# Needs ways to lose the belly fat! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724 "2010-12-02T22:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![K-MAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@K-MAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K-MAN)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/1 "2010-12-02T22:22:37Z")
Can anyone tell me ways to exercise lose strictly the belly fat, and ultimately gain abs that show. Also, any suggestions on healthy diets plans would help. _Thanks to all!_ ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/2 "2010-12-02T22:34:58Z")
Eat less, exercise more. Do cardio and start burning off the fat. Eat less sugar and refined carbs, stick to whole grains, choose veggies over fruit and white meat over red. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/3 "2010-12-02T22:46:24Z")
You can’t lose fat in only one place unless you liposuction. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/4 "2010-12-02T22:47:59Z")
You mean acai berry won’t solve all my problems? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/5 "2010-12-02T22:48:50Z")
You cannot spot reduce. Actually your abs are one of the easiest muscles to work. You will find after a few weeks of ab exercises your abs are really tight and strong. Too bad you got the fat over them so you can’t see them. I have six pack abs, and believe me the ony way to get them is aerobic exercise. You have to run (or other aerobics) your butt off. The thing is you CAN control how much you weigh, but not where the weight goes on. I have some Puerto Rican friends and they tend to store their fat evenly. So they can be even chubby and still look good, 'cause the fat is all over distrubuted. With my all my fat goes right into my gut. You’ve all seen the thin guy who looks like he’s pregnant? Well I’m not that bad, but that is genetics. As I said, you control how much you weigh but not where the fat goes And the first place you put it on, is the last place you take it off. So just find a book with ab routines and you’ll do fine. Then start exercising aerobically. In the end this is what really matters. You can live without a six pack but you can’t live without a heart so make sure you always do aerobic exercise to strenghten your heart first. Then work on your physique. I eat junk mostly so it doesn’t even matter what you eat, as long as you keep your calories low. Your body needs about 1 gram of protein per KILOGRAM (not pound but kilogram) of weight. So decide what you want your daily caloric intake to be. Subtract the protein requirement and divide what’s left between fats and carbs. Your body needs both so don’t exclude one or the other totally. If you go below 1,500 calories, it’s hard to get your vitamin requirements and nearly impossible if you go below 1,200 calories, so then add a good “one-a-day” mulitvitamin. You can pick these up on sale at the end of they year. I used to get bored running till I found books on tape. They made it possible for me to work out and enjoy it. Now I “read” all the books I meant to read but never got around to ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/6 "2010-12-02T22:50:50Z")
Have someone punch you in the stomach every day. That will both firm things up and build valuable character. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/7 "2010-12-02T22:52:34Z")
Heh. **MeanOldLady** , I love you and am proud to be in your fan club. > [@EmAnJ](#): > > Eat less, exercise more. Do cardio and start burning off the fat. Eat less sugar and refined carbs, stick to whole grains, choose veggies over fruit and white meat over red. This is an excellent post right here, ^^, sums it up with no nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/8 "2010-12-03T00:38:52Z")
Everyone knows acai berry doesn’t work. But there’s this one crazy old tip from a local mom . . . ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/9 "2010-12-03T01:15:38Z")
I still can’t figure out how “The Situation” has those abs given the amount they drink on The Jersey Shore. And don’t tell me it’s “youth”. That dude looks old as shit. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/10 "2010-12-03T01:49:13Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > You cannot spot reduce. Actually your abs are one of the easiest muscles to work. You will find after a few weeks of ab exercises your abs are really tight and strong. Too bad you got the fat over them so you can’t see them. Actually, abdominal fat is beneath the abs. Although I have a belly, when I flex my abs I can feel them a fraction of an inch below the skin. > [@](#): > > I have six pack abs . . . Cite? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/11 "2010-12-03T01:50:59Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Have someone punch you in the stomach every day. That will both firm things up and build valuable character. And if they punch you hard enough, you’ll lose your last meal, accelerating the weight loss. ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/12 "2010-12-03T01:51:26Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I still can’t figure out how “The Situation” has those abs given the amount they drink on The Jersey Shore. And don’t tell me it’s “youth”. That dude looks old as shit. His face is way busted, but I think he’s actually younger than Pauly D. Crazyness, I know. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/13 "2010-12-03T02:12:38Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Everyone knows acai berry doesn’t work. But there’s this one crazy old tip from a local mom . . . And…? And??! Does she know the one rule that I must OBEY? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/14 "2010-12-03T02:32:10Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > And…? And??! Does she know the one rule that I must OBEY? Don’t let random jerks punch you in the stomach. That’s how Houdini died. No need to thank me. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/15 "2010-12-03T02:50:19Z")
Abs are made in the kitchen, as they say. If you drink beer, stop. Avoid sweeteners and excess starchy foods. Keep your net daily carbs under 150 grams, doesn’t matter if you get them from ‘whole grains’ or not (it’s all sugar in the body, keep total sugar intake low). Eat plenty of protein. Strength train, don’t waste you time (and your muscles) running all the time. If you’re a guy, you’ll probably get pretty ripped from my advice. If you’re a woman you might need further tweaking to see the results you want. I speak as someone who has nice abs - but in my case, genetics and metabolism have ensured I’ve never had excess fat there. I don’t do cardio other than very mild, everyday activities, unlike Markxxxx (I also eat zero junk). I don’t think you need to run your butt off to have great abs, even if you’re chubby to start. Eat right, lift heavy, bodyweight exercises. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/16 "2010-12-03T02:56:21Z")
[Gold Finger]“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to lose weight!!!”[/Gold Finger] ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/17 "2010-12-03T03:28:01Z")
If you instead target ‘fitness’ as your goal everything else will fall into place. I’ll wager you’d end up looking better compared to getting your wish. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/18 "2010-12-03T04:42:09Z")
As a side effect of my Cardiac-friendly (no saturated fat) diet, I’ve lost 20 lbs since the middle of July. For the first time in my life, I’m getting visible abs. 20 years ago, I used to weight-lift like a fiend, including doing a crazy amount of ab work, and I still wasn’t able to see as much definition as I can now. It all comes down to diet… ---
**Author:** ![K-MAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@K-MAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K-MAN)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/19 "2010-12-03T14:30:04Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > You cannot spot reduce. Actually your abs are one of the easiest muscles to work. You will find after a few weeks of ab exercises your abs are really tight and strong. Too bad you got the fat over them so you can’t see them. > > I have six pack abs, and believe me the ony way to get them is aerobic exercise. You have to run (or other aerobics) your butt off. > > The thing is you CAN control how much you weigh, but not where the weight goes on. I have some Puerto Rican friends and they tend to store their fat evenly. So they can be even chubby and still look good, 'cause the fat is all over distrubuted. > > With my all my fat goes right into my gut. You’ve all seen the thin guy who looks like he’s pregnant? Well I’m not that bad, but that is genetics. As I said, you control how much you weigh but not where the fat goes > > And the first place you put it on, is the last place you take it off. > > So just find a book with ab routines and you’ll do fine. Then start exercising aerobically. > > In the end this is what really matters. You can live without a six pack but you can’t live without a heart so make sure you always do aerobic exercise to strenghten your heart first. Then work on your physique. > > I eat junk mostly so it doesn’t even matter what you eat, as long as you keep your calories low. > > Your body needs about 1 gram of protein per KILOGRAM (not pound but kilogram) of weight. So decide what you want your daily caloric intake to be. Subtract the protein requirement and divide what’s left between fats and carbs. Your body needs both so don’t exclude one or the other totally. > > If you go below 1,500 calories, it’s hard to get your vitamin requirements and nearly impossible if you go below 1,200 calories, so then add a good “one-a-day” mulitvitamin. You can pick these up on sale at the end of they year. > > I used to get bored running till I found books on tape. They made it possible for me to work out and enjoy it. Now I “read” all the books I meant to read but never got around to What methods are you using to make running fun, the only thing I can think of, is listening to music or running to a TV show. Can you tell me what books your reading and the methods your using please, thanks… ---
**Author:** ![K-MAN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@K-MAN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K-MAN)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724/20 "2010-12-03T14:31:15Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > You cannot spot reduce. Actually your abs are one of the easiest muscles to work. You will find after a few weeks of ab exercises your abs are really tight and strong. Too bad you got the fat over them so you can’t see them. > > I have six pack abs, and believe me the ony way to get them is aerobic exercise. You have to run (or other aerobics) your butt off. > > The thing is you CAN control how much you weigh, but not where the weight goes on. I have some Puerto Rican friends and they tend to store their fat evenly. So they can be even chubby and still look good, 'cause the fat is all over distrubuted. > > With my all my fat goes right into my gut. You’ve all seen the thin guy who looks like he’s pregnant? Well I’m not that bad, but that is genetics. As I said, you control how much you weigh but not where the fat goes > > And the first place you put it on, is the last place you take it off. > > So just find a book with ab routines and you’ll do fine. Then start exercising aerobically. > > In the end this is what really matters. You can live without a six pack but you can’t live without a heart so make sure you always do aerobic exercise to strenghten your heart first. Then work on your physique. > > I eat junk mostly so it doesn’t even matter what you eat, as long as you keep your calories low. > > Your body needs about 1 gram of protein per KILOGRAM (not pound but kilogram) of weight. So decide what you want your daily caloric intake to be. Subtract the protein requirement and divide what’s left between fats and carbs. Your body needs both so don’t exclude one or the other totally. > > If you go below 1,500 calories, it’s hard to get your vitamin requirements and nearly impossible if you go below 1,200 calories, so then add a good “one-a-day” mulitvitamin. You can pick these up on sale at the end of they year. > > I used to get bored running till I found books on tape. They made it possible for me to work out and enjoy it. Now I “read” all the books I meant to read but never got around to What methods are you using to make running fun, the only thing I can think of, is listening to music or running to a TV show. Can you tell me what books your reading and the methods your using please, thanks… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-ways-to-lose-the-belly-fat/562724.md?page=2)