Discussion Topic
How do I lose my belly fat?
Posted on 10/21/09, 06:04 am
I received this in my Sparkspeople newsletter:
Question: What can I do to lose weight in my stomach? I've been doing lots of crunches but they don't seem to help.
Expert Answer:
There is no way to target weight loss to a specific area of the body because your body decides where it wants to put on weight and where it wants to take it off. The midsection is a common "problem" area for many people.
The best way to lose fat is through cardiovascular exercise. It is important to do a variety of abdominal exercises (including crunches) to keep your core strong, but until that excess fat is gone, you will not see the muscle definition. So if you're not doing cardio, crunches are not going to help get the 6-pack you've been hoping for. Regular cardio exercise at a level that's challenging for you is your best bet.
Exercise Extra: "Apple" shapes (fat storage around the belly) have been shown to have a higher risk of certain cardiovascular diseases, whereas storing fat in your lower half, known as a "Pear" shape, is actually a healthier site for fat accumulation.
Question: What can I do to lose weight in my stomach? I've been doing lots of crunches but they don't seem to help.
Expert Answer:
There is no way to target weight loss to a specific area of the body because your body decides where it wants to put on weight and where it wants to take it off. The midsection is a common "problem" area for many people.
The best way to lose fat is through cardiovascular exercise. It is important to do a variety of abdominal exercises (including crunches) to keep your core strong, but until that excess fat is gone, you will not see the muscle definition. So if you're not doing cardio, crunches are not going to help get the 6-pack you've been hoping for. Regular cardio exercise at a level that's challenging for you is your best bet.
Exercise Extra: "Apple" shapes (fat storage around the belly) have been shown to have a higher risk of certain cardiovascular diseases, whereas storing fat in your lower half, known as a "Pear" shape, is actually a healthier site for fat accumulation.
-
Reply #1 10/21/09 2:56pm
My Gym instructor was right then....so sad.....better get back on that treadmill so that belly will be gone ....gone....gone... and what i want to know is why our body always decides to hang onto the fat in the one place we want to lose it from the most...urgghh!!! -
Reply #2 10/22/09 9:30am
-
Reply #3 10/22/09 9:54am
A Pear shape is where you are wider on the lower half of your belly and an apple shape is where you are wider on the upper half around your chest I have recently discovered I have lost my apple shape and now have a pear shape now its kinda cool I always had to buy a bigger top than bottoms and now its starting to go the other way around now my tops size is dropping faster than the bottom -
Reply #4 10/24/09 5:44pm
What if I am an apple/pear/strawberry shape? I am NOT any of the shapes they describe!!! lol
Falling apart shape? -
Reply #5 10/26/09 1:30am
i realized i was finally losing that apple shape when a friend threw her arms around me saying, omg terri your stomach is smaller than your boobs now!!! -
Reply #6 10/31/09 1:18am
I'm more of a lumpy pineapple shape! LOL -
Reply #7 10/31/09 7:17am
I researched body shapes:
WHAT BODY SHAPE ARE YOU?
Body shape is essentially determined by the area where body fat is predominantly stored. With this in mind, it follows that different body shapes can affect a women's health in different ways; the way in which fat metabolises is dependant on where it is situated in the body, and this is what consequently leads to different health implications.
There are primarily 2 types of body shape commonly referred to, the 'pear shape', and the 'apple shape'. Women who fall in between these 2 categories are sometimes referred to as 'avocado' shaped.
Apple and pear shape body images
Pear shaped
Pear shaped generally describes women who store fat below the waistline on their hips, thighs, and bottoms, as opposed to their stomachs and mid-sections. Such fat being stored on the thighs often leads to cellulite. Commonly the upper torso is relatively slim in comparison to these lower parts of the body, with shoulders and bust being narrow compared to the hips. Pear shaped women are commonly viewed as 'bottom heavy' with well defined waists.
To see whether you are pear shaped, obtain your 'hip-waist ratio' (also known as 'trunk fatness') ~ divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement; if the ratio is 0.8 or below then you are pear shaped.
Apple shaped tends to describe women who have wide torsos (full bust, waist and upper back), as they store body fat around the mid section of their bodies (stomach, abdomen and chest). Such women have relatively slim thighs and upper legs. Apple shaped women often have a 'top-heavy' appearance, with a bust and midriff bigger than their hips, a prominent tummy and a flat bottom.
To assess whether you are apple shaped, again measure your hip-waist ratio; if the ratio is greater than 0.8, then you are apple shaped.
Didn't find any strawberry or pineapple shapes!
Welcome
Join This Group
Let's group together and be weight loss buddies! Every month I will match up two people and they will be weight loss buddies for each other for that month. Hopefully, we can motivate each other and lose weight together!
