My BMI indicates I am overweight... What now?

Question

I am 5'2" and 140 lbs. My ideal weight for this height is something like 110-130, according to the BMI.

I don't feel like i am incredibly overweight, and the fat is all in my abdomen area. Are crunches going to help me at all?
I really want to just rid of the fat that is hanging around my stomach. What exercizes can I do nightly or twice a day that will help me lose this fat on my stomach?
Will I also need some cadio as well simply to lose pounds in general? Jogs or brisk walks? Thanks.

Answer 1

Abdominal exercises may make your midsection appear smaller, but they have no value in burning fat. If you want to lose the flab, you have to eat right and exercise.

Here are a few tips:

1. You MUST exercise if you want to lose weight and keep it off, so do something every day, even if it’s just a 15-minute walk around the neighborhood. Don’t say you don’t have time for exercise; you have to MAKE time. Yes, it takes time and effort, but you’re worth it, right?

2. Walk as much as you want, but don’t do cardio for more than 40 minutes at a time. If you do, you risk burning muscle instead of fat.

3. If you do strength training, use light weights and do lots of repetitions. That’ll really help you “tone up.”

4. Your diet will make you or break you. You have probably learned bad eating habits over time (most people do). That’s not your fault, but now you have to deal with it. Make a commitment to yourself to unlearn those bad habits and re-learn better habits.

5. Eat breakfast every day within an hour of getting up. People who don’t are 450% more likely to be overweight.

6. Eat six small meals or snacks per day instead of three squares per day or one big meal per day. Your body expends energy digesting your food, so eating smaller portions more often keeps your metabolism running high because you’re constantly digesting food.

7. Avoid these as much as possible:

-- Trans fat (any type of partially or fully hydrogenated oil)
-- High fructose corn syrup (soft drinks are LOADED with it)
-- Fast food
-- Junk food
-- White sugar, white flour, white rice, white potatoes
-- The deadly C’s (cookies, cakes, candy, chips, cola)

8. Build your diet around these trim-body-friendly foods:

-- Nuts, any kind (almonds are best)
-- Beans/Legumes
-- Fresh vegetables (green is GREAT!!!)
-- Dairy products (as long as they’re low-fat or non-fat)
-- Eggs
-- Lean meats (fish and poultry top the list)
-- Olive oil
-- Whole grain breads/cereals/pasta
-- Fresh fruits (anything that ends in “berry” is a winner)
-- Tea (green tea or black pekoe tea)
-- Cold water or ice water (your body has to expend extra calories to heat it up)

9. Desserts and treats are the exception, not the rule. Having said that, however, (1) you can have a couple of pieces of chocolate every day – just don’t overdo, and (2) Allow yourself one “cheat meal” every week where you eat and drink whatever you want as long as you don’t gorge yourself. That’ll help keep you from feeling deprived and it’ll make it easier to stick with your new healthy eating plan.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You and me are in the same position. You are lucky I am 160
but I don't know my BMI because I have alot of muscle mass.
Good abdomen is lie on back and hold legs six inches off the floor and hold it there for as long as you can stand it then repeat, Belly Dance classes, and always tighten and release your abdominal muscles. You can do this driving, at work, and just about anywhere! Cardio....10,000 steps a day! Walk, bike, or any cardio machine and do this for at least an hour until your heart rate is 100 beats per minute. Don't eat before bed. Try to journal what you eat...you will be amazed at those little things that add up! Try a supplement called Alli
it does work if you do the above things.

Answer 3

Crunches won't do anything to help you lose the fat, They will tone your abs but will still be covered by the outlying flab. Cardio will definitely help. If you mix that in with a lower calorie intake, you'll start shedding the pounds in no time. If you aim to lose one pound a week, its actually quite simple. It doesn't require cutting back on too many calories and it is consistent. If you'd like to aim for say, 120, it would only take 20 weeks or about 4 and a half months to get there. It might seem distant now but will come before you know it. The hardest part is the initial calorie cut back. It feels strange eating less than you are used to, but actually becomes very easy after a week or so.

Answer 4

Crunches won't help much- they'll just tone the stomach muscles, not necessarily burn off the fat. The best way to lose weight is by running/jogging, or doing other physical activity, alongside eating healthy food, perhaps in smaller portions- it's no good doing tons of exercise then getting home and eating junk the whole time.
Losing won't happen immediately, and it sounds like you are only a little bit overweight, if at all (BMIs aren't the best indicating, in my opinion, because after all, muscle weighs more than fat!). Little and often- don't push yourself that hard, and good luck!!

Answer 5

BMI is inaccurate. Do you have good muscle tone on most of your body? Muscle weighs more fat... therefore a short body builder would potentially weigh more than an overweight person of the same weight. Don't fret about your BMI, use your own judgement of your health and how the weight falls on you.

The BEST way to lose tummy fat is cardio - believe it or not, spot training does not zap the fat on that spot. But it defines the muscle and also burns up calories. Brisk walks/biking/swimming/jogging and other cardiovascular exercises will maximize your results.

I recommend cardio and Pilates for ab training.

Answer 6

Actually I would find out your level of body fat to see if you are in fact overfat. You can buy body fat callipers from Ebay (Accu-Measure).

You cannot spot reduce stomach fat, you can only lose fat from all over. You can however tone up your stomach by doing crunches on an exercise ball and I'd recommend a complete programme of strength training for your whole body to maintain/build muscle mass. And yes, you can also do brisk walks or go for a jog for your cardio.

Also I'd increase your intake of protein and definitely don't eat below 1,200-1,500 calories per day. Try to eat at least 1g of protein per 1lb of body weight spaced out into 5 smaller meals throughout the day.

Answer 7

I am also 5'2", but I weigh 115 to 120lbs, depending on the day.

I exercise 3 times a week, but nothing extreme. I hate working out, so I do yoga, and walk or run for 30 minutes every few days. I can do crunches/sit ups like crazy, but I have never seen it have any effect on my fatty belly. The thing that really burns up your fat is just keeping in motion until your heart rate goes up (you will feel a little out of breath), so the walking and running thing is your best bet. I also try to play with my dog or cat every night, and if you can do this until your heart rate starts to go up, it will also help you lose weight. Basically, just move around.

Foods that will make you retain/gain more weight are pastas and breads, and of course sweets. Try eating without putting any mayo, salad dressing, or extras like that on your food. It really works.

Another thing I have noticed is that adding carrots to your diet really helps a lot. It is harder for your body to digest them, and you will burn calories just eating them. If you drink tea, it will decrease your appetite and you won't want to eat as often.

Hope some of this helps!

Answer 8

I guess without some reduction in calories there will be not so much reduction in fat on the belly.
So first change eating habits, get rid of all sugar and fat.
Eat only vegetables, meat without fat, boiled or grilled, and fruit, but no bananas or grapes. You should eat only 2-3 peaces of toast bread, and diary products with low fat. No butter, no honey, no jam, no candy, no cake, no chocolate....
Second exercise, biking or dancing every day for at least an hour should be pleasant and relaxing but good enough to burn calories.
With this you'll loose 4-5 kg in one month, at least.
Afterwords, sometime you can have a little peace of cake or chocolate. But keep on with fiscal activities regularly.

Answer 9

BMI's are not reliable. If you measured a body builder with 10% body fat he would be morbidly obese on the BMI. BMI's were a tool insurance companies developed to decide on who to give insurance to. To lose body fat you most do cardio as fat is only burned in the presence of oxygen.Walking is a great option b/c it is lower impact on the joints and still increases the heart rate. You will need to be in your target hear rate zone for 30min to begin burning fat.

Answer 10

Start with doing stretches, crunches and sit -ups every day for 2 weeks then start walking everyday for 2 weeks. Then start jogging. Increase the length of time you do the exercises every week. Lay off the soda pop and sweets. Eat more veggies and fruit.