeal with sugar, staying with Kashi cereals, whole grain bagels for breakfast. It takes discipline at first, but soon it becomes second nature and what is really wonderful, I am not hungry. When I don't stick to the eat 5-6 times a day, I get hungry, but otherwise, I don't feel like I am suffering at all.
 
Thank you Andrea for responding, I seem to do well all day but come evening I tend to over indulge. I am always curious about others routines, especially when what they are doing seems to work so well. You are right tho when you give up certain foods at first it is difficult, but eventually you no longer want it. I will have a hard time withdrawing from my zone and balance bars. Thank you also Dorothrd.Any advice anyone has to offer, what is working for them please let me know.I really would like to know how much Cathe works out. And what she does. I realize she is probably working at her gym everyday, and teaches certain classes.
But I am so curious.
Rocky
 
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