What other easy exercises can I do besides crunches and sit ups to help me lose belly fat?

Question

I do crunches and sit ups everyday but I'm not losing weight and my belly is the same size! I've been doing it for like a month already and also I watch what I eat. Any other exercises and eating habits?

Answer 1

hi LA Princess :)

the only way "spot reducing" is ever true is if you are already slim and fit and you want to tighten and tone a specific area. this is achieved through strength training and things like crunches, sit-ups, etc...

however, if you have excess fat (i assume you do on your abs by your question), its very important that you do aerobic exercise. the reason why is because while weight training and crunches do of course build muscle, their direct effect is boosting your metabolism which will in turn, burn more calories. but doing aerobic exercise immediately burns off excess fat because your body is using it as energy while you work out! this will slowly (but surely!!) "reduce" the areas of your body with excess fat. where, how much, and how fast is up to your body--you can't choose ;) hehe!

its important you work in your target heart rate for your age and fitness level. below is a link you can click on to determine that number. and...what i like to do is take the range numbers and divide them by 6, so i can stop and take my heart rate for only 10 seconds (instead of a minute!) and know if i'm in the right range. so for example, my target heart rate range is between 112-150 beats per minute, so my 10 second range is between 19-25 beats. the reason why this range is so important is because working out in this range for at least 20 minutes or more is when your body is burning FAT!! :):)

and remember--you dont have to make yourself miserable by working out for hours at the gym or forcing yourself to do grueling exercise vids! do something you love--walk the dog, jog with a friend, play tennis, swim, dance, or whatever you find enjoyable. this makes it a lot easier! and start out with 20 minute sessions, no matter how fit you are. then as the weeks pass, up it by 5 or 10 minutes at a time as you feel comfortable. that way you dont overdo it and just give up! :)

like natalie mentioned, eating a balanced diet and also your weight training/crunches/sit ups are only going to contribute to your weight loss as well! she has great dietary suggestions. just remember, trying to lose weight the old-fashioned way--without pills or quick fixes and being patient and as consistent as you can is the best and most permanent way to get fit and healthy! and on top of that you will feel great about yourself for sticking with it and reaching your goal :)

hope this info helped. best of luck!

be well!
~josey~

Answer 2

crunches and situps only build muscle, they dont burn any fat.
we cant spot reduce body fat - the only way to get rid of belly fat (any fat in any area on body) is by lowering body fat percentage.
never work on the same muscle group two days in row!!!
find daily calorie intake calculator on the net, enter all your stats and it will tell you how many calories you need a day to maintain, take off 400-600cal off that number and thats how much you need to lose.
eat 5-6 small meals a day (eat every 2-3 hours - it optimizes your metabolism)
5-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day (have lots of veggies to eat in between meals if you are still hungry)
8 glasses of water -carry bottle of water with you and when you feel hungry drink it - we often confuse hunger with thirst (our bodies confuse it)
have complex carbs for breakfast - they give you energy
have protein (lean meat, legumes etc) for dinner - repairs muscle
cardio is the only fat burning exercise and burns fat all over your body (running, jogging, swimming, spinning, elliptical etc) 4-6 times a week for average of 45min, light weight training a few times a week (more muscle=faster metabolism)
dont consume foods that are made of white flour (white bread, cakes, pasta etc.), sugar loaded foods (cookies, ice cream, candy etc) and nothing fried, oily.
of course you can spoil yourself once in a while with a little treat:)

Answer 3

go 20 mph on your bike for 6 1 2 minutes

Answer 4

combine exercise and diet

Answer 5

diet pills are tricky. hoodia is becoming so common that there are so many fakes out there now.

despite this, there are many credible solutions, but what you should look for in a diet solution to get the most of your money is

- is the diet solution medically backed?
- does it come with a nutrition guide

because pills that try to push their products are fake, a diet pill should only be accompanied with eating right and exercising!!!!

to learn more about credible diet pills check out http://www.britneynelson.com/weight-loss-pills-reviewed.html

But the most important thing ever is CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE!!! dieting doesn't help. you should look for something that is longterm.

changing your lifestyle and being able to maintain is the best indicator for success.

best of luck
kristin

Answer 6

The main thing you have not mentioned. You have to reduce your food intake. Avoid fats and consume lot of water especially before food so that you consume less food.

Answer 7

try drinking skim milk at breakfast instead of juice overweight people who drank skim milk for breakfast ate fewer calories

Answer 8

rather than yell toward family members in other rooms walk over to talk

Answer 9

walk at least 15 mins after your meals

Answer 10

no game necessary do 780 jumping jacks