I am having some trouble losing some weight.  I'm 6'1" and weight 200lbs.  I run 3 miles in the morning and jog about 2 miles in the evening 4 days a week.  I usually lift weights 2-3 a week.  My riutune is to do 3 sets and 8 reps of 200 lbs then do 2 sets of 8 reps of 250lbs.  I usually max out once every week at a little over 300 lbs.  My problem is I have a small gut that I want to do away with, but can't seem to do it.  I HATE doing crunches because it seems to hurt my lower back.  What can I do to lose this stomach flab?  BTW, I usually eat 1 lb. of pasta a day and some lean center cut pork chops.  

Atkins... I lost 35 pounds on it... and I still weigh 145... that was 3 years ago.  I personally know someone who's lost near 90 pounds using Atkins diet plan... And she doesn't exercise, just uses Atkins.

It's easy... low carbs, high protein.  And you're never hungry.  Infact, if you are hungry on the diet, you're doing it wrong... eat all the protein you want, but pasta bad... very bad...

Do a search on 'atkins diet' and start reading... It works!



edited to add:  email me and I'll give you some hints on foods and such...

Check out a book called "Protein Power" for a low carb, adequate protein, diet that is less extreme than atkins, but just as effective at cutting the gut.

The only problem with the Atkins diet is that the high protein levels increase your metabolism drastically, which, on the good side, produces fat burn.  On the bad side, though, your liver and kidneys might not be able to hack it.  Check with a doctor first, kids.

the_reject

Agreed... that's why the research.  It can be too extreme for everyone, but simply cutting the carbs down without going full-blown Atkins should be a help without the potential side-effects...  But yes, research this and if necessary, check with the docs...

 As a former powerlifter, I can see that your routine needs some improvement, no offense.  Doing cardio twice a day for 4 days a week and lifting 2-3 times a week is a bit excessive.  I recommend that you cut down on your running.  If you do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), I'm confident that you won't have to run two times in one day.  It's good that you lift frequently, because the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn off naturally.  I'm concerned about your cardio.  If you don't let your body restore its ATP & glycogen stores, your body will release cortisol, which will break down your muscle to use it as energy, since your primary energy stores, the ATP & glycogen, are depleted.  By running A LOT, you are actually unknowingly burning way your hard-earned muscle as fuel; the less muscle you have, the less calories your body burns.  
  I recommend that you do not max once a week.  Having a power phase frequently can really mess you up psychologically because such high activation of your central nervous system [b]will[/b] fatigue your body.  Usually after a power phase, a person would have 1-2 weeks of complete rest.  They won't lift or run, so that their energy stores would be completely restored.  If you use Periodization, then you know what I'm talking about.


If I'm unclear of anything, or if you have a question, feel free to contact me.[:)]

Dont drink beer on empty stomach.  :)

Cut out the pasta and pork chops, do you drink enough water(a gallon a day?)start eating more fresh fruit and vegetables and whole wheat and chicken.
Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
Do some yoga "Cobra" stretches before you do crunches.

If you check out the "protein power" book they address this. It isn't a high protein diet and isn't "hard on the kidneys". You go through a calculation to figure out your lean body mass, and the amount of protein each day that is needed to support that part, and not more.

For real fattys, you keep the carbs below 35 each day, and for people who want to lose slower, you can have around 60 carbs per day. You eat a good amount of fat too.

What kind of meats would you suggest?  BTW, I drink about a gallon of water a day.

I agree with the Atkins diet.

I've done it full-blown a number of times. The first time (back in '96) I went from 270 to 219 in about three months. Felt great, never hungry.

Unfortunately, I never continued eating right (by ANY standards) and ended up getting back to 280 (this was last November).

Walked out of the shower one day and looked in the mirror.

Went on Atkins again 10 minutes later and, right now, I'm down to 250 and falling. I've gone on and off during the entire period, so my weight has fallen far more slowly than before. I just restarted again this morning, and I plan on being VERY strict, just like I was in '96.

WARNING! Atkins can lead to a SERIOUS case of CONSTIPATION! As for liver and kidney damage, every doctor has told me the same thing: the diet is fine, but don't try to live on it for extended periods (i.e. - years). Drink LOTS of water (which is healthy anyway).

My .223...

Sort of true, but I was told its ok to be on it extended periods.  But don't even attempt it if you have bad kidneys or liver.  The water is the problem, some people think they don't have to drink so much but in actuality, its a necessity.

Great diet though.

Try losing your job. Not being able to buy food does wonders.

First, always have breakfast because it starts your body.  No breakfast and the body assumes no food so it tries to conserve stored fat.  Second, pasta is starch which converts to sugar through enzymes for quick energy.  Your body will have the pasta when it should be working on stored energy, fat.

Here's the AZCOP Diet:

Back in 87, I weighed 250, and Mrs. AZCOP weighed 150.
6 months later, I was at 190, and she was at 85 (took her time (2 years) to get up to 100)

Then, I started exercising (I was too fat to exercise before).

I'm still at 190ish, and she is currently at 110.


We stopped eating red meat,[:o] and stopped drinking soda (even diet). [:o](coincidental amounts of red meat were, and are O.K., such as meat sauce for pasta, but no meat balls)

We also ate foods that digested quickly:
Dark meat chicken and turkey, fish, rice, pasta.

Not a lot of veggies because they tended to block up the plumbing when consumed in large amounts, but some.

Lots of water.

Once a week, we would go get a pizza, but only with cheese, black olives and mushrooms.

I also ate loads of "pork and beef" hotdogs (not all beef, pork and beef):
Yep, full of cholesterol, but they digested really fast.

Mrs. AZCOP's cholesterol number is 130, and mine is 144.

I can guarantee we never went hungry, and it took a few months for the results to start showing, but once it started coming off, it almost seemed it wouldn't stop.

Again, I can not recommend it for everyone:
I can only tell you it worked for the two of us.

That being said, Atkins sounds like a good bet to get the weight down, then a sensible diet to keep it off.

Jay
[img]http://www.commspeed.net/jmurray/images/iroc-cop.gif[/img]

Mentioned it once before, but it's worth saying again. If you're considering a low carbohydrate diet, check out "Protein Power". Works just as quickly as Atkins, but is easier to follow.
check out the reviews:

[url]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553574752/qid=1026165037/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-8357428-6939338[/url]

There are used copies on amazon for less than two bucks.


You can pick up these "fad diet" books at used book stores for less than two bucks many times. Lots of copies of them floating around.

If you're eating so much pasta, I'd highly suggest cutting that amount in half and replacing it with low calorie leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, etc and a few vegetables.  You're not going to burn fat if you have constant supplies of sugar available.  If all you're eating is pasta and pork, I'd say you're missing out on lots of essential vitamins you really sould be getting from foom and not supplements.  

What is the fat/saturated fat levels on your center cut pork chops?  I'd personally move to extra lean ground beef and skinless chicken breasts for your protein intake, and cut out as much dairy as you can, replacing them with high protein soy products.

I use a George Foreman grill for cooking all of my meats, and it's amazing how much fat comes off of supposedly low fat cuts of meat.  The only exception to this is skinless chicken breast, which loses very little in comparison to pork and red meat.

I've got some simple yet filling low calorie/low fat/low cholesterol recipes I'd be more than willing to share if you'd like them.  My e-mail address is in my profile.

I've dropped 12lbs in the last 4 months, and my goal is to be well below 300lbs by the end of the year as I should be able to increase my physical activites as the weight comes off.  My ultimate goal is to be down to 220lbs over the next 2 years, which is a weight I haven't seen since middle school.  I can't believe I let myself get this bad.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...