Losing lower belly fat

[hitthecoast]

Stats: 5'10 150lbs 22yo

I have been trying to focus on chest (pushups, bench) and tightening my stomach while building ab muscle. I have been dieting and eating clean, I lost 5 lbs in a week. I have been using an ab coaster every day, as well as crunches and russian twists. To tighten up stomach fat, should I focus on being religious about dieting, holding off on the protein, or changing my workout program to include more cardio or decline leg-ups? Should I use creatine instead of protein? I have not taken creatine before.

I have already noticed an improvement and feel much healthier from eating clean instead of eating out every day.

For my diet I only drink water and eat salads, pastas, peanut butter, whole grain toast and protein. I also used to drink alot of beer but since April came around I have stopped drinking alcohol entirely. As a teen I had always been lean but have had slight belly fat, I never really took dieting into consideration until now. I'm looking to train hard for a flat V come summertime.

[EjnarKolinkar]

I stopped staring at my lower belly in the mirror, worked great for me.

Have you considered looking into a well-rounded serious weight training program?

[jasondjulian]

Stats: 5'10 150lbs 22yo

I have been trying to focus on chest (pushups, bench) and tightening my stomach while building ab muscle. I have been dieting and eating clean, I lost 5 lbs in a week. I have been using an ab coaster every day, as well as crunches and russian twists. To tighten up stomach fat, should I focus on being religious about dieting, holding off on the protein, or changing my workout program to include more cardio or decline leg-ups? Should I use creatine instead of protein? I have not taken creatine before.

I have already noticed an improvement and feel much healthier from eating clean instead of eating out every day.

For my diet I only drink water and eat salads, pastas, peanut butter, whole grain toast and protein. I also used to drink alot of beer but since April came around I have stopped drinking alcohol entirely. As a teen I had always been lean but have had slight belly fat, I never really took dieting into consideration until now. I'm looking to train hard for a flat V come summertime.

Firstly, you cannot spot reduce fat.. you can stare at it and do all the crunches you want until you puke, it won't cause just, only, nor mostly belly fat to reduce. A caloric deficit will lead to fat loss and your body and genetics will dictate when, where and how that happens. Ab workouts can tighten a stomach region a bit, but it certainly is not going to focus the fat loss to that area.

Second, that 5lbs you lost was good, but also likely almost all water weight. Which is probably why you see an improvement already (this, assuming you just started), you're less bloated.

Your diet seems limited... you do not need to restrict so much from your meals. Where are the fresh fruits and vegetables (outside of the salads)? What kind of protein? Strictly turkey or chicken breast, or is there some fish in there with healthy Omega-3's?

[xsquid99]

Stats: 5'10 150lbs 22yo

I have been trying to focus on chest (pushups, bench) and tightening my stomach while building ab muscle. I have been dieting and eating clean, I lost 5 lbs in a week. I have been using an ab coaster every day, as well as crunches and russian twists. To tighten up stomach fat, should I focus on being religious about dieting, holding off on the protein, or changing my workout program to include more cardio or decline leg-ups? Should I use creatine instead of protein? I have not taken creatine before.

I have already noticed an improvement and feel much healthier from eating clean instead of eating out every day.

For my diet I only drink water and eat salads, pastas, peanut butter, whole grain toast and protein. I also used to drink alot of beer but since April came around I have stopped drinking alcohol entirely. As a teen I had always been lean but have had slight belly fat, I never really took dieting into consideration until now. I'm looking to train hard for a flat V come summertime.

It seems like you have a very serious misunderstanding of nutrition and diet and fat loss.

1. You cannot spot reduce fat or "tighten it up". You can do hundreds of thousands of sit-ups and crunches and they will do absolutely nothing for your belly. Other than give you abs underneath that big layer of fat. Reduction of fat is done with diet, this is 90% of the solution. If you want to lose belly fat you have to lose overall body fat by placing yourself in a caloric deficit. This goes a lot further than just eating certain foods, it involves counting calories (using a food scale and the nutrition labels) to ensure you are staying under your caloric maintenance level. You can easily gain weight (and gain more belly fat) by eating all the foods you listed if you eat too much of them.

2. Protein is an essential macronutrient and the main building block of muscle. At minimum you should be eating 0.7g per lb of bodyweight. So for you at 150 lbs you need to be eating at least 105g of protein every day.

3. Creatine is a supplement, you don't use it "instead" of something else. People use it to assist with muscle building, endurance, recovery, etc. It is NOT essential like protein is.

4. Go back 1 page, read the "Don't Look Past the Basics" sticky.

All that being said, at 22 years old and 5'10" and 150 lbs I would have to question why you are trying to lose at all. You would probably be better served by getting on a good strength training program, eating right around your maintenance level, and building some muscle. As a newbie lifter you have the unique ability to build muscle and lose fat at the same time.

[hitthecoast]

It seems like you have a very serious misunderstanding of nutrition and diet and fat loss.

1. You cannot spot reduce fat or "tighten it up". You can do hundreds of thousands of sit-ups and crunches and they will do absolutely nothing for your belly. Other than give you abs underneath that big layer of fat. Reduction of fat is done with diet, this is 90% of the solution. If you want to lose belly fat you have to lose overall body fat by placing yourself in a caloric deficit. This goes a lot further than just eating certain foods, it involves counting calories (using a food scale and the nutrition labels) to ensure you are staying under your caloric maintenance level. You can easily gain weight (and gain more belly fat) by eating all the foods you listed if you eat too much of them.

2. Protein is an essential macronutrient and the main building block of muscle. At minimum you should be eating 0.7g per lb of bodyweight. So for you at 150 lbs you need to be eating at least 105g of protein every day.

3. Creatine is a supplement, you don't use it "instead" of something else. People use it to assist with muscle building, endurance, recovery, etc. It is NOT essential like protein is.

4. Go back 1 page, read the "Don't Look Past the Basics" sticky.

All that being said, at 22 years old and 5'10" and 150 lbs I would have to question why you are trying to lose at all. You would probably be better served by getting on a good strength training program, eating right around your maintenance level, and building some muscle. As a newbie lifter you have the unique ability to build muscle and lose fat at the same time.

I have never quite understood proper nutrition, supplementing and diet. I would just put three scoops of protein in my bottle and drink it after I would workout because I thought that was what you’re supposed to do. If I am going to take 100g of protein a day, should I take it all at once after the gym or throughout the day with meals? I will read the sticky, I searched “creatine” on the website but got no results. I am pretty toned as is, but I want to lose every bit of stomach fat or chub as I can.

Firstly, you cannot spot reduce fat.. you can stare at it and do all the crunches you want until you puke, it won't cause just, only, nor mostly belly fat to reduce. A caloric deficit will lead to fat loss and your body and genetics will dictate when, where and how that happens. Ab workouts can tighten a stomach region a bit, but it certainly is not going to focus the fat loss to that area.

Second, that 5lbs you lost was good, but also likely almost all water weight. Which is probably why you see an improvement already (this, assuming you just started), you're less bloated.

Your diet seems limited... you do not need to restrict so much from your meals. Where are the fresh fruits and vegetables (outside of the salads)? What kind of protein? Strictly turkey or chicken breast, or is there some fish in there with healthy Omega-3's?

No fish or chicken, just powder so far. I eat bananas when I can find them. But my meals are very basic and I’m looking to figure out what I’m doing wrong

[xsquid99]

Don't drink your protein, eat it. There is absolutely zero reason that you couldn't be able to eat 100g of protein in a day, that's easy. Protein is in sources like red meat, chicken, fish/seafood, eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, oats, nuts, etc. Look on the nutrition label for any of those items and it will tell you exactly how many grams of protein is in 1 serving, and how much that serving weighs (i.e. a 100g serving of chicken breast = 31g of protein).

[hitthecoast]

Don't drink your protein, eat it. There is absolutely zero reason that you couldn't be able to eat 100g of protein in a day, that's easy. Protein is in sources like red meat, chicken, fish/seafood, eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, oats, nuts, etc. Look on the nutrition label for any of those items and it will tell you exactly how many grams of protein is in 1 serving, and how much that serving weighs (i.e. a 100g serving of chicken breast = 31g of protein).

Are regular eggs vs egg whites detrimental to my diet program?

[rhadam]

No fish or chicken, just powder so far. I eat bananas when I can find them. But my meals are very basic and I’m looking to figure out what I’m doing wrong

Literally everything.

I'd recommend you visit the nutrition section and read the stickied threads at the top of the page. Then read them again. And read until you understand the basics. Then, look up authors like Alan Aragon, Eric Helms, or Stu Phillips and read about proper nutrition principles.