I'm a 6'1 male weighing 252.

I know nothing about exercising ,cardio, etc. But I'll let you know how I started off the week.

Started off the by running a mile and a half the past two mornings, have had nothing but half a grilled chicken breast and green beans for lunch, and had zucchini pasta for dinner last night. My plate portions have decreased from what I usually eat (usually a plate and a half of food), ha and have drank nothing but water.

Any thoughts and tips on how to get a flatter stomach?

TIA.

Abs show around 10% body fat in males. Get there and you'll probably see them.

Unless you were fat and have extra skin. Then it's only in certain places.

more cardio
more cardio
and quit eating

It's all about diet.

And that does not meant going on a diet.

It means eating healthy over long term.

The fastest way to lose weight is an Atkins like diet where you limit your carbs and derive your fuel sources from fat. This however is not a long term solution. For most it's not practical.

As someone who went from 50 lbs overweight to almost abs over the last year and a half I would recommend a flexible diet. IIFYM.

Download my fitness pal and set it up for 1 pound loss per week and go 50% carbs, 25 protein, 25 fat.

Track your food. It's hard but worth it.

Stick with this longterm. Continue to run and exercise and it will work.
Find a goal like a 10k or 1/2 marathon.

This is one way and there are many others.

But if it were easy, everyone would have abs.

what Unthought said, but I do alot more protien and a little more fat and about 30% carbs.

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what Unthought said, but I do alot more protien and a little more fat and about 30% carbs.

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That's a good idea in theory but it's hard to do. I was going to go 40-30-30 but for someone who is new to a flexible diet it's really tough.

no doubt. The carbs I crave are chips and sour patch kids. Breads, potatoes, rice, sugary drinks, I've never really been fond of, so it was easier for me for sure.

I've found the 6 month/10% dietbet to be pretty strong motivation.

The one month version is too short and easy to just "suffer" through for a month. I'm starting month 3 on the 6 month version and have tracked along so far, and you really have to figure out a more achievable long term goal, or you'll crash before 6 months.

I just play a public game - https://www.dietbet.com/

That's just in addition to what the other guys have said...

There are many different plans to lose weight. Not everything works for everyone.

Pick a plan and stick to it.

No matter what plan you do, the best thing to do is consistently burn more than you intake.

Eat a healthy diet and burn more than you intake. It's really simple. If you're a healthy male, the fat will literally melt away if you stick to it.

Eat less than you burn. It's that simple.

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Eat less than you burn. It's that simple.

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It is, but if you're not tracking there's the unknown factor.

I don't really have any advice. But, as a point of reference I am 6'2" and I went from 215 down to 185 since January of this year and you can just barely see a teeny tiny hint of my upper abs. Now that's about 10% due to the fact that I don't really ever do any core work and 90% due to the fact that I still have body fat to lose. My scale says I went from ~27% bf to 20% bf but who knows how accurate that thing is. Bottom line: for someone of our height, you've got to get down a ton a weight before you'll see abs but it can definitely be done. Good luck!

I for one advocate weights + HIIT/interval cardio in addition to track macros so that you're providing adequate protein and fats with sufficient carbs to provide energy. I +1 the IIFYM but with higher protein and healthy fats option. Once you find a good range then dial it in

learn to read food labels--myfitnesspal app has a barcode reader to easily input a lot of things

ditch every liquid but water/tea/coffee -- unflavored is best. aim for a gallon of H2O/daily

eat frequently every 3-4 hours and always get protein and a healthy fat for every meal

focus weights on heavy compound movements: squat, deadlift, bench, bent over rows, etc and stick to free weights as much as possible

HIIT: I'm more a fan of the caridoacceleration aspect of HIIT that Jim Stopponi advocates. It where you pick a HIIT activity like mountain climbers, kettlebell swings, jump rope, high knees, jumping jacks, shadow box, sprints on a treadmill, etc and incorporate them in to your downtime between lift sets. so instead of sitting on your butt for 2-3 minutes, get 60seconds of CA in there and then catch your breath for the remaining time--before you know if you've done nearly 20-30minutes of HIIT and lifted without any additional time at the end/beginning

I would keep your major goal of the six pack, but definitely considers smaller additional goals along the way. you may shift your focus from a six pack, and your hard work will still get you that washboard. Examples could be losing a pant size or hitting that next major number on squat, or shaving X amount of minutes from your mile time


all of this is just opinion--find what gives you results and don't focus on a scale as much as the mirror and how your clothes fit

it will not be fast, it will not be short. it will be frustrating, it will be painful. you will feel like quitting at times. stick with it, make smart decisions, and always try to best yourself each time you workout

Agreed, I just meant it's a lot simpler than most people make it out to be. Fad diets, supplements, etc...All great but finding something you enjoy to do physically as well as nutrition you also enjoy consuming that allows you to burn more than you consume is the "key". Just don't over complicate it with unnecessary things.

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Agreed, I just meant it's a lot simpler than most people make it out to be. Fad diets, supplements, etc...All great but finding something you enjoy to do physically as well as nutrition you also enjoy consuming that allows you to burn more than you consume is the "key". Just don't over complicate it with unnecessary things.

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Agreed. It's not rocket science.

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Agreed, I just meant it's a lot simpler than most people make it out to be. Fad diets, supplements, etc...All great but finding something you enjoy to do physically as well as nutrition you also enjoy consuming that allows you to burn more than you consume is the "key". Just don't over complicate it with unnecessary things.

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Agreed. It's not rocket science.

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The biggest problem people have is that they don't know what "good food" is...

There are an infinite number of exercises that will get you there. You just got to find what you like and stick with it. It's the "good food" portion that cluster ****s people. They don't see the results they want, and they quit.

Agreed. A I said, pick something and stick with it.

Burn more calories than you take in.

Diet is most important by far. Weight lifting is 2nd most important. Cardio is a very, very, very distant third. I also think HIIT is the best type of cardio for fat loss but again when I had my best success I didn't do hardly any cardio at all ever but i was disciplined when it came to tracking my macros & staying strict on my diet. I found the sticking to an eating pattern was also the best for me and had success with intermittent fasting eating between 12-8pm.

Good luck. I need to drop 10-15 lbs of fat now too but am not nearly as strict with the diet. With a couple young kids and a busy work schedule its a little more challenging. In the end, I am simply just not as disciplined right now... Partly because I am already a married man and don't need/care about seeing abs or having a little extra belly fat but I also really enjoy eating good food & drinking beer. I crush the weights 4x a week and still can run 3-4 miles at a sub 8 min pace so I don't worry about it too much.

I eat Laynes every day and do less than 10 minutes of cardio a day, I also have a job where I sit all day. I have decent abs. So I'd say forget all the diet and exercise and see if you can get new genes. It's way easier this way.

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I eat Laynes every day and do less than 10 minutes of cardio a day, I also have a job where I sit all day. I have decent abs. So I'd say forget all the diet and exercise and see if you can get new genes. It's way easier this way.

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Solid advice.

Follow my diet plan:

During the week: Cardio 4 times a week, lift weights 3 times a week (days that you are lifting obviously do lighter cardio). Only eat things that don't taste good.

Weekend: run once if you really feel motivated, and eat whatever you want.



It's not the perfect plan, but it's worked for me, and it's pretty easy.

There is a lot of solid advice here, but if you are just jumping off, you may be confused by all of it - there are a lot of really knowledgeable people here but it sounds like you may be on step 1. (For example, IIFYM means "if it fits your macro" - you may not even know what is a macro or what fits it). So, here's my advice...take it for what it's worth

Go make an appointment with a nutritionist. Tell them to explain it to you like you're a five-year-old. Ask them lots of questions and tell them your goals. Get meal ideas that fit your time/lifestyle/budget (as mentioned above, diet is more important than exercise with your numbers).

The HIIT suggestion above is good (HIIIT is High Intensity Interval Training). it'll melt fat off. There are tons of suggestions for this. (I personally like Ashley Conrad's Clutch Shred workout from time to time).

Track what you're eating. There are plenty of apps for it. When I started tracking and making choices based on what the apps showed, i was amazed at how many food options I previously thought were good, but the numbers showed otherwise. Again, a nutritionist will really help here.

Come back with questions and remind us to dumb it down, if needed. Lastly....

At 6.1 and 252, you are overweight and will not be showing abs this summer (sorry, but it's the truth unless you do something dangerous). Play the long game. Plan for NEXT summer, but get started now. As has been said millions of times, if you commit to a long-term, permanent lifestyle and diet change, you'll be damn happy come next Memorial Day.

Best of luck and keep coming back here.

A hydrostatic analysis will help you out a ton.

It will get your Resting Metabolic Rate and help you set up your macros.

Where are you?

Thanks for all the advice, y'all. I've already jumped onto some of the suggestions mentioned above, and see that this is gonna be a fun process. Will post results soon!

I've always got better results when I eat most of my carbs earlier in the day and not at dinner. Try not to eat within 3 hours of going to bed. Nutrition is going to be 75% of your results. Eat as clean as you can while staying away from processed foods as much ass possible, especially sugar. It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound, so every calorie counts.

Just know, you can't spot reduce fat. I.E. You can't just lose it from your belly.

As others have said, weight training is essential. Not only do you burn calories while doing it, but for a few hours after as well.


Good luck.

Intermittent fasting has worked for quite a few people. You'll have to read up on it and see what you think.

Starting with 12 hours fasting per day is relatively easy. Eat your first meal of the day at 7 am and your last at 7 pm. Only drinking water in between.

Try to stay away from huge caloric deficits (consuming far less than you burn). It's not sustainable and extreme measures are met with extreme adaptation (i.e. your metabolism will slow to far less than what it should be). Slow and steady. Make small sustainable changes and pile those on top of each other.

Also, don't be obsessed with eating "clean." Bad foods are the foods (and quantities of those foods) which don't allow you to hit your macronutrient and fiber targets. If having a treat here and their keeps you on track and fits your macros, it's far better than depriving yourself of the treats you love and then binging when you hit a breaking point. Again, sustainability is key.

Lastly, I highly recommend finding (or hiring) someone who can show you around the weight room. If you're just doing cardio, you'll lose fat, but you'll lose muscle, too. I'm guessing that's not what you want. And do a search for books about IIFYM on Amazon; I see several inexpensive resources in the quick search I did.

Going from 360 to 198 over several years...I've seen, heard, done most of the things on here and can say with 100% certainty that losing weight in general is 95% diet and abs is almost 100% diet. You can literally not exercise at all and lose tons of weight with the correct diet.

That being said, there is no diet that is a one size fits all. Your body chemistry and its glycolysis is really the key. Based on this, you have to eat the right food at the right times of the day in order to be most effective. Your body is either in building or burning mode depending on the levels of glucose (and it can't do both at the same time). When its elevated you are in building mode and when its low you are in burning mode. This helps explain why body builders take insulin injections.

All this is to say, that you can break down your macros all you want but if you are eating carbs throughout the day and the glucose tends to stay elevated for a longer duration, you will be getting very marginal results because there wont be a sustained period of time where your body is in burning mode. I recommend seeing a professional nutrionist to get you started and understanding your specific situation.

I happen to be the example i referenced and as such take in a large majority of my carbs in the am/lunch (and a small "booster" before I workout again in the pm so I don't cause an insulin spike for the rest of night and while I sleep).


additionally, I did just see a study that in order for your body to start "permanently" changing to the diet regimen, you must be consistent for a year....

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That being said, there is no diet that is a one size fits all. Your body chemistry and its glycolysis is really the key. Based on this, you have to eat the right food at the right times of the day in order to be most effective. Your body is either in building or burning mode depending on the levels of glucose (and it can't do both at the same time). When its elevated you are in building mode and when its low you are in burning mode. This helps explain why body builders take insulin injections.

All this is to say, that you can break down your macros all you want but if you are eating carbs throughout the day and the glucose tends to stay elevated for a longer duration, you will be getting very marginal results because there wont be a sustained period of time where your body is in burning mode. I recommend seeing a professional nutrionist to get you started and understanding your specific situation.

I happen to be the example i referenced and as such take in a large majority of my carbs in the am/lunch (and a small "booster" before I workout again in the pm so I don't cause an insulin spike for the rest of night and while I sleep).

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I do think he should see a nutritionist regarding his individual situation, but this just isn't true. The most important thing is energy balance (caloric intake), and you will not be getting "marginal" weight/fat loss results if you have a consistent caloric deficit.



If you saw good results eating most of your carbs in the morning, it was almost certainly because it helped you to eat fewer calories overall. The same goes for the studies which show people can achieve identical results eating most of their carbs directly before bed (if macros are held constant). The number of carbs someone needs is largely dependent on activity level; when they eat them is far less important.

By the way, Eric Helms (owner of the picture above) has a couple of great resources called "The Muscle and Strength Pyramids". If anyone is interested, check them out here: http://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/

The only thing in nutrition that has remained true throughout my life is burn more than you eat to lose weight.

How you get there is up to you.

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If you saw good results eating most of your carbs in the morning, it was almost certainly because it helped you to eat fewer calories overall. The same goes for the studies which show people can achieve identical results eating most of their carbs directly before bed (if macros are held constant). The number of carbs someone needs is largely dependent on activity level; when they eat them is far less important.

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I'll preface by saying I don't know **** about timing, glycose, burning and building modes, etc... I eat most of my carbs, if not all, post-workout at 6am, and at dinner.

But, for arguements sake, isn't eating all carbs in the AM, and all carbs in the PM before bed pretty much the same thing? You're still going a long spell without carbs which allows your glycose? level to go into burning mode...

Just making a connection from what the previous poster suggested

Carbs are faster digesting and thus energy is available to you quicker. If you don't need that energy, your body turns it into fat. So if you eat carbs at night, you have energy available your body doesn't need since you are sleeping. Thus the recommendation of carbs in the morning or perhaps before you train.

Cut out beer and do lots of core exercises and yoga.

If your body is super sensitive to carbs and eating a 1/4 cup of rice spikes your insulin levels (which happen to stay elevated in your system for a long period of time) then you aren't burning fat at any point in the day if you consume said carbs throughout the day.

It's why Atkins/south beach diet actually works (ketosis)....eat all the fats and proteins you want but no carbs and you will lose weight. People are def not on a calorie deficit in that program.