Losing belly fat and packed lunches

textbook

How can I lose weight off my belly?   Also, I eat a lot of bread, my packed lunch is always sandwiches, is this making me fat?  Better alternative without carbs   I have a high metabolism but eat so much

Grumpy_chap

textbook said:

How can I lose weight off my belly?   Also, I eat a lot of bread, my packed lunch is always sandwiches, is this making me fat?  Better alternative without carbs   I have a high metabolism but eat so much

"How to lose weight from the belly"
That is a broad question.

You don't say your age range or sex.  Beyond a certain age, men more so, any excess weight will tend to accumulate at the belly.

You don't say whether you have any medical conditions.  Some can cause belly fat to be higher - diabetes is a typical one.

You don't say whether you are the weight you aspire to be overall but with the plump stomach, or whether part of your aim is to lose weight overall.  
Losing weight overall will come down to calorie deficit.
If weight overall is about where you want to be, then the stomach weight can be trimmed by less fizzy drinks (cola, beers) and some exercise to focus on the core - planks, sit ups.  These will help to bring out the best of what that stomach has to show and make it a bit firmer.

Carbs at lunchtime (or any meal) can tend to make one feel bloated, but carbs are essential - they are your energy source.  What is your overall diet through the day?  Do you track macros at all?  Typically, you need about 50% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein.
There are free tools that can help you with this (and overall calorie deficit / surplus) - I use MyFitnessPal.  If coupled with a fitness tracker / smart watch it can improve the accuracy.

For lunch, and that is as good a place to start as any, rather than the sandwich (made with bread), you could try a salad, pasta pot, wrap, or sandwich made with crispbread / crackers instead.
What do you eat / drink with the sandwich?  A packet of crisps and a cola?  Could you swap for fruit drink (water would be even better) and yoghurt or fruit?

Good luck.

billy2shots

You can't. 

You can lose fat but you can't choose where from. That is technically called 'spot reducing ' which unfortunately isn't a thing. 

Simple answer is consume less energy (calories) than you use and you will begin to lose fat. 

As a general rule, males put stomach fat on earlier than other places and it's some of the most stubborn fat to lose often coming off everywhere quicker. 

So just start a calorie deficit and in time it will come. 

gwynlas

It would be useful to know your age and sex to advise on diet. You will lose overall fat by dieting but it is impossible to guarantee from where, The younger you are the more elasticity your skin retains so exercise centred on  your abdominal muscles might work. Most leasure centres offer personal training sessions at a reasonable cost for one to one advice.

textbook

Grumpy_chap said:

textbook said:

How can I lose weight off my belly?   Also, I eat a lot of bread, my packed lunch is always sandwiches, is this making me fat?  Better alternative without carbs   I have a high metabolism but eat so much

"How to lose weight from the belly"
That is a broad question.

You don't say your age range or sex.  Beyond a certain age, men more so, any excess weight will tend to accumulate at the belly.

You don't say whether you have any medical conditions.  Some can cause belly fat to be higher - diabetes is a typical one.

You don't say whether you are the weight you aspire to be overall but with the plump stomach, or whether part of your aim is to lose weight overall.  
Losing weight overall will come down to calorie deficit.
If weight overall is about where you want to be, then the stomach weight can be trimmed by less fizzy drinks (cola, beers) and some exercise to focus on the core - planks, sit ups.  These will help to bring out the best of what that stomach has to show and make it a bit firmer.

Carbs at lunchtime (or any meal) can tend to make one feel bloated, but carbs are essential - they are your energy source.  What is your overall diet through the day?  Do you track macros at all?  Typically, you need about 50% carbs, 30% fat, 20% protein.
There are free tools that can help you with this (and overall calorie deficit / surplus) - I use MyFitnessPal.  If coupled with a fitness tracker / smart watch it can improve the accuracy.

For lunch, and that is as good a place to start as any, rather than the sandwich (made with bread), you could try a salad, pasta pot, wrap, or sandwich made with crispbread / crackers instead.
What do you eat / drink with the sandwich?  A packet of crisps and a cola?  Could you swap for fruit drink (water would be even better) and yoghurt or fruit?

Good luck.

Usually drink tea with sandwiches for lunch.    I do eat a lot and often feel hungry, I guess try your suggestions like crispbread. Hopefully they'll fill me up.  Don't drink so food is my vice I guess.  

textbook

gwynlas said:

It would be useful to know your age and sex to advise on diet. You will lose overall fat by dieting but it is impossible to guarantee from where, The younger you are the more elasticity your skin retains so exercise centred on  your abdominal muscles might work. Most leasure centres offer personal training sessions at a reasonable cost for one to one advice.

Late forties, male

comeandgo

textbook said:

Grumpy_chap said:

textbook said:

How can I lose weight off my belly?   Also, I eat a lot of bread, my packed lunch is always sandwiches, is this making me fat?  Better alternative without carbs   I have a high metabolism but eat so much

"How to lose weight from the belly"
That is a broad question.

You don't say your age range or sex.  Beyond a certain age, men more so, any excess weight will tend to accumulate at the belly.

You don't say whether you have any medical conditions.  Some can cause belly fat to be higher - diabetes is a typical one.

You don't say whether you are the weight you aspire to be overall but with the plump stomach, or whether part of your aim is to lose weight overall.  
Losing weight overall will come down to calorie deficit.
If weight overall is about where you want to be, then the stomach weight can be trimmed by less fizzy drinks (cola, beers) and some exercise to focus on the core - planks, sit ups.  These will help to bring out the best of what that stomach has to show and make it a bit firmer.

Carbs at lunchtime (or any meal) can tend to make one feel bloated, but carbs are essential - they are your energy source.  What is your overall diet through the day?  Do you 

Usually drink tea with sandwiches for lunch.    I do eat a lot and often feel hungry, I guess try your suggestions like crispbread. Hopefully they'll fill me up.  Don't drink so food is my vice I guess.  

You can ignore hunger for a while.  Have three meals a day, no snacks, and your stomach will shrink.  Overweight is caused by overeating.  

Grumpy_chap

textbook said:

Late forties, male

You will find, from now on, any excess weight will tend to sit around the middle.

Losing weight comes down to calorie deficit.
Gaining weight means calorie surplus.

The tea to drink with lunch is fine.
Try to establish a habit of regular meals and no snacks.
Breakfast is important - something with oats will keep you feeling fuller for longer and release the energy slowly.

textbook

comeandgo said:

textbook said:

Grumpy_chap said:

textbook said:

How can I lose weight off my belly?   Also, I eat a lot of bread, my packed lunch is always sandwiches, is this making me fat?  Better alternative without carbs   I have a high metabolism but eat so much

"How to lose weight from the belly"
That is a broad question.

You don't say your age range or sex.  Beyond a certain age, men more so, any excess weight will tend to accumulate at the belly.

You don't say whether you have any medical conditions.  Some can cause belly fat to be higher - diabetes is a typical one.

You don't say whether you are the weight you aspire to be overall but with the plump stomach, or whether part of your aim is to lose weight overall.  
Losing weight overall will come down to calorie deficit.
If weight overall is about where you want to be, then the stomach weight can be trimmed by less fizzy drinks (cola, beers) and some exercise to focus on the core - planks, sit ups.  These will help to bring out the best of what that stomach has to show and make it a bit firmer.

Carbs at lunchtime (or any meal) can tend to make one feel bloated, but carbs are essential - they are your energy source.  What is your overall diet through the day?  Do you 

Usually drink tea with sandwiches for lunch.    I do eat a lot and often feel hungry, I guess try your suggestions like crispbread. Hopefully they'll fill me up.  Don't drink so food is my vice I guess.  

You can ignore hunger for a while.  Have three meals a day, no snacks, and your stomach will shrink.  Overweight is caused by overeating.  

Often grab a piece of cake at a cafe etc

Grumpy_chap

A piece of cake in a cafe is likely to be 300 - 600 calories.  

If you can cut that snack, you will make a massive difference. 

If you can't cut the snack, try to substitute for fruit or protein bar.

Daz2009

Grumpy_chap said:

A piece of cake in a cafe is likely to be 300 - 600 calories.  

If you can cut that snack, you will make a massive difference. 

If you can't cut the snack, try to substitute for fruit or protein bar.

Many protein bars aren't particularly healthy.I'd go for something like nuts....Lidl Tropical Trail mix is a mix of nuts and dried fruit.A handful makes a good snack.I always keep some in an air tight container for just such occasions.
A big bag is something like £1.20,just don't eat the whole bag in 1 day lol.