trying to get a flat stomach

[username1]

Edit: lol i type a lot sometimes, to summarize: if you want to skip all the details about my current routine, which exercises and how often would you recommend to get a flat stomach as quick as possible.

since i've started exercising around last October, I've been trying to flatten my stomach, I had a pretty big beer belly and it is starting to disappear, my pants/shorts are all fitting looser and people note how much weight i've lost. i think i lost about 15 lbs. though my stomach is still not completely flat, with a shirt on i guess it looks flat but, when i take my shirt off the roundness is still definitely there, it looks like there's still a lot of work to be done, and need to work on my abs as I can't see them at all.

at first i had started running/walking on a treadmill about 6 days a week. i use the weight loss presets on my treadmill so on mon. wed. and fri i do a little lighter since those are when i'm doing strength training so for 30 min. i'll walk/jog about 1.5 miles adjusts from 2.8 to 3.1 mph. on tues and thurs. i would do another preset for 35 min. about 2 miles and the speed varies from 3.1-3.7. then sometimes on sat. i would do the first preset until i started working on weekends so lately not doing saturdays as much unless i'm not feeling too tired. plus my feet were getting really tired and sore from all the running, since i wasn't used to it.

i had also started doing situps/crunches I wasn't doing as much in the beginning but, started to and now i'm doing p90x so there's ab ripper x which i do mon. wed. fri. started this few weeks ago but, i can't keep up as much as they do since i start feeling the burn pretty quickly and some i'm not flexible enough to do but, i just try my best and definitely feel the burn and get tired from it. on top of that just to make sure in case i'm not benefiting as much if my form isn't correct or not able to keep up as much I do situps/crunches on those nights as well, I'm doing more situps/crunches now than I used to. crunches are really easy so i probably do 200 of those (2 sets of 100) and sit ups I do about 100 i think, 4 sets of 25.

starting last week i also doubled how much i'm running on the threadmill. i'm doing the 1st preset (1.5 mile) each day in addition to the normal running routine, so I'm now running/walking for an hour, about 3 mi.

now i get tired easily from running so i can't run the whole mile, usually i'm walking/speed walking until the last 10-12 min. and then i'll start running for 2 minutes then walk a minute, then next 2 minutes. keep alternating like that until time's up.

so basically i'm wondering should i just keep doing these routines and eventually my stomach will be flat? is there any other exercises I should add? should i do situps/crunches every day instead of only on mon. wed. thurs. when i do ab ripper x? in the dvd he says you don't need to do abs every day, especially ab ripper x since you don't work out other parts every day but, I'm wondering if I'm not pushing myself hard enough, maybe I should be doing it every day? at least just the situps/crunches?

should i try to run more or anything else? anything that i can do to try to speed up the process on getting a flat stomach quicker? i eat healthy, i'm on 3j's diet plan and if i eat out it's usually a subway salad sometimes here and there I have to go out with family and i try to get what's healthiest but, it's not as healthy always like at home i watch the carbs because of pre-diabetes and of course fat, calories, etc. i think my diet is ok especially since i already lost about 15 lbs. just trying to flatten the stomach now.

 

[cashout]

One word - DIET.

What does yours look like at the moment?

What you do with diet will dictated how successful you are with accomplishing your goal.

 

[Sassytassie84]

^Xs 2^ You can do crunches all day long but if your aren't eating clean, you will not see results.

 

[username1]

One word - DIET.

What does yours look like at the moment?

What you do with diet will dictated how successful you are with accomplishing your goal.

I don't think I should say exactly what it is since I'm on 3j's diet plan. I eat 6 meals a day but, my focus is on high protein and I have to watch the carbs as it is because of pre-diabetes and then I'm watching the calories an fat. On the weekends because of work, I eat out at subway I usually get a oven roasted chicken salad because I shouldn't be eating the bread (pre-diabetes) but, if I get it with bread sometimes it's a 6". I try to eat every 2 hours every day and again mostly focusing on protein and low everything else, I eat at home almost all the time and make my own meals, mostly it consists of baked chicken breasts and fish, only other time I eat out (completely try to avoid fast food and doing a good job of it) is at restaurants sometimes due to family functions and try to get what's healthy.

I think my diet is ok since I've already lost 15 pounds. At first I was only eating 3 times a day before I got on 3j's diet plan. I went from about 175 to about 160 lbs. Now of course I'm trying to put on weight in muscle so focusing on protein and eating 6 times a day.

 

[Sassytassie84]

And cardio is not helping to melt away at the stomach fat?

 

[username1]

And cardio is not helping to melt away at the stomach fat?

It is, my stomach is disappearing slowly and everybody notices how much weight I'm losing but, i want to know what else I can do to speed up the process. when i take my shirt off it's clear it's still round, i mean i guess i can keep up with the same routine but, i suppose it will take another 3 or 4 months was just wondering if there's anything else i could be doing to help it get flatter quicker.

 

[Sassytassie84]

It is, my stomach is disappearing slowly and everybody notices how much weight I'm losing but, i want to know what else I can do to speed up the process. when i take my shirt off it's clear it's still round, i mean i guess i can keep up with the same routine but, i suppose it will take another 3 or 4 months was just wondering if there's anything else i could be doing to help it get flatter quicker.

Hmm... I am not expert cuz I was lucky in the genealogy department when it comes to flat stomach but maybe look for a metabolism booster?

 

[Smilee21]

How long have you been doing the Abs Ripper (P90x)? Only a couple weeks right?

Body transformations do not happen overnight... It takes hard work, good clean eating, and not giving up. Take progress pics weekly, biweekly, monthly... whatever suits you best but remember that nicely defined abs (flat stomachs don't just happen) you began with a beer belly right and it's been slowly changing and disappearing. This is good progress, just keep up the good work, stick to 3J's diet as best as you can and switch up the different abmoninal/core exercises you are doing. Our bodies adapt very quickly so changing it up all the time is very important.

IMO of course

 

[username1]

How long have you been doing the Abs Ripper (P90x)? Only a couple weeks right?

Body transformations do not happen overnight... It takes hard work, good clean eating, and not giving up. Take progress pics weekly, biweekly, monthly... whatever suits you best but remember that nicely defined abs (flat stomachs don't just happen) you began with a beer belly right and it's been slowly changing and disappearing. This is good progress, just keep up the good work, stick to 3J's diet as best as you can and switch up the different abmoninal/core exercises you are doing. Our bodies adapt very quickly so changing it up all the time is very important.

IMO of course

Yeah just a few weeks but, I've been walking/jogging on the treadmill since Oct. well I guess as long as I'm seeing progress I'll just keep the same routine, was just wondering if I should add more exercises or anything else I can do. It looks like now my stomach doesn't look as much round from the front but, when I turn to the side I can see it curve. I am seeing progress, I guess I'm getting impatient to want to see results quicker. I'm definitely not giving up, if anything I'm just asking what else I can do to work harder at it.

When you said, "switch up the different abmoninal/core exercises you are doing" do you have any particular ones in mind that you would recommend? So you think even if I keep doing the same routines in p90x my body will adapt to it? Since I thought the way they designed the program was to avoid muscle memory? Though I think some of the exercises are getting easier so I don't know if that's since I'm gaining strength or maybe my body is starting to adapt to them.

 

[Smilee21]

So is it the lower abdominal region you are having problems with?

How long have you been doing the entire P90X program?

Beer bellys= FAT period in that area
Flat abs= MINIMIAL FAT in that area

How long have you been working with 3J, Oct right...?

The more muscle you build the more calories you body will burn at a resting state. The more muscle you have to more fat your body will burn if you EAT CLEAN... ALWAYs.

It really does come down to diet and training consistantly.

How many times are you training (lifting weights) in a week?

I see you do a lot of running... on the treadmill. Do you do any other cardio besides running?

Switching up the type of cardio you do is good too. IMO of course.

 

[username1]

Yeah lower abdominal region. I just started the entire p90x program officially 2 weeks ago, this is the end of my 2nd week. The week before that I didn't know about the phase 1, phase 2, phase 3 schedule, I didn't get it so I was just trying to go through every dvd one at a time and I felt like something wasn't right since how can I just do one dvd once and that's it, and then I found the phase schedules, and now I'm following the schedule starting last week.

Besides running for cardio, I'm doing p90x, which has plyometrics on tuesday but, I haven't done the yoga yet for thursdays since I'm not flexible at all so I haven't even tried it yet mostly because of a tight schedule at the end of the week, but I do run on the treadmill that day. Then on Saturday I'm supposed to kenpo (p90x) that day but, have only done it once again because of tight work schedule on weekends, though I try to run that day if I'm not too tired from work.

I've only started working with 3j since December. Though I was still eating clean since Oct. but much less only 3 times a day so I ended up losing 15 pounds. I started following 3j's diet to a T (6 meals a day) since I started my test protocol in February. It's been difficult for me to adjust to eating 6 meals a day but, I'm doing it now, sometimes it's 5 but, I'm getting there. Sometimes it ends up being 10pm at night for my last meal since I wake up late plus I feel really full by the end of the night but, I just got some digestive enzymes recently to help with that which I think is working so I don't feel as full and am able to eat the 6 meals.

Training / lifting, at first I was doing mon. wed. thursday but, when I work on my own I feel like I don't push myself hard enough so when I started p90x I basically stopped working out on my own even though we have a small gym here with benchpress and what-not but, I feel like I'm working out a lot more with p90x. So, on Monday I'm doing chest/back/abs, wed. shoulder/arms/abs, and friday, legs/back/abs.

 

[Smilee21]

Stick with the program you are doing (Phases with the P90X) it's a 90 day program correct?

See how things are in 3 months... be patient grasshopper.

I started my training program and clean eating in Sep/Oct... (I am doing everything naturally no supplementation or cycles). Just clean eating,weight training, and cardio.

I have lost 40lbs so far... I work out every single day... 1.5-2 hours weekdays and I do double days on the weekends (my run days are Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun and are done outside I do hill training and long distance runs between 3-16 miles)...

Just keep doing what you are doing... GOOD LUCK, just switch things up here and there.

Maybe after P90X you can try INSANITY or something, if you like to do those types of things. I am going to be incorporating P90X and INSANITY into my daily exercise regimen so I can keep myself from hitting a plateu.

I am training for Triathlons, Survivor Mud Run, Tough Mudder, and some marathons. It's all mental and phyiscal. Find what works best for you and stick with it.

 

[DJ77]

Be patient, it sounds like your on the right track.... The last few pounds are the hardest.

How's your alcohol intake ? You still drinking daily ?

 

[username1]

wow damn no wonder my progress is slow lol good thing i stepped up the running last week, will see how it goes in another 3 months, yes p90 is 90 days. i can barely do this though and have trouble keeping up with them in the dvd, i think it's going to be a long while until i can ever get to insanity.

i wish i could run that many miles, i'm having problems with my knees though but, still i never really understood how people could run that many miles i think this is probably my first time in my life i've ran this much or this long 3 miles and I'm really tired during and after. It takes me about 20 min. to do a mile, it's the same since I was in high school lol I never understand how people can run them so quickly like in 10 min. or something. Maybe my protocol will help me get there, perhaps there has been something chemically wrong with me, and even back then in high school I was never fat if anything I was always skinny I only started gaining weight once I started turning into an alcoholic.

Stick with the program you are doing (Phases with the P90X) it's a 90 day program correct?

See how things are in 3 months... be patient grasshopper.

I started my training program and clean eating in Sep/Oct... (I am doing everything naturally no supplementation or cycles). Just clean eating,weight training, and cardio.

I have lost 40lbs so far... I work out every single day... 1.5-2 hours weekdays and I do double days on the weekends (my run days are Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun and are done outside I do hill training and long distance runs between 3-16 miles)...

Just keep doing what you are doing... GOOD LUCK, just switch things up here and there.

Maybe after P90X you can try INSANITY or something, if you like to do those types of things. I am going to be incorporating P90X and INSANITY into my daily exercise regimen so I can keep myself from hitting a plateu.

I am training for Triathlons, Survivor Mud Run, Tough Mudder, and some marathons. It's all mental and phyiscal. Find what works best for you and stick with it.

 

[username1]

Be patient, it sounds like your on the right track.... The last few pounds are the hardest.

How's your alcohol intake ? You still drinking daily ?

yeah, no more than 1 shot of vodka diluted in a gallon of water over a few hours. It seems to be a psychological hold it has on me. I started the protocol recently but, not really "feeling it" yet not sure if I'm one of those that doesn't get that wow feeling or if I'm just not dialed in yet. I'm assuming if that happened then it would probably help me quit it altogether.

 

[cashout]

The key to fat loss is to take in few calories than you utilize.

If 3J did your diet, you have a good one.

However, you may want to communicate with him and tell him you want to adjust the diet so it is focused on shedding the body fat.

I would make sure you reduce your calories to a point where you are taking in less than you burn so that you force your body to use the stored fat as a food source.

Now before you run off and do that, I'd ask, how long have you been "eating clean?"

For that matter how long have you been working out now?

How long ago did you start HRT?

One big problem that folks often face is that they make drastic changes all at once.

That creates difficulty in assessing what effects each individual change is actually having on the body.

So, if you have not been "eating clean" for very long, I'd get use to the diet the routine of eating clean and let your body acclimate itself. Same of the working out and HRT. It may take a good 6 -12 months to allow all of these drastic life changes time to reach an equilibrium.

 

[cashout]

I have lost 40lbs so far...

I am training for Triathlons, Survivor Mud Run, Tough Mudder, and some marathons. It's all mental and phyiscal.

You know, this is really helpful for most folks as well.

Having targets that are tangible - like a mud run and such gives you a clear target and focus for what you are working towards!!

Great job Smilee keep it up!

 

[cashout]

Hmm... I am not expert cuz I was lucky in the genealogy department when it comes to flat stomach but maybe look for a metabolism booster?

From your pictures, you seem to have good genes in a lot of areas and you are doing something right with them...

 

[username1]

Now before you run off and do that, I'd ask, how long have you been "eating clean?"

I stopped junk food and eating clean at home around October. I started with 3j in December.

For that matter how long have you been working out now?

Same time I started eating clean in October. I already knew that diet and exercise go together. I've tried to get in shape in the past and have done all the research and everything just never stuck with it, once I found out in October that I could have diabetes due a 270 blood sugar, I started changing everything permanently, diet, exercise etc.

How long ago did you start HRT?

February, 6th shot is in 2 days.

One big problem that folks often face is that they make drastic changes all at once.

That creates difficulty in assessing what effects each individual change is actually having on the body.

I had no choice but, to make drastic changes all at once since I was about to be diagnosed with diabetes, my dr. was giving me one chance, 3 months to get my sugar in control (in the normal range) from a 270 (fasting) I had to make drastic changes to get in control, which I did, got it to a 97, so I wasn't put on sugar medication.

So, if you have not been "eating clean" for very long, I'd get use to the diet the routine of eating clean and let your body acclimate itself. Same of the working out and HRT. It may take a good 6 -12 months to allow all of these drastic life changes time to reach an equilibrium.

Ok, got it. Will continue what I'm doing, 6-12 months sounds good. I feel like internally all this time I was looking for drastic changes in 3 months, not sure why I was stuck on that so I guess after those 3 months since I didn't see drastic changes I might have started telling myself I might be doing something wrong or could be doing better. After I started TRT in Feb. again I started my internal clock to see results in 3 months but, it looks like I should just give myself more time and not be stuck on these 3 month timelines that for some reason are in the back of my mind.

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[Smilee21]

You know, this is really helpful for most folks as well.

Having targets that are tangible - like a mud run and such gives you a clear target and focus for what you are working towards!!

Great job Smilee keep it up!

Awe... Coming from you Cashout, this means alot.

I have learned that when a REALISTIC goal is made and you stay focused, surround yourself with like minded individuals with the same types of goals.

Observe, research, experiment, until you find what works best for you.

We all want that DREAM BODY but for me it's more of the CHALLENGES I put in front of me, that I know with hard work and determination I will be able to cross those finish lines, Every single time. I might be huffing and puffy, crying, puking, crawling even it is ok, just as long as I never give up... anything is possible.