First time dieter

S12

Hi there, looking for some advice from experienced dieters/excercisers... I am 5'9" and weigh just under 10 stone (am a size ten). This is apparently an ok weight for my height but I still have excess stomach and thigh fat. My thighs have always been a bit wobbly but my stomach used to be great and is getting worse. I used to weigh 9 stone and was much happier with my figure. I eat whatever I want so I am now intending to cut out all the junk and eat healthily. I'm not a great excerciser. My question is, in order to tackle wobbly stomach syndrome (and wobbly thighs!) what is more important- losing weight through cutting down on food or excercising? What type of excercise will tone a stomach and thighs? Do I need to start a "diet" (such as a very structured eating plan) or should cutting out all the chocolate, fried food etc be a good enough way to start?
Also, I don't have a weighing scales in my house- do you find it is better to have one or do you become fixated on it?

EileenG

Forget the scales, use a tape measure and take naked pictures of yourself (anyone who steals my mobile will get a very nasty shock).

Particularly for women, it's all about diet. Exercise will make you fit and strong, but unless you are really paranoid about watching what you eat, it's not a great way to lose weight. It just tends to make you more hungry, so you eat more.

Belly fat, especially if it settles around the waist, is often an early sign of insulin issues and too much refined carbs. Cut out all the sweets, and other refined carbs like white bread and rice and pasta. Eat more protein (meat, fish, chicken, eggs etc) and more green vegetables. Whole fruits are fine, but try to avoid the juices and smoothies.

You don't need a very rigid eating plan, but you should watch portion size. Most people are horrified to find that they are eating 2 or 3 portions worth of rice or pasta at a sitting. It's worth buying a little dieter's scales and doing a little weighing, just to give yourself an idea of what your usual portion size is. Once you know how to recognise a proper portion, you can shove it to the back of the press.

One of the best exercises, for belly as well as everything else, is the squat. It works tummy and back as well as legs. One of the best home tummy exercises is the bicycle crunch. However, overall the best way to shift belly fat is to do cardio like brisk walking, cycling, dancing, running etc.

barbiegirl

At 5 7 and 10 stone you have an excellent height weight ratio. We all put on weight when we hit our twenties, it is our bodies turning from girl to woman. I would love to weight 8 1/2 stone again like I did at 21 but I know that now if I did I would look sick and be too skinny. Yes eat healthy, cut back on refined foods and sugars, but don't diet it screws with your metabolism and you'll end up dieting forever. Agree you should educate yourself on what a portion size is, it is actually quite small but overall I'd just say excercise. Visit the local swimming pool and 2-3 times per week and you should see an instant improvement, and try to walk where you can.

EmmaMc

I agree with barbiegirl, you have an excellent height/weight ratio and if you were to loose weight your BMI would enter into the underweight bracket so i would not recommend dieting at all but doing tummy exercises would be a grand way just to tone up!

neuro-praxis

Doing tummy and thigh exercises will help you tone up - but the toned muscle will be under the layer of fat.

The layer of fat can be gotten rid of with a positive, healthy diet, with wholegrain, lots of veggies, fruits and proteins. Eat plenty of lean meat, fish and eggs, as you do not want to lose muscle while losing weight. Be patient as it takes a while, especially when you are not overweight to begin with!

S12

Thanks for the advice! I know I'm not overweight and am not trying to lose weight per se, just lose the belly roll! I do eat a lot of carbs so I'll have to make a few sacrifices here. EileenG, what is the bicycle crunch???

barbiegirl

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Doing tummy and thigh exercises will help you tone up - but the toned muscle will be under the layer of fat.

The layer of fat can be gotten rid of with a positive, healthy diet, with wholegrain, lots of veggies, fruits and proteins. Eat plenty of lean meat, fish and eggs, as you do not want to lose muscle while losing weight. Be patient as it takes a while, especially when you are not overweight to begin with!

She weighs 10 stone at 5 7 there is no fat to hide it under!!! Don't be giving a perfectly healthy girl a complex.

Davei141

barbiegirl wrote: »

She weighs 10 stone at 5 7 there is no fat to hide it under!!! Don't be giving a perfectly healthy girl a complex.

:rolleyes: Dont be projecting your own issues onto Neuro or the OP.

If its just a bit of stomach fat you want to lose then dropping the carbs is the way to go

barbiegirl

I'm actually of the opinion that you are projecting your issues!! If you look at my previous posts I advocated a healthy diet, not a faddy cutting a food group from your diet one. Which if you talk to a dietician includes carbs. Again I say she is well within her healthy weight limit, so talk of fat is not helpful. A healthy diet, exercise, common sense and NO dieting because of how it is proven to mess with your metabolism is best.

Serafijn

You can be within your healthy range and still have a little fat that you want to clean up. Also peoples' frames are different, hence the 'obese' rugby players who are in better health than most of us!

Carbs are known to store themselves on your tummy so cutting them down (not cutting them out) will help. Try to eat wholewheat versions of bread, rice and pasta etc when you do eat them and up your exercise.

Do make sure you're eating enough though. If you want, check the number of calories you should be consuming for your height, weight and activity level and try to work out what that means in terms of the foods you're eating. Sites like fitday can help with this. If not just be sure to eat when you're hungry!

Don't get hung up on it though, just switching out bad foods for good foods will have an effect, and alongside the exercise you will see results.

Good luck

Davei141

barbiegirl wrote: »

I'm actually of the opinion that you are projecting your issues!! If you look at my previous posts I advocated a healthy diet, not a faddy cutting a food group from your diet one. Which if you talk to a dietician includes carbs. Again I say she is well within her healthy weight limit, so talk of fat is not helpful. A healthy diet, exercise, common sense and NO dieting because of how it is proven to mess with your metabolism is best.

Telling her to cut back on carbs is faddy now is it? The OP mentioned she has a bit of fat on the stomach and thighs that she would like to get rid of. No big deal. So i dont know why your wading in here going on about "talk of fat is not helpful" and going on about complex's. That's YOUR issue's.

"A healthy diet, exercise, common sense and NO dieting because of how it is proven to mess with your metabolism is best"
Funny how you equate dropping some carbs with crash dieting. Keep fighting the good fight. Whatever the hell that is.

EileenG

S12 wrote: »

EileenG, what is the bicycle crunch???

Lie on your back, fingers touching your ears. Touch your right elbow to your left knee, then your left elbow to your right knee, and repeat. This exercise works most of your core muscles at once, you'll definitely feel it.

barbiegirl

Davei141 wrote: »

Telling her to cut back on carbs is faddy now is it? The OP mentioned she has a bit of fat on the stomach and thighs that she would like to get rid of. No big deal. So i dont know why your wading in here going on about "talk of fat is not helpful" and going on about complex's. That's YOUR issue's.

"A healthy diet, exercise, common sense and NO dieting because of how it is proven to mess with your metabolism is best"
Funny how you equate dropping some carbs with crash dieting. Keep fighting the good fight. Whatever the hell that is.

My final word on this
http://www.nutrition.ie/the-food-pyramid.html
Carbs are part of a healthy diet. We are getting off topic. She asked for help, I gave what I considered to be good advise. End of story.

Dudess

Unfortunately the food pyramid is sponsored by the American Crop Protection Society!

OP, I've a similar body composition to you: reduce the carbs majorly - that means zero refined carbs (white bread products - pure stodge, white pasta, white rice) and a limited amount of high-fibre, non-processed, complex ones - organic porridge/muesli, wholegrain seedy health loaf-type bread, small amounts of brown rice, very small amounts of brown pasta. Fruit and veg contain "good" carbs also.

It may seem OTT but fruit is high in sugar - natural sugar yes, but it's still sugar. If you're prone to a wobbly stomach, then even natural sugar should be kept to a minimum - so prioritise veg over fruit.

You're not overweight though, just wobbly. And exercise as well as watching what you eat. A combination of both is the most effective.

jdivision

barbiegirl wrote: »

Carbs are part of a healthy diet.

Did you read what it says:
"It is the largest group recommending 6+ servings per day, as these are the foods that supply us with energy, in the form of glucose." So if you are relatively sedentary, which most of us are, that glucose turns into what exactly when it's not used? Fat. Look at what overweight people (and i still include myself in this) eat? Carbs in the main.

barbiegirl

Hi jdivision,

http://www.vhi.ie/hfiles/hf-016.jsp

http://www.safefood.eu/en/Consumer/Healthy-Living/Eating-Well/Eating-well1/

By the way I advocate fresh, healthy food, exercise and complex carbs.

neuro-praxis

barbiegirl wrote: »

She weighs 10 stone at 5 7 there is no fat to hide it under!!! Don't be giving a perfectly healthy girl a complex.

Wow.

Actually, I was correcting the myth that you reduce fat in particular areas with exercise, and highlighting the fact that the only way to drop fat is a calorie deficit, which can be brought about either by a lot of exercise or some attention to what you're eating.

I offered helpful advice to the OP who is concerned about belly fat; I did not offer any unhealthy or faddish advice whatsoever, and certainly am not one to contribute to the complexes of others. I don't even believe in dieting. I would be very happy to weigh 13 stone, never mind 10.

Maybe wind the old neck in there barbiegirl.

g'em

Dudess wrote: »

Unfortunately the food pyramid is sponsored by the American Crop Protection Society!

Bingo.

barbiegirl the pyramid you posted is largely considered the "old" pyramid, the more widely accepted version is the Harvard Pyramid which still advocated grains, but in much smaller quantities.

I don't think anyone is projecting any complexes anywhere in fairness, and while I agree that I would normally raise an eyebrow at someone of that height and weight wanting to lose more weight, it's entirely possible that the OP is "skinny fat" and holds a bit of excess weight around the tummy.

Carbs make us more prone to store adipose around the tummy area so reducing them in our diet (not cutting them out entirely, just making ourselves less reliant on them) is a good start to righting that.

I think you and Dave are actually singing from the same hymn sheet (fewer processed carbs, complex carbs in moderation, greater emphasis on wholefoods, lean protein & veg) but there was a crossed wire somewhere