MUFFIN TOP

511 rep

MemberSioux City, IA

HELP! I have a muffin top and no matter how much weight I've been losing it doesn't seen to be going away. Right now I feel like that woman with the little tiny legs and the big belly. I've been doing various ab and oblique workouts, including using the stability ball and machines. My problem seems to be more in the front than the love handles though. Thoughts?

31k rep

MemberPort Washington, WI

How are you eating? Are you in a calorie deficit? Your nutrition is really key with fat loss- especially belly fat. Get rid of processed foods, soda- diet and regular, added sugars, high sodium. Eat as close to nature as you can. Sometimes the belly is the last thing to go to and you have to work pretty hard to get rid of it. Try doing some HIIT in your cardio- thats a good fat burner. Do cardio more intensely and for 15 minutes longer than your usual.

4k rep

MemberRoanoke, VA

Diet is critical. I would try for a daily ratio of 15% fat 40% carbs and 45% protein. If you use the diet tracker on anytimehealth it will break all that down for you. Plan your meals out on the diet tracker at the beginning of the day, then you will know you are eating the correct ratio and you have less of a chance to mess up and eat something that will throw your numbers off. Works for me! :o)

1.9k rep

MemberDurango, CO

Savannah I am the same way! I weighed a little over 120 pounds when I first started and am now down to just over 100 pounds! I am happy about the way everything else looks except for my muffin top! I have heard that belly fat and love handles will be the last to lose! I have kept at it though and have lost only two inches off my sides but that is enough to keep me going and stay motivated! I do a HIIT routine every night when I do my cardio following up with some weight lifting and core workouts! I know that if I just keep doing it and stick with it I will see great results around my core before too long!

27k rep

AlumniBettendorf, IA

To lose belly fat, you need to reduce your body fat percent. Unfortunately we can't spot reduce a certain area. Diet is going to be the main key, along with regular cardio and strength training. Try to eat an overall well balanced diet. Make sure you are controlling your portions and keeping track of what you eat. The diet tracker on this site is a great tool to help you stay on track. When exercising, try to get your heart rate in your target training zone. You may want to try doing a high intensity interval training workout program. Interval training is simply short intense periods of exercise, along with slightly longer low intensity periods of active rest. Also be sure to include some strength training into your workout routine. Resistance training is also beneficial for fat loss because if you build extra muscle, you will burn more calories. Good Luck!!!!

787 rep

AlumniHuntersville, NC

Muffin Tops could also be where the skin has stretched out from the weight and it needs to slowly recede back into place...I didn't have a muffin top but love handles from losing weight quickly...slowly my skin is taking its shape back...I did just think of 2 things too, I'm old and a guy so I might be speaking out of turn

31k rep

MemberPort Washington, WI

David- you definitely have a point. I lost weight pretty quickly as well- and had 3 pregnancies in 4 years, so I am wondering if my ab issues are skin vs. fat or a combination of the two, I am going to have to ask my trainer for his opinion.

14 rep

I feel your pain! I was told not to ingest calorie-free sweeteners. Your body thinks its consuming calories and if you dont burn em off, your body holds on to more fat to compensate.

14 rep

My doctor told me to run. everyday. for 45 mins.

14 rep

What is HIIT? I'd like to do that.

587 rep

MemberLakeland, FL

High-intensity interval training (HIIT), also called High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training, is an enhanced form of interval training, an exercise strategy alternating periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. HIIT is an effective form of cardiovascular exercise. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 9–20 minutes. These short, intense workouts provide improved athletic capacity and condition, improved glucose metabolism, and improved fat burning. Hope this helps.

31k rep

MemberPort Washington, WI

YES! Incorporate HIIT, its such an efficient way to get your cardio in and it just blasts fat. You can do it on virtually any cardio equipment. What I do is this- a 5 minute warm up at a moderate pace (get my heart rate into the lower end of my training zone), then all-out sprint for 30-45 seconds (I am aiming for a full minute), then recover for 1-2 minutes (I usually watch my heart rate, when it goes back into the lower end of my training zone, I am done recovering), then back to the all-out phase. Do the intervals for 20 minutes, then a 5 minute cool down. Its a fantastic workout in 30 minutes. You will probably sweat quite a bit though. I know there are some other HIIT routines on this site, just use the search functions to find them- some are quite advanced though, you can start off simple and build as you improve.

I usually do this while running- once a week- jog/sprint intervals, but since my Physical Therapist has told me "no running for now" I do it on the elliptical, or I do the fat burning program on the stair master- which essentially does the same exact thing.

Its a fun challenge, keeps cardio interesting.

Sarah

94 rep

AlumniMonroe, OH

WELL OVER THE COARSE OF THE TIME WE HAVE TO LOSE WEIGHT TO TIGHTEN AND TONE AT SAME TIME
ALOT OF PEOPLE GET CAUGHT UP WITH THAT NUMBER GAME ITS ABOUT BODY FAT PERIOD. THE 3 THINGS THAT WE NEED ARE A GOOD CARDIO PLAN, A NUTRITION PLAN, ALSO EXERCISE PROGRAM YOU CAN WEIGH A 110 LBS AND STILL HAVE HIGH BODY FAT SO BUILDING LEAN MUSCLE MASS WHILE LOSE BODYFAT IS THE MAIN GOAL AND GETTING CHECKED ON A REG BASE BODY FAT%.....

J2DAPZ