Older woman needs to lose belly fat. HELP!!!?

Question

I am an older woman, 48, who gained belly fat when I quit smoking three years ago. Then, after a partial hysterectomy, I gained more. I can't lose it no matter what. I eat very healthy, very low carb and use a treadmill nearly daily. I've tried South Beach and Weight Watcher's and can only lose 5 pounds. I'm 5'4" and, at 155 would like to lose at least 20 pounds. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Continue to eat healthy and drink lots of water. You need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Try alternating your incline on the treadmill to kick start your body into burning more. You also need to work on some abdominal exercises to firm up the muscles underneath the fat. Try doing some sit ups on an exercise ball or on the floor if you can.

Answer 2

Hi, I'm 43 and in the same situation, but I think I've found the answer. I don't think cardio is a longterm solution for women our age because it uses up too much muscle, and since our hormones and stress are all working against us, we need our bodies to be working for us 24 hours a day, not just the 30 minutes or an hour on the treadmill everyday. I hired a personal trainer for 6 weeks and he taught me how to use all the weight machines. I do a five minute warm up on the elliptical, then a set of about 12 machines, doing 12 reps each. I continue with two more sets on the 12 machines, but increasing the weight by about 5 pounds if possible, but decreasing the reps to 10 reps, then 8 reps on the last round. After the weights I do the elliptical again for 5 minutes to cool down. When I get home I drink about three glasses of orange juice, then an hour later I drink whey protein. I have another protein about an hour after that. I follow a bodybuilder's diet for two days, eating around 150 grams of protein per day with a ratio of 1 to 4 protein to carbs. I try to avoid saturated fat because it all has to be stored in the fat cells and mobilized later when you are in a fat burning mode. I eat egg whites and toast, tuna and rice, steak and potato, chicken and rice, etc...6 small meals a day. My body is completly transforming like never, EVER before! I only lift weights twice a week. It's an intense workout (I don't rest between machines), and I've gained a lot of muscle, but the fat everywhere on my body is going away. My legs have shrunk down, everywhere there is a big muscle, my skin has become very thin. I just read an amazing thing in a bodybuilders magazine at the grocery store: You can spot reduce over a muscle that you are working a lot. Studies have now proven that the former "myth" is actually true! I do crunches on a reverse incline, an exercise ball, and a machine with weight. All the weight machines work the core muscles. We have had a treadmill for years and neither my husband nor I have ever gotten rid of our midlife little belly using it. My husband has been running on it for years and he still has it!

Answer 3

You didn't say for how long you've tried those diets! Most of the time, you don't need to diet, you need to change your eating habits forever.

If you eat very healthy they way you say you do, then you need to cut on the portion size! I strongly suggest you to keep a food journal for 3 weeks, logging ALL the food you eat, its weight, and the caloric intake... you'll be amazed at realizing how you think you eat, say, 1600 calories a day while in fact it's 1900! So you thought you were dieting while you're way above your daily limit.

The most common mistakes are: not counting vegetables as calories (although they are low calories they are NOT no calories!), big serving sizes, downplaying the calories in salad dressings, fried food and chips and not eating enough essential fats and calcium (both of which are needed to lose weight!).

As much as you define yourself older (you're not!!!) and your metabolism can have slowed down, there ALWAYS is an amount of calories below which you can lose weight. The hard part is finding it. Which is why you need a food journal.

Answer 4

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It clearly works and if I'd followed it exactly I think it would scare the living daylights out of me because of the amount that I'd lose. So thanks again for the information. I've never purchased anything like this before because they are usually full of trash, but 3WD has been a pleasant surprise.

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Answer 5

48 and 5'4" and, at 155 That is a real women i hope you want to lose for you or health. But then again iI and most men prefer a few curves.

Answer 6

start doing more exercises, if you cant lose more then 5 pounds then your not going to lose much weight, but you can try to firm up a bit