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Exercise question......

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ocean

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I am not unhappy with my weight but I would like to lose some weight off of my belly. I don't want muscles because I like the look of softness in women.....
How do I do this without losing too much boob and without putting on muscle elsewhere? I could lose one bra size but I would not want to lose any more than that.
Besides eating right are there any suggestions?
Specifically, certain exercises that could help me accomplish this?
 
High intensity cardio would be good.

Swimming is wonderful and the muscle you gain from it isn't unsexy in anyway.
 
Low intensity cardio (60-65% of maximum heart rate) burns more fat (50% of calories lost are fat) as opposed to ~40% of fat calories burned during high intensity cardio (80-85% of maximum heart rate).

However, on average, you will burn 2 extra calories per minute when doing high intensity.

I would think if you are looking to get rid of fat and not lose too much muscle you should stick to low intensity. But that's just me :)
 
Well, you can't spot reduce so you need cardio to reduce the overall amount of fat on your body so that whatever work you do do on your abs will be noticeable. I find pilates to be a great way to tighten up my midsection (when combined with running/other cardio to burn fat overall). The exercises in pilates are targeted to tone up your entire core so that your middle is tight. It's pretty easy to get videos (Netflix, Comcast on Demand, public libraries) and do them at home; all you need is a small space and a mat. Start with beginner videos, though, because the intermediate and advanced ones are intense and pulling your ab muscles is no fun.
 
I am going to suggest something in addition to what everyone else suggested -- light weight training. It will NOT give you a muscular look or ruin the feminine "softness" you like. What it will do is increase your metabolism and therefore help you lose your belly weight than you want to drop.

Muscle burns more calories than fat, so a slight increase in muscle tone will mean you are burning more calories during every minute of the day.
 
I want to clear up a few misconceptions that are in this thread.

First, weight training will not make you "bulky". Muscle growth is controlled largely by the release of testosterone, which women lack sufficient quantities of to become bulky. There are a few (and I do mean few) women out there who have a high level of testosterone and look a bit manly naturally. Those women can become bulky, but if you don't have it already, you won't get it. Don't fool yourself, the large bodybuilder women you see are on steroids.

I have quite a few women clients, none of whom are bulky. This includes the 5'2" 119lb woman who can deadlift 200lbs.

Second, fat burning is NOT a result of the calories you burn during exercise. The "fat burning zone" chart you see on cardio equipment is garbage due simply to the fact that it ignores post-exercise metabolic shift. By the theory of the fat burning zone, you lose weight best by sitting on the couch watching tv because you burn 55-60% of your calories from fat at rest.

Try this just to prove how significant post-exercise metabolism shift is. Check your pulse at rest. Then hop on an exercycle for 45 minutes and stay around 60% of your max hr. Then check your heart rate immediately after exercise and again 15 minutes later. You'll find that your hr is already back at its resting rate. Now, on another day, do intervals for 20 minutes attempting to meet or exceed your max hr. I've seen my hr stay as much as 50% elevated 90 minutes after I finished working out. 20 minutes at 100% of your hr can increase your metabolism for up to 14 hours.

Lastly, the bad news. There is no such thing as spot reduction of body fat. If you lose fat, especially if you have a good bit to lose, you will lose a good bit of boob size. They are made of fat and sinuses.

The only thing that will honestly and truly give you the body you want is proper diet and a mix of resistance training and cardio.
 
Okay- Thanks everyone for the advice........
I will try some of the suggestions out..... :)
 
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