Hey. A short life story of me...

I'm John. 19 years old trying to get a fit body.

When I started high school I weighed probably 140 with my current, final height of 5,8". Over the years of school I didn't exercise and I ate horrible. When graduating I was at my max weight of 180.

Over the summer of 2008 I tried working out and slowly got down. Quite a few months later I was at 145 and pretty proud of myself. I gave myself lee-way and stayed at that weight for awhile.

Near June of 2009 I started my exercising again. My goal has never been to lower the number, but to just have a body that I can look in the mirror and enjoy. So after what I consider a good cardio/diet for the months, I'm down to basically 135.

My upper body is just fine. My legs are just fine. It's the fat that is still on my stomach/sides that I'm really trying to lose. I feel like I'm fighting my genetics for that six pack.

I want to pass the plateau and finish my goal. And that's why I'm here. :)

Everyone has a six-pack... mine is just buried in the refrigerator.

Seriously, cut abs are more commercial hype than reality. At 18 when I had less than 2% body fat (5'10" and 135 lbs.) I had a perfectly flat stomach (couldn't pinch a 1/4 inch) but still no pack. You can keep trying with high-protein shakes and starvation diets, but that way leads to an unhealthy life-style. Please be content with a health body-weight and leave the six-pack where it belongs, on TV with the rest of the fantasy shows.

Not true.  6-pack abs are made in the kitchen -- proper diet and nutrition balanced with exercise can provide the "glamor muscles" that men crave (abs, arms, shoulders).

d_thomas, no disrespect meant, but 135 lbs. is really low for 5'10" male.  I'm 5'7" - 5'8" (height varies depending on my ego for the day ;) ) and weigh 150 which is where I am after losing 27 lbs. this year.

Stomach and side fat is toughest to lose because that's where it's most visible (and therefore, most discouraging).  Fat loss occurs around the body evenly, but also gains unevenly visibly.  If you've plateaued in weight/body composition changes, try changing up the exercise routines.  Make sure to continue to eat smart (and eat right -- 90 calories of lean protein and good carbs is a lot different from 90 calories of saturated fat; just because you're under your caloric budget for the day doesn't mean you can run out and eat half a pepperoni-and-sausage pizza!).

No disrespect taken and none meant here either ... however, no amount of proper diet and exercise (very important to have in a healthy lifestyle, so please don't think I'm knocking proper diet and exercise) will give you cut abs if you don't have the body type for it (i.e. the genetics).

I didn't have (and I'm sure I still don't have) the body type for cut abs, even though I was doing over 200 sit-ups a day and varying weights, running, and biking; I tried everything but stopped short of protein mixes and other "medical" tricks to bulk up. At 18 (32 years ago) I was 135 soaking wet (a BMI of about 19 which is within the healthy weight-to-height range of 18-24) even though I was probably eating 3000 to 3500 healthy calories a day. I did put on 10 lb at college and another 10 after marrying. I'm currently fighting the portion control issue I never had to deal with before. (Read my bio on the "Thomas Curse".)

I do not disagree that proper diet and exercise are a must for cut abs (the six-pack) but without the right body type (and I'm sorry John but it does sound like you would be fighting your genetics more than is healthy pursuing that six-pack), its an exercise in frustration that can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. (Same problem the girls have trying to get that "perfect" runway model body.) IMO a healthy BMI is more important than a "perfectly" cut body.