Hello. I work out on a Recumbent exercise bike. I love it and I'm able to keep at it. I've been adding weights and doing punches and lifts with them while I ride which seems to help. I have no idea how many extra calories this burns, but my arms are gaining some muscle tone and I feel good about it.

My main concern is my belly though. I know that I'm burning calories so I'm going to lose weight- I have seen results in my arms and legs but nothing for my stomach. I'm pretty large, so I am not sure if crunches will actually help me?

What do you guys think? Would adding sit-ups/crunches help or should I be doing something else to vary my exercise routines?

I don't want to look like a Willendorf goddess with tooth picks stuck in for arms and legs. lol.

lol! I just imagined you exactly the way u described

Ok firstly kudos for being the go-getter.
Secondly for loosing belly fat try this every time u sit down to watch tv and there is a commercial promise ur self u will do 5 crunches. Start with some sort of crunches and then u will see it will become proper crunches soon.
Good luck!

Personally the only thing I have ever known that gets rid of belly fat is CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO. Crunches will build some muscle under the belly fat, but the cardio is what is mostly going to burn the fat away. Some people just lose better in certain parts of their body than others.

Good luck!

I would recommend doing some exercises that work your core along with your arms/legs. At least on the elliptical, your core is moving. I know how you feel though, I've been a "pear" my whole life, and now I'm growing into more of an apple as everything but my belly shrinks.

Not to usurp the thread, but I actually could use some of these answers. I had an emergency c-section after the birth of my son and firstly the reconstructive stitching they did made my flabby tummy look lop-sided (which is fantastic) on top of the fact that I have this stubborn belly fat that will not go away.

I heard you have to do specific exercises to target the core muscles in your lower pelvic region but I can't afford the personal trainer who can teach me how to do them. Has anyone else been able to really lose that stubborn belly weight?

Yes--you can't spot reduce. Fat will come off where it comes off, and no amount of crunches will make fat come off your body where it doesn't want to. I'm very close to goal, and at this point the only spot I still want to lose is my belly--which isn't discouraging, it's just a part of accepting our bodies for what they are. Women's bodies come in all different shapes and sizes, and sometimes that includes a little belly fat!

As you lose, it will come off everywhere--maybe not evenly, and maybe not always where you want and when you want. But if you keep losing weight, your belly will get smaller. Consider this an exercise is loving yourself!

Doing exercises for your core is a great thing to do. When you loose the fat, then you'll see the muscle that's been hiding underneath. But to burn the fat, you need cardio and some full-body weight lifting. As Nakedmango said, the fat will come off where it wants and eventually it'll get around to your belly.

Thanks guys!! I guess I'm just being impatient.

I'll keep at it!!

hmmm.. if only i could spot lose- i'd keep my boobs and lose everywhere else. i'm gonna miss them when they're gone. lol.

I have got belly fat and honestly don't know how it will go away but I feel that as I loose weight I am confident a lot of it will go.

Genetics are fun. As said before, cardio and healthy eating is what will help you lose the belly fat. Personally, I'm the other way around. I've lost 18.5 inches so far but NOTHING in my upper arms. Nada. Zip. Zilch. They are just as fat as when I started. It irritates me to no end but it's a gift from my wonderful, lovely Grandmother (thanks grandma!).

LitaScarlett, I know there is a book called something like Losing Your Mummy Tummy. It deals with the muscles and such. I have never read it so I can't say whether it's accurate or stupid but you could give it a try.

My tummy fat is only now going away, and I am ten pounds below goal and have been maintaing it for six months. I think the differences for me can be attributed to weight training and HIIT. I do sprint intervals, interval training on a kickboxing bag, intervals on my elliptical machine when I can get my heart rate high enough, tabata sets... I've also increased my weight training in the last two months which is interval training of its own. I've lost two inches on my tummy measurement in the last six weeks. My tummy fat is really responding to all the intervals! I also do core work to strengthen the muscles under there for when I burn all the tummy fat that is going to burn. I suspect I'll always have some tummy, so I'm trying to learn to live with that.

+1

I was going to recommend interval training. Before when I was doing straight cardio, I lost weight but the inches weren't really coming off. When I started interval training, suddenly the inches started flying off, and from my hips and tummy which is where I desperately need to lose it the most (besides my butt, of course! ) Like Shannon, when I was doing interval training with a personal trainer, I lost about 3 inches off of my hips in six weeks. Now that I've picked it back up again on my own (using a DVD I do at home in addition to regular cardio), I've already started losing inches again PLUS weight on the scale. Worth a shot!

I think we all lose in certain places before others. I notice that I lose in my stomach before I lose in my thighs, grrrr! Weights has helped, the more muscle I put on everywhere else the more I lose. Just stick with the cardio and keep positive! It will come off.

As everyone here has said; cardio, cardio, cardio!!!

The only thing I wanted to add was that I take monthly measurements and weekly pictures. It really has helped me SEE the progress I am making.

Here's a great article "6 Tips For Developing Athletic Six Pack Abs & Lean Abdominals" it's not an easy task... but can be done with lots of work and super clean eating...