Jacob Baker23 said:I honestly don't even know who to listen to anymore—or who to ignore!
placidfox55 :
Abdominal fat hits different than fat anywhere else on your body. You gotta get rid of it—mainly through cardio and fixing up what you eat.
wiredtiger10 :
Just go play soccer or some other sport, man. Don't listen to those idiots acting like you need a medical degree just to go for a run. Get outside into the fresh air. Every night, knock out 50-100 crunches—actually, maybe just do 50 every other day. And like amis said, if you’re doing crunches, you gotta work your back too. That's it. Your body is gonna develop naturally until you're 25; you'll just keep getting stronger every year. Don't even stress about it.
wiredtiger10 :
I forgot—if you want something easy to do at home, look up those DVD Tae-bo workouts with Billy Blanks. You can find them online easily. It's probably your best bet since there's no heavy weights involved—just fast, high-energy full-body moves. It'll help you develop properly. Give it a shot.
blondy-ri :
Look, you're only 13. I highly doubt you have any real issues to deal with. Like everyone else said—go play soccer, ride your bike, drink tons of water, and just stay active. Maybe throw in some crunches or something to toughen up, but I don't think you have enough fat to justify running for half an hour every single morning before doing abs. Your body is still growing; don't mess with it by going on diets or stressing over every inch of belly fat. You've got years before you're fully developed, and you'll likely hit a growth spurt soon—I know guys who were tiny and then suddenly shot up around 14 or 15. Just relax.
amis :
Regarding him being 13—look, people can be born with heart defects without even knowing it, so getting a checkup from a doctor isn't a bad idea.
wiredtiger10
Start a sport. It's hands down the healthiest and best way to build yourself up, plus you learn actual skills—like how to play soccer or basketball. You don't want to be one of those meatheads who spends all day lifting weights only to look clumsy because they have zero coordination. They lift heavy stuff like idiots and then stumble around. You gotta move. Ideally, get outside. Swimming is actually the best way for a young person to build their physique. Once you build up your shoulders and back, that little bit of extra fat won't even show because of your proportions.
As for eating
Eat cereal or something sweet in the morning—toast with jam or cornflakes with honey. Your brain needs that sugar hit in the AM to function right. Never eat cheese, deli meats, or that kind of stuff first thing in the morning.
Lunch should be a normal meal with plenty of veggies. Skip the salt and heavy seasonings, and avoid greasy food—like, eat boiled potatoes instead of fried ones.
For dinner, stick to fruit, or if you're actually hungry, have fish or meat with vegetables (like tuna with tomatoes). Never eat sweets at night—it'll kill your focus—and steer clear of things like potatoes, heavy bread, or eggs.
wiredtiger10 :
If you run every day, you'll see results in two weeks max. But you don't have to do it daily; every other day is fine. On the off days, do crunches, pushups, squats, and stuff like that, but don't overdo it. Just do 25 or 50 reps every other day. Warm up for 10-15 minutes first, and that's basically your workout done.
wiredtiger10 :
Stretching isn't just for runners or athletes—it's for you, every single day. Having a flexible body is a massive advantage, especially as you get older. If you aren't sure which moves to do, honestly, just sign up for a sport where someone can actually teach you the right way.
placidfox55
Aerobic exercises
Veggies with every meal.
Lean proteins (chicken, fish, dairy)
Whole grains
placidfox55
You gotta reorganize your lifestyle a bit—you’ve already made huge progress cutting out the chocolate and soda, so stick with that. Add some moderate physical activity and you'll see results way faster than you expect. Just make sure you're getting enough walking in (or running if that's your thing...). You definitely need to overhaul your eating habits too. Stick to three main meals a day plus two snacks.
There's no point obsessing over when the fat starts melting or counting every single calorie you burn versus what you eat. It's all about learning how to live a balanced life—once you nail that, everything else just falls into place. Period.
Since you're thirteen, it would be a good idea to talk all this over with your mom, or if not her, maybe even your family doctor.
Good luck!
Here’s a roundup of the best stuff from this thread (I cleaned some of it up so it actually makes sense)
Eat healthy and stay active. I'm still standing by my advice: pick up a sport where you can develop your body properly and learn things you don't know yet—stuff that'll serve you for the rest of your life.
If you take any of this advice to heart, you won't fail.
Later