Fat Loss / Weight Loss Questions and Answers
Updated On Monday 05/19/2003
Q. From Christina: Bob, I am 5'1 and 120pds. My thighs are muscular but my butt and stomach are big. What is the best way to slim those two areas down?
A. Losing fat overall will slim these two areas down.
Q. From Inga: Thanks Bob for quick respond. I try to vary my weight lifting routine. Like for example two days ago I did circuit training for two hours. I trained all body parts3sets of 15 reps. I don't get sore easily, so I pushed myself to really isolate my musles. I use 10 lbs per hand for dumbells, 120-lbs for leg press. Anyways, so I got sore next day and I didn't do any weights except my abs until I feel recovered. And sometimes I do split routine, but that just doesn't feel effective. I started having a liitle too wide of V upper body, and I just want to maintain my current muscle mass and trim it to 13% fat in 4 weeks.
A. Circuit training for two hours? What did you do in that two hours, two full body workouts? That is one long session of circuit training.
Soreness is not a sign of a good workout routine. DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is thought to be caused by micro-trauma to your muscle fibers. It is not a goal to strive for. Eccentric exercise will lead to more DOMS than concentric exercise. You should try to minimize DOMS, not achieve it!
Your training does not sound very scientifically planned. You seem to be all over the board. You need a goal oriented routine that is well planned and thought out.
It is not the variety in your routine that concerns me, it is the intensity. You need to vary the intensity if you are training this many times a week.
What is your definition of "feel effective"?
As for your other question you posted, you need to re-evaluate your training routine and start with a well planned out routine.
Q. From Shawn: MY QUESTION IS FAT/WEIGHT LOSS AND EXERCISE. I AM 29 YEAR OLD FEMALE I STARTED ON MY DIET 2-1-03 AND IT IS NOW 5-18-03 I'VE WENT FROM 406 TO 363 WITH A 1000 TO 1200 CAL DIET NO DAIRY OR WHEY PRODUCTS EXERCISE (WALKING 1 MILE 3 TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK)AND OTHERS SAY THEY SEE A DIFFRENCE BUT I DO NOT MY PROBLEM IS MY STOMACH, HIP, AND INNER THIGHS ESPECIALLY MY AB AREA. WHAT ARE THE BEST MUSCLE TONNING EXERCISES FOR THOSE AREAS THAT WILL HELP THE RESULTS TO BE MORE NOTICIABLE AND THE WEIGHT LOSS MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT IS NOT AT ALL POSSIBLE FOR TO PERFORM SIT UPS?
A. Shawn, I would first like to start of by congratulating you on your weight loss. It would be much easier to read your question if it weren't all in caps! I would have never had you cut your calories so drastically since this will most likely have a negative effect on your metabolism in the long run. But it is too late for that. Also, why are you avoiding whey and dairy products?
As for exercises, you could perform side bends with dumbbells where you hold dumbbell to your side and bend at the waist to the side. You could also do standing crunches by holding a rope from the chest cross over pulley. What type of strength training are you currently using?
Q. From Inga:
I'm stuck. 24,5'4, 120lbs and 17%fat. Exersise,weight lift for 2years. I went
from 13%body fat(maintained for 2 years) to 17% and I gained 7lns in past 6
months(alot of stress). I go to gym 5 times a week always do cardio from 30 to 1
hour (intervals)(try to vary different kinds of it)I have very well developed
muscles everywhere(people say I could do fitness competitions), but I have a
visible layer of baby fat equally covering my whole body and it looks like
muscles pusched it out so it's very disturbing. I can't manage to loose any fat
. I eat only complex carbs(very low for past few weeks under 50g), tons of
protein and good oils. My calorie intake is about 1600kcal a day. Take
multivitamins. I know that I must have hit plateu. Please help, I'm lost and I'm
going back to Europe to visit in amonth and more than anything I'd like come
back eith my results achieved. I'm super determined:) You are my only hope now:)
Sincerely,
Inga
A. Hello Inga, I suspect many reasons for your lack of progress, but it would help if I knew what your current weight lifting routine looks like. You say you work out five times a week, but do you do full body weight lifting five times a week? Do you go heavy five days a week? How often do you change your weight training routine? What exactly does your day in day out training look like? How many reps, sets, exercises, etc? Your diet looks good, so I suspect other causes. If I knew the details above, I could give you a more informed answer.
The first and most likely cause is over-training. I say this because you have actually gone backwards in your training. If you train five times a week, you need to vary the intensity. If you are performing five full body workouts a week, I almost guarantee you are over-training. You have probably not hit a plateau. You are most likely over-trained. Of course I could be completely wrong since I do not know the answers to the above questions.
Another possible cause may be you have indeed hit a plateau because you have not overloaded your body. You must change the type of stress placed upon the body in order to bring upon adaptation. You accomplish this through changing your routine often, and by increasing the load so that you overload the muscles and nervous systems. Once your body has adapted to your current exercise routine, your progress will diminish unless changes are made.
If you send me the answers to the above questions, I will give a you a more definitive reason for your regression. In addition, I will be able to get you back on track so you can reach your goals. I will be looking forward to your next letter.
Q. From Michelle: What is the best form of diet and excercise to lose weight from your legs (thighs and knees) and your bum areas?
A. Hi Michelle, your answer has been covered many times in the questions below. Please take a little time to read through some of the questions and answers in this section to find the answers to your question.
Q. From Andy: I am 20 years old and weigh 180 lbs with a height of 5 feet 11 inches. And my BMI is around 25.1. I have a big belly (36 inches) and of course there are lots of fat in other body parts. So, i would like to lose fat in the summer vacation (4 months time). However, i seldom participate in any kinds of sports. therefore, i would like to see if you can suggest a exercise for me.
A. Hello Andy. Your question has been answered many times, please take the time to read through the questions below.
Q. From Brandon: Hey im currently 6'3 and 178 lbs. I would like to gain abs, increase chest muscle, and lose mid section weight. I cant seem to get into a lifting ruitine, and running is not my favorite. I did punch a bag but all that does is release anger, but in the long run increase it...any ideas? email me back
A. If you don't like running, than don't run. You should try to get back into a lifting routine. Your goals can be met with a good resistance training routine.
Q. From Karin: Is it true that if you're overweight when you start building muscle and don't diet to lose weight as you build muscle, that the build up of muscle underneath the fat will simply push it out making you appear larger? Legs, for example - a year or so ago I began a weight training program but made no changes in my diet. I made progress w/the weight training but my legs just got bigger and remained fatty looking on the surface.
A. It will build up the muscle under the fat, but you should also be losing fat since you are lifting weights and this burns a lot of calories. You will burn more calories lifting weights than by performing cardio, so you are on the right track. If you are not taking in excess calories, than you should be losing fat also. You can lose fat faster than you can build muscle, so you will not "bulk up" unless you are taking in excess calories. This is why you must also pay attention to what you are eating.
Q. From Ashley: Hi bob!! I'm sorry to say this but i really didnt understand your answer to my question can u be more pacific please.. like can you give me the excrises training on what i need to do to increase my breast size, my buttocks, to flatted my stomach and to shape my legs. sorry for the inconvinces. Thank You again!!
A. Sorry Ashley, but I do not recall your question. I receive tons of questions every day and can't find your other question. Please repost your question.
Q. From Zaibun: I have always had a good figure and still do,however recently I seem to have put on a bit of weight on my hip,i bought myself a fitnett workout tape,can you kindly advise mw on how to go about losing this weight.
A. I am not familiar with that fitness workout tape, but I am currently making a fitness type that should be available in the next six months. I would suggest reading some of the other posts on fat loss. I have covered this topic extensively in the following posts.
Q. From Brenda: I need to lose 50 lbs and I have just started to exercise at a sports center. Should I concentrate on mostly aerobic exercises or should I also do weights. I don't want to add any mass to my body. I want a lean toned look. Thanks.
A. You will get the lean look by losing fat and the toned look by lifting weights. You will lose the fat by burning more calories and taking in less calories. You will burn more calories by lifting weights than by performing cardio. This suggests that you should concentrate on weight training and HIIT training. You can perform some cardio after your weight training and HIIT training. You will only put on muscle mass if you take in more calories than you are expending. It is not an easy task to put on a lot of muscle, so don't worry about "bulking up".
Q. From Katie: Hi Bob, I have been doing a variety of exercises 6 days a week i am looking to lose 10 pounds, i rollerblade 8 miles two days a week, at a pace of approx. 55 minutes. Do you think this type of exercise is going to help me lose weight or is it more of a muscle toning exercise?
A. What variety of exercises do you perform 6 days a week. The rollerblading is probably a good exercise for fat loss, but I think you should incorporate some strength training in there as well.
Q. From Abraham:
I was wondering if i could ask you a question about training ... im trying to
lose about 4 kgs or so of body fat but im afraid that i will lose muscle in the
process ... how do i go about losing fat withought compromising on muscle ? ...
one other thing .... i am 175cm tall and i weigh about 80-81 kgs but
i dont look it ... most people guess me to weigh much less ... how does that
work ...
finally, im trying to get a bigger frame my body .. alot of people call me
scrawny and it drives me nuts ... how do i get a wider chest, back and over
frame ? ... i can bench a maximum 2 reps of 100kg's ... i can military press
about 55kgs and i can do wide grip chin ups for 4x 6 reps ...
any kind of help and advice will be gratly appreciated .. many thanks in
advance,
A. You can lose the fat and maintain the muscle mass with strength training. Strength training will ensure you keep most of your muscle mass.
I am not sure I understand your second question about people guessing your weight. Everyone carries weight differently.
If you want to put on muscle mass you will have to consume more calories. Make sure you consume healthy calories and enough protein. The easiest way to put on muscle mass is to increase your calories, but you may put on a little fat. Eat more calories on your weight training days and less calories on your days off. This should help you keep off the fat.
Q. From Maria:
Hi there,
I recently quit smoking and gained an extra 15 pounds. As I type, I
am 5'4" and weigh 122 pounds. I want to lose around 10 lbs (of
fat), and tone up my abs and lower body. For the last month I've been
doing cardio for approx. 30-45 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week with 1 or 2 of
those workouts being an interval type workout- 2 minutes of anaerobic exercise
alternated with 2 minutes of lower body toning (squats, lunges, etc). I'm
also doing weight training 1-2 times a week (low weight, high reps). Along
with all of this, I have cut my calories down to approx. 1400 a day. I
have not seen ANY changes. My weight is the same, and even though I
haven't checked my body fat %, I would be suprised if it has gone down, as my
body has not changed at all. Please help. I'm not sure what more I
can do or change to see a difference.
A. Hello Maria, Congratulations on quitting smoking! Did you just cut your calories down to 1400 all at once? The first thing I would have advised is not to count calories. All you need to do is make sure you eat healthy and don't overeat, an especially hard task since you quit smoking.
How are you performing your strength training? Are you performing 2 full body workouts a week? You need to place more importance on your strength training over the cardio. You will burn more overall calories while strength training than by performing cardio. I want you try to following, but you have to keep me up to date with your progress. Try the following exercise program if you like:
Monday: 5 minute warm-up of low intensity cardio. Then strength training. Chest, shoulders, triceps, and abdominal. You Choose the exercises. Now perform 5 minutes of interval training on a stationary bike and then 20 - 30 minutes of cardio.
Tuesday: 5 minute warm-up of low intensity cardio. Then strength training, legs, biceps, lower back, and upper back. Again, 5 minutes of interval training and 20 - 30 minutes of cardio.
Wednesday: OFF!!!
Thursday: perform the upper body routine again.
Friday: perform the lower body routine again.
Saturday and Sunday: OFF
You will have to adjust the sets and reps depending on your fitness level. I will suggest 10 reps for 6 weeks and then 8 reps for 6 weeks, etc. This is not as good as if I was able to train you and monitor your progress and make changes as needed, but it is a start. You should probably stick with machines unless you have a good trainer (believe me, they are hard to come by these days). Most trainers aren't worth anything! Good luck and keep me up to date at bob@youronlinefitness.com.
Q. From Anna: I have changed my eating habits a couple of months ago eliminating junk food eating more vegtables and lean chicken and fish and ive lost about 10lbs have about 20 more pounds to go im skinnier on top and more heavier on the bottom im taking a kickboxing class ive noticed my legs are getting more toned but my thighs dont seem to be getting any smaller i feel like theres a lump of fat on both sides that stick out im wondering what excercise i can use to target that area
A. You should try some squats, leg presses, leg extensions, etc. This can have a tightening effect on the area, but you will need to lower fat overall since it is impossible to spot reduce fat.
Q. From Girlfriend?: hi. my boyfriend has a bit of a belly and is trying to find ways to slim it down some. he is 6 ft tall and weighs about 230 lbs. he is a full time college student, who works alot, which involves lifting objects, and does alot of walking. He drinks plenty of water. He says he trys to stay away from sit ups, due to his bad back. Could you suggest anywhere where he could start from. thank you.
A. The worst thing you can do for a bad back is stay away from back and abdominal exercises. If you want to get you back in shape you will need to work it. He should start exercising and perform some HIIT training.
Q. From Robert: Hey Bob I'm 14 and I'm a bit over weight. Not too much though I'm like 127 when I should be like 110. My question is how can I eat right and exercise without getting to tired and stopping? If you have any sugggestions please e-mail me.
A. Hello Robert, You shouldn't really concentrate on cutting calories since you don't want to stunt your growth. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch what you eat. Try to make sure you eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. As for getting tired, do you mean burned out? Start out slow and build up intensity and volume over time.
Q. From Javee: hi there bob!i was wondering if you could help me loose this BIG butt of mine within a month? what do i have to do? what food should i not eat? i exercise every day like 20 mins (jogging, sit-ups and high jumps) do you think taebo could help?thanks very much!
A. In a month? How much do you need to lose. Unless it is less than 8 pounds, I don't think so. Is your butt mostly fat or muscle? I would suggest some endurance training along with some weight training. But this may be inaccurate since I don't know whether your butt is lard or muscle.
Q. From Snake??: every time i look on the ineternet i look for places to go to lose weight, but the always tell me the same thing. im tired of the girls at school teasing me about my weight of my size. my question is what can i do to lose weight and not gain muscle. why cant i just get rid of the weight and not take in more because of muscel i never wanted while trying to lose weight.
A. You can lose the weight without maintaining the muscle by performing cardio. Try to perform your cardio for 30 minutes a day 4 times a week. Increase as you are able to. You also have to watch your diet. You will not gain muscle as long as you do not take in to many calories. Strength training is the best method of fat loss, so perform some cardio, strength training, and watch what you eat.
Q. From Bob: Sir,
I have recently lost 40lbs. I have found that I have a saggy spare tire around
my waist. I am doing the excercises that are recommended on you site. Will this
go away?
Thank-you,
A. This depends on whether it is fat or loose skin. If it is fat, yes it will go away if you lose more fat.
Q. From Lex: im 14 and i weigh 136 and im 5'6 i would like to weigh 114 and quick as possible what would be the best diet and exercise for me to do to get that weight? i want to lose my weight as quick as i can. ill do anything i have to please help me
A. Why are you in such a rush to lose 22 pounds? At your age you do not need to be in such a rush to lose that weight. Since I do not know your current level of fitness or your current eating habits, I am not able to give you a reliable answer. Please contact me and give me more information and I will be better able to assist you.
Q. From Bonita: I started a weight lifting and aerobic routine 7 weeks ago. I DO Leslie Sansones 3 mile walk tape also her 2 mile tape and the FIRM upper body tape on monday, wed, fri. Tues., and thurs I do the 3 mi. 2 mi. and the firm lower body. Sat. I do 2 and 3 mi.walks. I am eating approc 1200 to 1500 calories. I am not losing much weight. Am I eating enough? Am I doing too much? I weigh 170 and am 5' 2". Please help .
A. I am not familiar with Leslie Sansomes tapes or the other tapes you mention. How about a little high intensity running or jogging? I can't give much information because I do not know what types of routines you are talking about. Are you varying the intensity of your workouts? If you are training five days a week you need to make sure you very the intensity of your workouts, one light day and one heavy day. Your daily calorie requirements are about 2200. 1500 should be low enough to drop weight. Sorry I cannot give you more information, but I do not know much you current routine.
Q. From Kathy: I am a 33-year-old female. I am 5-6 and about 138 lbs. Although many women carry fat in their thighs I have no problem there, I tend to carry fat in the abdominal area especially after three kids and would like to know how to train for this problem. Even when I weighed 115 I still had a little gut but was skinny everywhere else. I also would also like to know if you have any exercises for the neck, this has also been a problem area (heredity) thank you
A. Unfortunately you store your body fat in the midsection, so this is the last place it is going to come off. All you can do is lose more body fat through eating healthy and exercising.
Q. From Steve: How can I remove fat above my waist line. Thanks, Steve
A. You need to lose fat overall, you cannot spot reduce fat.
Q. From Joe: Hi Bob, My question is this...I have been working out for a year now, but I can't seem to lose inches around my mid section, I am doing super sets, half hour of cardio a day, abs everyday and eating low carbs. Fat is being reduced but I am still a 36 waist...I am 5'9 190 Mesomorph
A. Joe, in order to give you a better answer I would need to know more about your current routine. You should be concentrating on HIIT training over the cardio. Do HIIT three times a week and cardio another three times a week for 30 minutes. Perform some type of strength training at least 3 times a week as well.
Q. From M:
Hi Bob, I would like to loose muscle mass, mainly from my quads. I
know you have said you can't loose weight from specific areas, but I have a
petite build, with too muscular thighs. I'm 5'4" and of coarse I
have 5-10 lbs of fat to loose also. My upper body is very thin, but my lower
body is where I put weight on (abs, and inner thighs). I would just
like my lower body to be in proportion to my upper body.
I saw you told someone to do 45 minutes 4 times a week and increase as you can. Do
you mean increase the 45 minutes or times per week? You also said to
do upper and lower body aerobics, what are some examples of these?
I have also been doing pilates every other day. Would you suggest to
do the aerobic every other day?
Thanks so much,
M
A. I would recommend that you increase the amount of time spend doing the aerobic activities. Lower body aerobics include jogging, riding a bike, etc. Upper body aerobics include rowing, hand pedaling, etc. I am not a big fan of pilates.
Q. From Tom: hi bob.i am 5 foot 4 inches i am currentley in volved in a sportand am an only child . i for got to ask in my last letter. do you have any work outs i could do in secret? thanks tom
A. It is hard to believe the sincerity of your question, why would you need to perform your workouts in secret?
Q. From Melissa: Hey Bob, I'm 5'1 and I weigh 112 lbs, I know i'm not overweight, but i've gained alot of weight, and it shows on my lower stomache. It's just a bulge there, and I was curious as to how I could get rid of it. Any suggestions?
A. Start an exercise routine and you will lose the excess fat.
Q. From Lisa:
42 year old Lisa here! Thanks for responding. It's
interesting that you should say that I am probably burnt out etc. I
decided last week to stop lifting and do Yoga 2x/week and pilates 3/week for the
next month. I was not doing any HIIT just 30 min. 4-5x/week. What
are your suggestions for over-training (which I agree could be the problem)? Do
you agree with the pilates/yoga workouts? Should I add
HIIT to lose fat and maintain the muscle I have, which is my goal?
I appreciate your input! Your website is terrific and a great tool!
Thanks again,
A. I am not a big fan of Pilates or Yoga. I will be adding an article on Pilates training as soon as I get around to updating. I have a couple of new writers and am waiting for them to submit their articles before I update.
I would suggest that you take a week off and start again slowly. After your week off, workout two times a week for about a month, than to four times a week. HIIT training is a great way to lose the fat and maintain the muscle mass. I would suggest HIIT training 3 times a week, with at least one day off in-between.