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Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:02 pm  |
I have a muffin top  , due to sitting down and eating loads!
Any ideas on how to get a flatter tummy?
I wanted to buy a hula hoop, but I cant seem to find them in shops these days 
Thank you  |
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Premenstrual acne, combination, dehydrated skin. Using- Retin-a, bb cream, Asian sheet masks, Avene mist, Dr Jart |
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Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:08 pm |
Do you have an exercise ball? There are several great ab exercises you can do with the ball to reduce your tummy and strengthen your core. Of course good old fashioned floor exercises are very effective as well.  Here is a link to a site that lists all kinds of ab work-outs in addition to free videos (compliments of YouTube!).
www.squidoo.com/best-ab-workouts/ |
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Fair with mild rosascea & combination skin (dry with oily t-zone) |
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Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:20 pm |
| PILATES! |
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:04 am |
Second! If you stick with it you will see a major difference quickly! Fast walking for 30 mins or longer if you have the time once a day will do wonders to burn those unwanted calories, which you would need to do before you will see any muscle definition. A exercise ball is a GREAT idea for when you are watching TV or online, just sitting on it forces you to work out your abs to balance. Its a good way to get some exercise without feeling like you are really exercising! |
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27~Texas~Oily~ fair~ breakout prone~ easily congested~Cysts caused by emotional stress~ Using Ayurvedic skin care and philosophy~ Dry brushing body and face~ On strict less is more routine~ We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars~ Oscar Wilde |
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:12 am |
Thanks for the input!
I might have to take a look at those exercise balls now but they cost around £13 and I'm guessing the postage will be HIGH. So I will look for an alternative.
Thanks ScotLass for the link---I'll have to take on a few of those exercises if I want to lose the weight  |
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Premenstrual acne, combination, dehydrated skin. Using- Retin-a, bb cream, Asian sheet masks, Avene mist, Dr Jart |
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Wed Oct 24, 2007 11:42 am |
Yeahyeah, what's a muffin top? Is your tummy sticking out more on top than the bottom? I have just the opposite problem!
I think the exercise ball is a great idea. I bought one and it came with a bunch of exercise diagrams that I really should be following. They all look good. I bought mine from Big 5.
I read that when you walk or even just sit on your chair, try to suck in your guts. It will help train the muscles keep the abs flat. Don't forget to breathe normally while you do that. |
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:22 am |
| If you have a "muffin top" then you probably want to lose some fat first by doing lots of cardio. If you just do ab exercises you will only build muscle underneath the fat. I would do cardio and all over strength training to blast some fat and then do pilates or an intense form of yoga to strengthen your core. |
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Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:55 am |
| bkkgirl wrote: |
| Yeahyeah, what's a muffin top? |
Maybe that is just what I call it...but a muffin top is the fat that sticks out over the waistline of your trousers.
| bkkgirl wrote: |
| I read that when you walk or even just sit on your chair, try to suck in your guts. It will help train the muscles keep the abs flat. Don't forget to breathe normally while you do that. |
This sounds easy enough ....until I find a really cheap exercise ball, I will need to suck my stomach in
Thanks for all the recs! |
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Premenstrual acne, combination, dehydrated skin. Using- Retin-a, bb cream, Asian sheet masks, Avene mist, Dr Jart |
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Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:51 am |
An exercise ball is great, but they are a pain to store if you don't have space.
Regular sit ups and crunches on the floor have worked for us for years! |
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Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:47 am |
Sit ups and exercises will strengthen your abs and build muscles BUT if you have excess errr... fat or whatnots there then you must burn calories. You cannot spot train just the tummy. You will need to lose weight overall which could be a bonus.
I personally vary with three types of abdominal training besides the usual step machine and whatnots - ordinary situps on the mat with different types of workout, Pilates ( the Mari Winsor variety ) and the exercise ball. This way you don't get bored. Don't forget to throw in some weight training to start the burn!
Good luck! |
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Cynthia , Stockholm , SWEDEN **No second takes in life. You only get one shot at it.** |
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Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:20 am |
Sit-ups definitely.
Think swimming helps too. Never seen a swimmer with tummy, have you?
Best of luck! |
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Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:13 pm |
Thanks for all the tips girls!
| cindy67 wrote: |
| You cannot spot train just the tummy. You will need to lose weight overall which could be a bonus. |
Hmmm, thats what I dont want to do---lose weight all over as I'm quite slim. I just want a waistline thats in proportion with my body |
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Premenstrual acne, combination, dehydrated skin. Using- Retin-a, bb cream, Asian sheet masks, Avene mist, Dr Jart |
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:35 am |
| Cindy is wrong. Pilates will narrow your waist. I have personal experience. If you do a 30 minute abs routine 4-5 times a week you will lose off your waist. In 6 weeks the first time I lost about 1.5" with NO weight loss. I feel off the wagon and kind of grew (no weight gain) and am not back on and happy (also taking a one day a week class to keep me honest). Pilates and yoga are wonderful for your body and also stress levels. I used to do massive aerobics and it did not do much (prob good health effects). Pilates works (if you keep up with it). |
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:26 pm |
| Thanks for a great thread! I found it all very informative reading. I am struggling so much with a muffin top at the moment and I am on a diet. I have just been thinking of which exercise would be best to help target the stomach area. I love the idea of pilates, but it is very expensive and I was just wondering if it is enough on its own to reduce fat. It seems quite slow and low impact. Perhaps it needs to be combined with some running? |
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:44 am |
| sharky wrote: |
| Cindy is wrong. Pilates will narrow your waist. I have personal experience. If you do a 30 minute abs routine 4-5 times a week you will lose off your waist. In 6 weeks the first time I lost about 1.5" with NO weight loss. I feel off the wagon and kind of grew (no weight gain) and am not back on and happy (also taking a one day a week class to keep me honest). Pilates and yoga are wonderful for your body and also stress levels. I used to do massive aerobics and it did not do much (prob good health effects). Pilates works (if you keep up with it). |
I guess it's individual because I didn't get any results without doing extra cardio.  Which Pilates programme did you do ? |
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Cynthia , Stockholm , SWEDEN **No second takes in life. You only get one shot at it.** |
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:13 am |
| Smoothskin wrote: |
| Thanks for a great thread! I found it all very informative reading. I am struggling so much with a muffin top at the moment and I am on a diet. I have just been thinking of which exercise would be best to help target the stomach area. I love the idea of pilates, but it is very expensive and I was just wondering if it is enough on its own to reduce fat. It seems quite slow and low impact. Perhaps it needs to be combined with some running? |
It needn't be expensive. I'd definitely advise that you attend at least a few classes at first - to make sure you've got the breathing and basics right (this makes all the difference), then buy yourself a DVD. You just need a mat and some comfortable clothing.
I use the Stott Pilates DVDs now and am very pleased with them. There's a whole series of them, so you can eventually build up a collection of different workouts if you want. |
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:11 am |
| I started with the Winsor Abs one (it is an older version given to me years ago). I also have AM/PM from Gaiam and a few others I bought at tag sales (very inexpensive). On my first round I simply used the tapes with my own homemade mat and stretch band. Now I have a mat and band and am going once a week to a local college program ($40 for 11 week seesion once per week). I still use the tapes at home. I find ther class very useful because you learn new moves and how to position yourself correctly. I think I do get a workout (the class is an hour and my pulse is racing by the end) but I feel relaxed. Most communities have inexpensive classes. |
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:32 pm |
If you are in a good physical shape with just a pocket of stubborn fat that does not want to disappear, lipodissolve might help.
Lipodissolve is a non-surgical procedure, that consists of a series of shots with a medical solution that dissolves fat cells over time (8 - 12 weeks), you get swollen for a while and in 6 - 8 weeks start seeing the results. The shots should be spaced preferably 8 weeks apart.
Lipodissolve is not for everyone, it is NOT a way for weight loss. Lipodissolve makes sense only if you already have the weight you desire, but need some fat removal in an isolated area, such as "muffin top"; if you need "body contouring". I know people for whom it worked nicely, but do a lot of research if you decide to go this route. |
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Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:09 pm |
| I have a Pilates reformer and it did NOTHING for my mid section. I used it regularly for 2 years and just gave up. Now mind you I felt stretched out which to me was what I looked forward too and I felt limber but the mid section, N O T H I N G. The only thing that I believe would work is eating right and arobic exercise. |
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Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:45 am |
| For those of you who do Pilates, do you do this daily or just several times a week? |
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Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:47 am |
| rileygirl wrote: |
| For those of you who do Pilates, do you do this daily or just several times a week? |
I try to do 45 to 55 minutes 5 times a week. |
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Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:04 pm |
| I am sad. I have just bought a dvd "body control core workout". I just know I'm not gonna use it. The only class in my area is on a day when I just cannot do it. |
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my new jewellery website:www.gentle-medusa.com |
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Sat Nov 03, 2007 2:06 pm |
| Thank you, majorb. I will try to find a DVD to use. This sounds good! |
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Sat Nov 03, 2007 4:46 pm |
| majorb wrote: |
It needn't be expensive. I'd definitely advise that you attend at least a few classes at first - to make sure you've got the breathing and basics right (this makes all the difference), then buy yourself a DVD. You just need a mat and some comfortable clothing.
I use the Stott Pilates DVDs now and am very pleased with them. There's a whole series of them, so you can eventually build up a collection of different workouts if you want. |
I'm interested in getting into Pilates. I am not new to exercise, but I've been slacking off and feel I'm in a bit of a rut. I've always heard nothing but good about Pilates.
I've looked up Stott Pilates on Amazon and there are so many choices. The beginner/basic dvd sounds like I'd be tired of it quickly - I'd rather take a few classes to get the basics then move on to dvd for the ongoing. So - any recommendations of which Stott dvd to start with, besides the intro one? And do you really need a mat, or can you do it on carpet?
Betsy |
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Sun Nov 04, 2007 2:38 am |
charlibets - I really would recommend a mat. You can buy them very cheaply. What I'd do is just buy a cheap one, then if you find that you definitely want to continue with your Pilates, you can buy a better one.
Even though I'm only 5ft 2ins, I find the normal mats too short so, when I decided that I loved Pilates, I bought a more expensive longer one with extra padding. It was a good investment, for sure.
Yes, definitely go to classes at first. But I'd say that even the basic Stott DVDs are very good. You can buy them very inexpensively (compare to over here, anyway!) on eBay. Personally, I'd recommend that you start with "The Secret to Flat Abs". It's only level 1, but is still good. Then, once you're happy with that, you can go on to Firm & Fit (level 2). Toned, Buns & Thighs (level 2 also) is also good.
Currently, because I've put on weight through so many weeks and weekends away recently, I've been using The Complete Secret to Weight Loss in 2 volumes - it was perfect for building myself up again to lots of hiking on holiday as it features something called "walking Pilates" (a brief Pilates warm-up, then walking either just over 1 or 2 miles on the spot - depending on which volume you use - complete with varied exercises and movements along the walk. It ends with about 15 minutes of Pilates to tone and cool down.)
That covers all the Stott DVDs I've used so far. Also, it's good for your body and for boredom prevention to try to vary your workout. So you might want to use two (or even 3) DVDs on alternate days. |
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