Hi everyone!

I'm Denise, 22 and I joined this forum because I really need to do something about my body but I don't know where to start.

Okay so I've been exercising a lot lately and I really thought I was making progress until I read the article Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin (TIME magazine) and now I feel extremely depressed. I felt like I wasted my time thinking I could actually lose my belly fat through exercise. It's all just a scam. I really wasted my time.

My problem is that I am not overweight. My weight is within the BMI but I have a very round belly that sticks out all the time. I look permanently pregnant. I can't even hide it and some guys tease me about it. My body has always been like this since I was a kid.

I know exercise has other benefits but losing my belly fat is the only thing I am aiming for. Hopefully, I can find other ways in this forum and learn from other people.

Hi Denise and welcome to 3FC!

There's a couple discussions here on that article you may want to check out -

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...%27t+make+thin

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-...%27t+make+thin

Good luck with your goals

Hugs
Michelle

Thank you Michelle! I will read those threads now

You're welcome

denise--dont quit exercise!! its overall health benefits make it worth your while...however, if you DO want to lose that stubborn belly fat there is something you can do!!------ reduce your overall body fat!! That is the only thing that will get rid of it, and the only way you can achieve this is by eating really, really clean! GOod luck!

Personally, I can't lose weight without exercise, so I think that article is a load of crap. Of course you won't lose any weight if you eat as many calories as you've burned. All weight loss is calories in vs. calories out; if you burn off 250 calories through exercise and have a calorie deficit of 250, then your total deficit is 500. Do that daily and you'll lose 1 lb a week.

What you need to do is make sure that on days you exercise, you're not using exercise as an excuse to eat junk. A lot of people do, which is why they work out but don't lose weight. My ex-roommate would go to the gym for an hour and then run to McDonald's for dinner.

I 'm working out to try to tone up the flab, make my muscles tighter. Loosing the fat will loose the belly not just exercise but healthy eating as well. Good luck and welcome .

Hi!!

Exercising didn't do much for me, but controlling what I eat did wonders. And just little things, too! Its a slow process, because starving yourself just damages your body even worse than being overweight does, but if you stick with it the weight can go away. However, that said, exercise is sooo important in keeping good endurance and cardiovascular health up, even if it makes you hungry afterwards and you eat to replace the calories you just burned off.

I am a bit of a fan of success stories and use them to motivate myself to keep me going, but I found some of the stories from howtheylostweight.com really good for helping me stick with it. I have serious issues controlling the volume of food I eat, so.. I need all of the motivation I can get.

hey! nice to meet ya!

Okay...I'm not an expert, but here is what I know for me. 1. exercise gives me more energy and I'm less likely to sit around. 2. I builds muscle which burns more calories. 3. It decreases my appetite. 4. It motivates me to stay on track. 5. It relieves stress so I don't overeat as much. So I think the article is crud. They are probably trying to be controversial to get attention and more readers. I think it's a typical tactic for the media.