Basically, I'm 15 years old, 5"7' and weigh around 130lbs - which is apparently a healthy weight for my height. Yet, I carry a *huge* layer of fat around my abdomen (especially my lower abs) and hips.
I've lost over 17lbs recently, dropping from 147lbs to 130. I do around 25-30 minutes of cardio daily, jogging and dancing mainly. Recently I've started to include sit-ups, crunches and trunk twists into my regime. I eat around 1300 calories, cutting out most fats and eating lots of fruit and veg.
My BMI is 20.4, apparently healthy - and my body fat percentage is 27%. My body measurements are 33-30-37.5. [Waist measured at the smallest point, above navel]. Technically, I should be a size 10-12, but often find myself buying t-shirts in a size 14 [UK size] due to my protruding belly fat.
However, as mentioned earlier, I still carry a huge roll of fat around my belly. You know, the kind that sits on your lap when you sit down? It makes me really self-conscious, and I worry that I look like I'm 3 months pregnant or something - even though others assure me that I don't.
I've carried this belly fat for around 6, maybe 7 years - and I simply cannot stand it any longer. Advice would be very much appreciated on how to eliminate this fat, preferably quickly. =)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you cannot target a particular fatty area. Fat generally is lost all over. You can tone certain areas though. I would recommend lower abs exercises for you. They may help a little...
The good news is that you sound PERFECT and most of us would give our left eye to have your measurements and BMI. You are developing a womanly shape and you should embrace that and be proud of it.
You should also up your calories (add 300 cals to whatever figure you get here since you are a teenager). You are gonna need those extra calories to fully develop. Teenagers are typically self-conscious but no one is eyeing you as critically as you are yourself. Try to remind yourself that you are more than your outer wrapping and that you are strong and healthy. Good luck!
You have to remember that losing bodyfat and losing weight are two different things. A lot of times, people will lose a lot of scale weight, but their bodyfat % won't really change. Most of the time when people "lose weight" they are really losing muscle because they huge calorie deficits and do a lot of cardio. To lose bodyfat you do have to have a deficit, but a much smaller one of only 500 calories under your maintenence level.
Getting rid of fat around the abdominal area is a three step process :
1) The first step to losing stubborn bodyfat around the mid-section is re-working your nutrition plan. A lot of people think that doing endless crunches, sit-ups, etc will take care of it. That will build a strong pair of abs. But it won't get rid of the bodyfat covering them. Find out how many calories per day you need to maintain your weight based on your activity level, age, etc.. Then plan a new diet that has a 500 calorie deficit under that. For the foods, start eating one gram of protein per pound of body-weight, complex carbs from whole grains, fruits/vegetables, healthy fats, and a lot of water. Eat strict six days a week. Have one cheat day per week where you have a few meals of what you want (in moderate portions)
2) Start weight-lifting three times a week with free weights. Weight-lifting is the best way to raise your metabolic rate and to add lean muscle that will help to lower bodyfat and give your body an overall transformation. Only focusing on losing scale weight alone, won't get the bodyfat to go away.
3) Start doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for cardio three times per week. HIIT mixes short sprint intervals going as hard as you can for 20-30 seconds, with longer recovery intervals of 60-90 seconds. So a sample HIIT routine would be warming up for 5 minutes, going as hard as you can for 30 seconds, going slower to recover for 90 seconds, and then for 15 minutes switching off between the 30/90 intervals. Then cool down for five minutes. HIIT keeps your body from adapting, and makes your body turn to bodyfat for energy instead of muscle. HIIT also raises your metabolism for up to 36 hours after you are done. So you are burning more calories through out the day which is what you want because people spend more time being sedentary/not exercisng then they do in the gym. Just remember to give 100% on your fast intervals. You can do HIIT on any piece of cardio equipment, or even outside with sprinting, etc.. When I do HIIT in the cardio room, I use the stationary bike.
Now you have to remember that nothing happens instantly. However, by following these three steps, you can expect your bodyfat % to drop within 2-3 months. Diet is most important, followed by intense weight training three days a week, and HIIT cardio.
Ah... keep doing the sit ups, crunches, try leg raises and reverse crunches. Stomach fat is generally more abundant so it will take a while for it to go away but you need to be persistent. Also, eat more calories. :/
Okay, first, you are 15. Your body is still probably going to change a lot as it proceeds into womanhood. That fat over your abdomen will always be there to some extent. It is called the omentum and is the fat shield for your internal organs (liver, intestines, stomch, etc). Then females in particular have an extra amount of fat that protects the ovaries and uterus. Try as feminists might, biologically females are made to make babies and the babies need protection while in utero. Hence, a fat pad. Crunches and such you can do, but doing them will not make the fat go away. You can also not make your body burn fat from that spot. In fact that might be the last place it burns it from. Your best off following vyperman's regimen...he always plugs HIIT (which does help and is good) but you can still get results from regular cardio or interval training done in 45-60 min blocks. I think vyperman has also cited that people do not need more than 2-3 hours total per week of cardio to stay fit...2-3hrs/wk is all. [I think...vyperman can correct me]
Don't despair now. This may sound odd, but just try to be healthy now and wait til your 21 and if you still look like you have a baby bump when you stand or look three months pregnant when you sit down, then you can lose the fat/weight. Chin up! :)
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