20 replies to this topic

[Captain Pike]

Some people call quad belly, some people call it a dickie-do (I hate that one) whenever it is, I'm looking really gross. Granted, my activity level is at an all-time low. I am almost 2 years post injury. I don't really eat that much -- way less than I did when I was able bodied. I don't think I weigh much more, but I've had to buy bigger pants.

Are there ways to exercise my abs? I know this doesn't happen to all quads -- I was just looking at the forum guidelines and saw a picture of our fearless leader, Simon, you are looking HOT!

Got any ideas?

[daniel562]

yeah i hate the big quad look
big shoulders ;nice ripped arms ;an okay chest
but then a big o keg of a stomach
i thought about buying one of those ab workout belts to shrink my gut

[Nichole]

I have one of those belts, called the slendertone. I seen it on tv, and then purchased it from the internet. I'm only a para, so my stomach isn't as bad though. I just have a little pooch in my lower stomach, but my upper abs are pretty firm because i've regained the muscle control there. I just couldn't seem to get rid of my little problem area that most women have, and it also hurts my back to get on the floor and do too many sit ups. Anyway i've been using it for over a month and i've already lost 2 inches. I get excelent muscle contraction when i use it, you have to be careful though if you don't have good feeling. It says in the instructions that you shouldn't use it if you have sensory problems becase if you turn it up too high, it can burn your skin. But i have good feeling, and i love it. It's awesome to get a workout while you just sit there

[Dancingdolphin]

Nichole, on Feb 2 2007, 06:47 PM, said:

I have one of those belts, called the slendertone. I seen it on tv, and then purchased it from the internet. I'm only a para, so my stomach isn't as bad though. I just have a little pooch in my lower stomach, but my upper abs are pretty firm because i've regained the muscle control there. I just couldn't seem to get rid of my little problem area that most women have, and it also hurts my back to get on the floor and do too many sit ups. Anyway i've been using it for over a month and i've already lost 2 inches. I get excelent muscle contraction when i use it, you have to be careful though if you don't have good feeling. It says in the instructions that you shouldn't use it if you have sensory problems becase if you turn it up too high, it can burn your skin. But i have good feeling, and i love it. It's awesome to get a workout while you just sit there

Been wondering about that.....getting fed up of looking 'pregnant'! Thanks for the info

..dashing off to buy one......

[jessee]

Nichole, on Feb 2 2007, 06:47 PM, said:

I have one of those belts, called the slendertone. I seen it on tv, and then purchased it from the internet. I'm only a para, so my stomach isn't as bad though. I just have a little pooch in my lower stomach, but my upper abs are pretty firm because i've regained the muscle control there. I just couldn't seem to get rid of my little problem area that most women have, and it also hurts my back to get on the floor and do too many sit ups. Anyway i've been using it for over a month and i've already lost 2 inches. I get excelent muscle contraction when i use it, you have to be careful though if you don't have good feeling. It says in the instructions that you shouldn't use it if you have sensory problems becase if you turn it up too high, it can burn your skin. But i have good feeling, and i love it. It's awesome to get a workout while you just sit there

I have the worst baby belly that I HATE!! I am definitely going to have to invest in that!

[gsp23]

I used to be a major health and fitness nut back when I was ab and I was more qualified in those areas than personal trainers and nutritionists I met with. I have always been into health etc. Anyways I want to put one common misconception to rest... if you have big belly, it does not mean that you need to work your abs, it means that you are retaining weight is all. Most people will put on weight in their belly first and that is also the last place it comes off. Some people (expecially women) will put on weight first in the hips, thights, or butt and again it will come off last in that area. Because of the lack of mobility that is one of the reasons for frequent weight gain. I am personally dealing with for the first time ever working on losing weight because I have been so immoble and havent eaten correctly either but I lost 6lbs 2 weeks ago and lost another 5lbs last week but just getting back to good diet alone.

With regards to a good diet, if you dont eat enough food you will gain weight. A person needs to intake a certain number of calories a day in order to keep metabolism up. If a person only eats a banana in the morning, soup for lunch and yogurt for dinner then they will gain weight. The metabolism shuts down and the body goes into a kind of self preservation mode. The best thing to do for weight loss is any type of aerobic activity with your Max HeartRate between 60%-75% but that isnt always possible for quads/paras. If you can do this, great it will make weight loss even better. Some of the ab-belts will actually raise your heartrate because it is like your body interprets it as something equivalent to running a marathon. If this is the type being used then its a matter of getting your heart rate up, not the ab work itself. There is no such thing as fat reduction in a specific spot... crunches wont make your gut get smaller, running wont drop weight off your legs, etc. The last place the fat will come off is the one place normally that people wnat to lose it the most so it just takes time and a good diet along with as much physical activity as you are able to do. If you are unable to do much physical activity, weight loss can be accomplish by a good clean diet.

The general guideline is to eat 5 small meals a day, evenly spaced out. This will keep your metabolism up. Also dont mix fat/carbs in a given meal and always include protein in each meal. A normaly daily intake should be near your 2000 cal (give or take depending on personal metabolism and existing body size, often closer to 1600 cal for a female trying to lose weight and closer to 1800 cal for a male trying to lose weight but it can vary still, thats just a rough guide). Carbs should be limited to approx 20% of total intake, Protein approx 20% and Fat approx 60%. The correct types of fat is good for the body, the myth of avoiding fat is simply not true.

[Nichole]

gsp23, on Feb 3 2007, 04:33 AM, said:

I used to be a major health and fitness nut back when I was ab and I was more qualified in those areas than personal trainers and nutritionists I met with. I have always been into health etc. Anyways I want to put one common misconception to rest... if you have big belly, it does not mean that you need to work your abs, it means that you are retaining weight is all. Most people will put on weight in their belly first and that is also the last place it comes off. Some people (expecially women) will put on weight first in the hips, thights, or butt and again it will come off last in that area. Because of the lack of mobility that is one of the reasons for frequent weight gain. I am personally dealing with for the first time ever working on losing weight because I have been so immoble and havent eaten correctly either but I lost 6lbs 2 weeks ago and lost another 5lbs last week but just getting back to good diet alone.

With regards to a good diet, if you dont eat enough food you will gain weight. A person needs to intake a certain number of calories a day in order to keep metabolism up. If a person only eats a banana in the morning, soup for lunch and yogurt for dinner then they will gain weight. The metabolism shuts down and the body goes into a kind of self preservation mode. The best thing to do for weight loss is any type of aerobic activity with your Max HeartRate between 60%-75% but that isnt always possible for quads/paras. If you can do this, great it will make weight loss even better. Some of the ab-belts will actually raise your heartrate because it is like your body interprets it as something equivalent to running a marathon. If this is the type being used then its a matter of getting your heart rate up, not the ab work itself. There is no such thing as fat reduction in a specific spot... crunches wont make your gut get smaller, running wont drop weight off your legs, etc. The last place the fat will come off is the one place normally that people wnat to lose it the most so it just takes time and a good diet along with as much physical activity as you are able to do. If you are unable to do much physical activity, weight loss can be accomplish by a good clean diet.

The general guideline is to eat 5 small meals a day, evenly spaced out. This will keep your metabolism up. Also dont mix fat/carbs in a given meal and always include protein in each meal. A normaly daily intake should be near your 2000 cal (give or take depending on personal metabolism and existing body size, often closer to 1600 cal for a female trying to lose weight and closer to 1800 cal for a male trying to lose weight but it can vary still, thats just a rough guide). Carbs should be limited to approx 20% of total intake, Protein approx 20% and Fat approx 60%. The correct types of fat is good for the body, the myth of avoiding fat is simply not true.

Actually i've been told by many doctors that you can be healthy, and be at a good weight, and have a bigger stomach when your a para/quad. The problem can be that your muscles do not work, and there for your bodies natural "corset" does not hold your stomach in. I believe working your muscle can make your stomach smaller, if they are tighter, obviously your stomach is going to be smaller, since they "hold you in". When i was first injured i was really upset about my stomach area, because when i was ab i had a six pack, which i might ad i ate whatever i wanted, and did a fantastic ab routine. Anyway, all the doctors gave me this expination as to why my stomach looked big. I'm absolutly certain it wasn't due to fat because when i was in the hospital i was 95 lbs, and i'm 5'7. If you're not carrying extra weight, you'll notice when you first wake up in the morning your stomach will be smaller, and then by the end of the day when you've eaten three meals, or whatever, your stomach will be bigger if your muscles aren't working because they don't have the ability to stay tight.

[rkzenrage]

Got the belly too... and I think I don't eat enough. Pain takes my appetite away.

[elisabeth]

I guess it's because I really don't eat that much, but I certainly don't starve myself but I don't have the quad belly and I don't understand why even though my level is C5. I've tried to make my stomach firm but it's still pretty much just floppy, but I don't have the belly thing happening - in jeans and a tight singlet my stomach looks flat. I just mean that there might be some other reason as to why some people get the quad belly and some don't because my stomach looks flat and although I eat healthy to keep my weight down I know other people with my level of injury who are the same weight as me and have the quad belly thing happening

[juls]

I don't have a belly and I eat like a horse....I exercise though and I suck my tummy in and out, figuring this might be a way to exercise my tummy??
I have good genes and metabolisim, which helps. I'm not sure what i'd do if i got one as I like my food to much to go on a diet..although, by the sounds of it, it doesn't matter how fit or slim you are..you still get a belly.

Liposuction maybe!!??

[gsp23]

Nichole, on Feb 3 2007, 08:58 AM, said:

Actually i've been told by many doctors that you can be healthy, and be at a good weight, and have a bigger stomach when your a para/quad. The problem can be that your muscles do not work, and there for your bodies natural "corset" does not hold your stomach in. I believe working your muscle can make your stomach smaller, if they are tighter, obviously your stomach is going to be smaller, since they "hold you in". When i was first injured i was really upset about my stomach area, because when i was ab i had a six pack, which i might ad i ate whatever i wanted, and did a fantastic ab routine. Anyway, all the doctors gave me this expination as to why my stomach looked big. I'm absolutly certain it wasn't due to fat because when i was in the hospital i was 95 lbs, and i'm 5'7. If you're not carrying extra weight, you'll notice when you first wake up in the morning your stomach will be smaller, and then by the end of the day when you've eaten three meals, or whatever, your stomach will be bigger if your muscles aren't working because they don't have the ability to stay tight.

I never said anything about just relaxed muscles (quad belly) the original post made it sound like it had to do with actual weight, not just relaxed muscles and that is what my post was based on. If it is excess weight I stand by my original post as there is still no such thing as spot treatment of excess fat and a person needs to eat more than they realize to stay fit. When a person who eats unhealthy changes to a healty diet they usually complain of how they are full all the time and having a difficult time eating enough calories with a healthy diet. However, eating healty calories (and enough) is the key to weight loss.

If the person has only relaxed muscles but their weight is appropriate then that is a different story and what you commented on here.

[Somebody]

I tried losing my belly many ways.
My shoulders & upper arms are chunky too.
Of course my lower arms & legs are skeletal.

The only way I lost weight was Atkins.
Which got boring after awhile.
My belly was smaller but still flopping out there.

I now live on the perfect diet "low glycemic."
What diabetics (although I'm not one) live on, or should.
No processed food, nothing out of a box or can.
Fresh or frozen veggies.
Dessert is fresh fruit or low carb products.
Sugar is splenda.
The debate is still going on what substitute sugar to eat.
I try to eat 5-6 small meals a day. (as stated above)
I eat lots of nuts & seeds also.
I drink lots of water.

I don't lose (sigh) but not gaining either. {thumb up}
I was an exercise buff and my figure really bugs me.
But there are worse things in life.

I worry about my omentum being so large.
They say the fat there is what kills you.
But I have no control of it.

Edited by Somebody, 28 August 2007 - 06:05 PM.

[edlee]

I think it's the fat between the ears that does the most harm.
ed

[Texaswheelz]

I did pretty good the first 10 or so years, ate junk and kept myself slim by being so active, i was never at home laying around on the couch and didn't have a computer. But starting around '99-'00(which is also when i got married), the belly started growing. i went from being very active to pretty much not active at all and it showed fast. i was that way for 6 years, the last year I've gotten back up and around and I'm slowly losing the gut, but I don't think I will ever be back to being slim and once you get the quad belly, you keep it.

[sweldon]

Texas, you said it all.....as soon as I got married my gut appeared...and has not disappeared in the past 12 years. BM (before marriage) I was active and on the go. Some would say I was "hunting" but once I got married the "hunting" stopped and my activity level went WAY down. And yes my diet has changed. When I was single it was hot wings and beer. After marriage it was meat and vegetables. so much for healthy eating

[Alin Steglinski]

i dont think your getting "fat" your getting quad gut...

[edlee]

Heard something great on TV yesterday.

"Why would anyone want sixpack abs when they could have a party ball belly?"

For those who don't know, a party ball is a container of beer that looks like a beach ball and holds about an eighth of a keg. Very popular around college towns( cheaper and easier to hide).
ed

[Apparelyzed]

In the UK this would read"

"Why have a sixpack when you can have a keg!"

Simon

[wheels5894]

We do need to be careful though. The less exercise we get, and tetras are at risk here, the less we need to eat. Anything over what we need will help out the beer belly!

If we do our own lifting, paras, then keeping the weight down helps arms and shoulders whilst the non-lifting tetras have to consider the people who lift them.

It is much easier to put on weight that it is to get it off again.

[edlee]

It is much easier to put on weight that it is to get it off again.
[/quote]


AMEN!!!!!

[Murray]

OK - I'll admit it. I'm probably more vain than the next guy. Used to be in great shape for an ol' fart. Coached high school football, basketball, worked concrete construction ... then, oops. Now - damn! I've got my daddy's belly! Used to tease the hell outta him ... paybacks are a "bleep". I hit the gym three times a week, but my level of injury makes the ab thing a serious challenge. Have just started developing some deep (?) muscle tissue; especially helpful during bp. Work in the yard as much as possible - leaning over weeding a lot - but the ol' gut just hangs on. Here's hoping the outside work and gym will pay off ... sooner the better! Best of luck to us all!