Flabby bit in the middle?

lm_trek

Probably a daft forum topic, but i can't be the only one.

Cycling wise legs are fitter and arms/shoulders all in the best shape of my life as my OH tells me, just that bit in the middle. Ive always been thin low weight, mid 30's starting to show abit now.

Eating habits are when at work lousy eat when i can and pretty much crap that our canteen has to offer, when on days off or holiday much healthier salad/veg etc.. more structured. I do work silly shifts which is also my downfall work till 11 at night twice a week and when i get home tend to snack before bed.

I don't drink or smoke or do any illegal drugs, so fairly clean living. I cycle twice a week ethier 1 mtb ride, and then a 20 - 30 mile road ride or i do 2 road rides a week.

Just after some idea's exercises i can fit in round work, hints around food groups.

MarksMintness

Sounds similar to me! Coming up to 33, I'm 5ft 9 and weigh 12 stone, and have always struggled with a flabby torso, arms and legs are fine... plus I'm fairly fit and play lots of football, running and cycling.
Is it just as simple as persevering with calories in/out etc?

sloppyschleckonds

Join weightwatchers

phreak

I'm 34 next month and in the best shape of my life, so being our age is no excuse. My other half works shifts and tends to cook up a big batch of healthy meals that she can then freeze and microwave at work. That maybe a solution to the poor canteen food.

lm_trek

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Join weightwatchers

Cheers not that sort of flabby weight!! more a case of rest of body is looking fitter and more muscle, while the flabby bit is the stomach area.

diamonddog

Scrunches/Sit ups work for me.

Headhuunter

I think it's probably because men hold onto fat around their stomachs (women tend to get it around the thighs), that's the last bit of fat to disappear and you have to work damn hard to get rid of it completely. I mean you're not likely to get fat legs and arms!

dnwhite88

Headhuunter wrote:

I think it's probably because men hold onto fat around their stomachs (women tend to get it around the thighs), that's the last bit of fat to disappear and you have to work damn hard to get rid of it completely. I mean you're not likely to get fat legs and arms!

^this. Excercise will get rid of a lot of the fat but the last bit will never go without a good diet. You can always out eat excercise. Muscles are built in the gym, abs are built in the kitchen.

drays

I am also in my 30s and wanting to lose a little round the middle.

I have been using the myfitnesspal app, which has given me a clear picture of how much I need to eat against how much I am actually eating. I have gone from having a vague goal of losing some weight, to recording net calories and managing my weight. It has also been very valuable for ensuring I eat enough before during and after long rides (I have realised I need to eat a lot more than I was doing when riding).

Keeping a food diary and recording everything you eat is not for everyone, but it appeals to my sense of order, and I feel in control.

And yes, a healthy alternative to canteen food might be a start! (I have just finished a Cadburys Boost bar from the vending machine. I was starving, ok!)

monkimark

Wear a cummerbund - problem solved

maryka

Ride more, eat less. Seriously. Flab around the middle is fat storage, if you want to lose it (and have a lower body fat percentage) you need to take in fewer calories than you burn.

If you can't ride more, then fix your diet. Crap food in the canteen is an excuse, not a reason to eat poorly.

seanoconn

How long have you wanted to get rid of your flabby middle? Ages right? It's always been the one thing you would change about your body.

You can do it. Change your lifestyle, don't eat anything that tastes nice And when you get time to workout, give it all you've got!

It's not easy but think how happy you'd be with a flat stomach?

diamonddog

Brown bread & lettuce with an apple lunch done. :shock: ( I am only 51kg but old)
I agree with maryka alter your eating habits otherwise exercise will not do it alone.

ilovemytinbred

You can not target where you lose fat from so it is purely a weight loss issue.

You can do it with just riding, but I dont think you are going to have the time to do that or even want to. I was eating serious food (>4500kcal/day) and losing weight this time last year but I was averaging well over 400 miles a week. As you are not doing a lot of activity you could try fasting 2 days a week. I have been amazed by how a couple of people at work have tried this and have stuck with it for ages and have lost serious weight. Obviously if you reduce the amount of food you have to ensure that you increase the nutritional content (dont eat anything with a list of ingredients)

bushpixy

I'm 31 and I'm averaging 100 miles a week at the moment. Strava's estimates on my power output puts me at around 3watts/kg and recons I burn around 700 calories per hour on the bike.

On the 5th of July I weighed in at 79.3kg. Yesterday I weighed in at 73.9kg dropping 12lbs in 5 weeks give or take. The difference on the bike is amazing!

My diet has always been naturally high in carbs and low in fat with a decent chuck of my cals coming from fruit and veg. I say I'm a veggie, but in all honesty I'll eat a chicken curry if a takeaway is ordered :oops: . I still eat fish regardless. I also have ulcerative colitis (it's a bowel condition meaning I poop a lot when it's flared up) so I drink soya milk over cows and restrict my dairy intake to near zero.

The biggest change in my diet in the last 5 weeks is 99.9% removing bread and cheese. I confess I had a 1/4 of a pizza over the weekend my packaged food intake is very low. I rarely eat chocolate. No fast food. No burgers. Cut out all that crap if you really want to get rid of your belly!

Yesterday I forgot to eat breakfast as I weigh in at work using the parcel scales - oops! Lunch was a huge bowl of pilau rice with caned tuna mixed in. I snacked on medjool dates throughout the day and drank about 6 glasses of water.
When I got home I was told tea would be on the table at 7.15 so popped out on the bike. Did 12 miles @ 20.3mph average so put in a decent burn. Tea was salmon fillet with 2/3 of the plate covered in veg from the garden. Also drank a SIS Rego as soon as I got home to refuel. Drank water on the bike, but in all fairness only had 2 or 3 sips. Should of saved the weight lol.

As I'm down on calories at the moment I'm avoiding rides over 2hrs and just sticking to the shorter ones. Once I get to 70kg I'll up my intake a bit to level out my weight loss and hopefully will be back up to doing 60+ rides again.

At the moment I'm roughly loosing 2-3lb a week and my belly is shrinking away nicely. I try and fit in pressups, situps and planks each morning, pending mood to sort out the underneath whilst the top is shrinking away. Gotta have something to show after all the hard work!

What frustrates me so much is my Mrs wants to drop 10lb (or whatever) and despite me dropping 12lb right in front of her eyes she refuses to even try removing bread and cheese from her diet.

pipipi

Have you tried raisins?

bushpixy

I fit in small quantities of nuts and raisins yup. Trying to not eat more than a handful of nuts is hard work though lol.

foggybike

I'm 36, 5'9, and now weigh 71kgs.

Was 77kgs when I started riding back in Jan/Feb. Only doing about 50-60miles per week. With a fair bit on a trainer as well. Doing a lot of interval/sprints on the trainer as I read about this boosting your metabolism, helping you to carry on burning more calories for hours after you finish training.

I did cut out any crap from my diet and start eating mostly protein and veg.

Like everyone else has said eat less, ride more. Burn baby burn!

sloppyschleckonds

pipipi wrote:

Have you tried raisins?

bushpixy

I'm finding on my reduced intake I'm struggling to ride much more than 2hrs, but that's fine for now.

Once I drop to 70kg I'll up my intake to hold my weight rather than loosing weight.

the playing mantis

pipipi wrote:

Have you tried raisins?

yeah i once heard that was a good idea. not sure where though?

raisins and weight loss.

great.

Zoomer37

Don't eat bread

bushpixy

Zoomer37 wrote:

Don't eat bread

this! for me, no bread, no cheese. 6 weeks. 1 stone lost.

jaxf

It does not have to be so hard core (pun intended)
I am in my 50s, really greedy (I eat a box of chocolates most nights), and have a 6 pack - not even beer ...
I do pilates, as well as cycling, ski mountaineering, climbing, and circuits in the gym.
The thing that changed me from a 4 pack to a 6 pack was pilates, and that is the thing I find hardest.
I think that nothing on its own changes one's shape -and we are all the output of our genetic inheritance, in that we can make some changes to our bodies, but I, for example, am never going to be tall, or lose my celtic hips. What we can do is to make subtle changes that will have us have less fat to burn (diet), burn fat (cardio exercise like cycling), burn more calories (more muscle), tighten and tone (pilates). And I believe that it is the combination of all these factors that has most effect, rather than the concentration on one at the expense of others.

and also - life is for living - what is the point of having ripped abs, but being boring and unhappy ?
Me - I've always like a man who has a bit of heft - shows they like the sensual things in life, not just the mirror.

Stevehigh

Try another exercise dsicipline along side cycling, I started Kettlebell classes about a year ago and it has improved muscle definition no end, oh & there are some rather nice ladies in the class too!

pilot_pete

bushpixy wrote:

Tea was salmon fillet with 2/3 of the plate covered in veg from the garden. Also drank a SIS Rego as soon as I got home to refuel.

Do you really think you need a recovery drink after a 12 mile ride? I would stick to the salmon and veg and forget about the recovery drink if you are trying to lose weight.

PP

bushpixy

it was a 12 mile TT paced ride ridden almost mostly in zone 4 so I wanted the Rego so I didn't feel urgh in the morning. Works for me.

Weight loss remains still on target with my 2lb/week drop spot on. Just moved my belt up another notch too