Belly pooch

Question
Hello. I'm 23-year-old female and 5'4". I went from 145 lbs to my current weight of 120 in about 5 months. I joined a gym and worked my butt off (literally). Now I'm at the gym usually 6 days a week for about 2 hours each day. I do about an hour of cardio, 30 minutes of lifting weights, and 30 minutes of abdominals. I eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and proteins and very little carbs or sugars. I have seen a huge difference in my entire body as far as toning goes. My biggest problem was my belly in the front. I've never had love handles or anything like that, it was just like everything I ate went straight to my middle. I always looked like I was pregnant. It was so embarrassing, I was afraid people were going to ask me when I was due. I have seen a huge difference in my midsection as well since I started getting serious about diet and exercise, but I still have a little bit of that bulge left. Could you help me to finally reach my goal of having a flat stomach I can be proud of? Thanks :)

Answer
Don't overwork your abdominals. You should exercise your abs just like any other muscle group: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 12 reps. That's it. Don't go doing 3000 crunches. Just add a little weight to your routine and strengthen those abs the right way.

Now, as far as losing belly fat goes:

I get asked this question all the time.  The bottom line is: you can't spot reduce belly fat.  Just like you can't drain the deep end of a pool first, you can't reduce belly fat until all of the rest of the fat is off your body.

See this article for specifics:

http://ricksweightloss.com/blog/display-article.asp?ID=38&Key=AllExperts

For specific information and step-by-step guidelines on how to lose weight and be healthy, visit my web site for all kinds of details about proper diet, nutrition, exercise, weight-lifting routines, and more.

Most importantly, make sure to download my FREE eBook, "Rick's 18 Tips for Healthy Weight Loss."

Richard Rost
http://www.RicksWeightLoss.com

P.S. As a disclaimer, I'm not a doctor or health professional. Please seek the advice of your doctor before implementing any of my recommendations.

I hope this information helps to solve your problem. If there is ANY REASON why you won't give me a RATING of 10 please let me know so I can improve upon my answers in the future. Thank you!

Sign up for my FREE NEWSLETTER with lots of TIPS and TRICKS. Visit http://www.599cd.com/MailingList?key=AllExperts

Out of work? Know someone who is? Get a FREE copy of my Computer Job Skills CD at http://www.599cd.com/JobSkills?key=AllExperts

1. Prev:optimum nutrition
2. Next:weight loss to gain six packs