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[Stardeath]

Look, you may hate crunches with a passion, but a good routine should take no more than ten minutes and day and will be very effective. My routine:

1. Regular crunches (slow set of 4, fast set of 16)
2. Touch elbow to opposite knee (slow set of 4, switch sides, fast set of 16, switch sides)
3. Side crunches -- shoulders off the floor, touch your hand to your ankle on the same side (slow set of 4, switch sides, fast set of 16, switch sides)
4. Leg lifts -- one foot on the floor, lift straight leg up to 45 degrees while crunching (slow set of 4, switch sides, fast set of 16, switch sides)
5. Peddling -- shoulders off the floor, bring one knee in while extending other leg straight out in peddling motion (set of 16)
6. Reverse Peddling -- same thing, reverse direction (set of 16)
7. Scissors -- shoulders off the floor, legs lifted slightly off the floor, bring one leg up to 45 degrees, switch legs in a "scissor" motion, do not touch legs or shoulders to floor (slow set of 4, fast set of 16)

I do this daily and switch it up or make it more complicated with other pilates exercises to keep from getting bored. The most important thing is to keep your back from arching -- keep it flat on the floor at all times. If you're just starting a routine and this is too much, do what you can and rest a day between routines. As you get stronger, it will get easier. If it's too easy, add more reps.

After the routine, turn to lay on your stomach and then push up on your hands to arch your back and stretch out your abs. Relax down and then stretch up again, repeating a couple of time and trying to arch higher and stretch more each time. Stretching is always important.

[kaizerfloyd]

Eating an egg in the morning gives you a shot of protein. This makes you less hungry, so you burn more fat, including around your stomach

[SoldierSnoopy]

Oh my. I keep reading this thread on tummy help, and I keep reading on sit ups and crunches. Those only help show abs if you already are slim in the tummy area. The best solution I found for losing stomach fat is actually more of a post workout thing. Spend workout routines doing average weight training, then end it with about a 10-15 minute intense cardio routine. Not only does this burn a lot of fat during, but also burns post workout. Eating healthy is also a good part of this. Which reminds me, after working out, it's good to not eat for about 30-45 minutes to make sure your body gets its maximum amount of fat burned for that workout session.
That's what I do at least and it only takes about an hour out of my day. More if I go to the gym after work as well.
If you're already slim in the stomach area, yes sit ups, crunches, flutter kicks, and planks will most definitely help show ones abs.

[SoldierSnoopy]

Oh yes, protein as well. Forgot to mention. I usually take pre-workout and post work out supplements to catch up on vitamins that I know I don't consume often on a regular basis.

Originally Posted by SoldierSnoopy

Oh my. I keep reading this thread on tummy help, and I keep reading on sit ups and crunches. Those only help show abs if you already are slim in the tummy area. The best solution I found for losing stomach fat is actually more of a post workout thing. Spend workout routines doing average weight training, then end it with about a 10-15 minute intense cardio routine. Not only does this burn a lot of fat during, but also burns post workout. Eating healthy is also a good part of this. Which reminds me, after working out, it's good to not eat for about 30-45 minutes to make sure your body gets its maximum amount of fat burned for that workout session.
That's what I do at least and it only takes about an hour out of my day. More if I go to the gym after work as well.
If you're already slim in the stomach area, yes sit ups, crunches, flutter kicks, and planks will most definitely help show ones abs.

[xooxu]

Cardio is great for burning fat. You said you have limited leg mobility, so try fast paced walking if you can, or something like boxing classes. The idea is to do quick, low power movements to get the heart beating. Full body movements work best, so if you jog or walk, move your arms with the rhythm, too.

If you follow cardio with strength workouts, it will increase the result of the heavier workouts, too.

[xooxu]

Originally Posted by GoddessDigi

I've been pregnant since 2009, practically.
My daughter was born March 2010 and my son in September 2011. I lost weight rather quickly each time, but now my stomach is basically..flabby.
There's nothing under there, but it's not flat.
Any tips or tricks..?

The best way to get rid of this is unfortunately surgery. You can try things to build muscle below the excess skin, which will tighten the skin a bit since there is more under there, but there isn't an easy way to get rid of hanging skin. Some advice is if you are overweight, to lose the weight slowly, so that the skin tightens with the reduction of fat. But once the flab is there, there's not much you can do that's short of drastic.

[Hello Nessy]

try this method, it increases metabolism:

[ByronSpiegal]

Discipline is also key, your body metabolizes food differently and certain times of the day, if you're a late night snacker that's a habit that must be broken I stop at around 9 or 10pm, food in your stomach when you go to bed turns to fat.

[ByronSpiegal]

Originally Posted by Hello Nessy

try this method, it increases metabolism:

Gonna try this routine myself, seeing your Babydoll cosplay, I'm a believer XD

[ByronSpiegal]

Okay, it's a good thing I'm already fit, cause that workout was beastly.

[Alvulious]

It looks nasty lol, going to try it myself

[Ulquiorra~]

If you are thin but still feel swollen or bloated, you probably have issues with your fiber intake. I am 5'5 and 105 pds and before I was told by my doc to start a fiber supplement I took being bloated or pudgy looking all the time as normal. But holy crap... once I started taking metamucil everyday I saw a difference in easily 2 or 3 days. If your stomach sticks out but there isnt much fat to grab on it, I'd say DEFINITELY look into taking some fiber. If this is the problem for you, you will be amazed at the difference!

[LunarCrazy]

^That's probably part of my problem, but I still have a bit of fat to grab, too. What's really strange for me is that I joined our school's running team, and despite two months of two- hour-workouts five days a week, haven't lost an ounce.

I weighed myself once every couple of days until September of last year. Then, several months later, after my first grueling workout from the bootcamp/tryout week before joining the team, I weighed myself just for fun. I had gained 10 pounds!! And since then, not a pound has left me! I understand that part of it is muscle; I can feel that in my calves. But it seems everywhere else I've only gained flab. I even measured my waist, which gained an inch D8

It's not just worrisome to my body image, but also to my athletic ability. I've noticed that the fastest girls seem to have very little fat(in a muscular, slim way, not an anorexic one) while I lug behind with belly and thigh fat holding me back.

Ideas for how I can gain muscle while destroying fat while on the team?

[Rin.era]

Colon cleansing is a good idea that only targets your stomach. Colon cleansing is flushing out the gunk and fecal matter in your large intestine, and chances are if your stomach is sticking out, you got some flushing to do.

Sorry if this sounds a little graphic, but it helps. If you go to your vitamin store you can pick up psyllium seed/husk and slippery elm bark. They come in pills so just take as directed and it should help. I take the psyllium husks in a powder and mix it with a drink o.O i just feel like I'm getting more out of it that way, you can find it at the vitamin store too, I break open the capsules of slippery elm and mix it in.

Your local health store should also have colon cleansing pills as well so you could always just buy those.

Now this is just a method that targets your belly area. If you have fat overall then you should seek other methods of getting rid of it. Colon cleansing also makes you poop a lot, this is because you are getting rid of what's in your colon, but don't fret, it comes out fast, so don't be embarrassed to go to the restroom. Again sorry if this is slightly graphic.

If you're looking to burn fat, of course you should take up some sort of exercise regimen. (Try the anime workouts, they're limited but you could totally make up your own and it would be fun, the other forums do a great job of suggesting tips to exercising)

But in addition to exercise, you can go to your local health store and purchase some l-carnitine pills (it also comes in a liquid form) You can of course ask whoever is working there which ones would be good for you. This is suppose to metabolize your fat and convert it into energy (something along the lines of that, ask the health store and they'll tell you) This works best in combination with working out, even if tit's 30 minutes of walking.

A footnote: Whenever you get pills understand that the printed mg count is not actually how many milligrams of whatever it's for, it's misleading and actually contains less than what is stated. I forget how much less but did a lab in chemistry for this. Another tip that is off topic is that if you take multi-vitaman pills, it doesn't matter how much of it you're taking, your body will only intake how much it needs and discard the rest, that is to say, if you think your body will take so much of a vitamin and use it once you take it, you are wrong.

[AmamiHaruka765]

Okay, so I'm an average and healthy weight for my height and size and I'm pretty confident about my image. Only problem is that even though I usually have a flat stomach, eating or drinking anything makes me get really bloated and pudgy and unpleasant looking and feeling. I don't want this to happen at the next con where I have to walk around with my stomach exposed all day...but I don't want to not eat or drink.

Help?