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pjcat · 04-19-2005, 10:09 PM

Hey all,

First of all, I'm not dieting or really have any need to diet. I actually fall just a little under the ideal weight for a man of my height (5'10, 152 lbs). But I do have a question about fat burning. The past few weeks my eating habitis have been well eratic to say the least. Sometimes I'll eat 4 meals a day, sometimes I'm lucky to get in one, and this is on top of my workout routines and some alcohol consumption. The result has been that I feel like I have lost weight on my upper body and legs and not on my abdoman. Like my clothes feel looser on my upper body and arms, but not on my belly. So I was just curious, when fat is being burned off your body; is it burned off of certain areas of the body before other areas? If this is the case (and this is what I am worried about) is muscle mass also burned off those area's before fat will be burned off of other area's of the body?

Thanks

jozi209 · 04-19-2005, 11:32 PM

i don't know too much about it, but i can let you know the basics of what i do:
1. alcohol tends to stick around the middle. i can't remember why, buts its a psychiological process i read about. i think that under times of stress alcohol will stick around the middle because when you have the stress hormones released, they need fat and readily grab it from the stomach area. thats y u hear so much lately about stress causing fat bellies. its not as direct or simple as it seems to imply, but it is the basics.
2. even really skinny people who drink (have you noticed) can have a 'beer belly'
3. when you don't eat (did you imply you don't eat at all some days or was i reading it wrong?) your body will attack and break down protein fibres first (ie your muscle mass). it is readily available and will want to keep stored fat in case of famine.
so if you are not eating at least try to get in some protein powder-especially if you are working out.

jozi209 · 04-19-2005, 11:37 PM

and also, fat can be burned off in certain areas first (or perhaps just in a greater quantity in one area first relative to the other parts of your body), that is basically controlled by genetics. so if your genetics dictate that you carry fat around the middle and you are losing weight, you will probably see loss (fat/muscle) more in other areas of your body first. for example, i am heavier on bottom and for me to really notice a difference in my bottom half, i usually have to lose 10 lbs in my top half (there is only minimal change in my bottom half). that being said, once the initial top-half weight is gone, its fairly proportionate weight loss from then on.

what are your goals?

pjcat · 04-20-2005, 10:24 PM

First of all, let me say thanks for your quick response. In answer to your question, my main goal is pretty much just to stay in shape and maintain my current muscle endurance, and I would like to build some more strength, but I have such a hard time gaining weight and thus muscle to do this. At the end of last summer I was up to about 165 lbs, and was starting to develop some strength and muscle but I had to eat ALL the time to get there (like seriously it seemed like every hour I was eating something), and it just wore my stomach out. I have a pretty high metabolism on top of it so it just makes gaining weight (and keeping it on) virtually impossible. I'm just terrifed of losing more muscle cause I'm already pretty thin; I need all the muscle I can get

Thanks again

jozi209 · 04-21-2005, 02:36 AM

hi, it sounds like you are in a parallel position with people who try to lose weight. it's very tough to stay dedicated day in day out and may take many months to get in a long-term habit of doing it. my brother is in a similar position as you. he is 6'3 and needs to work very hard to stay around 190 (constantly being at the gym and getting in extra protein), and drops to 170 very quickly if he doesn't maintain his routine (he is in that lifestyle now).

your diet needs work, you need to train yourself to eat. good carbs and lots of protein. meat cources are very high in protein, i'm sure you know. (chicken is great becasue it's low fat too). maybe cook a bunch of chicken once a week so its handy and you don't have to worry about the extra time it takes to cook. rice is great as well. canned fish if you want something quick; for instance canned sardines(in oil)/serving pack 190 cals, good/necessary fats, and 20 g of protein.
try buying protein bars to bring around with you too. eat small meals every couple/few of hours (you can usually sneak in extra cals this way as opposed to eating 1 large meal/day). do you eat sandwhiches? load them up with cheese; find ways you can add protein rich foods in your diet.

of course you will not stick to this every day, but try for maybe 1 day/week and eevry week after add a day. or try for more days eating like this and not. sounds like you are great in the working out department. within half an after a workout, a combo of protein and carbs will help repair the muscle tissue you have broken down during the workout (ie/ protein bar, or a balanced bar, and an apple). you want to do this.

running on the tread or going on the elliptical will help your stomach prob. you can't spot reduce but running is great at melting ab fat.

also what may help is get weighed at the gym. often they can assess your lean body mass as well as fat so you can chart your progress and make sure your muscle mass # is growing.

set specific goals. really be diligent about this.
so for example,
week 1:
-stock up on healthy groceries
-eat 4-6 meals/day, with at least X amount of protein at each one, and a healthy carb.
-do 3-4 weight lifting workouts
-eat within a half hour of leaving the gym
-carry protein bars with me so i have easy access
-get muscle mass assessed.
-research muscles and body building on the net (not saying you have to be a body builder, but i'm sure there are tips for body builders that can help you)

anyway set whatever realistic goals you want, write them down. look at them religiously, and write down how your day went compared to the goals you set. kind of like a journal.

good luck, i hope i've helped, and let me know if i can try and help you with anything else

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