OT: How to get rid of the tire around your waist

[Coronita]

So…. Now that I’m no longer doing as much chemo and hopefully get my port out soon, I’ve been trying to get back into being more “fit”. Over the past few years, I’ve kinda let things slide a bit as I haven’t been working out or doing any sort of serious cardio…As a result, I have become, for the lack of the better word, flabby…So I’ve been starting to work out again to de-flab things….

Dumb question. What’s the best wait to reduce all that fat around the waist/abdomen?…. Lots of crunches everyday? It’s a dumb question from a nerdie/geek that really hasn’t thought about fitness seriously until now…Website/tips/tricks,etc? Not looking for a quick solution. My goal isn’t to try to be totally ripped. Just don’t want to be like a big pile of marshmallows.

[FlyerInHi]

Haha.. You’re unlucky because the tire thing is because the fat is not evenly apportioned on your body. It will be the last thing to go.

On horses, it’s the top of the neck. On dogs, it’s the bottom of the neck. On men, it’s the mid section/belly. Thighs on women.

You can do liposuction. But if you want to diet, it will take a lot of discipline. You really have to rethink food culture and abandon bad habits.

Ok, I’ll admit I’m vain and into body beautiful. It’s a Southern California thing.

A lot of men who work out will take different “juices” to bulk up because they can’t/won’t thin down. So it’s a bad, unhealthy goal that will cause problems later in life.

My ideal is lean soccer player/gymnast/swimmer/runner/surfer/skier/boarder for the rest of one’s life. Don’t have to be an athlete. A little on the thin side is fine, especially if you want to maximize life.

[zk]

You’ll hear lots of sales pitches about reducing your waist. But you can’t target fat. Crunches/etc. will tighten your abs, but they won’t do anything about the fat. All you can do is diet/exercise to lose fat, and, like Brian said, the stuff around your waist is usually the last to come off (especially if you’re of the body type that gains belly fat first and loses it last).

For your exercise, I highly recommend an elliptical. Better yet, interval training on an elliptical. A recent study showed that interval training is best for weight loss. And the elliptical has two big advantages over running: 1. It’s very easy on your joints. 2. It builds muscle much more than running. And muscle mass burns a lot of calories, even at rest, contributing further to your weight loss.

Exercise is key. I’ve known dozens of people who have lost more than 30 or 40 pounds. But I’ve known very few who have kept that much off, and they all exercise vigorously.

Good luck!!

[XBoxBoy]

[quote=flu]
Dumb question. What’s the best wait to reduce all that fat around the waist/abdomen?…. Lots of crunches everyday? [/quote]

Eat less.

[FlyerInHi]

It’s very, very, very hard to lose midsection fat because all the other fat must go first. Basically, you have to consume less calories than you use, until all the undesired fat is gone.

Diet will induce ketosis and make you tired and lethargic which might make it hard for you to deal with the world. I have observed it in my pets/animals. As soon as you reduce calories, they slow down/sleep to conserve energy. But they don’t have to deal with world, haha….

If I were you, I would do liposuction followed by good diet and exercise. It’s just good to get rid of midsection fat because it’s the source of life-shortening inflammation. Money well spent. Don’t mind the appearance of vanity.

If you’re Chinese who likes northern food, change to steamed southern food with lots of fresh, crunchy, leafy greens. Anything with thick sauce or hot oil must be banned. Learn to love “bland”.

PS: I have “bland” in quotes because most people say that “bland” means no “flavor” from the cooking. You just have to choose good ingredients that have good flavor on their own without the need of umami inducing oil/salt/sugar/sauces. You will discover what real quality is. And it’s not the popular “soooo good” “flavors”.

[Coronita]

[quote]
If I were you, I would do liposuction followed by good diet and exercise. It’s just good to get rid of midsection fat because it’s the source of life-shortening inflammation. Money well spent.
[/quote]

Uh, that would be a definite no. Surgery was the thing that got me into this mess to begin with.

Ok, so looks like I’m going to be doing a lot more cardio than.

[Coronita]

[quote=zk]You’ll hear lots of sales pitches about reducing your waist. But you can’t target fat. Crunches/etc. will tighten your abs, but they won’t do anything about the fat. All you can do is diet/exercise to lose fat, and, like Brian said, the stuff around your waist is usually the last to come off (especially if you’re of the body type that gains belly fat first and loses it last).

For your exercise, I highly recommend an elliptical. Better yet, interval training on an elliptical. A recent study showed that interval training is best for weight loss. And the elliptical has two big advantages over running: 1. It’s very easy on your joints. 2. It builds muscle much more than running. And muscle mass burns a lot of calories, even at rest, contributing further to your weight loss.

Exercise is key. I’ve known dozens of people who have lost more than 30 or 40 pounds. But I’ve known very few who have kept that much off, and they all exercise vigorously.

Good luck!![/quote]

Thanks zk… Ever since I joined my new company, I’m like 4 blocks away from the shoreline. So, I’ve been trying to run regularly along the beach during lunch. I’ll guess I’m run a longer distance.

[outtamojo]

[quote=XBoxBoy][quote=flu]
Dumb question. What’s the best wait to reduce all that fat around the waist/abdomen?…. Lots of crunches everyday? [/quote]

Eat less.[/quote]

Heartily agree. Work your @ass off and find u worked off a measily 200 cals. What I do is skip 1 meal a week instead of steady dieting.

[ltsddd]

spend less time on piggington

[ocrenter]

First, congrats to flu for closing in on a huge milestone.

Regarding losing that excess weight around the waist, it is all intake related.

–get rid of refined carbs, have your carbs in the morning or lunch only.
–watch the sodium as it spikes your cravings and you generally end up eating more than planned
–no calories in liquid form, your body doesn’t see them
–reduce your portions slowly, too fast and your body kicks into famine busting mode and it’ll work to restore prior weight loss
–exercise daily 40-60 minutes, modest exercise is sufficient, break it up into 15-20 minute sessions, remember the modest exercise helps burn stress and therefore reduces cravings, you are not exercising to burn calories, it doesn’t compute.
–aim for very modest goals, 10-20 lbs in a year, not in 3 months.

I’m down about 20% my prior weight, dropping from BMI of 26.5 to 20.5 in 4 years and maintained ever since. I never joined a gym, I never ran.

That weight around the mid-section is metabolically doing harm, unfortunately Asians are predisposed to deposit excess weight directly to that mid-section.

Best of luck

[Jazzman]

It sounds like you have been going through some horrendous medical treatment. Sympathies.

There is no proven, long lasting, or permanent method for weight loss. You can lose a lot of weight quickly, but it will creep back. The reason for this is simply biological. We live in times of abundance, so we horde and store for meager times. The best approaches are one’s that involve life changes, which require a disciplined, self-education process. I’ve been impressed by research going on in CA by various doctors and universities. Bill Clinton followed a regime that reduced all fats and oils. Diets that are preventative-based offer a great incentive; diet or suffer the consequences. There’s also been some research at one of the CA Uni’s into mimicking fasting. It involves a five day fast (diet) each month of camomile tea and vegetable broth. Fasting kick starts the immune system which is a very powerful healer with no side effects. Of course, you will also lose weight effectively.

The first muscle that needs to be woken up is the “will”. You could try hypnosis to see if your subconscious will help out when the conscious mind tires or lapses.

The next step is shop around the edges of a supermarket. Put the center shelves off limits. Only ever eat grains, pulses, fruit, veg, beans, soya, white meat, fish. Delete butter, cheese, prepacked foods, sweet things, red meats, oils, fats. Eat whole (wheat) meal bread and pastas only. Brown rice only. Do not drink fruit juices. Dried fruit for sweet snacking. If you have a Wholefoods nearby, go eat in the food bar. If you ate there every lunch you would lose weight. When you fill you plate, pretend it is a color palate. Fill it will as much color as you can. Avoid the stodgy, mayo-laden, cheesy pastas etc. Eventually, you will develop a taste for vegetable and they will wean you off junk foods. Your palate will change and your bodily functions will thank you.

Exercise everyday. Walk, cycle, weights, pilates, tennis, gardening, DIY. Avoid doing too much repetitiveness. It will wear down the will. Make it enjoyable and fun. Sports and recreational is best. Build up gradually if your body is not used to it.

There is no quick fix. There is only a life long battle. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. The secret is to never give up so you are in win mode for the most part.

[flyer]

Agree with elliptical, biking, various sports, cultivating great eating habits+ swimming+ our personal favorite–running/walking/being at the beach–and maybe this explains why. . .

“Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist, believes that we all have a “blue mind” — as he puts it, a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment — that’s triggered when we’re in or near water.

We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken, Nichols writes in “Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.” Our ‘blue minds’ — are perfectly tailored to make us happy in all sorts of ways that go way beyond relaxing in the surf, listening to the murmur of a stream, or floating quietly in a pool.”

[Coronita]

[quote=ocrenter]First, congrats to flu for closing in on a huge milestone.

Regarding losing that excess weight around the waist, it is all intake related.

–get rid of refined carbs, have your carbs in the morning or lunch only.
–watch the sodium as it spikes your cravings and you generally end up eating more than planned
–no calories in liquid form, your body doesn’t see them
–reduce your portions slowly, too fast and your body kicks into famine busting mode and it’ll work to restore prior weight loss
–exercise daily 40-60 minutes, modest exercise is sufficient, break it up into 15-20 minute sessions, remember the modest exercise helps burn stress and therefore reduces cravings, you are not exercising to burn calories, it doesn’t compute.
–aim for very modest goals, 10-20 lbs in a year, not in 3 months.

I’m down about 20% my prior weight, dropping from BMI of 26.5 to 20.5 in 4 years and maintained ever since. I never joined a gym, I never ran.

That weight around the mid-section is metabolically doing harm, unfortunately Asians are predisposed to deposit excess weight directly to that mid-section.

Best of luck[/quote]

Thanks for the info….

Yeah, my diet for the past few years has been pretty strict. So I guess I’m use to it I’ll just continue it.

1. No alcohol (throws off my liver panel, which was already high during chemo). (Ok, I might need a glass of wine occasionally moving forward, but I’m not a heavy drinker to begin with)

2. No soda (for the past few years), no juice, no milk, no soy milk. Sparingly on tea. Sparingly on coffee, typically black with no sugar or cream..maybe just almond milk.

3. No fried foods (charlie’s chicken was soooo tempting). No burgers, no hot dogs, and no red meat.
Pizza, cheese, or anything greasy is out. Chicken or fish.

4. I avoid dairy products if I can.

5. No rice, whole wheat bread only with a sandwich. I switched to eating quinoa most of the time instead of rice, and I don’t eat either rice or quinoa regularly (asians eat a lot of rice, which I think is bad).
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/07/12/brown-rice-vs-quinoa_n_3587555.html

6. Basically anything that has soy, soybean oil, or soy by product, I avoid…And this pretty much eliminates most processed foods, since most processed food uses soybean oil or some variation of it. (You know how hard it is to find food without soy and soybean oil in it)?

I’ve cut about 8 lbs so far just by starting to exercise regularly again over the past 2 months, now being active doesn’t feel such a drag. And I’m finding when I do exercise more, I tend to eat less, and feel less draggy during the day, which eliminates the need for coffee :),. I think if I can cut another 8 lbs, and tone up a bit, and maintain it, that would be ideal.

Elliptical glider seems kinda cool, maybe I’ll get one.

[ocrenter]

[quote=Jazzman]It sounds like you have been going through some horrendous medical treatment. Sympathies.

There is no proven, long lasting, or permanent method for weight loss. You can lose a lot of weight quickly, but it will creep back. The reason for this is simply biological. We live in times of abundance, so we horde and store for meager times. The best approaches are one’s that involve life changes, which require a disciplined, self-education process. I’ve been impressed by research going on in CA by various doctors and universities. Bill Clinton followed a regime that reduced all fats and oils. Diets that are preventative-based offer a great incentive; diet or suffer the consequences. There’s also been some research at one of the CA Uni’s into mimicking fasting. It involves a five day fast (diet) each month of camomile tea and vegetable broth. Fasting kick starts the immune system which is a very powerful healer with no side effects. Of course, you will also lose weight effectively.

The first muscle that needs to be woken up is the “will”. You could try hypnosis to see if your subconscious will help out when the conscious mind tires or lapses.

The next step is shop around the edges of a supermarket. Put the center shelves off limits. Only ever eat grains, pulses, fruit, veg, beans, soya, white meat, fish. Delete butter, cheese, prepacked foods, sweet things, red meats, oils, fats. Eat whole (wheat) meal bread and pastas only. Brown rice only. Do not drink fruit juices. Dried fruit for sweet snacking. If you have a Wholefoods nearby, go eat in the food bar. If you ate there every lunch you would lose weight. When you fill you plate, pretend it is a color palate. Fill it will as much color as you can. Avoid the stodgy, mayo-laden, cheesy pastas etc. Eventually, you will develop a taste for vegetable and they will wean you off junk foods. Your palate will change and your bodily functions will thank you.

Exercise everyday. Walk, cycle, weights, pilates, tennis, gardening, DIY. Avoid doing too much repetitiveness. It will wear down the will. Make it enjoyable and fun. Sports and recreational is best. Build up gradually if your body is not used to it.

There is no quick fix. There is only a life long battle. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. The secret is to never give up so you are in win mode for the most part.[/quote]

well said. The DYI part is key!

The triple threat to one’s weight is the food industry, the diet industry, and the fitness industry. Not to say there’s a conspiracy, but the three work synergistically to create the problem and to perpetuate and exacerbate the problem.

as you mentioned, the food industry works on your innate survival instinct by hitting your pleasure center with massive amount of cheap sugar, salt, and fat. The diet industry offers rapid weight loss plans that create dramatic loss but enhances the same survival instinct that created the craving in the first place. The fitness industry creates a culture of fat shaming, equating obesity with laziness, yet the intense exercises they push to gain rapid result only once again enhance that innate survival instinct. We have a whole population in this country trapped between these three industries, constantly bounced around between the three, sucking dry their wallet while at the same time making them feel worthless and all at the same time these people’s weight continue that upward trajectory.

[no_such_reality]

Relocate to a walkable neighborhood . Walk to the grocery store. Walk to the pharmacy. Walk to the gym for lifts or the pool. Walk to work if you can..

10000-15000 steps a day.

The elliptical is nice for catching up on Netflix while you think you’re working out.

[Author]

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