uv7piy

I'm looking to lose the gut (an old and dear friend, but expensive to maintain). Situps and crunches aren't doing it. What works for you -- more of them or more aerobic stuff.

Sparhawk

As plan9 would say: nutrition.

You need to BURN more calories than you CONSUME.

That is really the easiest, simplest way to break it down. Now if you want to keep eating and drinking what you are currently eating and drinking, then you probably need to exponentially increase the cardio/aerobic activity.

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forseti-6

Sparhawk is right. It is a common misbelief that you can lose your gut simply by doing situps or crunches. The truth is, however, you just can't spot reduce. The way the human body works is, you have to do everything equally. So if you want to lose the fat around your waist, you also have to lose the fat in your legs, arms, butt, etc in the same proportions.

I would start by looking at what you eat. You should limit your daily calorie intake to 2000 calories.

Then try to do a minimum of 20 minutes of intense (breaking a sweat) aerobic activity at least 4 times a week. Walking fast, jogging, running, biking, etc, are all good exercises. The more you do, the steadier your gut will dissapear.

Here's a warning though - DO NOT over do it. Don't starve yourself, your metabolism will slow down and burn less calories. And don't work yourself too hard, you can hurt yourself. Send me a private message if you have any questions.

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Plan9Senior

Bump

Growler

I would third what Sparhawk has to say about nutrition. I have been going to the gym for three years. Mostly I did weights and abs. I lost some weight and stayed constant for a while. Since the end of August, I have now lost more than thirty pounds. I still exercise semi-regularly but it is ALL diet. And by "diet" I mean the way I eat, not starving myself or going no-carb. In fact, I eat when I'm hungry and occasionally have ice cream, cheesecake, etc. I just try to mimimize all that and find better caloric values. For instance, sugar-free Jello provides a big bowl of sweets but is a mere 80 calories. A slice of cheesecake could be nearly 800.

I am basically following "Dr Shapiro's Picture Perfect Weight Loss" book. It is all about replacing high-calorie food items with lower calorie (and more nutritious) food. Best thing about it is that it isn't strict. In fact, I cheat much more than I should but I'm still losing a pound a week minimum.

Megacheese

I lost about 20 pounds somehow.

I used to go eat out all the time, to burrito places and BK mostly, because I had just moved into an apartment for the first time but never cooked. I got to a high of 202, I'm 6'4" so it wasn't that bad.

Then I got tired driving all the time so bought stuff to cook and a some wheat bread and peanut butter for a a quick simple lunch. I just eat a peanut butter sandwhich every day for lunch while keep u[ my same workout (weights+martial arts+ some running) and now I'm down to 182.

Crazy.

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RHix613

It feels really good when you come across a thread that everyone understands the concept of weight loss and burning calories. No gimmicks, no quick fixes just hard work and intellligent nutrition. Congrats to everyon involved here and good luck.

rogue49

While I do agree with doing cardio & diet for a significant difference,
you've already heard that.

Here's a site with a few new form & techniques that might allow you to mix it up a bit.
http://www.swiminfo.com/articles/swi...02swim_art.asp
I also like the torso swing (easy), and the lower oblique leg lifts (advanced)

While many believe the abdominal section's muscle group is different than any other,
in all actually, studies have indicate they are the same.
It's just there are not as many good focused forms for that area,
and genetics and lifestyle tends to allow more fat to build there.
(you use your arms & legs more vigorously than your lower torso)

Keep with the good diet (try cutting your intake down, it's not just the type, but the amount too),
I would try rowing as a cardio (that not that hard on the joints, and it's good for the abs)

And try mixing up with the new forms, your muscles get used to the same thing all the time.
Also simple situps & crunches only work the upper & mid abs.
You need it all (upper, mid, lower abs & front, side, back obliques)
Do not use much weight unless you want to build mass in specific areas.

Also, you might be having certain large stresses in your life,
it helps significantly on your body if you make an effort to reduce this.

Hope this helps

Plan9Senior

I hate to keep doing this to you Rogue, but many people share the same misconception that you have about losing the gut and I want to stress just how inaccurate it is. You can do 500 pushups and it will do just about the same thing for your gut as if you were to do 500 sit-ups. Gut is fat. There is no way to get rid of it without burning it off from intense cardio, or a daily caloric deficit (combined with proper nutrition). However, it is not bad to start working on the stomach muscles because when you finally DO get rid of the fat, your stomach will look good .