47 YO and Need to Finally Loose the Gut - Help !!

Okay - so I need advice … I’ve been lifting for about 25 years - always big - but never really had abs… I’ve been working on cardio, better eating, etc… but the thing I’m afraid of is how to get lean without looking really thin and possibly still ending up with love handles… just smaller… or worse - loose skin around the waist.

I’m 47, 6’1, 235pds, my bf% is high - about 15%… I lift 4 - 5 days a week and have been putting in about 30 - 40 minutes of cardio about 3 - 4 times a week. So - if you’ve been there and know how to make this happen - let me know. thanks !

hi dude, Im in the same boat as you just 8 years younger. I normally follow a low carb diet but as of the last week have been on a ketogenic diet and measuring my ketones with ketostix. I find it hard to lose weight unless in ketosis, low carbish type diets help me sort of maintain my weight but i need to get serious, so in last 5 days have lost 3kg/6lb approx, i know some of this is water weight but its a good start, dont feel like im starving so appetitte is well controlled on this type of diet. Im 6ft1 was 125kg/268lb? as of 5 days ago.

So Im aiming for 100kg/220lb, thats my weight in my early twenties when i was playing footy(rugby league)although i think i have more muscle now than then. if your a natural fatty like me i suggest google atkins diet or ketogenic diet. I look forward to how your going.

Cheers!!!

While we think, exercise, diet and rest, we have to get serious about each of them. Diet is a really big 1/3 for those of us over 45. Really pay attention to eliminating sugars salt and bad fats.

For 2010 I added in stairways. Rather than use elevators I walk at least 2 stories of steps. It has loosened up my pants so far this year. I am considering, only considering making it three stories in February. Also I take a long walk before breakfast, when the weather is good. Otherwise, since our blood sugar is at it’s highest after a meal I take a 25 minute+ walk after at least one meal a day, or ten minutes+ each meal,weather permitting. My goal for the year is -30 lbs.

i agree about taking effort to the next level. i followed bowden’s 150 greatest foods: ate nothing that was not in the book, and was happy with the momentum.

when i combined that diet (no processed carbs) with 100% conditioning: ross enamait drills and some good T-Nation complexes, the two took my body to where i wanted. lean and mean.

i can now mix and match (strength and conditioning) but found that the great effort (perfect diet and HIIT type drills) paid off for me; someone uninterested in the caloric deficit approach.

Hey there. I don’t know what advice I’ve got but I’ve done this. Lemme explain.

I’m 46, been lifting on and off for a few years. I’m emphatically not bodybuilding, but getting strong while improving cardio-respiratory fitness seems to put meat on me.

I needed a protocol that would burn body fat and achieve these goals. Tall order. Met with Chad Waterbury’s ideas about doing a circuit of one pull, one push, one man-maker, three times a week. For each exercise, bang out each rep at max speed until you notice any change in form (less range of movement, slower, set takes longer than 15 secs, etc). Set the weight so this happens within 3-6 reps. Then stop the set. Move on to next exercise without resting. And so on. Complete the circuit, rest for, say, 30 secs. And on to the next circuit. Keep doing sets of each exercise until you total 25-30 reps for each exercise.

This has you gasping for breath by the end and you’re shot through. I mean it: you are wiped. You won’t be able to shift max weights on this, but you’re moving quite heavy weights in those few reps and the speed engages more muscle fibres.

Lifting heavy and fast for few reps triggers the anabolic response, hormones kicking in to grow muscles. The circuit protocol produces EPOC, excessive postexercise oxygen consumption, which adds up to your metabolism going into overdrive and picking on fat to burn. My weight’s remained steady but I’m running out of tee shirts and I’m having to tighten my belt. Result.

Now I see you’re actually doing more work than me, with lifting 4-5 times a week plus cardio. If you’re not losing fat then try this protocol (read Chad’s articles on it). Oh, and like the others said, really look at your diet. There’s something wrong somewhere mate.

Hope this helps.