Just an inch or two?

March 30, 2006 4:22 PM

Help me with just an inch, maybe two.

My waist size has gotten to the point that is really bothering me and I want to do something about it. Perhaps a little about me is in order. I'm
58 years old and am 6'3" tall and weight around 200lbs. I had triple bypass surgery about 4 years ago. I'm on a number of medications some of which I'm sure effect my weight. I watch my fats and use sugar substitutes because I'm type 2 diabetic. I do cardio on both the treadmill (walking) and stationary bike
around 3 hours per week. I started weight training with dumbells but stopped because I strained my back which as since healed. The problem is my waist it's at 37 inches and my clothing is starting to get tight I'd like a program that would show me how to lose about 2 inches. I've read sit ups are bad for your back. I would appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction either on line or otherwise.

posted by malhaley to health & fitness (13 comments total)

The only way to shed inches is by burning more fat that you consume-- crunches and situps will strengthen your abs, but not take off any fat.

The misc.fitness faq would be a good starting place:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/misc-fitness/part1/
posted by justkevin at 4:26 PM on March 30, 2006

Generally "spot" exercises (ie., situps for waistline reduction) don't really work (you're building muscle there, not burning the fat that's deposited there).

You're probably going to be better off doing a general aerobic thing.

Swimming is low-impact, efficient, and (potentially) fun exercise.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 4:28 PM on March 30, 2006

seconding swimming. I swim competitively and its loads of fun.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 4:29 PM on March 30, 2006

Situps are not, generally speaking, bad for your back. If you have a large imbalance in the strength of your abs vs. the strength of your back muscles, however, you will be in pain.

It is important to note: good abdominal strength is key to maintaining a healthy back. See a good physiotherapist for exercises designed to strengthen your "core" muscles.

To directly answer your question -- cardio. As mentioned, you cannot target weight-loss to specific areas. High Intensity Interval Training* is good for weight-loss and general fitness, I like using a rowing ergometer (as does my 57-year old father). It is low-impact on the joints, and works both upper- and lower-body.

*Briefly, HIIT involves intervals of high exertion, followed by rest periods where you just keep the body moving. For example, 90 seconds sprinting, 90 seconds of a shuffling jog.
posted by coriolisdave at 4:55 PM on March 30, 2006

The Hacker's Diet.
posted by betterton at 5:08 PM on March 30, 2006

Pilates. Really. It will tone your back/ab muscles so that there'll be more muscle there. It will also help with the strained back. It won't help with the extra inches, at least not very much. The only way to get rid of those is expend more calories than you consume. Muscle is denser than fat, so if you convert some of that ab-flab into muscle you'll probably look a little slimmer.

Properly done sit-ups/crunches/curls are the absolute best thing you can do for your back. ExRx is a really good place to start. Yeah, it's not a pretty website. It doesn't need to be. (I've had two physical therapists and a personal trainer tell me about it.)
posted by jlkr at 5:10 PM on March 30, 2006

Situps can be very hard on your back if performed improperly. You want to do crunches (think about touching your breastbone to your pelvis). Prestretching of the muscles by doing the crunches on an excercise ball, or placing a folded towel under the back will give you greater range of motion and an equivalent burn with less reps (and therefore less strain on your joints).

Walking is one of the best exercises for losing weight with virtually no impact. Take every opportunity you can to walk instead of alternatives.

How to lose weight to improve your climbing

The Hacker's Diet
posted by Manjusri at 5:14 PM on March 30, 2006

Don't do sit-ups, do crunches ... lying on floor with knees bent, small of the back firmly on the floor, and bringing bringing chest up towards thighs without leading with your head.

These are great for toning your stomach muscles, which will help your clothes fit more loosely.

Muscle burns fat faster than non-muscle does, so the more muscle you have overall, the more efficiently you'll burn fat generally. But, as someone already said, you can't spot-reduce fat.

This webpage explains and shows how to do crunches properly.
posted by mmw at 5:17 PM on March 30, 2006

Good suggestions here, but the standard disclaimer should be stated. See your doctor before embarking on any new exercise program. Especially you, as you've recently had health issues and are on medications.
posted by Roger Dodger at 7:22 PM on March 30, 2006

Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman is a great book with a lot of interesting dietary advice. I'd recommend it to anyone with any kind of health concern.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:32 PM on March 30, 2006

High Intensity Interval Training did work very well for me, but I have trouble seeing it as a good solution for someone who's had a triple bypass.

Just to reinforce what everyone else has said in various ways: losing bodyfat is the only way to get a smaller waist.

And now to disagree with a couple of things.

1) situps etc might help a little to keep your tummy sucked in, but that's all. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TONING. Muscles get bigger, or stronger, or both, with training. That is all.

2) you cannot convert muscle into fat. You can lose or gain fat, and you can lose or gain muscle, but your body can't turn the one into the other. What's more, generally you can only concentrate on one or other (fat loss or muscle gain), which is why body-builders cycle between bulking (muscle gain, trying to minimise accompanying fat gain) and cutting (fat loss, trying to minimise accompanying muscle loss). I think there's some research that shows possible exceptions for rank beginners when they start weight training, but that's it.

Probably the easiest thing to do is increase your cardio a little, and take up some modest weight training again. I will put my money on another 15 minutes of cardio per day over 3 sets of crunches.

To be honest, I make your BMI just over 25. For a 58 year-old with heart problems and other stuff it seems as though you're already doing pretty well.

(Disclaimer: not a professional, just an interested amateur).
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:48 PM on March 30, 2006

I'm also not a pro, just an amateur recently on a nearly-mid-life, getting-back-into-shape trip. But here's some thoughts, for whatever they're worth.

With the medical history you describe, please be a little careful and consult with your doctor before doing anything particularly strenuous.

As others have already said, weight loss cannot be localized. If you want to lose tummy fat, you need to lose overall fat. The goal is to burn more fuel than you consume - it's the only way to lose weight (short of chopping some part of you off). All the weight-loss programs ever devised boil down to that simple notion.

The way to lose fat is to burn it in aerobic exercise. Swimming, cycling, jogging (mix to taste) are all good. Even a regular brisk walk can be very effective. The key, of course, is regular. Finding a form of exercise you genuinely enjoy is enormously helpful.

You said you get about 3 hours aerobic exercise a week. I'm curious how that three hours is broken up. Generally, aerobic exercise is ineffective in chunks much less than half an hour. If you binge exercise for 3 hours once a week, or only exercise for a few minutes at a time, that 3 hours a week might not be the best investment. Half an hour or more at least every other day, however, is a good start. If you're comfortable with that, gradually increasing the time should show benefits in the waistline department pretty quickly. Try a longer swim, bike ride or walk/jog at the weekends, perhaps?

Needless to say, this goes hand-in-hand with a sensible diet, but, as a diabetic, I'm sure you probably know plenty about that.

The good news about regular aerobic exercise for someone who's previously suffered heart problems are the added benefits of helping to improve circulation and lower blood pressure. No doubt your doctor can tell you much more about that than I can.

Good luck.
posted by normy at 9:45 PM on March 30, 2006

Callanetics or Pilates can tone you up with gentle movements that are designed not to hurt your back if done properly. Try a Pilates class, or Callanetics can be shown with her original book (lots of pictures) or a tape/DVD (I linked to the DVD). The first week I did the full Callanetics routine I pulled in an inch and a half off an already-small waist and my posture visibly improved. IANAD, please consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program, etc.
posted by Melinika at 7:54 AM on March 31, 2006