How to get rid of that last little bit of belly fat?

[LastTango]

Hey Everyone, hope you can help me with this question.

I am 41 years old (5'8", 134 pounds), have been working out steadily for almost 3 years, and doing great. I've always been tall and slim, so I have never lost much weight, but have really changed the shape of my body by gaining muscle definition.

The one thing that drives me absolutely bonkers, is that for some reason, no matter what I do, I CANNOT lose that tiny bit of fat on my belly. It's not much, but it's there. I may never look like a fitness model, but I can see that my abs are trying to show themselves....at this point I don't care if I have a six pack or not, just that they are firm and toned. But this little bit of fat below my belly button is driving me nuts.

I do try really hard to eat healthy, and I work out with cardio and strength training 4-6 days per week. I try not to be obsessive about it, but for as hard as I work, I really want to see the results.

Any suggestions?

 

[JodelleFitzh20]

Suggestions for you!

Hi, from what I gather, it's not your workouts and for most people that's the case. Getting the body you want is more about watching what you eat and beyond that adding in the exercise for added benefit - but nutrition is of the utmost importance. You must figure exactly how many calories your body needs based on your age, height, weight, and activity level.
The best way to figure your calories is through the Harris Benedict Equation which is an equation that factors in your age, height, weight and activity level. Since no two bodies are alike, we all have different calorie needs and different nutrient needs... You should always eat more when you are more active and less when you are less active. That way you keep the fire burning - or your metabolism that is. And its good to zigzag your calories and eat more on one day and less on the other, so that your body does not get used to the same ol' same ol'. Never go below 1200 calories no matter who you are, or you are at risk of putting your body into starvation mode.
Here's a formula to help you calculate your caloric needs:
BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in kg ) + ( 1.8 x height in cm ) - ( 4.7 x age in years) then you take that and multiply it by your activity level: 1.3 for sedentery, 1.5 for Light, 1.6 for moderately active, 1.9 for Heavy (such as several hours of continuous exercise) or 2.2 for exceptionally active (such as athletes and anyone exercising or training for extended hours or for competition)
That number tells you how many calories you need to me eating to meet your needs and to maintain where you are at. A little below that (say, reducing it by 300-500 calories) will help you lose weight about 1-2 lbs per week. \

Other things you might try is upping more of some fat-burning foods that help promote losing some fat storage. Foods like avocado, flax seed and oil, cayenne pepper, almonds and other nuts, and cinnamon. Make sure you are only doing starchy carbs around your workouts and keep other carbs to a minimum using only vegetables to get carbs at other times of day. Make sure you have protein at every sitting, (most important) eating 5-6 small meals a day, and drink plenty of water to help get rid of any excess water in the body and to beat the bloat!

Hope that helps! That's what works for me and my clients. It's a little time consuming to figure it all out, but it works!

 

[JodelleFitzh20]

http://health.glam.com/photos/slideshow/top_10_flat_belly_foods/almonds/

 

[LastTango]

Thanks for the info

I know that nutrition is usually the one thing that can hold you back from losing that last little bit of fat, so I have been trying to focus on that the last couple of months.

I already incorporate foods like avacados and almonds into my menu, along with fresh veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, spinach, and lots of beans. I also eat only whole grains (and try to limit those) and use quinoa in place of rice at times. Protein is always there at every meal, and I usually eat 3 reasonable "meals" a day with 2 snacks (<200 cals). I feel like I'm on the right track.

I occasionally splurge, of course, but I keep it to a minimum, and I don't keep junk food in the house.

I will sit down with the formula you gave me and see if that helps. I usually try to stay within the 2000-2200 calorie range.

I'll just keep on plugging ahead, and even if I never get that last bit of fat off, I'll keep working out to stay healthy and fit.

 

[LastTango]

thanks for the info....

I just filled out the formula that you gave me, and came up with 2172.6, which is in the range of calories I have been using.

I guess I just need to shave off 200-300 calories a day to acheive the goal I want. Seems like such a simple task, and yet sometimes so hard to do.

I will work on it...thanks

 

[melanalyus]

Clean eating is the only thing that led to my flat abs. I had to stick to complex carbs, protein, lean fats. I fled simple sugars,...

Good luck!

 

[JodelleFitzh20]

Good for you!

Sounds like you are on the right track then with most your eating, and maybe shaving that last little bit of calories off will be what shaves off that last little bit of belly. The body is a complex system. If you've been eating alot of the same foods for awhile or doing the same workouts, try mixing things up and adding new foods and new workouts. Sometimes the body has to experience change to make a change. If it get's the same ol' same ol' all the time then it stays the same. Try switching your cardio or wieghts to a different time of day or trying a new vegetable you never have, or limiting the amount of fruit you have to just one serving a day. Trying different things can sometimes make all the difference. Remember, our bodies are trying hard to hang onto that last little bit of fat so that it doesn't think it's going to starve or suffer. Our body thinks we are made to reproduce so it hangs on to fat mostly in the areas where the body would carry the baby in order to protect a future baby. That's why women hang onto fat mostly in their hips and lower abdomen. Interesting huh? But what we do when we continuously feed the body throughout the day is fool our body into thinking that we are not starving it so therefore it has no need to store fat, but rather it will use fat for energy! But that last little bit of fat is always the most stubborn. Just keep plugging along making changes to see changes, and you'll get there! I have faith in you because you seem dedicated. Take care and good luck!

 

[kathryn]

If the only extra fat you have on you is a 'last little bit' of belly fat, getting rid of it completely might be an unrealistic goal without surgical intervention. At least not without getting 'too thin' elsewhere. People tend to store fat in different areas, with the belly and thighs being the most common for women. Maybe that's where your body stores any surplus.

I doubt that I could ever have completely 'flat' abs, no matter how low my bodyfat goes (within healthy limits). The only times my belly has been flat have been when my bodyfat was low enough to give me a boney, chicken chest, which is not a look I'm going for! So I'd rather have a bit of belly than a chicken chest!

Instead of focusing on this 'little bit' of something that you don't like, why not focus on what you do like, and don't let it drive you crazy.

That being said, I agree that diet will probably play a more important part than exercise, though doing ab exercises that target the transverse abdominals (the lower 'girdle' muscles of the abs) can help hold that area in. The transverse abs are targeted by exercises that force them to stabilize, like planks. One good way to work them is to get into plank postion with your forearms on a stability ball. Then draw little circles, clockwise and counterclockwise, by moving your forearms. Brace you core the entire time, and you should feel the transverse abs really kick in. From the same position, move your forearms forward as far as you can, then back again.

Posture is another thing that can help reduce belly pooch.

Also, cortisol is said to increase fat retention in the belly area, and cortisol is caused by stress. Brendan Brazier addresses nutritional strategies to reduce stress in his "Thrive" book.

 

[LastTango]

so true...

I know it sounds so silly to complain about that "little bit of fat". Really, I'm not obsessive about it, it's just what I would like in a perfect world. AND I realize it might not be totally possible. I mean, I'm over 40, I didn't seriously start working out until I was 39, and genetics have got to play a role here. Lucky for me, everyone is my family is thin to normal weight, with tall, long frames.

You know I see models who look great, but then I think about how they must be underweight. I remember this model that was on Dancing with The Stars, and how her teacher commented that she looked good, but had no substance (stamina or strength). That's what I want...substance. When I was in high school, I was 117 and a size 6. Now I run between 130-135 and I'm size 6. Muscle truly makes a difference.

I will continue to eat healthy and workout no matter what. I'm addicted now, so I can't stop. I do not want to end up like the people I work
with...overweight, with aches and pains everywhere, old before their time.

Not for me. Never.