Darn stomach!
 

Hi guys,

I hope everybody is doing well...I posted that message in the 20 something forum but it might fit more in this exercice thread!

I have a lil question for all of you. I am getting really happy about the way I look. I am really happy about all the efforts I made to get there. My legs, arms and breasts are doing just fine because I feel it is easy to target these areas and to actually feel that it is working.... BUT!!!! I am getting really frustrated about my stomach!! Does anybody else feel that way?? Did anybody have a stomach and lost it gradually and want to share their secrets? Can anybody relate?

I want to get rid of that stomach of mine and I am not exactly sure how to do it so it really works. Any ideas? I do not want that skin to get looser and looser...

I do cardio every day for more than 1 hour and I do some weight lifting 3 days a week. Should I introduce more wonderful ab workout in my routine?

Thanks a lot!

Sacha

Hi, Sacha. I can definitely relate to your problem as I, too, have always had a problem with my stomach area. One question: is this just your body type, i.e., are you generally bigger in your stomach area more so than the rest of your body? I am, and I find that even when I’ve lost weight this ratio of bigger stomach: smaller rest of body is maintained.

That being said, you can definitely improve that area by doing some ab work. I know everyone says that you cannot spot reduce, but when you’re losing weight (as you are by doing cardio and watching your diet), doing isometric exercise CAN tone up areas of your body. I’ve had great results with The Firm’s 5-day Abs (the one with the picture of the man on the front; there’s another one with a woman on the cover, but I don’t like that one as well). I’ve slacked off a bit lately, but when I did this regularly (5-7 days a week), my abs really toned up, so much so that they’re still toned now even though I’m not doing it as often. In fact, since doing the Firm abs, I’ve developed noticeable oblique muscles for the first time in my life! A couple of months ago, I was changing clothes and my sister was in my room, and she just could not believe how toned my abs have become.

One word of warning: try not to yo-yo diet too much (not that anyone actually TRIES to yo-yo). I was a yo-yo dieter my entire life, losing and gaining the same 50-60 lbs. Now that I’m 35 and losing for the last time (I won’t go into how I know it’s for the LAST time, but I do know), the elasticity in my stomach is not what it used to be. Even though I’ve had great results with the Firm, my lower abs tend to hang more than they used to.

Oh, by the way, I got my Firm abs video from Target for around $10.

Oh, one more thing. Planks are a great ab exercise and are not taxing on the neck like traditional crunches can be. I sometimes try to hold the plank position for 30 seconds when I'm watching television during commercials; as long as just one commercial break lasts, you can hold the plank position for 5 -6 different sessions.

Just a quick word of advice... Planks and situps are great for ab muscles, but you cannot lose weight in certain spots that way... I would recommend a balanced, moderate diet, and keep up the cardio, it will come off...

Up the cardio and see if that works.. A little weight training will help as well.. DO not do anything drastic to your diet, don't do anything "fad" related, or cut anything out entirely.

Don't get me wrong, the planks and crunches are great, but they will not shed weight on that particular spot... Keep them up though, b/c when you lose that weight through cardio, you will have those washboard abs girl!!!

Thank you Conway!!!!!!! You are the only one that answered my question and you gave me good advices!!! Wanna be my personal trainer??? :)

I am not dieting right now. I changed my lifestyle. I eat healthy and I exercise daily. There is no way that I am gaining that weight back! NO NO!

I have been doing some ab workout this week...Not that I like it but I know it's important! I will try to find the video you are talking about.

Thank you once again!

Sacha