-
I want a flat stomach!
-
So let's take the focus away from caloric intake and fat issues and talk about building and toning core musculature. I have had two children and have lower abs that just like to poof out, and it's probably genetic. What I do to combat that is work on doing slow V vert release exercises. In other words, I take the V vert up and then come down super slow and controlled. I have found that this is the most effective way to draw in my lower abdominals and alleviate that lower belly poof. Once you have mastered the slow and controlled release you can start adding weight at the end of your legs with shoes or ankle weights and/or not touch the floor and come back up. If you are not to the point where you can do slow releases, do serial V verts in reps. I bet Veena has an instructional video on how to V vert, although it may be called something else, like a straddle. Good luck on your journey and remember, pole is great for the core and no matter where you start, you only get better and stronger with time. So time on the pole is all you really need to give yourself to get results. 🙂
-
First, you should not feel bad for how you look. Wherever you are at now is just your starting point. Everyone has a starting point, for some they are overweight, some are underweight, some are at a good weight but "skinny fat" (this is very common). If you want to change your body, it takes lots of time, patience and work.
Being undermuscled is nothing to feel bad about. Most women are undermuscled because they do not train for it, and their lifestyle doesnt support it, and poorly set up diets do not consider that we need to feed our muscles.
I started out undermuscled as well due to years of poor training and very bad dieting , it has taken me nearly 4 years to bring up my muscle to a decent base.
The exercises that Jacki C said are fine, but unless you eat to gain muscle, those exercises will be useless.
Also, i would like to encourage you to educate yourself about proper nutrition and exercising. I can recommend the books New Rules of Lifting for Women and Starting Strength. Both have excellent info, nutrition plans, and workout plans that are effective. Some great websites to read are bodyrecomposition.com alanaragon.com and emma-leigh.com as well as Leigh Peele. Thos are some of the greatest minds in the fitness industry and lay out great info in a way that is easy to understand.
I have a feeling that your nutritionist may not be telling you the correct info or is not understanding about physique training. They may be great at getting people to lose weight, but they may not have a great understanding of where to go from there.
-
I'm actually glad you posted this, I don't think anyone was trying to be negative or say you have to do this or that. You need to do whats right for you and listen to the people around you like your nutritionist etc.. Discussions like these can bring up issues that a lot of people struggle with but don't have the courage to talk about and you obviously did have the courage so don't feel bad about it. We are all here to support each other and yes you will get lots of different opinions but they are just that. I personally post things like I did for " Food for thought" for everyone, not just the original poster. People need to be responsible for their own health and with so much info from people and the internet, it can be hard to weed out what is right or wrong or just generally good for you at that point in time. Everyone needs to do their own research and get info from multiple sources to make good educated decisions. I think everyone that posted was just trying to help but we all know typing and texting can come across completely different to different people and just because one person interprets it one way doesn't mean that was the intention of the poster. The comment I made abut curves was about my co-worker because she does tons of cardio and is a stick. I wasn't implying that all women should look a certain way. I have always struggled with my stomach as well so I understand. I was never overweight but since I started pole dancing in Feb i have lost nearly 20 lbs and toned up a lot. I hardly do cardio and I contribute it to building muscle because the more muscle you have the more fat you burn resting I also eat healthy but I dont count calories and only eat when i'm hungry. I still have problems with my stomach and now that I lost weight, my skin kinda is loose and almost saggy looking up close but when I say that to people around me, they are like your crazy what are you talking about etc.. We do build up this image in our heads of what we look like whether its true or not. I have gained so much confidence by posting my vids and getting encouragement from everyone here that I don't care anymore about my stomach or my cellulite and the way my cellulite and skin looks when I on the pole squeezing things etc..Before I wouldn't want anyone really watching me because I didn't like it but now I've accepted me for me and your right about this crazy image the world has about what is pretty or what women should look like etc.
When you can let go of your insecurities and step out of your comfort zone, you can really free your mind and the negativity that people hold onto. It kind of bugs me when people say that they don't care about what other people think and that they are doing it for them selves because deep down why should you care then if your healthy? Why do people think that they should have flat stomachs or no cellulite, or tight skin, no wrinkles etc.. It stems from the subconscious that has been conditioned in your brain starting at a very young age from society, the media, disney movies lol, and your peers whether you realize it or not. There is a tribe in africa that views obesety as beautiful and skinny as not. It's about your environment, the views, and belief systems that were taught and instilled in you as a child. With this constant "perfect image" everywhere in our society, we are being brainwashed basically to believe that its true. kwim? people can disagree with me but I could careless, this is my take on it. It's healthy to have discussions like this as long as they are just discussions. Other people are probably glad you opened this up because everyone has insecurities but a lot are to afraid to discuss them.
-
I'm just going to throw this out there, no saying it's the case (keep that in mind.) People who don't eat enough can actually get bloated stomachs (like those starving children in Africa.) That is obviously different than belly fat. Just making that FYI, not saying it's what is happening.
-
i want a flat tummy too! I will settle for just a little flatter than it is, it doesnt have to be perfect. I feel mega muscles under my flab. Just so hard to get rid of that layer of flab. my upper body is very thin. from lower abs to thighs I am super flabby. Guess I just got to get rid of some body fat for it to get better. more cardio? I know I could definitely eat better
-
robinb I have exactly the same problem… my body build is exactly the same as yours! I think I eat fairly well but I don't know what to do.
-
This concept goes for several things, so I'm throwing it out there. If you want something and your current RD isn't getting you there, talk to a few other RDs and see what they recommend. Chances are different RDs will have different approaches to the same goal and some may or may not work. I've done that with doctors. I can't tell you how many times I've had a doctor tell me I was out of options, so I moved on and ta da, now I have more options!
-
I would love to do this aerialgypsy and thanks for your recommendations. I guess my only problem with that is finding the time to go and see different people but I’m hoping ill be able to find some online as is the trend these days
-
It seems like a bunch of people have already addressed the subject of your calorie intake being WAY to low so I will not go into that. I also saw posture was addressed. However, I listened to a pretty decent podcast about bio-hacking and hormones. http://www.fatburningman.com/dr-sara-gottfried-hormones-for-men/. It briefly addresses the issue of working out to much and to hard and how it can actually raise your cortisole levels. Maybe you have a bit of that going on also. I would also suggest NOT dieting make healthy changes. Dieting messes with your metabolism like crazy and it can take your body a while to recover. I hope this helps and I am not repeating anyone. Eventually I will read through all of the posts.
Dino
-
Some of the people here say leg lifts with weights
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=145406061&page=1
I do notice when I practice shouldermounts with ankle weights it seems to hit the lower abs spot.
-
Thanks Cherished… will definitely try this on my inverted v as I can't shoulder mount yet!
-
Just wanted to chime in, because I’ve been working with registered dietitians and hopefully some of the knowledge I’ve learned can help you!
First, if your BMR is truly 1100 then that is very low. I had a RMR test done at a hospital and mine is 1330, which is still low. It’s important to have an accurate number, because this is where your basis for nutrition comes in.
Increasing muscle mass can increase your BMR. You’re working out and piling a lot, which is great! However, you need to make sure you’re fueling your body appropriately so you can increase your muscle mass to fat ratio.
Starting with your BMR… This number is the amount of calories that your burn per day AT REST. If you factor in poling (which, for the sake of argument let’s say it burns 300 calories an hour) you’re adding an additional 300 calories to your daily BMR at least 4-5 days per week. You also need to factor in daily activities (showering, walking from shops, tying shoes, etc). This can be anywhere from 200-400 calories a day on average. So now you have to add that to your BMR… All of a sudden you’re at 1600 calories to maintain your current weight!
It sounds like you don’t need to necessarily lose weight, but rather want to define your muscle. So you should realistically be eating 1500-1600 calories per day.
Now the second part of this is what you are eating and when you are eating. Of course, no “diet” is going to be perfect. Sometimes we go out to eat, want some chocolate, etc. But most of the time we should make sure we’re eating proteins, fruits, and veggies that are minimally processed. Dietitians recommend eating 4-6 times per day because your body will only “recognize” a certain amount of nutrients within every meal.
For example, if I ate 8 oz of chicken breast in one sitting, that is roughly 50 grams of protein in one meal. Bodies don’t utilize 50 grams of protein at once. They may see 15-20 grams and then stores the rest, so it doesn’t do you much good.
The reason behind eating 4-6 smaller meals per day is so your metabolism runs at a higher rate and can take advantage of the nutrients you’re feeding it.
For me, 6 meals a day was impossible because I was hungry (each of my meals was 250 calories) and I just didn’t have the time. 4 meals works out quite well for me. I’ve also been instructed by doctors to eat about 15 grams of protein at every meal. This will help my metabolism increase, and I will increase muscle mass.
Based on your menu, you should eat a larger breakfast. 250-350 calories seems to be a good range for most people.
Healthy snacks (almonds, apples and peanut butter, string cheese, Greek yogurt, etc) can range from 150-250 calories depending on how often you need to snack.
Lunches 250-350 calories.
I prefer a denser dinner because I get hungry at night, so I’ll stay around 500 calories.
With as much as you workout, you need to fuel your body if you’re wanting to achieve more muscle tone (NOT bulk up!). I really think if you eat more regularly and pay attention to the nutrients (protein especially) you’ll notice a difference in your body, and probably energy levels too.
I hope my experience with doctors and dieticians helps you! It’s no one’s business (unless it’s harmful to you) if you deem that something on your body needs improving. Good luck with everything!
-
Im getting my masters in nutrition as a registered dietitian. Everyone has great advice. Don't starve yourself because you'll be making the foundation of your problem WORSE.
My recommendation is to follow a good diet and make sure to get enough protein. Rice, beans, meats, shakes, etc.
I would also recommend increasing water intake + fiber. Having gas and junk in your intestines makes your stomach look bigger than it actually is. Fiber and water will help you eliminate regularly and reduce bloating.
Do a lot of ab work, obviously. Especially your transverse abs!
-
Dancing in the gray thank you for your very in depth response! It is good that all your reasoning comes from a health perspective… I really value your opinion as I do value the opinions of everyone in here.
I think I will need to experiment and see what works for me but thank you for your advice!! It is very valid and many points you brought up which I never considered before
Log in to reply.