Working out

[mustlovedogs]

Like I asked before - is it net 1200 calories or total? If you're literally only eating 1200 calories and working out, you're starving yourself.

[Wiseman2]

Your diet is inadequate. The protein is too low the sugar/simple carbs are way too high and the calories are so low that it will decrease your metabolism. Also cut out alcohol. Loaded with empty calories, jacks up insulin and abdominal fat storage. See a registered dietitian with a degree and scientific food knowledge.

I am usually very hungry or tired at the end of the day.

[itsallgrand]

Do you eat strictly vegan?

[anicole]

Like I asked before - is it net 1200 calories or total? If you're literally only eating 1200 calories and working out, you're starving yourself.

Total of 1,200 calories.

[anicole]

Your diet is horrible. The protein is too low the sugar/simple carbs are too high and the calories are so low that it will decrease your metabolism.

60 grams of protein is what u take in daily

[anicole]

Your diet is horrible. The protein is too low the sugar/simple carbs are too high and the calories are so low that it will decrease your metabolism.

I can in 60 grams of protein

[Batya33]

Cut out the shakes. Or if you love shakes so much make one with fresh banana, a little bit of milk (I use half a cup of milk and it makes at least 3 servings of shakes) and about 1.5 cups of ice. Add protein powder (I don't but have heard of good protein powders that don't have added sugar or fat, I think?)

 

Also if you're in tune with when you feel full I highly suggest eating avocado and also figs (dried figs but with no added sugar). If you tend to binge, then avocados might not be the best because you won't pay attention enough to the full feeling.

[anicole]

Well something is wrong there. If you are cutting so many calories and going to bed hungry, you should be losing weight.

 

I don't know what to tell you.

I'm not losing the belly fat. I want abs. I notice I'm toning in my arms and more definition in my legs.

[anicole]

Cut out the shakes. Or if you love shakes so much make one with fresh banana, a little bit of milk (I use half a cup of milk and it makes at least 3 servings of shakes) and about 1.5 cups of ice. Add protein powder (I don't but have heard of good protein powders that don't have added sugar or fat, I think?)

 

Also if you're in tune with when you feel full I highly suggest eating avocado and also figs (dried figs but with no added sugar). If you tend to binge, then avocados might not be the best because you won't pay attention enough to the full feeling.

I have a nutribullet I use and usually out a banana with a table spoon of milk not too much.

[mustlovedogs]

Total of 1,200 calories.

 

Then you are literally starving yourself. Your body goes in to anorexic defense mode. It's probably net 750 calories a day which is not enough to subsist on. This means your body wants to hold on to the fat to extend your life. Literally.

 

You'll notice you'll start losing your periods. You'll be tired. You'll slow your metabolism way down to exist. And then, when you do start eating healthy, your metabolism will be so slow you'll start gaining weight again.

 

You're doing this incredibly poorly. I recommend you see a nutritionist or a doctor ASAP.

[Batya33]

I have a nutribullet I use and usually out a banana with a table spoon of milk not too much.

 

Yes, much better choice than the packaged smoothie you showed us the label of.

[Wolfshook]

It's 4 weeks. Give it some more time.

[dias]

I'm not losing the belly fat. I want abs. I notice I'm toning in my arms and more definition in my legs.

Abs take years not months. But with the right diet/training you can lose about 1/2-1 kg per week and obtain a flat belly within 3-4 months. Obviously you are doing something wrong. As others mentioned you need to cut shakes completely. Maybe you need to see a nutritionist.

[Wiseman2]

Agree. Here's some info:

"Exercise and dieting can help you get rid of belly fat

 

So what can we do about tubby tummies? A lot, it turns out. The starting point for bringing weight under control, in general, and combating abdominal fat, in particular, is regular moderate-intensity physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight. Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won't get at visceral fat.

 

Diet is also important. Pay attention to portion size, and emphasize complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and lean protein over simple carbohydrates such as white bread, refined-grain pasta, and sugary drinks. Replacing saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats can also help.

 

Scientists hope to develop drug treatments that target abdominal fat. For now, experts stress that lifestyle, especially exercise, is the very best way to fight visceral fat"

[Jibralta]

I'm not losing the belly fat. I want abs. I notice I'm toning in my arms and more definition in my legs.

 

Have you had defined abs in the past? I ask because depending on your body type, defined abs may not be in your cards.

 

People build muscle and accumulate fat in different ways (see ectomorph/endomorph/mesomorph). In addition to that, there's a bunch of different figure types that are defined by the distribution of fat and muscle on a body: Apples, who can have very thin legs and arms, but big bellies. Pears, who tend to have narrow shoulders, small waists, big hips. Triangles, who have broad shoulders but narrow hips. Hourglass people have a fairly balanced hip/waist/shoulder ratio.

 

Some people naturally carry more fat in their belly area, and while they can be very thin with very small waists, muscle definition isn't really on the table for them.

[Batya33]

Have you had defined abs in the past? I ask because depending on your body type, defined abs may not be in your cards.

 

People build muscle and accumulate fat in different ways (see ectomorph/endomorph/mesomorph). In addition to that, there's a bunch of different figure types that are defined by the distribution of fat and muscle on a body: Apples, who can have very thin legs and arms, but big bellies. Pears, who tend to have narrow shoulders, small waists, big hips. Triangles, who have broad shoulders but narrow hips. Hourglass people have a fairly balanced hip/waist/shoulder ratio.

 

Some people naturally carry more fat in their belly area, and while they can be very thin with very small waists, muscle definition isn't really on the table for them.

 

I agree with this I never had a flat tummy or defined abs and I was never overweight - I am thin now and have been thin or thin/normal almost my whole life. For the last 35 years I've exercised regularly (3-5 times a week at least) and for the last 6 years, 7x/week but only cardio. I am also very active in general. My belly doesn't look fat though and I think it's because of the cardio/watching what I eat. It's fine to want that but maybe reevaluate how important it is to you because it might take more work than it's worth (I've heard spanx can work wonders but I never tried it).

[itsallgrand]

It took me a year to have defined flat tummy. That was with intense strength training, very strict diet, and tonnes of hard work and experimenting. If I ate even a little more salt than usual for ONE day, puffiness set in. And female hormones play with it too. During my period, I was puffy and nothing changed that.

 

There is so much you can tweak, so much time yet before you should be setting hopes on super defined abs. That's like Stage Ten for women, and you are at Stage One.

 

You should notice some improvements in tone already. How you feel. I think you really should get a nutritionist if you want to take it seriously because your diet doesn't add up.

 

You didn't mention either if you eat a strictly vegan diet?

[jujusamples]

It takes patience to get results from working out! Not sure how you already have definition in your arms and legs with just 1 month of exercise? It took me months and months just to see a little definition.

 

It taken' over 6 months to loose 20 pounds. In my opinion, the trick is not to obsess about calories or how much weight you loss. Go by how you feel and just keep working out.

 

I didn't jump on the scale for the first 3 months I was working out. I did the first day to see where my weight was at, left it at that. I got motivation by the feeling I got from exercise and how my clothes fit.

 

Just keep working out, you will get results eventually. Jumping on the scale all the time is discouraging. I did change my eating habits, but not to the extreme. I add in the food that I need for my muscle to grow, but I still do eat the food I enjoy.

 

Make this a fun and enjoyable journey, not a chore. You will get there. The moment you give up on that scale, you will start feeling better and just keep going from there.

[jujusamples]

Then you are literally starving yourself. Your body goes in to anorexic defense mode. It's probably net 750 calories a day which is not enough to subsist on. This means your body wants to hold on to the fat to extend your life. Literally.

 

You'll notice you'll start losing your periods. You'll be tired. You'll slow your metabolism way down to exist. And then, when you do start eating healthy, your metabolism will be so slow you'll start gaining weight again.

 

You're doing this incredibly poorly. I recommend you see a nutritionist or a doctor ASAP.

 

This is very good advice. If you starve yourself, you are not feeding anything for your muscle to grow. The goal to weight loss is to speed up your metabolism, not slow it down.

 

I'm at the point where I eat all the time, always hungry but I'm still slimming down. Hence, this didn't happen for me in a 1 month, more like almost a year! Yes, go see your doctor, it is extremely dangerous what you are doing. Exercise is suppose to help you feel more healthier and gives you more energy, not the opposite.

[anicole]

Have you had defined abs in the past? I ask because depending on your body type, defined abs may not be in your cards.

 

People build muscle and accumulate fat in different ways (see ectomorph/endomorph/mesomorph). In addition to that, there's a bunch of different figure types that are defined by the distribution of fat and muscle on a body: Apples, who can have very thin legs and arms, but big bellies. Pears, who tend to have narrow shoulders, small waists, big hips. Triangles, who have broad shoulders but narrow hips. Hourglass people have a fairly balanced hip/waist/shoulder ratio.

 

Some people naturally carry more fat in their belly area, and while they can be very thin with very small waists, muscle definition isn't really on the table for them.

In my younger days I had defined and, I'm 33 now. I'm not fat I just have a little pudge tummy. My thighs were always thicker.

[anicole]

It took me a year to have defined flat tummy. That was with intense strength training, very strict diet, and tonnes of hard work and experimenting. If I ate even a little more salt than usual for ONE day, puffiness set in. And female hormones play with it too. During my period, I was puffy and nothing changed that.

 

There is so much you can tweak, so much time yet before you should be setting hopes on super defined abs. That's like Stage Ten for women, and you are at Stage One.

 

You should notice some improvements in tone already. How you feel. I think you really should get a nutritionist if you want to take it seriously because your diet doesn't add up.

 

You didn't mention either if you eat a strictly vegan diet?

No I'm not strictly vegan, I eat fruit fish and chicken breast grilles.

[anicole]

It took me a year to have defined flat tummy. That was with intense strength training, very strict diet, and tonnes of hard work and experimenting. If I ate even a little more salt than usual for ONE day, puffiness set in. And female hormones play with it too. During my period, I was puffy and nothing changed that.

 

There is so much you can tweak, so much time yet before you should be setting hopes on super defined abs. That's like Stage Ten for women, and you are at Stage One.

 

You should notice some improvements in tone already. How you feel. I think you really should get a nutritionist if you want to take it seriously because your diet doesn't add up.

 

You didn't mention either if you eat a strictly vegan diet?

I like this I will not panic anymore

[Batya33]

I like this I will not panic anymore

 

Where is the panic coming from? Are you panicky that your stomach might look slightly rounded and not be as firm as you've planned? What panics you about that?

[anicole]

Where is the panic coming from? Are you panicky that your stomach might look slightly rounded and not be as firm as you've planned? What panics you about that?

About what I eat

[Jibralta]

In my younger days I had defined and, I'm 33 now. I'm not fat I just have a little pudge tummy. My thighs were always thicker.

 

Look into somatotypes. Gaugegirl on youtube has some interesting videos on them.