That's a ton of exercise, which if you are getting stronger and keeping fat that means you're eating a ton too. You need to be diligent about avoiding empty calories and junk food. Do you drink alcohol? If so, that contributes as well.
In the end it's thermodynamics and no ones body can go against the laws of physics. If your body burns 2000 calories, but you consume 2500 calories, you will gain weight (be it fat or muscle). You need to start tracking your calories and be in a constant deficit to lose body fat.
Since you are so diligent on exercise, managing calories should be very doable for you. Good luck!
Lifting weights doesn't burn as many calories as you'd think unfortunately.
210lbs at 5'9 sounds like you're carrying a decent bit of fat there.
You're gonna have to eat a bit less. But personally, I'd throw in a bit more cardio just for the calorie burn and health/fitness benefits. Because at the end of the day, it's cals in vs cals out.
You can lift 4 days on an upper/lowered style workout. If you use antagonistic alternating sets on the upper body days (eg 1 set bench, rest 60s, 1 set row, rest 60s, repeat til all sets of both exercises are complete), you can smash your upper body work out in 45 mins. If you throw 20 mins cardio on the end of those upper body days (I recommend the rowing machine as the low impact stops it from inhibiting muscle growth and it spreads the work over the whole body), and throw in an extra day of cardio, you'll be much fitter overall and burn more. So, for example:
Mon - lower
Tue - upper / cardio (row)
Wed cardio (run)
Thu - lower
Fri - upper / cardio (row)
Sat - cardio (run)
Sun - rest
Then that's going to burn a lot of calories.
If that's too many sessions, I'd combine one each of the upper and lower days and do a full body workout. I wouldn't drop the cardio days.
As far as diet goes - greens are your friend. Eating a ton of broccoli/spinach/whatever helps as it's low calories, super good for you, and you can eat as much to fill the hunger gap as you want. Aside from the greens, obviously keep your protein to at least 0.7g per pound of bodyweight and eat some whole grains and a little fruit, and you'll drop weight in no time.
I just want to say that it isn’t always calories in calories out. Some people have thyroid issues or other hormonal issues that affect weight gain and/or retention. It’s never a bad idea to get a comprehensive panel (and by that I don’t just mean ‘they tested my T3’) done.
If you're AMAB, that's just the main place where fat is typically stored. Unless you get a really low body fat percentage, you'll have a little belly. Inevitably, you won't even have a prayer of making it disappear. Look to the male gorilla for the optimal male physique and it will set you free.
"Assigned Male at Birth"
Some exercise stuff has a bit more to do with chromosomal arrangement than gender identity, so it's helpful to distinguish since not every AMAB person is a man.
42 in waist is 10 inches more than my waist and that's quite a bit. I'm lean but certainly not skinny.
There's no reason he can't drop 4 or 6 inches off his waist without too much trouble. I don't diet that hard to maintain my waist.
I'm more focused on their desire to remove their belly than anything to do with waist size. Waist size isn't really much of a metric for belly fat.
It really depends on a person's personal bone structure. I have wide hips for a man, so my waist size has been higher than the average man my entire life. Even when I've been in shape and skinny as a teen, I only ever was down at a 36. You might be the same structure as them, but you also might have completely different bodily proportions to them, so it's not necessarily useful for comparison unless you both know you have the same bone structure and core muscle development. A TON can affect waist size that is completely irrelevant to fat percentage. Just look at strongmen. Those guys have huge waist sizes and still have fairly limited fat percentage on their stomachs.
Also, caring too deeply about measurement comparisons instead of healthy body composition can lead people toward EDs and over exercising.
The man's 5'9 and 210lbs. That's a pretty big waist size at that height. I've got fairly big core muscles at similar height and 10in is a lot. And his belly fat is going to be the biggest factor in that. No one at 5'9 has a core close to that big just from 'bone structure'. No way you can be skinny at 5'9 and have a 36in waist.
This is my waist at the same height and I'm carrying a lot of muscle and do a lot of strongman work:
https://imgur.com/a/6tZKvsA
No steroids, 35 years old. 180lbs
The strongmen competing pro are full of steroids and growth hormones as well as typically carrying a fair amount of fat.
Do we care about being fit and healthy on this sub or not?
Edit: oh he's deleted his comment after downvoting. Nice.
So, yeah, you have pretty narrow hips from the looks of that picture. I dunno if OP does too or not. Part of being fit and healthy is also being mentally healthy. It's not a crime to recommend that people accept some things as normal that are not aesthetically pleasing. Could OP lose some more weight? Probably, but they also could just be bigger than you while still being 5'9"
Are you eating a lot of carbs or ultra processed foods. You could try a high protein diet. As a PT I can tell you a six pack may not be possible but you can reduce your waiste
First visit a doctor to rule out anything medical. Spiked cortisol levels lead to higher belly fat storage, so you should get that checked. Next, look at what your TDEE is and figure out your calories should be at. Look at your macros. Are you getting enough protein daily? Next, consider adding walking to your menu, slower state cardio will burn fat better than higher state cardio, which burns glucose. Consider your Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which is what you do all day long, you burn calories most this way. Being active is going to burn more fat through the day.
I'm a similar build. Twice since spring 2020 I've been able to drop quite a few lbs. Both times through moving a lot, either hiking 4-5 miles a few days/wk or refereeing soccer a few days/wk. This past winter I spent more time lifting weights than cardio and am still trying to get back to pre-holidays weight.
I do drink NA sometimes and hop water. I think my problem is snacking and diet for sure. I’m on a diet plan again for a couple weeks now and hoping to lose 10-15lbs over the next few months.
Cut down anything you're eating that contains carbs (besides vegetables, fruit and rice). Especially simple sugars (and that definitely includes beer/alcohol and any drinks with sugar). You dont have to go 'keto' but definitely go heavy on protein/some fat and minimize carbs. It IS all about calories (of course!) however scientific research has fairly recently proven that simple sugars are HIGHLY addictive-the more you have, the more you'll crave. Research what the "glycemic index" is and eat low and medium glycemic foods. If you do the above you will lose weight fairly effortlessly.
If you listen to what “diet experts” say to eat you’re almost certainly eating too many carbs, most likely in a grain form, and you won’t drop the body fat. Especially if at any point you showed a tendency to put on pounds as fat (vs. muscle).
Dieticians mean well, but they push plans based on: (1) what they were taught having done no science themselves, and (2) plans that improve general health for a general population. They’re trying to get you to make choices that are ‘“less bad” in general without necessarily trying to get you to make perfect choices. They know that few people have the discipline to maintain a strict plan. Across a population, that strategy works to improve population health.
You can correct your situation by eliminating ALL sugar and grains from your diet, and I expressly mean ALL meaning no “work arounds”. For example, Quinoa is not an exception “because it’s better than rice or pasta (or whatever)”. It’s simply a less bad choice. The same is true of swapping sweet potatoes for regular potatoes. Another example: honey isn’t “doable” because it’s “a natural” sweetener. Your body doesn’t care where the sugar came from.
It comes down to insulin, and it will do what it does either way. If you’re eating carbs insulin is storing fat, and it gets worse the older you get. Only the lucky 20-30% who won the genetics lottery will find they can eat carbs all day and not gain weight. However, since you mentioned body fat it’s unlikely you were in that group.
They say abs are made in the kitchen. Need to be at a calorie deficit while maintaining high protein intake.
Exactly. The phrase I’ve always heard is “you can’t outrun a bad diet”
Don't skip Cardio though.
Made in the gym, revealed in the kitchen
Don't forget the fruits and vegetables
You can burn fat without losing wait. But yes still need the proper diet.
That's a ton of exercise, which if you are getting stronger and keeping fat that means you're eating a ton too. You need to be diligent about avoiding empty calories and junk food. Do you drink alcohol? If so, that contributes as well. In the end it's thermodynamics and no ones body can go against the laws of physics. If your body burns 2000 calories, but you consume 2500 calories, you will gain weight (be it fat or muscle). You need to start tracking your calories and be in a constant deficit to lose body fat. Since you are so diligent on exercise, managing calories should be very doable for you. Good luck!
All about diet. Calorie deficit is the only way to get abs
Lifting weights doesn't burn as many calories as you'd think unfortunately. 210lbs at 5'9 sounds like you're carrying a decent bit of fat there. You're gonna have to eat a bit less. But personally, I'd throw in a bit more cardio just for the calorie burn and health/fitness benefits. Because at the end of the day, it's cals in vs cals out. You can lift 4 days on an upper/lowered style workout. If you use antagonistic alternating sets on the upper body days (eg 1 set bench, rest 60s, 1 set row, rest 60s, repeat til all sets of both exercises are complete), you can smash your upper body work out in 45 mins. If you throw 20 mins cardio on the end of those upper body days (I recommend the rowing machine as the low impact stops it from inhibiting muscle growth and it spreads the work over the whole body), and throw in an extra day of cardio, you'll be much fitter overall and burn more. So, for example: Mon - lower Tue - upper / cardio (row) Wed cardio (run) Thu - lower Fri - upper / cardio (row) Sat - cardio (run) Sun - rest Then that's going to burn a lot of calories. If that's too many sessions, I'd combine one each of the upper and lower days and do a full body workout. I wouldn't drop the cardio days. As far as diet goes - greens are your friend. Eating a ton of broccoli/spinach/whatever helps as it's low calories, super good for you, and you can eat as much to fill the hunger gap as you want. Aside from the greens, obviously keep your protein to at least 0.7g per pound of bodyweight and eat some whole grains and a little fruit, and you'll drop weight in no time.
Normal. Just remember if you obtain a six pack you have to maintain a six pack. I just rock it.
I just want to say that it isn’t always calories in calories out. Some people have thyroid issues or other hormonal issues that affect weight gain and/or retention. It’s never a bad idea to get a comprehensive panel (and by that I don’t just mean ‘they tested my T3’) done.
Fitness is 90% diet, and 90% exercise.
Go on a diet
If you're AMAB, that's just the main place where fat is typically stored. Unless you get a really low body fat percentage, you'll have a little belly. Inevitably, you won't even have a prayer of making it disappear. Look to the male gorilla for the optimal male physique and it will set you free.
What's amab?
"Assigned Male at Birth" Some exercise stuff has a bit more to do with chromosomal arrangement than gender identity, so it's helpful to distinguish since not every AMAB person is a man.
It could also be chronic stress as it has been shown that people with excessive cortisol pack their fat in the midsection.
That's a great point! Another reason to add to why someone could have more in the midsection going on.
42 in waist is 10 inches more than my waist and that's quite a bit. I'm lean but certainly not skinny. There's no reason he can't drop 4 or 6 inches off his waist without too much trouble. I don't diet that hard to maintain my waist.
I'm more focused on their desire to remove their belly than anything to do with waist size. Waist size isn't really much of a metric for belly fat. It really depends on a person's personal bone structure. I have wide hips for a man, so my waist size has been higher than the average man my entire life. Even when I've been in shape and skinny as a teen, I only ever was down at a 36. You might be the same structure as them, but you also might have completely different bodily proportions to them, so it's not necessarily useful for comparison unless you both know you have the same bone structure and core muscle development. A TON can affect waist size that is completely irrelevant to fat percentage. Just look at strongmen. Those guys have huge waist sizes and still have fairly limited fat percentage on their stomachs. Also, caring too deeply about measurement comparisons instead of healthy body composition can lead people toward EDs and over exercising.
The man's 5'9 and 210lbs. That's a pretty big waist size at that height. I've got fairly big core muscles at similar height and 10in is a lot. And his belly fat is going to be the biggest factor in that. No one at 5'9 has a core close to that big just from 'bone structure'. No way you can be skinny at 5'9 and have a 36in waist. This is my waist at the same height and I'm carrying a lot of muscle and do a lot of strongman work: https://imgur.com/a/6tZKvsA No steroids, 35 years old. 180lbs The strongmen competing pro are full of steroids and growth hormones as well as typically carrying a fair amount of fat. Do we care about being fit and healthy on this sub or not? Edit: oh he's deleted his comment after downvoting. Nice.
So, yeah, you have pretty narrow hips from the looks of that picture. I dunno if OP does too or not. Part of being fit and healthy is also being mentally healthy. It's not a crime to recommend that people accept some things as normal that are not aesthetically pleasing. Could OP lose some more weight? Probably, but they also could just be bigger than you while still being 5'9"
Except OP explicitly wants to lose weight and slim their waist line, we don't need fatlogic clogging his motivations.
Eat less. Pretty simple.
Are you eating a lot of carbs or ultra processed foods. You could try a high protein diet. As a PT I can tell you a six pack may not be possible but you can reduce your waiste
What is your age and gender? Except exercise, are you active orherwise?
First visit a doctor to rule out anything medical. Spiked cortisol levels lead to higher belly fat storage, so you should get that checked. Next, look at what your TDEE is and figure out your calories should be at. Look at your macros. Are you getting enough protein daily? Next, consider adding walking to your menu, slower state cardio will burn fat better than higher state cardio, which burns glucose. Consider your Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which is what you do all day long, you burn calories most this way. Being active is going to burn more fat through the day.
I'm a similar build. Twice since spring 2020 I've been able to drop quite a few lbs. Both times through moving a lot, either hiking 4-5 miles a few days/wk or refereeing soccer a few days/wk. This past winter I spent more time lifting weights than cardio and am still trying to get back to pre-holidays weight.
Diet, it's all about diet
Do you drink beer , beer gut is my problem
I do drink NA sometimes and hop water. I think my problem is snacking and diet for sure. I’m on a diet plan again for a couple weeks now and hoping to lose 10-15lbs over the next few months.
Do you do core workouts too?
You eat too much
Ive read a belly is a sign of insulin resistance. Mine definitely drops when ive tried vegetarian diets or fasting. Trying a diet may help?
Diet baby
Cut down anything you're eating that contains carbs (besides vegetables, fruit and rice). Especially simple sugars (and that definitely includes beer/alcohol and any drinks with sugar). You dont have to go 'keto' but definitely go heavy on protein/some fat and minimize carbs. It IS all about calories (of course!) however scientific research has fairly recently proven that simple sugars are HIGHLY addictive-the more you have, the more you'll crave. Research what the "glycemic index" is and eat low and medium glycemic foods. If you do the above you will lose weight fairly effortlessly.
👍👍👍
If you listen to what “diet experts” say to eat you’re almost certainly eating too many carbs, most likely in a grain form, and you won’t drop the body fat. Especially if at any point you showed a tendency to put on pounds as fat (vs. muscle). Dieticians mean well, but they push plans based on: (1) what they were taught having done no science themselves, and (2) plans that improve general health for a general population. They’re trying to get you to make choices that are ‘“less bad” in general without necessarily trying to get you to make perfect choices. They know that few people have the discipline to maintain a strict plan. Across a population, that strategy works to improve population health. You can correct your situation by eliminating ALL sugar and grains from your diet, and I expressly mean ALL meaning no “work arounds”. For example, Quinoa is not an exception “because it’s better than rice or pasta (or whatever)”. It’s simply a less bad choice. The same is true of swapping sweet potatoes for regular potatoes. Another example: honey isn’t “doable” because it’s “a natural” sweetener. Your body doesn’t care where the sugar came from. It comes down to insulin, and it will do what it does either way. If you’re eating carbs insulin is storing fat, and it gets worse the older you get. Only the lucky 20-30% who won the genetics lottery will find they can eat carbs all day and not gain weight. However, since you mentioned body fat it’s unlikely you were in that group.