4kg from my first 'healthy' goal at 90kg and the adominal fat just won't go away

[krobinson103]

8kg down. 2 months of eating just enough and exercising before dawn daily. I'm much fitter, I'm much stronger. My legs look totally out of proportion with the rest of my muscles... but the spare tyre in hanging on in there. Certainly its got a less in it, but it seems to be the hardest to get rid of. I'm sure theres more than 4kg there. I think to get rid of that I have to get to 85kg.

[Dave P]

K:

It's interesting how each individual body works. I do a balanced workout, including cycling, but the hip weight just keeps on hanging around.

I'm guessing that we need to perform isolated workouts in the areas of concern.

Hopefully someone of knowledge pipes in.

Dave

[krobinson103]

The general opinion on the internet is that the fat deposited first comes off last. This fat would have been the first to appear after I stopped riding 3 years back. But even then when I got to 90kg there was still a certain amount that wouldn't go away no matter how much I exercised and controlled my diet. One of the 'benefits' of getting too close to 40 perhaps? There is precious little fat left on my upper body so I suppose the only place it can go from is the middle. I do wish it would hurry up though, thats the part I like least.

[CraigB]

Every knowledgable resource I've ever seen says that spot reducing is a myth. Yes, it can firm up underlying muscle tissue in the area, but it in no way metabolizes fat in that same region just because you're working those muscles.

[goldfinch]

I agree with Craig. And I would add that what I have read is that fat is removed proportionately the same throughout your body. I still pretty thin now but still am a bit round in the middle and "on top." But that is where I was the roundest to start with.

[tony_merlino]

Our bodies are all proportioned differently, and that proportioning (even at a healthy weight) changes over the course of our lifetimes. It also takes the body a lot longer to tighten back up after the fat is lost than it does to lose the fat (if you lose fairly quickly). So expect to be saggy for a while.

What I don't know is how well the body tightens back up as we get older. My skin is much looser now that I've lost about 40 lbs in 2.5 months. In the past, the skin tightened back up, but I won't know if it does this time until enough time has passed - I figure by this time next year.

I also remember reading in Bicycling Magazine a number of years ago, that cycling not only doesn't tone the abdomen, it actually "de-tones" it, whatever that means. The article stressed that you have to do abdominal exercises to tighten up the core, that cycling won't do it. This isn't "spot-reducing", it's just tightening up the muscles so that whatever you have is pulled in.

Right now, I'm focused on losing the weight. Once I'm down to the weight I want to be, I can focus more on "body-sculpting", if that seems important at that time. I'm really more interested in having less of me to drag up those hills! I figure the rest of it will sort itself out in its own good time.

[tony_merlino]

I agree with Craig. And I would add that what I have read is that fat is removed proportionately the same throughout your body. I still pretty thin now but still am a bit round in the middle and "on top." But that is where I was the roundest to start with.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[laxpatrick]

...and it gets tougher as we age. At 41, I've shed the fat and been toning up the muscles with high intensity lifting and lots of hills. But the midriff will be the absolute last thing to go - no matter how many situps/crunches/etc I do. I've accepted that. It'll happen, but not without a fight, I think. If you think about the body as trying to maintain stasis AND reserves - those spare tire reserves are the last mile. Stick with healthy eating and it'll come off. That's my plan any way.

[tony_merlino]

...and it gets tougher as we age. At 41, I've shed the fat and been toning up the muscles with high intensity lifting and lots of hills. But the midriff will be the absolute last thing to go - no matter how many situps/crunches/etc I do. I've accepted that. It'll happen, but not without a fight, I think. If you think about the body as trying to maintain stasis AND reserves - those spare tire reserves are the last mile. Stick with healthy eating and it'll come off. That's my plan any way.

Right, especially when you consider the alternative, which is to just give up and be fat. I'd rather be 155 lbs with a spare tire, than to be 227 lbs with lots of spare everything.

[ArchEtech]

As a man, belly far is the last thing to go no matter what age really. Body fat % and body type determine if you get blessed with a 6 PAC or burried treasure.

[krobinson103]

Never been that lucky. I can tone everywhere but the middle. Oh well, 2 50km rides in the weekend. The second with nothing but a bottle of water and I still managed it in 2 1/2 hours. Getting faster, getting stronger, and getting thinner. My wife got jealous today and said I should stop losing weight so I must be doing something right. I guess the skin and fat around the middle will either sort itself out, or it won't. Still, aging really isn't very nice!

[The_DK]

Abs are made in the kitchen. A bitof strength training (compound lifts) will help with fat burning like whoa.

[Bikeisdusty]

It could just be empty skin that you think is actually fat. It can be hard to tell if it is fat or just skin hanging there. You have to do more than ride to get the skin to tone up more. I think that is part I see in my stomach is more skin than fat. Everything where fat was is still loose. I am thinking of some Insanity or P90X ABS will help that.

[KBentley57]

Just keep doing what you're doing. 2 months is still in the "I can't believe I'm actually losing weight" stage, and it's very exciting! Losing weight, and keeping off is a constant battle, but can be done if you keep your wits up. I've been going at it for ~ 3 years, and I've lost some, gained a little, lost some more, gained a little, and this summer I'm going to try to get the last little bit.

The gut will lose itself over time - I feel like 175 is where I started noticing a difference. I still have a little skin there, but it's working itself out too. Keep at it! You're doing great!

[krobinson103]

I have to agree. Almost all of the fat is gone and what is left is on the sides. But the skin where the fat was has nothing to support it. When I move it around it doesn't behave like fat, its just light and loose. I think it may be time to build up my upper body/abs and see if more muscle underneath improves the overall look. Got down to 91kg. Still some fat left so I'm going to shoot for 88kg and see just how much is left then.

Now I just need a way to stop my wife (and just about everyone else) from asking me to stop losing weight...

[chasm54]

Now I just need a way to stop my wife (and just about everyone else) from asking me to stop losing weight...

That's when you know you're getting somewhere. Whenever I get anywhere close to my racing weight people start telling me I'm too thin. They are incredulous when I tell them I'm still 10-15lbs overweight. Unless the general population thinks you're anorexic you're too fat for this sport. LOL

[BionicChris]

I am at 84.2kg now, still got the abdominal fat. I'm being told that I'm too thin, but I think I really just need to spend a month doing weights, press ups, plank and situps.

[LAE]

A lot of folks cut down to way below their target weight to get rid of that abdomen fat and then bulk with heavy lifts to get the pack and back up to their target. Maybe try that?