Losing belly fat

[woodywoodford]

So here's the details. Right now I have a 42" belly, 38" waist. Genetically, I'm a slim guy, the beer and college diet just got to me in a bad way. I want to get back to a flat 32". What's it take? I'm off to Mexico in October, so that would be my time frame (4 months).

I work a *lot*, like upwards of 100 hrs a week, so I can't spend all day in the gym. So far I do my best to get a half hour of intervals in before breakfast (1 minute hard, 2 minutes easy) which burns about 400 calories (per treadmill calculator), but I simply don't have time to commit to a weight routine, if that would help at all.

Also due to work, my diet can be inconsistent at best. I have rolled oats/natural peanut butter/honey for breakfast (~400 cal), lots of coffee, and for dinner I've usually fried up bacon & eggs, but recently started sauteing half a bag of frozen vegetables, sometimes with some brown rice and maybe chicken breast. Lunch is anybody guess, sushi, subway, pizza, you name it as long as its quick. And I almost always end my day with a little bit of scotch - no mix, but figure that's under 100 calories so can't be too bad...right? I try very hard not to buy chips or hot dogs or anything like that, but if I haven't eaten all day, it can be really, really hard not to, so I admit I do that probably a couple times a week.

So I don't know how many pounds I'll need to drop to flatten my stomach, so far I've just thrown around the 30 pound number (bringing me from 204 lbs to 170ish) in 4 months. Doable? Tips? Recommended diets? Anything?

I'm 26 y/o male btw.

 

[Bonggoy]

30 lbs is doable but 10 inch belly fat in 4 months? Gastric Bypass + Body Contouring Surgery.

 

[woodywoodford]

Dang, I figured as much. Let's focus on the pounds for now then, and a less obvious belly...

 

[Bonggoy]

Dang, I figured as much. Let's focus on the pounds for now then, and a less obvious belly...

It's really simple math. Burn more calories than you are putting in your body. Consume less than you daily calorie intake.

Use this calculator to determine your calorie requirement http://caloriecount.about.com/tools/calories-goal

I track what I eat using www.myfitnesspal.com.

You really don't need to spend hours upon hours in the gym. You need to workout hard and smart. Hire a personal trainer that can tailor an exercise program base on your goals. Tell him/her your goals. He/she will tell you if it's doable or not.

Good luck.

 

[CodyNC]

Like Bonggoy said, I use the myfitnesspal app and have it on my phone, iPad and computer at work. I track everything even down to the condiments. It's amazing how seeing what you eat each time you look it up, I was blown away with how many calories even a snack wrap at a fast food place really was. It's insane and not really that filling. Also don't get tunnel vision on one fat area which in your case is your stomach. Work everything and the results will show. I hit 202 this year for the first time ever, I weighed 160 in college and 3 years of being in sales and countless fast food joints I hit the magic number that drove me to get in shape. By the end of Feburary I was down to 175 by mainly changing just my diet, I was a soft drink junkie. I'm now at 172 but mainly have quit focusing on losing weight and just getting more lean. I hired a personal trainer after dropping weight and he helped fine tune my dieting and set up work out regiments to do at home. Basically, set a goal for yourself that is attainable, but will push you, everyone is different and there is no right or wrong way if you get results.

 

[Texasmade]

When you drink coffee do you add lots of sugar or cream? I know that adds up on the calories which is why I always drink mine straight black.

 

[woodywoodford]

When you drink coffee do you add lots of sugar or cream? I know that adds up on the calories which is why I always drink mine straight black.

Luckily no, I take it black also. I've never had a big sweet tooth, so literally all I drink is black coffee, water, and whiskey, maybe the occasional beer. I think my biggest problem is finding lunches that don't go overboard - if we go to a sit down restaurant, its steak or cheeseburgers, otherwise just something quick from the food court, but even subway is pretty high in calories once you add all the toppings. Seems like it's either calories, or finish lunch hungry.

 

[JayJay]



You really don't need to spend hours upon hours in the gym.  You need to workout hard and smart.  Hire a personal trainer that can tailor an exercise program base on your goals.  Tell him/her your goals.  He/she will tell you if it's doable or not.

This. A trainer could help you achieve your goal.

 

[Aneil4lom]

So here's the details. Right now I have a 42" belly, 38" waist. Genetically, I'm a slim guy, the beer and college diet just got to me in a bad way. I want to get back to a flat 32". What's it take? I'm off to Mexico in October, so that would be my time frame (4 months).

I work a *lot*, like upwards of 100 hrs a week, so I can't spend all day in the gym. So far I do my best to get a half hour of intervals in before breakfast (1 minute hard, 2 minutes easy) which burns about 400 calories (per treadmill calculator), but I simply don't have time to commit to a weight routine, if that would help at all.

Also due to work, my diet can be inconsistent at best. I have rolled oats/natural peanut butter/honey for breakfast (~400 cal), lots of coffee, and for dinner I've usually fried up bacon & eggs, but recently started sauteing half a bag of frozen vegetables, sometimes with some brown rice and maybe chicken breast. Lunch is anybody guess, sushi, subway, pizza, you name it as long as its quick. And I almost always end my day with a little bit of scotch - no mix, but figure that's under 100 calories so can't be too bad...right? I try very hard not to buy chips or hot dogs or anything like that, but if I haven't eaten all day, it can be really, really hard not to, so I admit I do that probably a couple times a week.

So I don't know how many pounds I'll need to drop to flatten my stomach, so far I've just thrown around the 30 pound number (bringing me from 204 lbs to 170ish) in 4 months. Doable? Tips? Recommended diets? Anything?

I'm 26 y/o male btw.

Good job on the breakfast and dinner. You should try to clean up the lunch a bit though (sashimi, lean-beef fajitas). I try to replace snacks with a thickly mixed protein shake but generally nothings wrong with snacking every once in a while. Try salted popcorn instead of chips but stay away from hot dogs and pizza.

Start running at night if you could. I usually do this and drink a beer after. Replace some of your coffee with green tea and drink it constantly during the entire day.

 

[woodywoodford]

So on days I can't get a run in, is it alright just to cut back the calories, or is there more benefit to running than just running a deficit? I've got a target caloric intake of 1600, which seems low but it's what some app gave me...

 

[Texasmade]



Luckily no, I take it black also.  I've never had a big sweet tooth, so literally all I drink is black coffee, water, and whiskey, maybe the occasional beer.  I think my biggest problem is finding lunches that don't go overboard - if we go to a sit down restaurant, its steak or cheeseburgers, otherwise just something quick from the food court, but even subway is pretty high in calories once you add all the toppings.  Seems like it's either calories, or finish lunch hungry.

Subway is okay as long as you don't get any of the cream based condiments like ranch, chipotle, or mayo. Cutting those out save you 50-100+ calories. Whenever I needed something healthy to eat for lunch I'd grab a 6inch Sub and load it with all the veggies.

 

[Bonggoy]

So on days I can't get a run in, is it alright just to cut back the calories, or is there more benefit to running than just running a deficit? I've got a target caloric intake of 1600, which seems low but it's what some app gave me...

Short answer is yes. Carido and strength training will make losing weight (and inches) faster.

Get yourself a food weighing scale. They are less than 20 dollars. That will help immensely the first few weeks of counting your calories.

Drinks lots of water. Helps curbs hunger.

How tall are you and what do you weigh now?

 

[IAmEric]

I've found that drinking a glass of water before every meal helps you keep your eating in control.

Persistence is key! Exercise on a regular basis and stick to it.

 

[woodywoodford]



Short answer is yes. Carido and strength training will make losing weight (and inches) faster. Get yourself a food weighing scale. They are less than 20 dollars. That will help immensely the first few weeks of counting your calories. Drinks lots of water. Helps curbs hunger. How tall are you and what do you weigh now?

6', 205-10 pounds depending who's scale you use, 26 y/o male

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Eat more protein with breakfast. One of the benefits should be reduced lunch cravings. Also, alcohol late at night can interfere with deep sleep, which in turn can affect metabolism and judgment (including food choices).