Shrinking Stomach and Building Abs?

J

Josh88

0
Hey everyone, just registered and I have a few questions.

I've noticed over the past few months that I've stretched out my stomach to a significantly larger size than it used to be, due to excessively eating large portions I'm assuming. I really haven't gained a whole lot of fat in the process, I'm 6'1" and 160, but I do feel that my stomach is now too large and I want to shrink it. This is nothing major, I don't have a huge gut, just larger than it used to be and I'd rather deal with it now before it gets out of control.

Basically what I'm looking for are exercises and diet tips that focus on shrinking the stomach, not burning fat. I just want to get my stomach back to the size it was, and in the process build my abs again, they're definitely not as defined as they used to be and I want to get them back in shape.

For now, I'm making sure that I no longer overeat at meals. I'm eating to the point where I'm no longer hungry, but not until I'm so full that I don't want to move, as I used to do frequently. From what I've read multiple smaller meals will help, so I'm doing that. I'm also doing the stomach vacuum exercise, as I've heard that it's an effective way of shrinking the stomach. As far as exercises to build my abs, I'm not sure what I should be doing there.

Any diet tips or exercises that anyone could suggest would be great. I really don't know what the most effective exercises are for building the abdominal muscles, so I'd definitely appreciate anything that you can suggest there.

Thanks a lot guys :)
 
Read the stickies in the weight training and nutrition sections.

1.) You can't spot reduce.
2.) You're 6'1". At 160.
3.) Keep eating
4.) Lift heavy
 
I understand that I can't spot reduce in terms of burning fat, but that's not what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm really just looking for methods to shrink the stomach itself, not burn fat in the abdominal area. I'm not fat and I'm not trying to lose weight, just shrink the size of my stomach.
 
Like lei said, read the stickies. that's is really important on this site. also, if you have questions, try using the search feature(wich you will learn to love if you are on here long enough) because your questions have been answered in detail in previouse posts that i've seen. If you are still confused on what to do, then post on further questions you have. Good luck :)
 
matt182 said:
i think you've lost the plot about "shrinking" your stomach. :eek:

what exactly do you mean by this? how old are you?
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I'm 18, and from what I've read you can stretch out your stomach from excessively eating large portions over a period of time, which I definitely think I have done. I've seen articles on ways to contract and shrink your stomach back down to a smaller size, which is what I want to do. I don't have a lot of belly fat at all, I'm not trying to spot reduce fat in my stomach area, I just want to shrink the actual stomach itself. I don't know if exercises like regular crunches will help this, or what the best way is to go about it, which is what I'm asking for help on. Will standard exercises used to build abdominal muscles also make the stomach itself smaller/less noticeable at the same time?
 
Well its good to get your anatomy right first, the stomach itself is actually located behind the ribs :confused:, so although the surface of the tummy is often referred to as the stomach, it is in fact not and is where the intestines and omentum are located. Could it just be your physique changing? if its not fat, whats actually making you concerned, is there a bump on the stomach.

Sometimes posture can be a cause. Weak abdominal muscles and strong back muscles with cause the hip to stick out anterioly giving you the impression of a bigger stomach.
 
I agree with Matt. You should educate yourself more, but right now what you seem to be asking is, "What kind of exercises will help me suck it in?"

Well, to answer that,

Planks
Ab rollouts
Dragon flags
Squats
Deadlifts
Barbell pull-overs
 
Well here's an excerpt from an article I was basing a lot of my thoughts on:

Have you ever gone really strict on your diet for a few days, to the point where your physique was getting pretty tight, and you started to feel a little bit tighter in the midsection… and then, before you knew it, you really went ALL out and totally pigged out? I'm sure a lot of you have been there.

You feel bloated, and you can usually "feel" your stomach enlarge and swell, like a balloon. When you consistently eat small, frequent meals "every 2-3 hours", and don't "pig out", your stomach gradually begins to shrink itself, and when this is combined with rigorous abdominal workouts, and cardiovascular exercise, the abdominal muscles begin to show themselves in their true form. You can flex them in different positions, make them pop out, showcase oblique striations, and for the really conditioned individuals perform that famous "vacuum" pose, which requires a lot of strength in the transverse abdominis.
Click to expand...

If you guys don't agree with what they're saying then that's cool, I just got the impression from this and other things I've read that it's possible to actually shrink the stomach itself from certain exercises. I've been doing the stomach vacuum exercise and I definitely feel sore in what feels like the muscles behind my stomach, I don't know though.
 
hey well i read that "article" from that bodybuilder website. He only mentions the stomach shrinking very briefly, it would be interesting were he got that info from. But in the whole sounds mainly like he's refereing to conditioning the midsection muscles, which i would imagine make it feel tighter.

Here's an article that actually has a proper source:D

Shrink Your Stomach – Myth or Fact?
FREE DAILY DIET TIP
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

It’s the incredible shrinking stomach! If this sounds more like a fable than a fact, think again. While you may not be able to physically shrink your stomach like bariatric surgery can, you can definitely shrink your hunger. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, following a reduced-calorie diet for four weeks can actually help you to shrink your sensation of hunger. Reducing the amount of food your body needs to feel full means you can actually eat less without feeling like you’re starving. While reducing caloric intake does take time (four whole weeks), it’s well worth it. Although you may feel like it’s torture to cut calories, in the end you’ll be leaner and healthier. Who wouldn’t want that? To start shrinking your hunger pangs, fill up on foods that are rich in water and fiber, like fruits. As your body adapts to eating fewer calories, you’ll notice that you don’t crave as much food as you used to. That definitely spells success for your diet!
 
This post is just one of the greatest things I have ever read.

You my friend are in denial about the fact that from eating to much that you have gained a gut. You lost ab definition because you gained body fat. You stomach is bigger because you gained fat.

It is as simple as this, if you want to lose the fat, eat in a deficit of calories and clean foods. If you want to build muscle, eat in a surplus of calories, but of clean foods. Each involve resistance training, and of your whole body.

No ab work is going to "shrink" your stomach back from you munching down heavy.
 
theleip said:
This post is just one of the greatest things I have ever read.

You my friend are in denial about the fact that from eating to much that you have gained a gut. You lost ab definition because you gained body fat. You stomach is bigger because you gained fat.

It is as simple as this, if you want to lose the fat, eat in a deficit of calories and clean foods. If you want to build muscle, eat in a surplus of calories, but of clean foods. Each involve resistance training, and of your whole body.

No ab work is going to "shrink" your stomach back from you munching down heavy.
Click to expand...

I'm 6'1" and 160 lbs, I would hardly consider that fat, or even overweight in the slightest
 
Well anyway, I'm not really sure what everyone is all pissed off about, I'm not "in denial" of anything, I just asked a few questions which I thought were reasonable and in return I get a ton of hostile responses. Clearly this is a very friendly forum. Yes I was eating too much, I admitted that in my first post, and a as a result I gained a bigger stomach than I used to have, I'm not sure how I was denying that at all.

I was under the impression that from overeating your stomach stretches out, and I was just wondering if this is true and if so how I can reduce it in size. Obviously I gained fat also, but it's regardless of what anyone who's never seen me infers, it's really not a lot. I'm not overweight, I just have a larger gut than I used to and I want to know what I can do to get back to how I used to be. I do realize that I have to eat less and do more cardio to burn off the fat I've gained, but will doing this also take down the size of my stomach also? The reason why I thought that the main problem was my stomach stretching and not just fat in the area is because there is a significant size difference in my stomach area throughout the day depending on how much I've recently eating, which led me to believe that it was stretching out after I ate a lot.

I'm not claiming to be right nor am I disagreeing with what you guys are saying or denying anything, I'm just asking questions and if I'm misinformed then I'm sorry, I'm obviously no expert in the area, I'm just not sure why I'm getting such hostile replies when I'm asking legitimate questions.
 
I think you are getting hostile responses because you are not making very much sense. You are not talking about reducing your belly fat, you are talking about shrinking your actual stomach (organ)? Anyway I look at that I can not make heads or tails of it.

I guess you must have eaten a lot for a period of time, and your stomach has grown in size? In that case you need to eat smaller portions and more often, and in time your stomach will go back to its normal size....

I may be going out on a limb here but I don't think you need exercises to shrink your stomach, or if they would even help. As for belly fat, you appear to already know you cant spot reduce.

*theleip answered this.... I guess you overlooked that part*
 
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Josh, your stomach is a bag, about the size of your hand. In itself, it is not going to make your "gut" bigger (excluding the thanksgiving feast, of course). What's making your gut bigger is that your body is depositing fat there. Every body is different... you can be skinny as heck, and still develop a "gut". Too many calories. Also, like Matt said, could be poor posture... as in sway back. If you stand with your back up against a wall, pushing your lower back into the wall, do you still have the gut??

Watch the calories, work the core... see what happens.

:D
 
You're getting hostile responses because you seem to insistant upon not taking anyone's advice, when you're the one asking...

There's no easy answer. Yes, you are misinformed, and when we inform you, we expect you to listen.

Your abdominal muscles cover much more than just the stomach. Your intestines lie under most of the surface area on your belly. You might seem fatter because you've put on inter-organ fat, or viceral fat. This can be oxidized (burnt off) by eating clean and working out. The exercises I mentioned previously will help your abdominal wall to tighten and constrict your midsection, causing you to thus, appear less fat.

You seem determined to revert back to your previous state. Why? 6'1" at 160 indicates you are indeed skinny. But what it comes down to is body composition. Ever wonder why you started noticing such small fat deposits? Probably because that body comp of yours lacks in muscle. This explains the replies telling you to keep eating, for one.
 
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Alright thanks guys, I didn't mean to come off as defiant to your advice or uninterested in hearing what you guys have to say, I just didn't fully understand the the issue and no one really explained it to me.

LeiYunFat, your post was informative and explained some things I wasn't understanding, so thanks.

trekguy, my posture isn't great and I do think that's part of the problem, is there anything I can really do to improve my posture?
 
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