How on earth do I have a gut?!?!

[rumrunn6]

I got mine after 7 months at a desk job

[K. Olsen]

Too much beer.

Don't drink alcohol

I'd suggest that you first learn a lot more about nutrition. It seems like there is so much crap food out there that you have to be really knowledgeable to avoid it. You need to cook for yourself so you know exactly what is going into your meals. You can't be eating out all the time and expect to be in good shape. There's a lot of high fat/empty calorie junk out there that you need to avoid, like sodas, full fat cheese, regular mayo, too much oil, french fries, fast food, etc.

You should also consider your genetics, you probably have a predisposition to your current body shape. What do your parents look like? I always look at people's wrists and ankles, as they aren't affected by diet or exercise much. People like me (and probably you) have thin wrists and ankles, and generally have thin builds. So, adding muscle mass is a bit of an uphill battle, but it can be done, it just takes more effort.

I cook and generally stick to whole foods and lean meats. I don't eat fried food very often(with the exception of right now but that's because the cupboards are bare

That little stash of belly fat is very common on men. I'm guessing you can see your top 4 abs, but those bottom ones are covered with a 1/4" layer of fat. How it stays there, i can't say, but I know even body builders go through some interesting pre-competition routines like water loading followed by dehydration so that they can get that lean look.

Pretty much that's what I can see. the bottom ones are covered in more like an inch of fat though.

I'm trying to incorporate more upper body exercise along with my road cycling and running. Hopefully I'll see some differences in a couple months. If not I may consider going to a dietician.

[carbonframe]

That gut is notoriously difficult to get rid of. You might be in awesome shape physically, but that fat just wants to cling to your lower belly (for guys, women have other issues). Advice above is good, cut out, or at least cut down on alcohol, and try to eat more lean meats and veggies, and for pete's sake, stay away from fast food and chips and stuff like that. We have a food service at work now and I get a big salad full of raw veggies every day, just add a small cup of balsamic vinegarette. Don't even put croutons or cheese on it. Sometimes almost have to choke it down. Sometimes I'm really hungry (after a lunchtime ride) and I eyeball the calzones and stuff with creamy sauces but I stick to my guns with my salad.

[carbonframe]

Oh and I do have that gut, but it IS decreasing steadily as I ramp up riding volume and try to hold steady on a (relatively) lowfat diet (a splurge every great once in awhile doesn't hurt too much).

[bluefoxicy]

If you're interested, I've found rock climbing to be an incredible all-body toner. The Iron Gym door bar, by the way, as cheesy as all the commercials are, is great for the price. I've got one on the door to my kitchen.

Second on both of these. I just started climbing and I've had the Iron Gym thing on an impulse buy for a year now. It's not like I actually train, but I'll pull myself up here and there throughout the day just because it's there and takes 10 seconds. My biceps got BIG.

Really even if I was going to train, I tell people: Forget bowflex, forget free weights, bench presses, exercise bikes. Push-ups, pull-ups, running (I don't run, screw that), climbing, bicycling (bicycle isn't an exercise tool, it's a transit device). The Iron Gym isn't so much an exercise tool as it is a fixture to hang from for a pull-up. Climbing is fun, climbing shoes and harnesses and whatnot are part of your play time toys (bouldering is harder and you don't need a harness...).

Cheesy commercials is right: the Iron Gym isn't a "full body workout machine"; your body is a full body work-out machine. The Iron Gym gives you something to grab on to so you can use your body.

Also, spend a week actually counting your daily caloric intake. You might be surprised if you end up snacking here and there.

I eat when I'm hungry. I tend to be more hungry when I have a lot of physical activity going on.

Be aware that your body will burn calories slower if you use something like Creatine, and that sugared sports drink like Gatorade supplies quick energy. Creatine basically contains extra energy, and your muscles store it: it turns adenosine diphosphate (ADP) into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) after you crack the ATP for energy, which lets you derive more energy from the ATP -> ATP -> AP -> P cycle. If you're using creatine to body build, you'll burn less fat. Likewise, the obvious, if you're chugging sugary Gatorade or Powerade sports drinks while burning tons of calories, that free sugar is going right into your blood and getting burned first.