The FastDay Forum

Hey dears,

Thought i might as well ask on here for advice!!

I'm obviously still quite a way from my goal but something I've always had a problem with (even when I was 2 stone lighter and hammering the gym) is my belly! I've got a really fatty belly which isn't going down at all - my waist measurement has remained the same throughout the entire time I've been on 5:2.

Has anyone got any advice on what I should be doing to get rid of it? I know cardio will help but should I do something more to focus on my belly? It's really getting me down!

Hello @danielle21711. I too suffered from a huge tummy...in fact so large that I could look nine months pregnant and that's not a good look! I have found that now I have got down to my present weight my stomach has nearly gone. I didn't do any exercise for it, it just went down...it has taken a few months though. Yours should do the same in time....I am afraid it just means it's not going to happen overnight...stick with 5:2 because it works. This WOE is not a quick fix, just effective.

Sadly you can't spot-reduce fat. You can tone up the muscles underneath with good core exercises but you can't target fat loss. By god, if only you could I'd have a flat tummy and slender upper arms and thighs, the rest of me is OK!!

Thanks guys, I knew I couldn't spot reduce but I was wondering if I should be doing something special. My legs are becoming more toned and my arms are shrinking but I still have a huge belly. I hope you don't mind me saying this but it actually sticks out further than my boobs!!!! It's awful!

I think, to pull your tummy up and in you need a strong back and shoulders too, not just doing sit ups. I highly recommend Les Mills workout classes especially Core Worx and Body Pump for toning and strengthening all over as well as your core. When you lack a bit of strength the first place to go is the core as it takes the body a lot of effort to keep it engaged and strong. Good luck x

[carorees]

Tummy exercises tone the tummy makes but they don't get any fat off there in particular. Belly fat is not dangerous if its the fat under the skin below your tummy button, the dangerous fat is the stuff around your organs that you can't feel or see but which shows up by you having a large waistline above your belly button. The best way to shrink the dangerous abdominal fat is to do high intensity interval training and fasting.

Toning the tummy muscles won't remove the fat covering them but can improve your outline in clothes!

A friend of mine, late 50's the other day showed me her belly...she honestly looked say 6 months pregnant. She discussed her big belly as a bit of a joke, but 'im wondering if a big belly is a sign of a serious health problem. Is it more prominent in women with hysterectomies?

I recall my godmother's very bloated belly and that was due to liver disease.

http://www.fitsugar.com/10-Minute-Flat- ... t-30851353

hi Danielle, I do this short workout most days, it really works on your core. Do this regularly and you should see a difference in time
I love it because its easy enough, and only 10 minutes!
good luck

Hi Danielle,
i used to do Pilates classes which made a massive difference to my stomach. having really strong core muscles could help, it will improve your posture which in turn should mean you pull your stomach back in.

i have no idea if that explains things well at all (probably not!) but i know that when i was doing pilates regularly and sitting or walking while pulling in my core muscles, i could look A LOT thinner than i actually was

this has given me a bit of a reminder that i need to restart pilates again as it really helps with my posture.

I am the same and I caught sight of my side view in a mirror yesterday. I realised how bad my posture was, I was really slouching, so I stood up straight, shoulders back, bottom tucked in and my tummy was gone! It did feel very strange but it looked brilliant. I agree about posture, have a look and see. I am going to keep working on mine as what I saw and did yesterday made a huge difference.
I am going to look at the workout too, so thanks for that Angie.