ANOTHER DIET QUESTION

[MrRidley]

Since i started cycling about a year ago to lose weight and get fit i have lost 3.5 stone (originally 16.5) but the question i'm asking is how do i lose the big mass of fat around my belly that i've still got, it's like a beer belly although i've never drunk beer in my life just years of eating crap that's done it i'm 5ft 10 and 13st, i cant do any sit ups or crunches as i had a spinal fusion op last august and i have to take it easy around this area, i should mention that i am still on the diet at the moment and following it very well and i am cycling approx 60-100mls per week, but nothing seems to make the big gut shrink, so advice or excercise tips most welcome.

 

[summerdays]

Not sure of the safety of any advice given your medical state, but what about literally pulling your tummy in whilst sitting/ riding / thinking about it, hold for 10 secs and release and repeat. I had to do some exercises like that when I was pregnant and had weak muscles ... something about a split in the long ones at the front.

 

[Dayvo]

Consult an expert first, but these exercises are excellent for strengthening the core muscles:

http://uk.askmen.com/top_10/fitness/36_fitness_list.html

This may be useful, too:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_get_rid_of_a_flabby_baby_belly

Good luck and don't give up/lose heart.

 

[ColinJ]

My belly fat is always the last to go. Don't forget that men generally are genetically disposed to storing fat there.

I'm 6' 1" and I'd need to get down below 12 st 7 lbs to lose the flab altogether so I'm not surprised that you still have some to lose. I'd just suggest keeping up with what you are doing - it's obviously working. Another stone or so should see off a lot of the flab that you have left.

Spot-exercising might well do wonders for your core muscles and make you stronger on the bike, but they don't burn fat in localised areas.

 

[another_dave_b]

Given your back injury, I'd talk to a physio for advice on how to exercise your abdominal muscles.

EDIT
Well done on the weight loss by the way. Losing 3.5 stone can't have been easy.

 

[cheadle hulme]

Don't bother with core exercises for your belly. (apart form increasing your strength)

Weight comes off last where it first went on, nothing you can change about that.

Sounds like you're already doing the right stuff, maybe just keep an extra eye on any junk calories that you may be eating?

 

[jay clock]

Moobs is my problem area....

 

[jimboalee]

http://www.skincareclinic.co.uk/smartlipo.html

Hmmmm.....

 

[MacB]

As per others get proper advice re what is/isn't allowable with your spine. What I use is a chin up bar in the upstairs hallway. Every time you pass, and remember, do one or two, or even just hang from it a bit. As you get better do some leg lifts as well. This really seems to work for me without the stresses/strains that you can get from situps, crunches and the like. I started this years ago on physio advice following a rugby injury, but mine was muscular rather than disc related.

 

[B13]

Ah... I hear ya there!!

I lost 6st in weight and I have quite a 'spare tyre' around my middle despite being as near as damnit to my target weight. Unfortunately, that's where the skin had a. stretched when I was heavily overweight and now b. sagged when I lost the weight.

Tiz just one o' dem things, I'm afraid...

 

[ASC1951]

You can change the shape of bits of you by increased muscle definition from targeted exercise, but when you lose or gain fat you have no control over where it is lost or gained - that is decided by your personal genetic makeup.