how do you get rid of the pooch

[kjersi]

ive looked around on the net and so far all i see is a tuck to get rid of it.. anyone have ne suggestions?

[Autumn]

You could try this;
Lie down on your back and do sit ups for the top half and for the bottom half lie flat, lift your legs and bring them down again slightly but don't touch the floor. Repeat as many times as you can. It is quite painful when you first start and you probably won't be able to do many but after a while you'll gradually be able to do more.

[bevnurse16]

Unfortunately we can't "pick and choose" where we want to remove fat from our bodies. A good overall cardio workout and some strength training will target the areas where you need to lose the most.
However, keep in mind, that most of us just aren't genetically programmed to have a perfectly flat tummy...and that's ok..because most men think a little pooch is actually quite cute!!!

[cooper18]

actually i'd beg to differ with that "we can't pick and choose" philosophy. that would be implying that only the "rich and famous" were given bodies to do so?? i don't think so.. yes, overall work outs and eating properly, etc. are the keys to start with. but one thing i was shown that i enjoy way more than crunches are "leg lifts". lay on your back (preferably on a mat or towel for something between you and a hard floor!) and lift the lower half of your body up. when lowering don't go all the way down to the floor, it will work the ab and stomach muscles. also once you get into doing them regularly, add a ball of some kind- a plastic one, or basketball/soccerball the larger the size, the more of a challenge.. in between your ankles/shins and do the same lifts with the ball.
this has helped me anyhow, and it doesn't bother my lower back. good luck.

[onlyduh]

I've been losing weight, and rather quickly but everything is getting smaller except the pooch. I'm about a size 10 everywhere but a little muffin top and middle jiggle. I exercise and eat right, and watch caloric intake. I really don't want the smaller parts to get even smaller. Just want to be proportional. Will the crunches really work? I started to do them last summer and they toned but not really reduce the jiggly-middle. I've been told that to reduce it, it might be that a tuck would work. But surgery, egads.

[Hopeless Dork]

I've been losing weight, and rather quickly but everything is getting smaller except the pooch. I'm about a size 10 everywhere but a little muffin top and middle jiggle. I exercise and eat right, and watch caloric intake. I really don't want the smaller parts to get even smaller. Just want to be proportional. Will the crunches really work? I started to do them last summer and they toned but not really reduce the jiggly-middle. I've been told that to reduce it, it might be that a tuck would work. But surgery, egads.

Most trainers don't believe spot reduction is really that easy to achieve if possible at all. Burning fat all over your body is going to be what gets rid of the pooch, unfortunately when you lose weight it does come from places you don't want to lose as well... but its a necessary even to lose the muffin top.

Cardio and watching your calories will burn body fat and you can use weights and strength training to build up your body while you lose fat so that you aren't left skinny in the areas you don't want to be.

Doing sits ups/ crunches... all of that will help build stomach muscle but it alone won't burn the fat off the top of it so your hard work won't be visiable until the fat is lost.

[Tif]

I am working on my pooch too!!! One thing I have found that works pretty good is to take a light bicep curl bar (they're usually 15 lbs to 100 lbs and have the curved hand grips - I use 30 lbs.), but you can use your dumbbells at home too. (Note: I'm 5'8", 160, a size 10 with 18% body fat - if you're 5'1" and 100 lbs you might want to go lighter) Bend your knees a little bit, and bend over at the waist like you're touching your toes and then stand back up. I HATE crunches, and leg lifts tend to hurt my low back and hips - This takes that added pressure off for me and it works your ENTIRE ab line. Top, middle and lower. It'll give you that V we all want. The thing about crunches for me is that it actually makes my pooch BIGGER - just pushing out the last 5 lbs I need to lose. So, I stopped doing them and switched to this exercise and it's lower impact for me and I get better results. Not to mention I don't have to try to get up off the floor after an hour work out, AND you can do it at the gym w/out being embarrassed. The key is to bend your knees, and not over extend when you stand up. It's about using your abs and thighs to lift yourself up - NOT your back!! But it helps... and I need to start doing them again!!! Summers here!!! Good luck to everyone!!!