Low carb. It is the only diet that has ever reduced belly fat on me (didn't lose a lot of weight, but lost abdomen fat). Get an Atkins book or Protein Power or even just go to the carb counters section on this board. You have to have an open mind: veges are fine, but it is eating eggs, meat and animal fat that will cause you body to burn belly fat. I am not an expert. Do your homework like I did.
Please, I am not trying to start a low-carb war. Just offer another idea.

Originally Posted by madamwu:
Low carb. It is the only diet that has ever reduced belly fat on me (didn't lose a lot of weight, but lost abdomen fat). Get an Atkins book or Protein Power or even just go to the carb counters section on this board. You have to have an open mind: veges are fine, but it is eating eggs, meat and animal fat that will cause you body to burn belly fat. I am not an expert. Do your homework like I did.
Please, I am not trying to start a low-carb war. Just offer another idea.

I think in this day and age all diets seem to be pointing towards a low-carb solution. If you're a calorie counter then you know that carbs are worth way more calories than protein so you'll cut down on them that way. If you're diabetic then you know that carbs can have an adverse effect on your insulin. Now there's the gluten-free diet, the paleolithic diet, and the sugar-busters diet all point towards the obvious - We have been steered to eat way way way more carbs and sugar than our bodies really need and now our health and waistlines are paying the price for it. There is no low-carb war in this day and age my friend :)

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
I think in this day and age all diets seem to be pointing towards a low-carb solution. If you're a calorie counter then you know that carbs are worth way more calories than protein so you'll cut down on them that way. If you're diabetic then you know that carbs can have an adverse effect on your insulin. Now there's the gluten-free diet, the paleolithic diet, and the sugar-busters diet all point towards the obvious - We have been steered to eat way way way more carbs and sugar than our bodies really need and now our health and waistlines are paying the price for it. There is no low-carb war in this day and age my friend :)

Actually, a carb has 4 calories per gram which is the same as protein. Fat has 9 calories per gram, but with not using many calories on your carbs you do have more for fat and protein.


I'm on Atkins and I agree that it does help greatly with belly fat. I'm also gluten intolerant though, so my belly doesn't appear as bloated when I've cut that stuff out.

I'm also a weight lifter and through lifting weights I have built muscle and lost fat. I notice while strength training that my weight doesn't go down very quickly, but I lose inches rapidly. Combine that with HIIT and you have a good fat burning combo.

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
I think in this day and age all diets seem to be pointing towards a low-carb solution. If you're a calorie counter then you know that carbs are worth way more calories than protein so you'll cut down on them that way. If you're diabetic then you know that carbs can have an adverse effect on your insulin. Now there's the gluten-free diet, the paleolithic diet, and the sugar-busters diet all point towards the obvious - We have been steered to eat way way way more carbs and sugar than our bodies really need and now our health and waistlines are paying the price for it. There is no low-carb war in this day and age my friend :)

What exactly do you mean by "carbs are worth way more calories than protein" ?

Originally Posted by TripSwitch:
What exactly do you mean by "carbs are worth way more calories than protein" ?

For example, 10oz of sirloin steak is about 350calories where as 10oz of pasta (cooked, no sauce) is about 450cal, that's about 2 cups. And if I could I would eat way more pasta than that, with lots and lots of sauce which adds lots more calories. But I certainly can't eat much more than 10oz of steak, kwim?

I don't calorie count anymore but I remember when I weighed all my food and caloried counted I naturally geared my plate to be more protein than carbs because the carbs were so calorie-dense.