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Cutting calories/exercise enough for six pack?

Rightwing86

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Hey all. I have been eating a lot healthier and exercising a lot more. And I want to know if exercising/cutting calories is enough to get a six pack?

I weigh 150 pounds at 5'7 5'8. BMI is 22%. I'm a skinny guy with some fat on stomache and when I push out on it I can make it look like I'm pregnant... sure it's funny when were all drunk at my apartment but not something I want to have happen when I'm at the pool/beach.

So, I have been eating 4 eggs every morning (only 2 yokes, rest just whites).
Than an apple for a snack later.
Than I maybe eat half a cup of cottoage cheese (low fat)
Than I might have some wheat bread with a very small amount of peanutbutter (less than a tablespoon)
I would be eating tuna as well but I'm afraid since I can't use Low fat or regular mayonaise that I won't be able to eat it, cause it tastes terrible without mayo. Can i use a little mayo and still lose my fat?
I also eat some salad with very little Italian light dressing.
I snack on some carrots.. but too many carbs?
I also eat a banana usually sometime in the day.
Than for dinner I usually make a grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli and caoloflower(sp).

So am I eating enough/too much? I run about 5.5-6miles on the stairmaster takes me about an hour and I burn around 650 calories, every day.

I know there is 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so if I continue this process will I eventually over a period of like 8-10 months lose the fat around my midsection?
 
Hey all. I have been eating a lot healthier and exercising a lot more. And I want to know if exercising/cutting calories is enough to get a six pack?

I weigh 150 pounds at 5'7 5'8. BMI is 22%. I'm a skinny guy with some fat on stomache and when I push out on it I can make it look like I'm pregnant... sure it's funny when were all drunk at my apartment but not something I want to have happen when I'm at the pool/beach.

So, I have been eating 4 eggs every morning (only 2 yokes, rest just whites).
Than an apple for a snack later.
Than I maybe eat half a cup of cottoage cheese (low fat)
Than I might have some wheat bread with a very small amount of peanutbutter (less than a tablespoon)
I would be eating tuna as well but I'm afraid since I can't use Low fat or regular mayonaise that I won't be able to eat it, cause it tastes terrible without mayo. Can i use a little mayo and still lose my fat?
I also eat some salad with very little Italian light dressing.
I snack on some carrots.. but too many carbs?
I also eat a banana usually sometime in the day.
Than for dinner I usually make a grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli and caoloflower(sp).

So am I eating enough/too much? I run about 5.5-6miles on the stairmaster takes me about an hour and I burn around 650 calories, every day.

I know there is 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so if I continue this process will I eventually over a period of like 8-10 months lose the fat around my midsection?

Your body NEEDS some fat in your diet. Just keep it in moderation and try to make it good fats. Do you like Miracle Whip? Less fat than Mayo, and that's what I use in my tuna salad stuff that I have for lunches. Only about a tbsp, though.

But, I don't use low-fat *anything*. I just moderate how much I drink/eat of it.

Honestly, the thing that's helped me the most to recognize how much fat, calories, protein, carbs, fat, etc that I'm eating is this: FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal

The online account is free, but after using it for a bit, I bought the desktop version.
 
We all have ab muscles but a 6-pack is the detailed appearence of those muscles beneath the skin. To get a nice 6-pack you either have to have very low body fat so the muscles are more visible or increase the size and density of those muscles. However, the more fat you have on your body the more those muscles will be covered. Thus dieting to achieve low body fat while maintaining muscle is the most important.

To answer your question: you need to have low body fat (not the same as being skinny) and increase the size your ab muscles through weight training and/or crunches/situps.

Edit: also, don't forget to develop your obliques (the muscles on your ribs and stomach surrounding your abs). Defining and increasing the size of those will give your 6-pack a better frame for appearance as well as make them look bigger.
 
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Yeah well I can't do really beneficial ab exercises, such as leg raises etc. Cause my Gym doesn't have any of that equipment. I do crunches on an exercise ball but crunches are such a low intensity workout that I'd rather be running on the treadmill than doing crunches, I can do like 200 but what's the point. Losing body fat is the most important step.

The thing is,

Eating one cup of low fat cottage cheese (160 calories)
Eating a banana (110 calories)
Eating 2 pieces of wheat bread with a tablespoon of peanutbutter (260 calories)
Eating broccoli/cauliflower(80 calories)
eating salad with light dressing (50 calories)
Eating a chicken breast (110 calories)

THat's only around 600 calories a day... not to mention that if I keep doing the cardio I'm sitting at around 0 calories per day I would assume.

So what the hell. Should I be eating more so I can be at 1500 calories a day (My normal would be 2000, but it is suggested to cut back on your normal by a deduction of 500 calories)

So... should I really be eating 2000 calories a day and than run to burn 500? Or should I be eating healthy like I am and increase it or what? I need expert advise people. You are the experts! lol jk but seriously if you know anything that would be great.
 
I have pretty good abs (with the exception of below my belly button since having a c section), and I've never set foot in a gym. I don't do much cardio, either. I guess you need it to burn fat, but I figure my heart rate gets up high enough if I keep up the intensity of my workouts

Let me think what I do at home for abs ...

crunches on a stability ball

plank (boring!)

crunches on the floor with dumbell shoulder raises (I think that's what they're called).

Bicycle crunches

Squiggles (or whatever it is)

Lower leg lifts while doing chest flies with dumbells

Supermans (they suck)

Roll like a ball (pilates)

Reverse crunches

Side crunches

Repeat x 2

Frankly I think I'm overdoing the obliques, but I do love oblique exercises.

I think you really have to make yourself like ab work. If you do it enough, I think you do start to enjoy it.
 
Yeah well I can't do really beneficial ab exercises, such as leg raises etc. Cause my Gym doesn't have any of that equipment. I do crunches on an exercise ball but crunches are such a low intensity workout that I'd rather be running on the treadmill than doing crunches, I can do like 200 but what's the point. Losing body fat is the most important step.

Who needs equipment? I've never once had a gym membership in my life, but I have had a 6-pack.

Without doing ab exercises, you probably won't be getting a 6-pack.
 
The thing is,

Eating one cup of low fat cottage cheese (160 calories)
Eating a banana (110 calories)
Eating 2 pieces of wheat bread with a tablespoon of peanutbutter (260 calories)
Eating broccoli/cauliflower(80 calories)
eating salad with light dressing (50 calories)
Eating a chicken breast (110 calories)

THat's only around 600 calories a day... not to mention that if I keep doing the cardio I'm sitting at around 0 calories per day I would assume.

So what the hell. Should I be eating more so I can be at 1500 calories a day (My normal would be 2000, but it is suggested to cut back on your normal by a deduction of 500 calories)

So... should I really be eating 2000 calories a day and than run to burn 500? Or should I be eating healthy like I am and increase it or what? I need expert advise people. You are the experts! lol jk but seriously if you know anything that would be great.

I don't know anything about diet.

Personally, I've always just eaten steaks and fast food.
 
I never did cruches and at one time had a sixpack - well defined. But I found the key was cardio and diet. You have to lose the belly fat and count calories well. I usually did double leg lifts on a DIP bar and also did obliques that way too. I worked my way up to putting a small dumbell between my ankles and doing the leg lifts that way too. Usually low weight, high reps, high sets (12-20 reps, 3-4 sets) every 2nd day (no weights) at first, then worked my way up to daily with a 5lb or maybe more sometimes. It's been a while. But lots of cardio and lots of reps. I never like crunches as they always hurt my back and I never got the stretch or muscle failure like I did on the DIP bar.
 
I've always wanted to make a work-out based on laboring for various construction jobs.

When I was a full-time laborer doing 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week, I was a piece of iron.

The very best ab exercise I've ever done: digging trenches.
 
Genetics plays a part in whether or not you can get visible and ripped abs.
 
I look at pictures of when I was in my 20's and I had one hell of a set of ripped abs. But I got old, and traded in my six pack for a twelve pack.

I like beer and whiskey too much to ever get it back.
 
I look at pictures of when I was in my 20's and I had one hell of a set of ripped abs. But I got old, and traded in my six pack for a twelve pack.

I like beer and whiskey too much to ever get it back.

Priorities change man. I hear ya. ;)
 
Hey all. I have been eating a lot healthier and exercising a lot more. And I want to know if exercising/cutting calories is enough to get a six pack?

I weigh 150 pounds at 5'7 5'8. BMI is 22%. I'm a skinny guy with some fat on stomache and when I push out on it I can make it look like I'm pregnant... sure it's funny when were all drunk at my apartment but not something I want to have happen when I'm at the pool/beach.

So, I have been eating 4 eggs every morning (only 2 yokes, rest just whites).
Than an apple for a snack later.
Than I maybe eat half a cup of cottoage cheese (low fat)
Than I might have some wheat bread with a very small amount of peanutbutter (less than a tablespoon)
I would be eating tuna as well but I'm afraid since I can't use Low fat or regular mayonaise that I won't be able to eat it, cause it tastes terrible without mayo. Can i use a little mayo and still lose my fat?
I also eat some salad with very little Italian light dressing.
I snack on some carrots.. but too many carbs?
I also eat a banana usually sometime in the day.
Than for dinner I usually make a grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli and caoloflower(sp).

So am I eating enough/too much? I run about 5.5-6miles on the stairmaster takes me about an hour and I burn around 650 calories, every day.

I know there is 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so if I continue this process will I eventually over a period of like 8-10 months lose the fat around my midsection?

I think you're regimenting your diet too much.
A pattern of weight distribution where your fat is concentrated around the waist and abdomen, while you're skinny everywhere else, tends to genetic.
Maybe one or both of your parents have this body type, and you inherited a propensity for it.
High levels of stress and anxiety can also cause you to retain most of your body fat around the midsection. This is related to a hormone called cortisol, which plays an important role in glucose metabolism and insulin release, but which stress causes your body to secrete in excessive amounts.

I think you should make an effort to reduce your stress levels (including not stressing out about your belly and/or your diet), and see if that has any effect.
You might try some yoga or meditation.

If you smoke or use any sort of tobacco products, that too might be causing weight retention around the midsection; nicotine effects weight distribution, as well. People who quit smoking gain an average of four pounds, but often lose an inch off their waistline as well; their weight becomes more evenly distributed after quitting.

As far as spot reduction, there's no way, I don't think, to lose weight from just one place on your body, but you should make an effort to isolate the cause of the belly fat and get rid of it while you're still young.
This type of fat- concentrated as it is around your organs- has been linked to increased rates of cancer, heart problems, and diabetes.
The fact that you're skinny everywhere else makes it especially ominous.
If I were you, actually, I'd seek professional medical advice, or at least discuss it with your doctor at your next physical.

Good luck!
 
Yeah both my Dad and his father have this, but I think it's just a beer gut or something. They never had it at my age, I think it's just lack of exercise etc.

Plus I didn't eat right for 3 years in college, that could be why. No I don't use any tobacco products.

So far I am eating this pretty much:

Breakfast: 4 eggs (2 yolk 2 no yolk) = 170+50= 220 calories.
Snack: 2 slices of wheat bread, 1 tablespoon peanutbutter 95+140 = 235 calories.
Snack: Light Salad with Italian dressing 30 + 40 = 70 calories
Snack: 10 baby carrots with veggie dip 35 + 120 = 155 calories.
Lunch: Two cans of tuna with 1 tablespoon of mayonaise 100+100+100 = 300 calories.
Snack: Banana 105 = 105 calories
Snack: Apple = 101 = 101 calories.
Snack: 1 cup cottage cheese = 200 calories.
Dinner: Boneless/skinless grilled Chicken Breast 5 oz + whole cup of Broccoli/Cauliflower 110 + 100 = 210 calories.

Total Calories = 1496

Carbs: 4 eggs .50x4 = 2
Snack: 2 wheat 1 spoon peanutbutter = 41
Snack: Light Salad with Italian dressing = 7
Snack: 10 carrots veggie dip= 11
Lunch: Two cans of tuna with 1 tbs of mayo = 8
Snack: Banana = 39
Snack: Apple = 26
Snack: 1 cup cottage = 10
Dinner: Chicken breast brocc/caul = 16

Total Carbs = 160 carbs

But the stress could be a real factor. I suffer from depression/anxiety and stress all the damn time. I probably have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) ****ing awful. But I'm just gonna keep exercising.
 
But the stress could be a real factor. I suffer from depression/anxiety and stress all the damn time. I probably have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) ****ing awful. But I'm just gonna keep exercising.

Yeah, okay.
Exercise will help, but you need to get some meds for your GAD. You can bet your left nut that it's your cortisol levels doing this, and you're going to end up with hypertension and type 2 diabetes if you don't fix it now.
The belly is a symptom, not the main problem.
I know aesthetics are crucial when you're young, but you need to look at this as a long-term health issue.
Take care of your health. When your health is optimal, odds are the belly will go away on its own.
 
I take Effexor 75mg right now. So I think that covers it. But i have been off it for like 5 days and I need to go get more but been chillin to much with the boys at my apartment etc. Beer pong ftw (this is why I have a gut) :) lol. Maybe cortisol thing but maybe not. Could just be I was lazy and ate bad right? :D I'll look into it though thanks for pointing it out.
 
Exercising will also help with the anxiety.
 
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