Too much fat.

You can't spot reduce fat, unfortunately. All you can do is lower overall bodyfat percentage and hope it comes off of your stomach first. Unfortunately, the abdominal region is usually one of the last places lipolysis occurs.

Reduce bodyfat percentage with diet and exercise.

Reply 2

do sit-ups to get a flat stomach.

Reply 3

FrenchGal

do sit-ups to get a flat stomach.

No offence, because I'm sure you mean well, but you really shouldn't be giving advice if you don't know what you're talking about.

Reply 4

No offence taken. I don't even know you. How could I be offended ?

Reply 5

sugarmouse

11

sit ups tone your stomach muscles, but wont help get rid of fat.you would need to combine toning exercises with aerobic, and/or look at your diet to lose fat from anywhere :rolleyes:

I wish you could spot-reduce fat! or I could take the fat off my thighs and butt and put it on my boobs!

Reply 6

Loulee

I'm offended! whats wrong with what FrenchGal said?
shall we just call this website 'thesquelchyroom'?

Reply 7

Some people are very easily offended, especially when somebody points out that they're wrong, even if pointing it out was meant with the best of intentions.

Reply 8

Loulee

I'm offended! whats wrong with what FrenchGal said?
shall we just call this website 'thesquelchyroom'?

Call it what you like.

As for what's wrong with what she said, the problem lies in the understanding of "toning."

This is a term invented by the female fitness industry, relating to a low bodyfat percentage combined with noticeable muscle size.

Doing sit-ups to "tone" (or, as the correct term should, define) the muscle will not work. Without resistance (i.e. weight) to work against, the abdominal muscles will not increase noticeably in size, and without an effective combination of diet and exercise, the bodyfat over the abdominal muscles will remain there, and thus any defining of the muscles will be almost negligible.

I don't understand the hostility, when my aim is only to help her, rather than give her misinformation and watch her tread water.

Reply 9

Loulee

I'm offended! whats wrong with what FrenchGal said?
shall we just call this website 'thesquelchyroom'?

looooooooooooooool. Thanks :smile:

I don't care what Squelchy thinks about me, as he doesn't care what I think about him. So there's no point in getting offended.

Reply 10

Loulee

ok well correct me if i'm wrong but if you tone up the muscles say in your stomach then in order to do this you need the energy from your fat (especially if you reduce your intake of food). Therefore, you get a flatter stomach and you lose fat???

Reply 11

friendsfreak88

Like Squelchy said, the way to improve those areas is to lose fat from all over the body. This should be done with a good diet and exercise. Cardio and weights are important in an exercise regime. Your diet should contain lean protein, complex carbs and lots of veggies. Remember that to lose weight you will need to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day (this can be done through reducing calories by 250 and doing 250 cals worth of extra exercise).

However, don't expect to be able to completely transform your body shape. You say that you have an hour glass figure which is obviously your natural shape so it is likely that you will always carry most of your weight on your stomach and hips but a good diet and exercise can really help to enhance the appearance!

Reply 12

FrenchGal

looooooooooooooool. Thanks :smile:

I don't care what Squelchy thinks about me, as he doesn't care what I think about him. So there's no point in getting offended.

Why the hostility? I didn't say I don't care about your opinions, I was just pointing out that your limited knowledge of fitness might be misdirecting the OP, when her time could be better spent with a better knowledge of what she should be doing.

Loulee

ok well correct me if i'm wrong but if you tone up the muscles say in your stomach then in order to do this you need the energy from your fat (especially if you reduce your intake of food). Therefore, you get a flatter stomach and you lose fat???

See my previous post for a more detailed explanation of how to define muscles.

Reply 13

However, don't expect to be able to completely transform your body shape.

It took me ages to understand that even if I lose 10kg and work out like crazy, I'll never be long and slender... because I have short legs in the first place. Be careful, going on a diet will NEVER change the shape of your body... it can improve it at its best, though, and that's not bad either :wink:

Am I right this time ? :biggrin:

Reply 14

Loulee

FrenchGal

looooooooooooooool. Thanks :smile:

I don't care what Squelchy thinks about me, as he doesn't care what I think about him. So there's no point in getting offended.

good for you!
i just dont think he should be able to s*** all over other people's posts and get away with it. even if you did mean it in a 'nice' way, squelchy, maybe you should rephrase it, because i certainly didn't take it as being kind

Reply 15

Now, Squelchy, do I have to define "hostility" and "lighthearted teasing" ? hmm ?

Reply 16

FrenchGal

It took me ages to understand that even if I lose 10kg and work out like crazy, I'll never be long and slender... because I have short legs in the first place. Be careful, going on a diet will NEVER change the shape of your body... it can improve it at its best, though, and that's not bad either :wink:

Am I right this time ? :biggrin:

Yes.

Reply 17

Squelchy

Yes.

Cool

Reply 18

Anonymous #1

OP

Squelchy

You can't spot reduce fat, unfortunately. All you can do is lower overall bodyfat percentage and hope it comes off of your stomach first. Unfortunately, the abdominal region is usually one of the last places lipolysis occurs.

Reduce bodyfat percentage with diet and exercise.

It's a shame that i can't spot reduce fat! I am new to all this, with losing weight, but first time in my life that I am starting to the effects of over eating and not doing any exercise at all. I am really starting to hate how my body looks, i mean it's really descusting at the moment. So i have to lose weight everywhere else before i start to notice the change with my hips and my stomach? What kind of exercise could i do at the gym to start losing weight?

sugarmouse

sit ups tone your stomach muscles, but wont help get rid of fat.you would need to combine toning exercises with aerobic, and/or look at your diet to lose fat from anywhere
I wish you could spot-reduce fat! or I could take the fat off my thighs and butt and put it on my boobs!

Yeah i know what you mean, but if i exercise the rest of my weight off i can lose the size of my breats and i don't want that to happen! Thanks for your advice.

Reply 19