Skinny ribs

DavidfromWarboys

So here's thing. Have had quite a bit of a paunch for a number of years but with a significant upping of the miles this year, currently on about 3300, I have lost weight and down to 80 kg ( I'm 6 ft 2). so the paunch is noticeably smaller but my ribs are quite clear as well, to the point that my Mrs has asked me not to loose any more weight!!

I would like to drop another couple of kilo's if poss but how do I get it to come off my stomach and avoid it coming off my already skinny ribs? Should I be doing some upper body toning?

keef66

You can't lose fat from specific parts of your body, and annoyingly belly fat is usually the last to go. So the answer is probably yes, you need to build a bit of upper body muscle if you want your ribs to be less obvious

jgsi

Have you done a fairly easy analysis/food diary of what you are eating ?
Meaning proportion of CHO - Protein - Fats.
Easily done on MyFitnesspal app and might give you an indication of anything slightly skewed.
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/
MyFitnesspal is not just for weightloss btw.
There is a reason why a beer drinker may have a paunch or three .. ;-)

keef66

If it's any consolation I'm in a similar position. Been doing 5:2 since mid Feb and I've lost 18 pounds and reached the 10 stone target I'd set myself . Still have some clear fat deposits around the middle but my wife is telling me I've lost enough. Thinking about a weekly swim to build a bit of upper body muscle and at the same time help shift those last few pounds / inches. Swimming is so boring though...

Tom Dean

Do you criticise your wives' bodies and tell them whether they ought to gain or lose weight?

dilatory

Tell her to lose some weight and she won't worry about your ribs.

iron-clover

There's nothing wrong with a bit of rib showing. In all honesty I think most men with a healthy weight will probably show a bit of rib unless they are body builders.
There aren't really any muscles laid over the top of your ribs below the pectorals, so unless you go down the full body building route you won't really cover them.

Unfortunately as already said the stomach flab is the hardest to remove- in men this is the main fat storage area. But having a bit of fat isn't a bad thing- you need it to produce and transport hormones and keep the immune system healthy. Plus its an awesome energy store that you can train to use- if you can build a big fat burning engine then you'll be able to ride fast for huge distances as you'll use less of your valuable glycogen. On really big rides I'll drop 0.5kg in fat by the time I get home.

seanoconn

The Missus is probably getting concerned about how appealing you're becoming to the opposite sex keep up the exercise whilst eating healthily. Once you've lost the belly fat, if you're not happy with the results, increase your food intake and bulk up again.