Hope I'm in the right place for this... would anyone have any suggestions for how to lose that final, stubburn stomach fat? I have been pretty disciplined in following the zone diet over the last few months and have lost 35-40 lbs (some before I started the zone). At 6'3" and 180 I'm now about 20 lbs less than my high school hard body days (30 years ago) and a little concerned that I'm getting too skinny. But I still have some belly fat I need to get rid of. Are there some adjustments I can make to my diet/blocks or lifestyle to reduce my waistline further or do I need to just keep losing weight?

I'm not eating grains, processed foods, bad carbs, fatty proteins, pop, caffeine, sweets, sugar, etc. Take 10g of FO daily. Do I need to reduce my fat blocks? Also, I'm not really exercising beyond what I get by mowing the lawn, chasing the kids around, etc.

Phil

H Phil,

For most people the first fat they originally gained (fisrt place on the body the fat gain showed up) is the last fat they lose as they approach ideal body fat%. For many, that place is the tummy or waistline. See how your tummy fat responds once you get to your ideal body fat% (12 to 15% for a male). Though you haven't mentioned your body fat% and LBM, from the wt. and ht. info you gave, it sounds like you're probably very close to the ideal fat%.

Philip, is it really fat, or is it cellulite?

Sometimes, when we gain wt and then lose it, we have this extra skin hanging around. Do you think it might just be that?

Our bodies will lose fat equally in all areas of the body. So, if you start out with more fat in the abdominal area, you will lose in all areas, but it will appear as if your abdomen still has more fat. Eventually it should all work itself out.

Cranberrycat is right on the money. You can't spot reduce an area. So if there seems to be more fat on your abdomen, it's not just your abdomen.

One thing you can do is increase your LBM. Not sure what you're doctor says you should be (not that their charts are extremely accurate or healthy for that matter), but at 6'3, 180 I would say you are quite underweight. I am not sure what you're exercise regimen is, if any, but without knowing I can assume that a huge amount of your weight loss (not fat loss; 2 completely different things) was lean muscle tissue, exactly what you don't want.

I would work hard at gaining some LBM; it will increase your metabolism. Also, although I know it seems quite radical for the Zone, but for dropping fat when you are already at a low fat percentage, I would stray from the Zone a little, and adopt a macronutrient split of 50% fat, 35-40% protein, and 10-15% carbs. All fat should be healthy fat (i.e. almonds). In my opinion.

Also, try not to go by scale weight to much anymore; instead go somewhere where you can get an accurate (read: accurate) body fat percentage measured and do that (hydrostatic is best but there are others). Years ago when I competed and was trying to drop fat this is where I would go every 2 weeks. I now go once a month to chart progress. Give it a shot. It is your best bet.

Again, in my opinion. Hope this helps somewhat.

Thanks for your responses. I did the body fat calculator again and come out around 21% body fat and 146 LBM. According to the calculator I should also be eating 10 blocks/day (for my relatively sedentary lifestyle). For the record, I have been doing about 14 blocks/day and don't think I have the discipline or willpower to go much lower.

George - I had never heard of hydrostatic weight measurement before and had to look it up. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anything close by that offers this (but will keep looking).

My stomach really looks fairly trim in my clothes and the new 34 waist shorts I have are already too lose. But I wear my pants lower than my navel where I'm taking the waist measurement (37" BTW). And I can definatly pinch a couple inches. My goal is to have a flat stomach without totally wasting away.

In the winter/spring, I was about 226 which was pretty typical for me over the last 10 years or so. My all-time high was around 245 (briefly). In the Marine Corps my weight was a very solid 200+. So I've lost a lot of fat this year and no doubt a lot of lean muscle tissue over the the years (I'm 54 now). At 183, I'm feeling kind of underweight as George suggests.

Anyhow, I have been trying to find adjustments I could make in either my zone diet or lifestyle that would reduce my waist by another few inches (to at least 34") without losing much more weight.

Looking at the adjustments George suggested, if I keep the protein as a constant 14 blocks/day (or 98g), wouldn't that mean 1 block of Carbs and 36 blocks of Fat? Do I have that right? The numbers I come up with seem a little Adkins-like.

I'm willing to make whatever adjustments will work, however, I am currently enjoying many of the typical benefits of the zone lifestyle including great improvement in my hip osteoarthritis. Prior to the zone, I was limping badly and seeing a specialist about a hip replacement. Now I'm pain free with no signs of the limp I previously had. Would not want to jeopardize that even if it means I have to live with a bit of belly fat.

Please let me know if you have any additional suggestions or can point me to another source for more information.

Thanks,

Phil

Philip, with all honesty, I don't think you should drop below 14 blocks, either. I would not be able to eat less than 11 blocks, myself. And, at that point, it is not about discipline; it is about eating what you need to get adequate nutrition!

If you eat 14 blocks of protein, then you would also eat 14 blocks of carb and 14 blocks of fat. Keep it all equal. If you want to go with George's advice, I would still keep the protein and carb the same (14 blocks) but just increase the fat blocks.

Phil,

Dr. Sears advises that no adult eat less than 11 blocks daily.

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