Greetings,
This question comes from a bit of computer work I did for a plastic surgeon in Dallas a few years ago. While there we were talking about some of their procedures, specifically lipo...and they mentioned how a very well-known trainer had just been in for that procedure...but that it had to be hush-hush b/c he didn't want his clients to know that he was doing that.

As we talked about it, they began talking about how it was probably unlikely that the fat around my waist (granted, not a huge amount...I'm 6'3" and about 210 lbs) could be worked off or lost through dieting and exercise. Of course, this was a huge disappointment as it's always been a goal for a long time.

Anyone heard anything like this? I haven't had much success with that area even when I got down to around 195 lbs last year. Is lipo the only way out for such trouble spots???

Right now I'm biking a ton and have a great eating lifestyle (don't like the word diet). We'll see how that pans out after a few more months.

Thanks

I've ridden thousands of K's in the last five years, raced, dieted, worked out, still got the gut!

My gut's only started shifting now that I have added running to my cycling, and started using an ephedrine-based thermogenic. Now, it's on the way out.

I should point out that I've lost 10kg's in the process, and some of it has come off my spare tyre but It's a l o n g, l o n g, process.
To be fair, it's been on there a while too so I guess it's not going to disapear over night.

The body loses its fat deposits at roughly the same rate all over the body.
So, if you've got a high percentage of your total body fat around your waist, you probably have to look absolutely ripped everywhere else for your waist to be flat, and it could even be that you can't lose all of your tummy fat without dropping to unhealthily low body fat levels.
But hey, give it your best shot first!
Remember that a proper diet is the most important part, together with sufficient sleep. Exercise comes second.

Honestly, cycling/endurance sports are not all that conducive to the average guy losing that last few pounds. If that's your goal, hitting heavy weights with low reps and making the exercises whole-body like squats, deadlifts, and cleans will have much more fo an impact. You'd also need to change your diet's macronutrient profile too. The carbs we ingest often play havoc with our insulin reactions.

But if it really is just those "last few pounds" then I wouldn't worry about it. You'd have to give up some things I doubt you'd want to in order to get em off.

Well, you know you can't spot reduce. The problem spots will always be the hardest to lose from. You would have to do a lot of diet and exercise (and maintenance too) to get the fat off the problem areas. It will take a long time, and you have to have a lot of patience, and you would probably have to get your overall bodyfat pretty low, but it could happen.

Or you could accept that you're just going to have that gut.

Koffee

That's a good word...I've never quite thought of it that way but it makes total sense.

I don't know much about your gut. What's important is that your "looks" affect the quality of your life.

I say: "get that fat sucked off as soon as possible".

You'll be much happier, you'll feel prettier, or more handsom!

Now, I have heard, that often, fat will return to an area that has been "lippo-ed"... Not too worry, as long you can handle the cost, you can always get another "suck job" from the Doc.

Good luck, your "gut" is important to all forum members, and I'm glad I've gotten a chance to discuss it publicy.......

"The body loses its fat deposits at roughly the same rate all over the body"

Can you support that statement? I doubt it. Of course using the term "roughly" can mean just about anything.

Actually, a complex set of homones and enzymes determine whether fat is "mobilized" or contiunes to be stored in a given area during a caloric deficit.

Your statement's simplification regarding adipose tissues' mobilization and caloric-deficit driven lipid transport is just too inaccurate to be ignored.

well tell us how you really feel Richard!

Actually, you're correct. Men tend to lose fat from trunk first, then butt and thighs, chest, and arms last, per some research done by....John Berardi or Christian Thibbadeau - I can't remember at the moment. For women it's another story.

However, once you hit a certain fitness level, as this fella seems to be, then it DOES become relatively the same rate over the whole body. More often however, catabolism sets in when weight is lost beyond a certain percentage - especially if that person engages in "duration cardio" i.e. biking.

I don't seem to lose my gut until I get to one or sometimes two century rides a week.
Then it finally starts to go. It was on the way last year. For some reason if I do the same mileage total and break it into smaller amounts it does not have the same results. In other words I lose when I do 75 miles on Wednesday and 110 on Sunday. But if I do 25 miles every day it does not work ! ?

Small amount of gut remains, and I only weigh 135 lb. 5'8"...

Down from 198 lb two years ago...

I guess I got lucky, but I lost my gut through diet(not eating less, just eating healthier) and lots of weight lifting and cardio.

My diet consisted mostly of fresh raw/steamed veggies, broiled chickens, rice, protein shakes and fruits.

I ate alot of it, but since it was so low-fat I managed to lose the gut. Took alot of working out though...

DANG! Your BMI is 20.5, and you still have a little gut! For me it's probably hopeless... BMI 25.

At least mine is all subcutaneous, and not intra-abdominal, the metabolically active "bad fat".

I totally agree ... my abs are prevalent during the off season when I am wt. training heavy and when my protein macros are higher. During the cycling season when my carbs macros are significantly increased my abs certainly do not have the same look, even though my weight is unchanged.

The saying goes, "Great abs are made in the kitchen!" The high carb diet we require really does have an afftect. Enjoy your cycling season and cut to your 6pk in the off season!!

After a free cholesterol test ..... I saw one guy who got his and whooped with joy as it had not only gone down from 6+ to 5, but he had also lost his gut, in 2 months - just by using a really simple diet - just cutting out wheat, but not actually reducing cals.

I was in similar shape 6.5 and a stuborn medium gut (with annoying side bits!) ....... without changing anything else, I just cut wheat ie no bread, pasta, biscuits etc. but still fed until full on alternatives eg rice & potatoe for carbs. Whats nice is ist sooo easy and never go hungrey, there are always alternatives to wheat.

Now its 2 months in and side bits have gone, front gut 1/2 previous size - but still eat what I like, do same riding and have same energy levels. I dont know the scientific reasoning nor where the guy got his info from, it was just one of those passing conversations - BUT it seems to work, in a month I'll get another cholesterol test and see if thats dropped too - if it has - double whammy, if not the gut has still benefitted.

i started dieting a few months ago and was useing xenadrine efx , which is ephedra free. but just cause it says that obviouslly doesnt mean it cant hurt you. i took it for about 45-50 days and lost about 25 pounds but also ended up in the hospital after blacking out. Wasnt working out or anything to speed up my heart rate. getting ready to go to bed and blacked out. this isnt an arguement about wieght loss supplements but theres no doubt they work. but is also the most unhealthy way i have experienced to lose wieght. i ate healthy and everything had great results but not even close to worth it. i have found that daily rideing and healty diets are what works best. your body needs energy, buy not eating as much cause you say your on a diet is not the way to do it. eat many meals yet very small. you keep feeding your body energy and thats how you can rapidly burn more fat. add it up and it makes more sense. dont eat very much and theres less energy which is going to result in your body burning fat much slower. loseing wieght is one of the biggest things people struggle over in our society, i think that being compfortable with who you are and your shape is very important. get use to that and like what you see while you train and get more fit to what you want. but you cant go through life being uncompfortable with who you are.

Ok, I am a diet newbie so have patiance with me here......I read time and time again to cut out everything white from Breads to pastas to rice and use wheat and whole grains instead. Then I read Simon's post where he cuts out all the wheat and eats white's......Whats the real deal here? Should I just cut all white's and wheat's?

My gut seems to be going away this season. I don't think it coincidence that this is the first year I've been riding single speed. By having only one gear(52x15 for now) it causes you to work alot harder. It's working, and I think I might actually get me a six pack for the first time in my life. I'm down to 185 pounds from 200, six foot tall male. 30 years old.

Then again, I have ridden about 300 kms in the last three and a half weeks, so who knows?

ripped abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

You can be in really good shape but unless you really watch what you eat and be very strict about it, it is hard for most to get ripped abs

Ripped abs are more than what's going on in the kitchen. If it's your problem area, it will take more than just eating right- it's going to take a lot of cardio, weights, and eating right to get to where you want to be. Even then, you may not get it. If the gut is your problem area, then you will have to push VERY hard, because it will most likely be the last place you'll lose fat from, unfortunately.

Koffee

We had a gal at work get lipo on the butt and hips and everyone thought she got a boob job later because they got huge. She didn't do anything to her diet and the fat still has to go somewhere. I've heard of specific ab sculpting procedures but don't know anyone who went through one.
If you look at a lot of pros, they have no fat but you don't always see a six pac. You still have to work them and you may just be a guy who has the handles. My bro-in-law is a bean pole who eats everything in sight, has no chest or butt, but still has some handles.