abs abs abs.

I know crunches must be the most beneficial, though as glorious as they may seem, they're not doing much for me. My waist-hip ratio is about .86, and I somehow need to lose about 5 inches off the waist (according to an online calculator). Obviously, spot training doesn't work on its own, but it's not like I'm ONLY working my abs. I run and lift weights and all of that. Is there anything else I could do to lose some flab around my waist, or is this a pointless question and I should just keep doing crunches?

Waist: 31 inches, Hips: 36 inches

I don't think crunches are very effective, but you'll have to wait for someone more knowledgeable than me to give you suggestions.

You might get more info if you post this in the fitness forum.

Crunches are fairly useless.  If you are looking to get more abdominal strength, I suggest planks.

In order to lose the flab, focus on your diet and burn more than you take in! 

Original Post by xxheysarah:

I know crunches must be the most beneficial, though as glorious as they may seem, they're not doing much for me. My waist-hip ratio is about .86, and I somehow need to lose about 5 inches off the waist (according to an online calculator). Obviously, spot training doesn't work on its own, but it's not like I'm ONLY working my abs. I run and lift weights and all of that. Is there anything else I could do to lose some flab around my waist, or is this a pointless question and I should just keep doing crunches?

Waist: 31 inches, Hips: 36 inches

Flat abs are about a low body fat %. It's about what you are eating. How many calories, what kind of food.

 

Okay, well, I eat around 1500 calories a day and try to make them as healthy and natural as possible. I do eat a lot of peanut butter, but I'm vegetarian so it's nearly essential for my protein intake...should I cut out the peanut butter and find another source of protein?

Why would pb be bad? Dietary fat does not make you fat. In fact, it's an integral part of being healthy, and natural peanut butter (where the ingredients are peanuts and maybe salt, nothing more), is not bad for you, as long as it doesn't put you over your calories.

Okay, then, I don't understand the problem in my diet that is giving me stomach flab. My arms and legs are nice and muscular, but my midsection is what's frustrating.

We won't understand the problem either, since you didn't tell us anything about your diet except that it is "healthy and natural".

Stomach fat will be lost with overall weight loss. However, remember that women's bodies tend to fight against losing stomach fat - an adaptation to help protect a baby - so it will take time - but there is nothing to target fat loss from the stomach.

Abs are made in the kitchen.... which means you must eat clean in order to obtain them... then you must do enough cardio exercise to work off the layer over you're muscles that might be getting you down... then you can focus on doing abdominal exercises to build up those muscles.

Clean Eating Includes Eating Foods Like:

- Chicken & Turkey Breast

- Free Ranged Red Meats

- Eggs & Egg Whites

- Fish of All Types

- High Fiber, Non-Starchy Vegetables

- Low Sugar Fruits

- Whole Grains with more than 3 grams of fiber per serving

- Drinking water or unsweetened herbal tea or coffee

- Healthy fats like olives, avocados, olive oil, flaxseed oil, hempseeds, rice bran oil, etc.