My reply to an email fitness question...

Thought i'd share this with all. The question was about ab exercises and the "spare tire" some get 'round their waist.....
First off, really focus on your form when you perform ab exercises. It sounds like you probably are, however.. years ago i made the mistake of performing ab exercises improperly and actually created a lovely little pooch AFTER i lost the weight. At that time i thought i'd never get rid of it. Once i made a conscious effort to really pull my belly button in and up towards my spine (like you're zipping up your pants) i finally saw the results i wanted. Now my abs are really toned and i am so happy with the work really paying off. To be honest, even when i'm teaching a group exercise class, when i'm teaching the "abs" section, i find myself letting my abs go if i don't consciously make the effort to zip it in. Keep up the great work! you'll get there.

As for the fat, that takes time. As you lose fat and gain muscle, you'll really get to the point where you feel great and like what you see. Remember also to take in plenty of calories per day and eat often. I know that sounds silly, but you've probably read the info out there about how eating smaller meals throughout the day increases your metabolism and if you eat too few calories your body goes into a kind of "starvation" mode and starts using up muscle instead of fat, defeating the whole purpose of good nutrition and exercise. Hope this helps!

if you'd like to keep track of your fitness and nutrition, here's a link you can sign up through to log it... https://home.trainingpeaks.com/create-account-personal-edition.aspx?cid=335273


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