Too unfit to crunch, how to lose the gut?

[Nerezza]

Hey guys,

I am about to start establishing an exercise routine in the hopes of building up my fitness level because I am extremely unhappy with the shape I am in now. I get tired and exhausted very quickly and I feel stiff and sore most of the time. I've been to the doctors a few times regarding the issue but they always just send me for blood tests and everything comes back fine and nothing more is said.

Another major factor in wanting to get fit is to lose a somewhat unsightly gut I have managed to obtain. I'm not used to having one as I was always a very skinny child all the way up to my mid 20's. I started to build up a gut after I used bulk gain once when I was casually weight lifting and it never went away.

I have read that one of the key ways to losing a gut is to do sit-ups / crunches. The problem I have with this is I find it impossible to even complete a single sit-up. I cannot elevate my torso without my feet coming off the ground and my whole body toppling over. Whatever I do manage leaves me exhausted after one or two attempts and feeling shaky and weak. I have tried reverse sit-ups to around the same degree of success. I have also read that sit-ups / crunches are terrible for your spine.

Just wondering if anyone has any insight or suggestions as to what I can implement into a routine that will promote gut-loss? If sit-ups are best, how can I build up my core muscles to manage doing them?

Thanks.

 

[Jrahien]

Sit ups are not best. That's actually a pretty old-school way of thinking now. You won't burn gut fat just by contracting the stomach muscles. You burn fat by burning calories, so think more global, full-body exercise that will get all your muscles working and using energy.

No one type of exercise will do it for you, with that being said. You need a good mix of different types of workouts to get results. (Cycling, hiking, weight lifting, high-intensity intervals, etc.) Think of some things that you would enjoy doing and would be able to be consistent with.

 

[shesaidbeauty]

1. First thing you need to understand is that abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. Stop fooling yourself into believing that if you just do more sit-ups or crunches that you will somehow get a flat stomach and 6 pack abs.

If you want to lose the belly fat, you have to change your habits. There is no such thing as spot reducing fat, well except for liposuction.

2. Diet, diet, diet. Did you get that? No I don't mean go join weight watchers or try the atkins' diet. It's how, what, and when you eat that will get rid of that fat belly. Fad diets and miracle diet pills won't give you a flat stomach but learning to eat right will.

3. Junk food. We all eat it, even me, the difference is that people who have flat stomachs know that there is a time in your diet for those indulgences. That means no more late night desserts, no high sugar/high fat snacks, and no more McDonalds. Do you want a fat belly or a nice waist line?

Pick one day a week that you treat yourself with your favorite food and don't go overboard. Find some alternatives that will help keep away those cravings. Try some sugar free pudding or no added sugar apple sauce. If you want to lose belly fat you need to give up the things that keep it there.

4. Eat 5-6 meals a day. Did I say eat more food? No, you need to eat more frequently. No more skipping breakfast, no more going all day without eating, no more starving yourself. All of these things keep your belly fat. The only way you will lose that fat belly is by speeding up your metabolism and burn more calories than you consume.

5. Start eating healthier. Do you want to have a heart attack at 47? Then treat your body right. Remember the saying we are what we eat. So if you want to be skinny like a carrot...well you get it.

Eat balanced meals with low glycemic carbs (no sugar and starches). Increase how much fiber you eat and healthy fats (omega 3s) in your diet. Your last meal of the day should be light. Eat a leafy salad with a low calorie vinaigrette and some lean meat. Contrary to what you've been told it's OK to eat at night. Problem is most people are starving and over eat. Over eating late at night is why so many people have a problem with belly fat.

6. Stop drinking sugar water. You ever stop to think about what soda is? It's chemically treated sugar water. Sounds delicious when I put it that way right? Lose the soda. If you can't live without soda then at least switch to the chemically treated water minus the sugar. Again all that sugar just leads to a fat belly.

You especially need to start drinking more water before you eat to help fill you up. Start drinking green tea, its fat burning properties are well known, so drink up.

7. Get that blood flowing. Do you honestly think that watching the biggest loser will some how get rid of that fat belly? Must be some new high tech HDTV osmosis thing. If you really want to know how to lose belly fat then you need to get your butt off the couch and burn some calories. That fat belly won't get lost by itself so go lose it somewhere.