Losing last bit of fat

[Daniel Marks]

well...not the last bit, but the tough part
the layer around the belly and love handles

since working out crossfit style for about 10 months, i have seen a lot of improvement in muscle tone and body fat
ive changed my diet to a healthy diet (i think) in order to see more gains

but i still feel like i have a layer of fat around my mid section

to anyone with low bodyfat percentage, how do you do it?
extreme diets, no fat...at all, chicken and salads?

i want to be a little leaner in my mid section but unsure how extreme i need to be with my diet

[Sarena Kopciel]

I feel the same way and think it will just take more time with superior nutrition and CF. Afterall, how long did it take to get the way we are--gotta expect a bit longer to reduce then.

[Curtis Nelson]

Daniel,

1st place on - last place off is the rule.

Your diet needs to be precise in order to get down to a low bodyfat that you can maintain. You also want to have enough calories to feed your workouts so it is a juggling act on what foods your body does and doesn't respond to when you are trying to lower your bodyfat.

I had a friend who couldn't get below 6% until he switched from eating potatoes to eating yams. As soon as he substituted yams into his diet more he lost that extra little bit of belly fat. Remember that this was his body and he ate super healthy already. Something like this probably wouldn't be a big difference to the lay person.

Keep your alcohol intake down also.

If you are going for the cosmetics, most of your success and failure with you body will come from diet not training.

Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition!

[Daniel Marks]

i gave up eating carbs and starches almost completely
no potatotes, rice, fries, pasta, bread

i try to eat only fresh foods, no processed stuff

but the tough part is, the more i work out, the hungrier i get

id like to see some other peoples diets for some direction

[Dana Joseph Stewart]

Curtis hit is right on when he said it's about the what you eat. Remember this, "Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym." Of course, traning hard (crossfitting) helps too.

In April, I decided to take my eating (I hate using the word diet) to the next level. I was about 195lbs (6 ft) with roughly 11-12% body fat. I was in good shape, but not really cut. I had 6 pack but the lower abs weren't really that defined (more like a 4 pack).

In past few months I have been eating really "clean" and now I am about 185lbs with an 8 pack @ about 8-9% (Keep in mind that these body fat %s are never completely accurate). I don't want to go much lower than 8%, as that then drops into an unhealthy range. Bodybuilders drop down to 3%, but only for a short time.

Anyway, I have been eating lots of oatmeal, chicken, fish, brown rice, fresh veggies and fruit. I haven't excluded carbs or anything like that. I do keep my fat grams to 25 a day. I don't eat much sugar (other than fruit). I take in about 2,800 calories and over 200 grams of protein. I eat 6 meals a day (3 are IsoPure protein shakes), roughly eating every 3 hours. Green Tea helps speed up the metabolism.

All of this has really worked for me. However, I had to tinker with everything. I constantly tracked what I ate and how I felt in the gym. Now, I am at a point where I feel everything is at a perfect balance. My advice would be to track all the nutritional info of what you eat. Then begin to tinker with what you eat and be sure to record whether you are feeling stronger, weaker, etc. Best of luck.

[Brian Reckdenwald]

I personally have a little pouch left and I am between 7-8%. I think that for some people it might be genetic. Unfortunately I'll have to stick with the 4-pack and accept that I will never make the Abercrombie billboard.

But seriously, if you've been eating really well and it hasn't disappeared, it's lipo or acquiescence.

[Daniel Marks]

i wouldnt say im eating extremely well
some of my friends get on me when i avoid everything
if i start to get all 'i cant eat that becuase of my fat limit', theyd give me grief

plus i dont want to not enjoy certain things
take cookies for example
i only have so much will power
i dont eat them everyday, but hampton inn gives them away

when im home i eat well
when im on the road, not so much

and i travel often

[George Mounce]

Daniel, you have to accept that food is the key. If you rather eat what you want, rather then what is going to take off the fat, just accept you won't get the look you are going for.

Just discipline is all it is.

[Craig Van De Walker]

Daniel,
You are a little vague about how you actually do eat. Most people I talk to think they eat a "healthy diet", "just like their Dr." or the US govt suggests.

When you talk about keeping under "your fat limit" makes me think you may be eating high carb low fat. Yes, no?

[Daniel Marks]

i tried the zone diet but found it difficult to measure and convert and all that
i then started using fitday to monitor my eating habits and found that a ton more useful
it showed a general lack of protein, in order to achieve a well balanced diet

i dont actually count calories or set daily limits of fat, carbs or anything
its mostly just sticking with certain foods (eggs, fish, nuts, fruit) and just being semi aware of where my calories are coming from
if its dinner time and i havent had a lot of protein, ill eat chicken.

but i dont have a hardcore diet with calorie and carb limits