How to get in better shape?

[Stronger]

Well I have like no were else to turn, since my parents/internet simply aren' good in this area. Alright, so I'm 17, 5'7"ish and 170lbs :\. I know doesn't sounds like a lot, but it shows terribly in my mid-section(stomach area) and I'm tired of it. I'm so embarressed in public with no shirt on, I feel people are gonna laugh and I will no longer change for gym b/c every other guy has a nice flat area. How can I change this to look thinner. Note: I don't want abs, could care less, just wanna look thin. With a cruise coming up, and going to a waterpark all summer, I really wanna change. If you wanna know how I eat, and what I do currently for working out, just say so.

[Blackout]

Whats your current diet and workout routine like? I dont wanna suggest a bunch of foods without knowing what you like lol.

[Stronger]

Whats your current diet and workout routine like? I dont wanna suggest a bunch of foods without knowing what you like lol.

Well...theres no diet, and at the gym I do the treadmill for 30 mins and the elliptical for 20, I burn if I actually am pumped, 500+ calories. All arm workouts were put on a halt, due to some medical issues.

[Genghis Khan]

Cut out as much junk as you possibly can without making it unrealistic. What I mean by that is don't make it something that can only last a week or a few days, it should be something you can stick to for a long time. If you can replace some of the unhealthy snacks you eat with fruits and vegetables, then you're good to start.

Also : This isn't some kind of elixir so don't treat it like one, but there's this thing called Sassy Water (http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/flat-belly-diet/flat-belly-diet-and-sassy-water), it can be quite helpful in flushing out the current fat stored in the mid-section, plus it can help you use your fat stores more efficiently. For more information click on the link.


Short bursts of cardio is the best way to burn fat. When I say best I mean most efficient and effective.

It isn't time consuming, it's not boring, it literally takes around 3-4 minutes and you don't need any kind of high-tech equipment for it. Additionally you can burn a lot more calories by keeping it short and intense as opposed to prolonged and mundane.

[Exercise 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkD9LwDBWW0) | Exercise 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir0jp-MU42o) | Exercise 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h30dWmbvsfk)]

Another good tip I can give you to lose the belly, is to not focus on it at all. Don't waste your time on crunches just do push ups, burpees, pull ups, mountain climbers, squats and other exercises that work your biceps, your legs, your shoulders and your chest, even if you don't intend to build muscle in those areas. Building muscle and losing fat aren't two different objectives. Losing fat concerns how many muscle groups you're working, which is why swimming is the mother of all exercises; you're using literally every muscle in your body when you're under-water.

[Cicero]

Well I have like no were else to turn, since my parents/internet simply aren' good in this area. Alright, so I'm 17, 5'7"ish and 170lbs :\. I know doesn't sounds like a lot, but it shows terribly in my mid-section(stomach area) and I'm tired of it. I'm so embarressed in public with no shirt on, I feel people are gonna laugh and I will no longer change for gym b/c every other guy has a nice flat area. How can I change this to look thinner. Note: I don't want abs, could care less, just wanna look thin. With a cruise coming up, and going to a waterpark all summer, I really wanna change. If you wanna know how I eat, and what I do currently for working out, just say so.


What you should do is cardio and strength training. Cut your calories to about 1500-1600 a day. Eat healthy food, nothing like hamburgers and try to eat stuff with olive oil. That's the healthiest oil there is. Always eat breakfast, that's what's gonna kickstart your metabolism. Your body/metabolism is like a fire. If you keep putting wood in the fire all day, your fire will keep burning. Eat every 3 hours and have 2 snacks and 3 main courses. Time yourself. Enjoy every bite. Your body takes 30 minutes until it recognizes its been eating. If you stuff your face, your brain won't realize your as full as you are, until 30 minutes later. So make sure you get the flavors of each bite, don't rush, take your time. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep, at least 8 hours a night, and try to eat at certain times of the day. Don't keep changing the times you eat, keep it at (example only) 8 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm. Keep eating times around the same time every time. But DO try to have your daily meal plan consist of 50% protein, 30% carb, and 20% fat. That will be a guaranteed success (those percentages was from P90X). But ONLY healthy fats, not unhealthy.

Here's the serving chart that's in P90X: (the ones in parenthesis is an example of what each serving equals)
5 servings protein (3 oz. chicken-1 servings)
2 servings dairy (4 oz. 2% milk-1 servings)
1 servings fruit (1 large apple-1 servings)
2 servings vegetables (1 cup cooked greens(2 cups raw greens)-1 servings)
2 servings fat (1 tblsp olive oil-1 servings)
1 carbs (1 cup oatmeal-1 servings)
1 condiments (2 tblsp BBQ sauce-1 servings)

(the above plan of P90X was from "Fat Shredder" section, I made the examples, the foods I thought you would eat the most :) which took even longer to write :D)

Do cardio every other day, and in between those days do strength training. Make sure you fail at the 8-12 rep, that will add more muscle which means your body will burn more calories. Do high intensity workouts and cardio. It doesn't matter if yo uwalk 3 miles, that would only burn about 300 calories. If you run 3 miles that would burn 500+ calories. High intensity is better than low intensity, instead of small bursts of intense workouts or running, do small bursts of low intensity meaning running as fast as possible for 3 minutes, then walk for 1 minute. Jump roping is a great cardio workout. Don't eat 3 hurs before you sleep, because all the calories will turn into fat. Don't think of calories as fat, but energy. Calories is the amount of energy a certain food has. Try to fill up on protein. Protein will keep you full longer, which means you won't be hungry. Don't mindlessly eat, do not eat in front of the tv, eat at the dinner table so that you avoid mindless eating. Popcorn is a great healthy snack, un-buttered that is. Add a pinch of salt, maybe some Tabasco or garlic. Or whatever herbs you like.

Taking cold showers is proven to double calorie burn. Spicy food is also proven to improve metabolism. As well as drinking drinks with ice, because your body has to work harder to turn that drink into something warmer for your body. Drink plenty of water so that you won't mistaken thirst for hunger. Don't drink diet sodas, diet is worse than regular. When doing strength training, whey protein is your best friend. But if that's too expensive, do chocolate milk within 30 minutes of an exercise and add a pinch of cinnamon, the carbs will be rushed to feed the muscles that much needed energy, for repair. Theirs no such thing as choosing where you burn fat, if you do Ab exercises, you won't burn just stomach fat. Your body is like an onion. It will take off one layer at a time. Abs are like any other muscle, abs should be exercises every other day, not every day. Add variety to every workout, if you don't you'll plateau which is bad. But most importantly, try to get rid of your belly fat. It's medically proven that belly fat is the worst, and can lead to the biggest problems. Drinking green tea will also boost metabolism. Try not to stress about things, stress doesn't help your body. It adds more pounds, and weakens the heart.

Eat complex carbs, not simple carbs. Eat white meat chicken. And steak/beef is great for workout days. Try to workout/cardio for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Coffee is a great metabolism booster too. :D hope I helped :)

P.S. This took like 30 minutes to type so.... Ya :| my fingers are tired lol

[Stronger]

Thank you both very much, that was very helpful and I will defienatly use this to help, +1 for both.

[double r]

I would advice you to eat a steady diet without major sources of fats(non healthy), and try to avoid junk food and have daily training like ( running or swimming). That is how I stay in tip top shape, but it really dependents on the person and there devotion.

[Nihilus]

If you can do mountain biking or cycling in general. I had a problem with that too, but due to the intensity of mountain biking (also the insane amount of fun that comes with it) I have lost a lot of the fat and I have never felt better. Change your diet and be more active. Find something that appeals to you.

[impact_75]

While working out works, do 1000 jump ropes a day. It will definitely works. I'm about 300 pounds and everyone says i look like i'm about 250.