Middle aged guy struggling to drop a few lbs in the belly area

[mb6355]

Listen to this and you will probably find a few tips to limit insulin response and improve your ability to burn fat.
Also, covers a lot on how bad our current food supply is and what to avoid.

 

[3325]

The only gripe I have is that I still struggle with a little lingering belly fat. Not terrible, but if I lost 5-10 lbs of just belly fat, that would be icing on the cake.

I’m in about the same category. 58yo, 5’10”, 205, 34” waist. Muscular but soft around the middle. Several years ago was 185, 32” waist. Want to get back to that. So for me it’s 15-20 lbs.

Anyone find a fix to target the last bit of belly fat as a middle aged male, or should I just be happy and accept that a 6 pack and 10-12% body fat isn’t in the cards for me?

I believe I know what to do, I just don’t like the idea of doing it. According to old school bodybuilding trainers, the way to “cut” is high protein and healthy fats with minimal carbs. They usually didn’t try to eliminate carbs like the keto crowd, because they needed the energy provided by carbs for workouts, but they did keep carbs to around the 100 grams a day range, give or take a little. Daily calories were about 10-12 per pound of goal body weight.

So to get back to 185, I probably need a max of 2220 calories a day on a high fat/protein diet with carbs no more than about 100-150 grams per day. I’m not liking the idea of that.

 

[northernalpine]

1. Cut the creatine. Yes it helps with strength training, yes it’s good for brain function. Yes you are probably holding 4-6 pounds of additional subcutaneous fluid while on it.

2. Add an additional weekly extended mobility workout, ie 60 minute jog, 90 minute ruck, 90 minute bike

3. Swap 2 of your daily runs for intervals/HIIT to ramp up your metabolism.

4. Based on your meal plan, skip one of your snacks every other day, preferably the late afternoon one. Over a week that’s probably 1,600 calories and will help with your deficit, plus you’ll be limiting your intake going into the less active part of your day.

 

[freediver111]

Updates:

Tracked everything I ate today.
Light exercise day today. Went for a quick 2 mile run with the kids, then the heat came and it’s 104 right now so skipping the evening ruck. Going on a 10 mile trail run/hike tomorrow.
I was on my feet all day doing house projects, woodworking, honey-do’s, and a few wrestle matches with the kids in the pool. Just now going to take an hour to watch a show with the wife and head to bed.

Consumed 2,000 calories today, and kept it real strict with a focus on less carbs and more protein.
Macros were: proteins 204 gr, carbs 132 g, and 86 g of fats. A little low on fiber.

Since this is the very beginning of tracking macros for me, I’m not sure what my target breakdown should be, but if you listen to some 1 G protein per pound of ideal body weight is what I did. Others say 1.2-1.6 g per kilo, which would put me over if you follow that school of thought.

Really not sure how to evaluate my carb or fat intake. I feel good, going to sleep well tonight. Been a busy week.

This counting macros tedium is forcing me to be way more accountable. I even tracked the tablespoon of condiments I used through the day. Makes me cut back on a lot little “cheat” foods (sauces mostly) I used to give minor attention to.

In terms of all the other trt discussions, again I should get tested, but not sure if I need it yet. I sleep 7-8 hrs a day, feel good, mental health is great, sex life great, busy all the time and have 2 freezers full of 800 lbs of game from fall 2023. Well, much less full now since we eat a lot of wild game. So yes I support trt therapy for those with a need, but I draw the line when prescribed by those docs that will prescribe anyone anything they want. I will make it point to get tested. Anecdotal story, but a buddy of mine wanted to start trt but his levels were good. If he wanted to, he could have found someone to write him a script for it. He opted to wait until there was a deficiency.


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[PredatorSlayer]

TRT

 

[CharlesF]

Dude nice work, keep up the dedication!

Sounds like you have tried keto & didn’t like it, I’m a fan of that approach. But if keto did t agree with you, going low carb has worked great for me with losing unwanted lbs. a TBSP of Apple cider vinegar a day can help if you start feeling like the “keto flue” is coming on in addition to keeping up with salt intake like LMNT salts or something similar with low sugar. Even if yo don’t get into ketosis, the low carb option with moderate fats, protein and veggies while limiting sugar intake can work wonders.

Then there is the seed oil rabbit hole… if nothing else, do what you can to avoid any sort of seed oils and stick to lard/ organic olive oil or avocado oil and see how that works. It’s helped friends of mine over 50 lose weight and make their joints feel 20 years younger.


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[P Carter]

Updates:

Tracked everything I ate today.
Light exercise day today. Went for a quick 2 mile run with the kids, then the heat came and it’s 104 right now so skipping the evening ruck. Going on a 10 mile trail run/hike tomorrow.
I was on my feet all day doing house projects, woodworking, honey-do’s, and a few wrestle matches with the kids in the pool. Just now going to take an hour to watch a show with the wife and head to bed.

Consumed 2,000 calories today, and kept it real strict with a focus on less carbs and more protein.
Macros were: proteins 204 gr, carbs 132 g, and 86 g of fats. A little low on fiber.

Since this is the very beginning of tracking macros for me, I’m not sure what my target breakdown should be, but if you listen to some 1 G protein per pound of ideal body weight is what I did. Others say 1.2-1.6 g per kilo, which would put me over if you follow that school of thought.

Really not sure how to evaluate my carb or fat intake. I feel good, going to sleep well tonight. Been a busy week.

This counting macros tedium is forcing me to be way more accountable. I even tracked the tablespoon of condiments I used through the day. Makes me cut back on a lot little “cheat” foods (sauces mostly) I used to give minor attention to.

In terms of all the other trt discussions, again I should get tested, but not sure if I need it yet. I sleep 7-8 hrs a day, feel good, mental health is great, sex life great, busy all the time and have 2 freezers full of 800 lbs of game from fall 2023. Well, much less full now since we eat a lot of wild game. So yes I support trt therapy for those with a need, but I draw the line when prescribed by those docs that will prescribe anyone anything they want. I will make it point to get tested. Anecdotal story, but a buddy of mine wanted to start trt but his levels were good. If he wanted to, he could have found someone to write him a script for it. He opted to wait until there was a deficiency.


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Not trying to start a debate, but you’ve opted for hard work over a medical (or quasi-medical) intervention; that’s almost always a great choice. At a minimum, you’ll enhance discipline, increase knowledge about yourself and nutritions, and come away a more capable person than before. Well done and good luck! Come back in a few months and repost if you remember to.

 

[jimh406]

Really not sure how to evaluate my carb or fat intake. I feel good, going to sleep well tonight. Been a busy week.

Shoot for 20 carbs and don’t pay as much attention to the fat intake. You won’t burn fat until you burn up the carbs, and in many case, burn up the protein as well.

The old school of thought is calories matter, but the reality is if you strictly count carbs, you’ll gain it right back when you go back to your normal calorie intake. The theory I’ve heard is it’s your body easily adapts to a lower calorie intake and changes your metabolism. What you want to do instead is keep your metabolism and change the way you body creates energy. That is starve the body of carbs, and you will start burning fat.

Once you reach your target weight, add some carbs if you want. I’m not saying eat when you aren’t hungry. Later once you adjust, you might also want to go to a reduced eating schedule (intermittent fasting or one meal a day). It sounds extreme, but it’s pretty easy to do by just skipping breakfast and after supper snacks.

YMMV.

 

[codym]

Updates:

Tracked everything I ate today.
Light exercise day today. Went for a quick 2 mile run with the kids, then the heat came and it’s 104 right now so skipping the evening ruck. Going on a 10 mile trail run/hike tomorrow.
I was on my feet all day doing house projects, woodworking, honey-do’s, and a few wrestle matches with the kids in the pool. Just now going to take an hour to watch a show with the wife and head to bed.

Consumed 2,000 calories today, and kept it real strict with a focus on less carbs and more protein.
Macros were: proteins 204 gr, carbs 132 g, and 86 g of fats. A little low on fiber.

Since this is the very beginning of tracking macros for me, I’m not sure what my target breakdown should be, but if you listen to some 1 G protein per pound of ideal body weight is what I did. Others say 1.2-1.6 g per kilo, which would put me over if you follow that school of thought.

Really not sure how to evaluate my carb or fat intake. I feel good, going to sleep well tonight. Been a busy week.

This counting macros tedium is forcing me to be way more accountable. I even tracked the tablespoon of condiments I used through the day. Makes me cut back on a lot little “cheat” foods (sauces mostly) I used to give minor attention to.

In terms of all the other trt discussions, again I should get tested, but not sure if I need it yet. I sleep 7-8 hrs a day, feel good, mental health is great, sex life great, busy all the time and have 2 freezers full of 800 lbs of game from fall 2023. Well, much less full now since we eat a lot of wild game. So yes I support trt therapy for those with a need, but I draw the line when prescribed by those docs that will prescribe anyone anything they want. I will make it point to get tested. Anecdotal story, but a buddy of mine wanted to start trt but his levels were good. If he wanted to, he could have found someone to write him a script for it. He opted to wait until there was a deficiency.


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This sounds good. Consistency is key with your out put. Ie if your going to run 2 miles x number of days then do that not extra one day skip one. You can only measure what is consistent. It still makes me smile with the bad info about hormones in this thread. His test levels were good…. Mmm ok by what standard. Most tests will tell you a “good” range is anywhere from 350-900ngl. So seriously.. think about that. I’m not going to continue to try and convince you but if you think your test isn’t declining you’re just digging in repeating a narrative. It’s a fact. If you do your blood work and it’s above 500 with good free test and manageable estrogen levels then you are good but I highly doubt you are. I’ve worked with hundreds of male and female athletes and only seen one guy, 35 year old male in that range. Why do you think young men have the lowest testosterone levels in history (or at least since we tracked it) right now? It’s the water, pesticides and lack of vitamin D. If you do, I will be waiting for the thank you card because I promise it will change your life. Having something optimal that helps you live your best most enjoyable life possible is very different than good enough. Or at least it is for me.

 

[1jeds]

Shoot for 20 carbs and don’t pay as much attention to the fat intake. You won’t burn fat until you burn up the carbs, and in many case, burn up the protein as well.

The old school of thought is calories matter, but the reality is if you strictly count carbs, you’ll gain it right back when you go back to your normal calorie intake. The theory I’ve heard is it’s your body easily adapts to a lower calorie intake and changes your metabolism. What you want to do instead is keep your metabolism and change the way you body creates energy. That is starve the body of carbs, and you will start burning fat.

Once you reach your target weight, add some carbs if you want. I’m not saying eat when you aren’t hungry. Later once you adjust, you might also want to go to a reduced eating schedule (intermittent fasting or one meal a day). It sounds extreme, but it’s pretty easy to do by just skipping breakfast and after supper snacks.

YMMV.

There is a lot of misinformation here. You're mixing body fat with dietary fat. Excess calories of any form will be stored as body fat (i.e. if you are consuming more than you are expending). There are plenty of credible studies showing the makeup of macros isn't significant when keeping calories the same.

The body doesn't burn through carbs first then decide to start consuming body fat, we are always using a mixture of the two and especially at lower intensities using fat as the predominate fuel source.

Calorie intake matters most. If fat loss is the goal, a moderate calorie deficit is needed. I eat 400+ grams of carbs a day when training and have single digit body fat, feel great, recover quickly, no injuries, etc. I'm not saying low carb isn't an answer, but it's often touted as THE answer here. Whatever is easiest for someone to maintain consistency is the best approach.

 

[jimh406]

There is a lot of misinformation here.

Back at you. It seems you believe information from years ago. Calories were taught for years … it’s wrong.

 

[freediver111]

Well it’s only been 3 days of tracking but so far I’m into it. No more guesswork and I’m easily hitting my 200 g of protein a day target. I had 130 g of carbs day one, dropped it to 115 yesterday, and shooting for under 100 g today.

Did a 10 mile trail hike/run yesterday with my daughter and it went great. Felt good, had good energy, and did get tired around 5pm, but felt fine after dinner and slept great. I continue to shoot for 2,000-2,200 calories regardless of work outs, which may work or I’ll have to modify calories somewhat on big workout days. We’ll see.

Also, yes I’ve tried keto, whole30, paleo, etc. For me a varied diet is important. I need a little fruit and veggies in my diet if it’s going to be a long term sustainable diet. The protein part is easy, and there’s a few things I can cut to drop my
Carbs below 100 and we’ll see how that goes.

I will do some more research and get a comprehensive blood work done and will report back on my results. Not saying I’m against trt, but for a guy that spent his whole life avoiding meds and doctors, it’s a bigger leap for me to entertain trt. I barely use over the counter meds as it is so baby steps. It will be something I look into and will report back.

Thanks again for the tips.

 

[codym]

Well it’s only been 3 days of tracking but so far I’m into it. No more guesswork and I’m easily hitting my 200 g of protein a day target. I had 130 g of carbs day one, dropped it to 115 yesterday, and shooting for under 100 g today.

Did a 10 mile trail hike/run yesterday with my daughter and it went great. Felt good, had good energy, and did get tired around 5pm, but felt fine after dinner and slept great. I continue to shoot for 2,000-2,200 calories regardless of work outs, which may work or I’ll have to modify calories somewhat on big workout days. We’ll see.

Also, yes I’ve tried keto, whole30, paleo, etc. For me a varied diet is important. I need a little fruit and veggies in my diet if it’s going to be a long term sustainable diet. The protein part is easy, and there’s a few things I can cut to drop my
Carbs below 100 and we’ll see how that goes.

I will do some more research and get a comprehensive blood work done and will report back on my results. Not saying I’m against trt, but for a guy that spent his whole life avoiding meds and doctors, it’s a bigger leap for me to entertain trt. I barely use over the counter meds as it is so baby steps. It will be something I look into and will report back.

Thanks again for the tips.

You’re on the right track but you shouldn’t be dropping carbs like that. Small adjustments once something stops working hit your 200 g of protein and stick with 150 g of carbs 60-65 g of fat. Run that consistently for 2 weeks before adjusting anything. If you drop more than 2lbs a week add in more carbs or fats if you’re not losing anything start by slightly lowering carbs. This will preserve the greatest amount of muscle tissue while burning fat. More than 2lbs your sacrificing muscle

 

[jaym_100]

Only thing that really matters is calories in. Take in enough protein and use an app to count calories. That does require weighing food. I wouldn't trust measuring with a cup or tablespoon. Weigh it to confirm at least at first. There are probably tons of apps now. Years ago I used my fitness pal. Also make sure you aren't adjusting for exercise. What I mean is figure out how many calories you need to take in with a legit calculator/formula and put that in tha app. One formula being Katch-McArdle. Calories in vs calories out are the biggest thing.

 

[freediver111]

It’s been 5 or 6 weeks of tracking macros so figured I’d give a quick update.

I’ve been consistent and maintaining 200-210 g of proteins, 100-120 g carbs, and 75-85 g fats for a total of 2,000-2,200 calories.

I’m down to 205 from 210, and I can see some ab muscles now. Overall I also noticed a general “leaner” physique.

Some key takeaways so far have been:
1) Watch the sauces. I love sauces on my food. I basically cut out all “sugary” sauces and stick to simple ones like no sugar hot sauces and/or primal kitchen condiments, and I moderate on those.

2) Getting some cardio in the mornings is a great way to fit it in, especially in the summer when it’s 90 by 12pm. I don’t love running at 6am and doubt I’ll be able to do that when winter arrives, but it’s been a great way to fit in cardio on top of weight training when crunched for time as inevitably happens once I get to work and after work when I get busy with kids/dinner/family time.

3) Tracking macros works well for me. After a little over a month, I have a pretty dialed system and weighing my food is not that much of a chore. Hitting 200 g of proteins is easy, but I did reincorporate a protein shake in place of my banana/nut butter snack. Since it is still summer fruit season, I tend to eat a little more fruit than in winter, but with the increased attention to getting a good cardio session in each day, it seems to be a non issue. Keeping carbs in the 120 g range is a little tougher, but I’m not seeing any negatives thus far when I do go a little over that.

4) I’m back to incorporating a daily 20-30 mins yoga/stretch sessions and it helps a lot. Just did a 13 mile overnight backpack trip with my daughter and I’m not sore at all.

5) I rarely cheated on my diet plan since tracking my food intake. We did take a trip to see family 2 weeks ago in North Carolina. I didn’t weigh my food while there, but I ate very similarly to how I eat at home and actually lost a pound while on vacation. I paid for a week membership to a gym and hit the weights 4 times that week, in addition to 4 runs at 4-5 miles each. For those of you living in the Carolina’s, I have no idea how you cope with the humidity. Waking up at 6:30 and running at 7am barely helped beat the heat and humidity. I was sweating so much it was useless to wear a shirt as it was soaked in the first 1/2 mile. Not fun.

I did cheat a few times while on vacation. Had 2 small servings of gelato and a piece of birthday cake over the week, plus a few samples of my kids’ saltwater taffy, but for the most part I avoided cheat foods.

So that’s my update. Going well and feel great. Still planning on setting up an appt later this fall for comprehensive blood work/hormone tests, but I feel awesome. Still waking up at 5am and usually go to bed around 9:30-10. No negatives to report other than the occasional neck/shoulder tweak that happens once in a while. Going to start using a shoulder posture corrector while sitting at my desk on the pc to help. Think I have a tendency to roll my shoulders forward and it causes a kink on the neck/shoulder blade that can be pretty painful. Back pain is virtually gone which is amazing considering I was going to several docs looking for anything that would cure the back pain this past winter. Glad I didn’t agree to any procedures!

That’s about it for now!


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[Block]

Looking at your diet ,, tracking is exactly what you need to do.. you probably won’t touch the almond butter or nuts after you track,. Very low bang for ur buck waste of calories. You need to raise ur protein a bit,,(breakfast has more fat than protein) you need to run shorter distances at higher paces vs. jogging 5ks,, focus on building muscle a tiny bit to burn that fat vs trying to burn it off with more cardio. Probably could cut fats and RAISE carbs for better performance and results. Don’t be afraid of carbs.. you know who’s afraid of carbs ??? Fat people…

 

[FRANKBUCK]

Cut out breads, refined carbs, sugar and alcohol. Cold plunges will also help.

 

[bojangles808]

At your age you need a full panel of blood work every six months.

where do you get this done. local doctor or online?