# Getting rid of middle aged spread\belly fat



## Rock bus (18 Nov 2017)

Hi all

Looking on some advice on best way of reducing my belly.

On the whole people would think I’m very slim BUT I know I have a bit of a belly.

Know I’m not alone as a middle aged man (45) but find it really annoying that no matter what i do I can’t shift it from there.

I’m pretty fit and run , play football as well as cycle.
Diet is ok, don’t eat much fruit and vegetables but on other hand don’t have a lot of bad/junk food.
I know alcohol can be a big issue but only drink at weekends - bottle wine or few beers.

Anyone have any tips and advice? Or do I just accept that’s what happens with age as I still want to enjoy life and not give up all nice food and drink!


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## L Q (18 Nov 2017)

How much exercise do you do?

I am 42 and had a fair size belly at the start of the year, I have lost a fair bit by commuting to work, I have done roughly 3000 miles this year as I can't commute every day due to family. 

I have also started running.

It's taken a while but I have stuck with it.

I don't do portion control on my food either, I have no will power on that one. 

I think once you get to a certain age it becomes more difficult to shift.


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## Drago (18 Nov 2017)

Eat better.

Eat less.

Exercise more.

I keep mine under check by not eating between meals, avoiding fizzy drinks, not eating any snack that can be eaten straight out of a packet that can be eaten with no preparation, and running every other day. You need an iron will and a rock hard determination to make it happen.


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## sight-pin (18 Nov 2017)

3 sets of 10 sit ups a few times a week for a while then increase it when you feel able.


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## vickster (18 Nov 2017)

No beer

Or liposuction


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## cyberknight (18 Nov 2017)

All the sit ups in the world are great to tone your abs but as said above you need to use the excess around the waist too.


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## sight-pin (18 Nov 2017)

A 20 lbs bar is also good across the shoulders whilst sitting, twist one direction then the other.


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## MontyVeda (18 Nov 2017)

I hoped that pedalling 50 miles a week on a very hilly commute would have got rid of mine... but after 12 months, it was still there. Got made redundant and the next job offer was from Aldi... six months running round that place and it's gone.


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## Racing roadkill (18 Nov 2017)

Belly fat like you describe, is the worst type of fat to be carrying. It won’t matter what exercises you do in isolation to try and flatten your stomach, until you shift the belly fat, you’ll have a ‘belly’. Try to make your exercise burn fat, so lots of high intensity intervals, making sure your heart rate is in a high zone for extended periods. Drinking booze is a good way to get a belly, and keep it. Alcohol isn’t just giving you the excess calories, it’s also interfering with certain metabolic processes, which is ensuring the fat is stored in the way it is. The simple answer is, up the intensity of your exercise, and stop drinking alcohol. It’s not fun, but if you want rid of the belly, you have to ditch the booze.


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## oldwheels (18 Nov 2017)

Eat less. I did not give up booze entirely but cut it down quite a bit. My exercise remaind about the same but mainly eating less ( and more veg.) I lost about 20 kilos in about a year. It seems a bit vague but I do not keep notes. I did however start to look at the calories on nearly everything I ate and cut out as much of the higher calorie count stuff.


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## Rock bus (18 Nov 2017)

Booo no magic answers! Not sure I can face a life without any alcohol

More details on what I currently do

Food wise, I tend to have porridge for breakfast, then meal deal lunch ie sandwich, snack and lunch, dinner is normally some sort of homemade curry, bolognaise, chilli etc with rice or pasta and then maybe some kind of snack eg couple biscuits.

At weekends me and wife will share bottle wine on a Friday and Saturday or few beers or gin and tonics

Exercise wise I am currently playing 5 aside and running 5k twice a week.

So damn frustrating as it’s litera only my belly and most people would probably say I could do with putting weight on!!


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## Paul139 (18 Nov 2017)

I've got nearly 10 years on you and was feeling that I had to do something sooner rather than later. I've never been a drinker but loved the Coca Cola and junk food. I made the decision enough is enough. I did already cycle but decided to give the running a go as well. It's hard but combining the exercise and using the My Fitness Pal app has made a huge difference. It's a slog to find the enthusiasm to start with but once the results start to show it gets easier. Good luck.


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## Ming the Merciless (18 Nov 2017)

Smaller portions and cut out the snacks. I cut out snacks in 2003 and over 3 months saw a two stone weight drop. I also had a lot more energy.


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## Racing roadkill (18 Nov 2017)

I was never a ‘belly fat’ carrier, but I switched from mostly Rugby ( prop ), with cycling for cardio, to just cycling / cardio, a few years ago ( ten years ago apparently ). I wasn’t screwing up the metabolic processes with either high fructose sugar syrup ( fizzy drinks ) or alcohol, but I had to eat loads to maintain the size / weight I needed. As soon as I didn’t need the weight anymore, it was on to MFP, calorie counting, and having a miserable 6 months.






Before.






After.

Knock the booze off, watch your calorie intake, job’s a good’un.


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## 12boy (18 Nov 2017)

If you want to burn fat, eat fat. Avoid a lot of carbs and moderate veggies that have a high sugar content. If you are hungry a handful of nuts or a lump of cheese or a bunch of bacon will take care of that. I am 5' 8" and 68, and currently weigh around 160. Broke my pelvis 8 weeks ago and can only do resistance training as opposed to walking or biking so I have bulked up my upper body and put on an extra 5 lbs or so. As a pre-diabetic I adopted the above and lost 3 inches on the waist and 25 lbs. Also only eat food by which I mean no processed stuff. Avoid eating in front of a TV and pay attention to what you eat. Instead of thinking so much about what I can't eat I focus on eating what I should and am rarely hungry. Shifting to a fat burning machine has resulted in a higher more even energy level BTW.


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## mustang1 (18 Nov 2017)

Drago said:


> Eat better.
> 
> Eat less.
> 
> ...


I am an peanut with will/determination.


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## BoldonLad (18 Nov 2017)

I am a bit older than you (70), but, been battling the bulge since 50-55.

My advice, don't try anything too extreme, chances are, unless you have excellent will-power, you will not stick with it.

I keep my bulge under control, with a mix of exercise and eating reasonably sensibly.

I cycle 60 miles / week, do a bit of gardening, and, a bit of (brisk) walking.

Food wise, I stick to three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner), no snacks.

I try to eat five portions of fruit/veg per day.

I avoid any packaged food with a fat content of more than 10% (check the label), only exception is mayonaise / Salad dressings which I use sparingly.

Have not given up the booze, but, have cut back on beer, Red Wine is good for you (that is my excuse).


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## iateyoubutler (18 Nov 2017)

I cycle 200 miles/week, eat as little as I dare without getting weak/shaky, and still am 2 stone overweight. It really is bloody frustrating


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## CXRAndy (18 Nov 2017)

Men as they age naturally put weight around their middle. So it's a case of diet to reduce this fat. Unfortunately you can't choose where to lose fat so need to keep a low calorie diet for quite a while. Some facts - each pound of human fat has ~3500 calories. So to lose 2lb a week you need to calorie deplete 7000 calories from your diet or burn an extra 7000 on top of you regular calorie usage. Cut down carbs, increase protein. Eat no processed carbs/sugars. Also eat correct amount of fats per day.


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## Tin Pot (18 Nov 2017)

Forget calories, forget "give up this one thing", etc.

This:



Drago said:


> Eat better.
> 
> Eat less.
> 
> Exercise more.


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## iateyoubutler (18 Nov 2017)

I don`t want to hijack this thread, but I eat less eat better exercise more to the point of starving and exhaustion - it gets me nowhere!!!


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## FishFright (18 Nov 2017)

iateyoubutler said:


> I cycle 200 miles/week, eat as little as I dare without getting weak/shaky, and still am 2 stone overweight. It really is bloody frustrating



By what metric are you 2 stone over weight ? If it's BMI then don't worry about it too much .


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## iateyoubutler (18 Nov 2017)

FishFright said:


> By what metric are you 2 stone over weight ? If it's BMI then don't worry about it too much .


I`m always in the "overweight" category no matter what I do, I`m stocky, always have been, and I hate it, but there is plenty of flab there too, handfuls of it, I could shift 2 stone easily, but there`s more chance of world peace happening than that


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## iateyoubutler (18 Nov 2017)

iateyoubutler said:


> I`m always in the "overweight" category no matter what I do, I`m stocky, always have been, and I hate it, but there is plenty of flab there too, handfuls of it, I could shift 2 stone easily, but there`s more chance of world peace happening than that


Have contemplated slimming world more than once....................


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## vickster (18 Nov 2017)

Go to SW then?


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## iateyoubutler (18 Nov 2017)

vickster said:


> Go to SW then?


It`s a principle thing, I do 200 lumpy miles/week so why the hell should I have to??

I get so frustrated at times with this I`ve even thought about going on bloody hunger strike, just to spite my own body


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## iateyoubutler (19 Nov 2017)

[QUOTE 5047125, member: 9609"]just knock out a 150 to 200 mile a week and no mater how much you eat, people you know will keep looking at you in a quizical way and say something like, FFS you've lost weight, are you OK, you don't look well, mate you should see a doctor or something.[/QUOTE]
When I tell people about the mileage I do, I usually finish it with "well I should be like a twig really" in a jokey sort of way, and the response I usually get is "yep, true, what happened?"

That`s happened twice in the last week, and I really don`t find it amusing or funny


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## lazybloke (19 Nov 2017)

Rock bus said:


> Booo no magic answers! Not sure I can face a life without any alcohol
> Food wise, I tend to have porridge for breakfast, then meal deal lunch ie sandwich, snack and lunch, dinner is normally some sort of homemade curry, bolognaise, chilli etc with rice or pasta and then maybe some kind of snack eg couple biscuits.
> 
> At weekends me and wife will share bottle wine on a Friday and Saturday or few beers or gin and tonics


Going through a similar crisis of visible belly fat after 25+ years of being a static waist size. I've a theory that it's down to sugar in snacks. We keep getting tubs of chocolates in at work, and I have a very sweet tooth...


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## vickster (19 Nov 2017)

iateyoubutler said:


> It`s a principle thing, I do 200 lumpy miles/week so why the hell should I have to??
> 
> I get so frustrated at times with this I`ve even thought about going on bloody hunger strike, just to spite my own body


Because you want help to lose weight 

Or maybe you are simply the right weight for you. Forget BMI especially if you’re muscly!

Try the 5:2 diet maybe?


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## vickster (19 Nov 2017)

Rock bus said:


> Booo no magic answers! Not sure I can face a life without any alcohol
> 
> More details on what I currently do
> 
> ...



Try eating less carbs (cut out bread, pasta, biscuits etc), replace with veg?


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## Tin Pot (19 Nov 2017)

iateyoubutler said:


> I don`t want to hijack this thread, but I eat less eat better exercise more to the point of starving and exhaustion - it gets me nowhere!!!



No, no you don't. And I don't know anything about you.


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## Tin Pot (19 Nov 2017)

[QUOTE 5047131, member: 9609"]well do more miles, do a hillier route, carry a bag of cement on your panniers, at some point you outgoings will be greater than you incomings and you will get slimmer. If not, then you have discovered the secret perpetual motion and you will be in the enviable situation of always being slimmer than your wallet.[/QUOTE]

Trying to out exercise your diet won't work either.


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## ColinJ (19 Nov 2017)

[QUOTE 5047342, member: 9609"]I'm trying to out eat my exercise and not doing too well at the moment.

I guess we're all different, I have always been the same in that there is a point with exercise/activity where I'm just skinny no matter how much I eat, it is as if my metabolism goes into a different mode. , below that activity level I have to be very careful with how much I eat.

I do agree though that the very first port of call in trying to loose weight is to cut back on the calories, however there does seem to be big differences between people in how easily there bodies store any excess food as fat.

No body can expend more energy than they consume without loosing weight. But some can eat more calories than they ever burn off and not put on weight.[/QUOTE]
I went on a 2 week cycling training camp in Spain with a mate. He is 5' 10" tall and weighs about 10 stone. I am 6' 1" tall and weighed about 13 stone at the time. I have a big appetite, but my skinny mate has a much bigger one. He was making himself toast before we went for the hotel's eat-all-you-like buffet breakfast. He would then eat a big bowl of cereal, more toast, a couple of bananas, fruit salad and yoghurt, croissants ... He always pinched a couple more bananas to take with him on the ride. He'd get back from the ride and make more toast and snack on nuts and raisins. Then we'd go to the evening buffet where he'd eat (say) a large piece of fish with fries and peas. Then he'd go back and get a steak, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, broccoli. Meal number 3 of the evening would be something else. Then it would be a bowl of ice cream, a milk shake ... He'd still be peckish so he's start on biscuits, chocolate, cake ... And if we stayed up late he'd make more toast back at our room ... His belly was so distended that he looked about 8 months pregnant.

I tried to match what he was eating but gave up and ended up averaging about half of what he did. (He'd told me that we needed to keep our energy stores topped up because we would be doing over 750 hilly miles while we were there.)

The result after 2 weeks? His weight remained exactly the same. I put on 4-5 pounds!  

The conclusion that I came to was that he had a faster metabolism than me, but also that he probably wasn't even digesting half of his food properly.


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## Tin Pot (19 Nov 2017)

[QUOTE 5047416, member: 9609"]there is definitely something going on with metabolism which does not fit in easily with calories consumed / calories burnt weight gain equation.

We know a woman who is beautifully slim, eats like there is no tomorrow, never exercises, and just stays the same shape - her mother is exactly the same. It is as though their bodies are not interested in storing energy as fat (somehow their ancestors must have got though the last ice age). Anyone else would turn into a barrage balloon with thier diet and lifestyle.[/QUOTE]

Current thinking is that it's much more complicated than we would like it to be, fuel in, power out, calories in, calories out - but we are not combustion engines.

Of the food we consume we do different things with it, depending on our lifestyle and genetics. The same with our output, our bodies release energy as it wants to, not necessarily as we need it to. It will regulate our output as it sees fit. If you've been starving yourself, the body will stop you from overexherting yourself to conserve energy stores.

Weird training regimes try to trick the body into doing more than it wants to, sometimes this works other times it causes damage.

All in all, if you're looking to be fitter, or rather look slimmer, a lower body fat percentage is the best way forward. 

Sudden changes the body will rail against, gradual change over years will have longer lasting effects.


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## annedonnelly (19 Nov 2017)

[QUOTE 5047416, member: 9609"]there is definitely something going on with metabolism which does not fit in easily with calories consumed / calories burnt weight gain equation.

We know a woman who is beautifully slim, eats like there is no tomorrow, never exercises, and just stays the same shape - her mother is exactly the same. It is as though their bodies are not interested in storing energy as fat (somehow their ancestors must have got though the last ice age). Anyone else would turn into a barrage balloon with thier diet and lifestyle.[/QUOTE]

I'm skinny & always have been - others in the family are similar. I've recently given my DNA for a study into "thin-ness". The preliminary study seems to show that people with a tendancy to obesity have a fault on a certain part of a certain gene. The researchers are now working on a more detailled study.


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## Julia9054 (19 Nov 2017)

annedonnelly said:


> I'm skinny & always have been - others in the family are similar. I've recently given my DNA for a study into "thin-ness". The preliminary study seems to show that people with a tendancy to obesity have a fault on a certain part of a certain gene. The researchers are now working on a more detailled study.


You could call it a variant of a gene rather than a fault. In times of famine they would be the ones with the genetic advantage.
There is also interesting current research into levels of a certain hormone which interracts with the brain causing us to feel full. People with low levels tend to overeat without realising.


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## MrGrumpy (19 Nov 2017)

Rock bus said:


> Hi all
> 
> Looking on some advice on best way of reducing my belly.
> 
> ...



Take up smoking  .. I stopped smoking a year ago and have put weight on about a stone approx. Currently circa 100kg and 6ft . Fit as a fiddle cycle 100 miles a week at a brisk pace and also run when I can, approx upto 7-10 miles a week.

Anyway jokes aside , it’s the diet and alcohol. I suspect more to do with the sugary snacks for me


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## PaulSB (21 Nov 2017)

Tin Pot said:


> Current thinking is that it's much more complicated than we would like it to be, fuel in, power out, calories in, calories out - but we are not combustion engines.
> 
> Of the food we consume we do different things with it, depending on our lifestyle and genetics. The same with our output, our bodies release energy as it wants to, not necessarily as we need it to. It will regulate our output as it sees fit. If you've been starving yourself, the body will stop you from overexherting yourself to conserve energy stores.
> 
> ...



This mirrors both the advice I’ve been given and my practical experience after applying the advice.

I’ve shifted 26 pounds in 18 months by improving, not changing, my diet and certainly no “dieting.” I also understand what causes me to put on weight, alcohol, confectionery and junk food.

After 18 months I’ve reached a plateau. I’d like to drop another two pounds to 160 but simply can’t do it consistently. If I do manage to drop a couple more pounds I quickly look gaunt. If I have a “bad” week I gain around 3 pounds but can quickly shift that by a few days of no alcohol or chocolate!

I have friends who are looking to achieve weight loss and they fall in to two groups; the dieters, all regain lost weight, and the diet improvers who have all lost and maintain the loss.

I realise many people successfully “diet” but long term maintenance of the weight loss is the key to success. For me improving diet, achieving one’s “natural” weight allows the body time to adjust and prevents weight gain. By “natural” I mean the point at which one’s body is happy and doesn’t overreact to short term changes in diet. 

A few holiday pounds are easy to shift it’s the underlying overweight which has to be tackled through longer term weight loss.


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## PaulSB (21 Nov 2017)

Rock bus said:


> Booo no magic answers! Not sure I can face a life without any alcohol
> 
> More details on what I currently do
> 
> ...



I had another comment to make and so went to the beginning of the thread to read the OP. Then I spotted this post!

I recognise this diet - it was mine, 18 months ago and I believed I had a “healthy” diet as we made our own meals. To be blunt with this diet and your stated, low, exercise level it will tough, if not impossible to lose weight.

User46386 in her response gives you a good indication of the changes which are needed.

The secret to weight loss and consistent weight maintenance is to understand the fuel your body needs to provide you with the energy you use each day. You need to understand which foods your body can process to generate the energy without putting down fat stores.

I’m no expert but the principle is this. If your body feels it is not receiving adequate nourishment it will retain everything it can to ensure it has reserves to fall back on. These reserves are laid down as fat. Once you provide your body with the nutrition it needs storing fat will stop, you will lose weight and maintain the loss. 

A combination of correct diet and nutrition, exercise and good hydration is the key to weight loss and control. Don’t underestimate the value of simple hydration - I drink two litres of water a day and now understand I was previously using tea, coffee and alcohol to give my body water!!!!!!

Perhaps the best way to illustrate my point is with cycling. I always used to return from rides ravenous and would eat anything in the fridge to satisfy the craving. Today I eat correctly to sustain my body’s needs and I’m never hungry after a ride, provided my feeding during the ride has been sensible.

If the body has cravings it is sending a message!


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## rualexander (21 Nov 2017)

Rock bus said:


> ...... then meal deal lunch ie sandwich, snack and lunch........




Meal deal lunch is a very high calorie lunch, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...et-lunchtime-meal-deals-contain-30-teaspoons/


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## Tin Pot (21 Nov 2017)

rualexander said:


> Meal deal lunch is a very high calorie lunch, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...et-lunchtime-meal-deals-contain-30-teaspoons/



I don’t think 1,000 calories is a high calorie lunch.


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## Drago (21 Nov 2017)

1000 calories is a small cup of coffee for me


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## lazybloke (21 Nov 2017)

Dogtrousers said:


> I'm obviously running low on the vital micronutrients that are only available in coconut Magnums. I must be, my body keeps telling me so.


One of my children aged 5 suffered serious health issues including a spell on life support. Once out of the woods, Magnums were encouraged as high calorie sustenance. A full recovery followed - praise Walls.


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## Globalti (23 Nov 2017)

I'm just about keeping the middle-aged belly in control at the age of 61 (still size 32 waist) by avoiding beer during the week and resisting snacking and sugary drinks. I find it helps to floss and clean my teeth after supper, which gives me the willpower not to snack later in the evening (and makes the bedtime routine a bit quicker as well).


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## Drago (23 Nov 2017)

I haven't had a 32 waist since I was 11.


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## subaqua (23 Nov 2017)

Rock bus said:


> Booo no magic answers! Not sure I can face a life without any alcohol
> 
> More details on what I currently do
> 
> ...




not saying NO alcohol . but reduce down as much as can . 

I have gone from 6 pints a night in the week plus lots more at weekends to a few on a friday and saturday, and the beer belly is going rather sharpish . my big killer was the wrong type of foods. ( pies pasties , full english etc ) in work. started to take a poched chicken breast and a "salad" ( lettuce , cucumber, toms, artichoke , jalapeno, fresh basil from the pot I grow in Kitchen . 

I swim 3 times a week as a minimum too


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## iateyoubutler (23 Nov 2017)

Drago said:


> I haven't had a 32 waist since I was 11.


11? I was about 3 months old!!


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## Blue Hills (23 Nov 2017)

BoldonLad said:


> Red Wine is good for you (that is my excuse).



Quite right.

https://www.today.com/health/sardinias-mediterranean-diet-10-foods-lengthen-your-life-t13951

skip straight to number 10.


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## PaulSB (26 Nov 2017)

subaqua said:


> I have gone from 6 pints a night in the week plus lots more at weekends to a few on a friday and saturday, and the beer belly is going rather sharpish



Really? Six pints a night? I find that an astonishing level of alcohol consumption. Congratulations on reducing it, I’m sure you’re going to do yourself more good than losing weight.


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## subaqua (26 Nov 2017)

PaulSB said:


> Really? Six pints a night? I find that an astonishing level of alcohol consumption. Congratulations on reducing it, I’m sure you’re going to do yourself more good than losing weight.




not proud of drinking that much every night... but it was enjoyable at the time.


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## Ming the Merciless (26 Nov 2017)

Many forget that weight gain was not a rapid process but often it has crept up over many years. They then try to lose weight rapidly , get the munchies, and feel disappointed when they don't get results in a month or two. It is easy to deceive yourself about the snacks and how much exercise you do as well. Small changes in diet and exercise and you will find your balance point.

I think the fast and normal diet is not so much about weight loss but enabling the body's regulating hormones and processes to reset themselves. A blood stream and body that is constantly full of glucose becomes desensitised and loses its ability to stay in balance and stay healthy.


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## hoopdriver (26 Nov 2017)

It is possible but it takes dedication. I am 59 and decided to do something about the weight that has crept up. Just eating more sensibly, and less, and going to the gym regularly for what are pretty intense sessions in the cross trainer has seen me lost over two stone since August, and my waist drop to 32” - or a bit less actually. I did nothing extreme, nothing really that I am uncomfortable maintaining in terms of diet or exercise and the extra energy and spark have been well worth it. As I say, I am 59. It is possible.


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## SkipdiverJohn (1 Dec 2017)

YukonBoy said:


> Many forget that weight gain was not a rapid process but often it has crept up over many years. They then try to lose weight rapidly , get the munchies, and feel disappointed when they don't get results in a month or two. It is easy to deceive yourself about the snacks and how much exercise you do as well. Small changes in diet and exercise and you will find your balance point..



A colleague of mine who was seriously into fitness & weight training once gave me this advice:- don't ever try to reduce weight by dieting to the point of feeling hungry or lacking in energy, and don't make yourself grumpy and miserable by totally cutting out things you enjoy. Doing those things sets you up to fail as you then won't stick with it. Most people simply don't have the dedication to adopt strict diet or fitness regimes, and people who are pragmatic about it tend to succeed better than those who go OTT then get sick of it and revert completely to their previous lifestyle. Instead, just do things in very small increments. If you want to lose a stone in weight, allow yourself a full year to do it, don't try to crash your weight down in a couple of months. Drink half a pint less beer here and there. Have a smaller spoonful of sugar in your tea. Avoid having too many packets of biscuits and snacks in the house. If you can't stand drinking tasteless skimmed milk, just settle for semi-skimmed rather than full fat. His thinking was if you make small dietary changes combined with more physical activity, you'll slowly lose weight and also build up a bit more muscle, so your body shape will improve and you will burn more calories even resting, because you'll be more muscular. He had a theory that a lot of overweight people were basically of weak physical build who also generally did fairly sedentary jobs, so their baseline calorific requirement was low which meant they stored a lot of excess fat. Rather than reduce calorie intake by very much, he favoured doing a mix of strength training & cycling/treadmill to burn energy and permanently increase baseline calorie needs. Also don't obsess about using BMI as a measure of being overweight or not. For him, ideal weight meant having a strong build but no excess visible fat round your middle, regardless of what your measured BMI was. His BMI was 28, IIRC, but no-one would ever call him fat.


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## Fonze (1 Dec 2017)

Some very good points and advice , a lot I can relate to ..


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## The Jogger (1 Dec 2017)

In my own experience not speaking for anyone else, I find intermittent fasting, eating in a specific window has helped me feel physically better and gradually lose weight, (very gradually) but it is definitely getting there. I don't have breakfast and either go to the gym or jog before I eat. I generally don't eat until about 13:00 and stop eating by about 20:00 so usually for me it is a 7 hour eating window. This helps reduce insulin spikes in the body and it also helps to rest the gut which now is being recognised as being an organ and a very important function in relation to the rest of the organs. I also try to eat less carbs as these just affect insulin, tummy fat, heart health in a negative manner.


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## ColinJ (1 Dec 2017)

Which reminds me ... today is one of my fasting days. I had a few grapes and strawberries plus a small banana and a spoon of natural yoghurt this morning, but I have forgotten to eat anything since! I'd better eat something now or I will be getting too hungry just before I go to bed.

This is the 10th fasting day since starting back on 5:2 at the end of October. I can feel the difference round my waist and my scales showed a significant drop in my weight the last time I checked. I'll weigh myself in the morning to see how much progress I have made. I think that I will have shed about 25% of the weight that I want to lose.


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## SkipdiverJohn (1 Dec 2017)

So when you lose whatever amount of weight you are targeting, do you intend to keep up this fasting regime, or ditch it and revert to a normal eating pattern, mission accomplished? I must admit I cannot for the life of me see the benefit of eating more on some days then starving myself on others. If I tried that trick, I know I would end up ravenously hungry and would immediately go and wolf down the largest, most unhealthy meal I could lay my hands on, and completely negate any gain.


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## ColinJ (1 Dec 2017)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> So when you lose whatever amount of weight you are targeting, do you intend to keep up this fasting regime, or ditch it and revert to a normal eating pattern, mission accomplished? I must admit I cannot for the life of me see the benefit of eating more on some days then starving myself on others. If I tried that trick, I know I would end up ravenously hungry and would immediately go and wolf down the largest, most unhealthy meal I could lay my hands on, and completely negate any gain.


I will stick to it and enjoy eating what I like the rest of the time. I'll set myself a maximum and minimum weight. If I find that I am getting too skinny I will either eat a little more on the 5 non-fasting days or cut down to 1 fast a week until I put a couple of pounds back on. If I get to the maximum limit I will do 2 good fasts a week and I know from experience that I will lose weight that way.

I am not 'starving' myself - I am just eating less a couple of days a week! As I mentioned above - I actually forgot to eat my main meal today so I was not exactly ravenous. I just had 3 large bowls of home-made spicy carrot and parsnip soup with some steamed cabbage and broccoli plus 3 spoons of natural yoghurt. It was a healthy meal and very filling; it just didn't equate to a huge number of Calories

Weight loss is really just a side-effect of the eating regime. The main idea is actually those benefits that you admit that you can't see! How about ... lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, reducing the risk of heart disease, stimulating the body's cellular repair processes, helping to prevent cancer, improving brain health including reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's, and ... living longer? (LINK) Sounds good to me, and I feel good too!


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## The Jogger (2 Dec 2017)

What I said in fewer words agrees with your post and the link you supplied CJ. Just fewer words


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## LeetleGreyCells (2 Dec 2017)

I’ve lost 5 st in 11 months. I did this to become more healthy. My goal is to be healthy, part of which is not being overweight. 

It’s all about getting into new habits. 

I changed my diet to smaller portions, eat mostly fruit, vegetables and chicken/turkey plus fish. I allow myself a KitKat every day (which is far better than the *SIX* chocolate bars  a day I used to eat! I haven’t drunk alcohol in over 10 years and don’t smoke or anything like that. People ask if I miss alcohol, but to be honest, to me, it would be weird to drink it. Plus with one of the conditions I’ve got, it would take me a week or more to get over drinking a couple of pints. I’ve cut out all cake, biscuits and anything like that and do not miss it at all. Get into the routine and habit of automatically saying no when offered, and it’s easy. If I get the munchies then an orange, apple or banana is always there waiting. Get into the habit of going straight to the fruit bowl or fridge when you get hungry and not the cupboard filled with chocolate and crap. If you live alone or with just your partner then I imagine it would be easier as you can throw out the chocolate. If like me, you have kids then it’s more difficult. However, one good side effect of me eating healthily is that of being a good role model. My kids (and wife) now eat less crap than they used to too. 

I significantly and steadily increased my exercise going from nothing to walking between 8-10 miles per day. Once fit enough I started cycling again. Again gradually increasing the distance. At present I can cycle up 22 miles at a time.  I won’t be happy until I reach 30 miles. Once I do reach that, I won’t be happy until I reach 40. Once I reach... well, you get the idea. It’s going to be harder to do all this during winter as the cold seriously increases the amount of pain I get. I’ve got to work out what I can do about this. Cycling is not bad as I warm up with the activity. Just worried about coming off my bike on ice as it would stop me cycling for a week or more which equals less exercise. 

My parents asked me what size waist I was trying to reach. I flippantly answered 30” and got a lecture (apparently I’m not to old for lectures). I clarified by saying I’m not trying to reach a specific waist size. I’m trying to be healthy. Losing weight is a side effect, but losing too much weight would be unhealthy too. 

I like to think all this isn’t bad for someone with three chronic disabilities.  I certainly feel better now than I have done in the last 10 years or more. What also helped is stopping taking the medication the doctor had me on. Tramadol, pregabalin (pain relief) and mirtazapine (anti-depressant) made me far worse. And I feel the same amount of pain now as I did when I was taking the tablets regularly. Plus my memory works now too (more or less - birthdays and anniversaries don’t count ). These tablets have a bad effect on memory and can cause problems with concentration. 

I feel I should apologise to you all now. I started off talking about losing weight and you get my life story. I do think that being healthy and losing weight aren’t quite the same thing. Also, you cannot do either simply by ‘dieting’. It’s a whole life approach. If you’re not prepared to change then you won’t become healthy and subsequently lose weight. We are what we _eat_ _and do_.


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## ColinJ (2 Dec 2017)

The Jogger said:


> What I said in fewer words agrees with your post and the link you supplied CJ. Just fewer words


Ah, yes - I flit between so many threads that I lose track of who wrote what, where!


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## Tin Pot (2 Dec 2017)

Anyone tried liposuction?

Apparently it only takes a few hours and a couple of grand.


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## User6179 (2 Dec 2017)

Tin Pot said:


> Anyone tried liposuction?
> 
> Apparently it only takes a few hours and a couple of grand.



Results look great


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## User6179 (2 Dec 2017)

I went for the cheaper option " Magic Marker"


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## CXRAndy (2 Dec 2017)

Rashers of bacon on Belly


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