Odd Question

[Thrust]

Hey guys,

I've been around this board for a while, and I know this isn't quite the kind of question you guys are used to, but how do I get smaller?

Haha, no worries, I'm not built looking to get smaller, or flabby trying to get thin. I'm 18, about 5'7" (on a good day), between 135 and 140 lbs. My legs are killer (as a result of attending Appalachian State University, in the mountains of NC...lots of walking), my arms are decent (I'm skinny, so nothing spectacular) and my back is at least not flabby.

I like being thin and small (it fits with my overall "look") however, I have one problem. My stomach and chest are not up to par with the rest of my body. What I don't understand is that I weigh 135lbs and at my height, I shouldn't have very much fat at all. I'm not saying I have a beer belly or moobs or anything, but I'd like a flat stomach and chest.

My question to you guys is this: what do I do about this? I'm a bit scared of losing much more weight, simply because I don't know if that would be healthy on someone my size. However, if it would be healthy and would, in fact, be the answer to my problem, I have no problem losing a few pounds. My issue is I have no idea what to do about it.

I've heard that simply doing crunches/pushups/working out the muscles isn't going to make the fat go away, only losing weight will do that, but, like I said above, I'm leery about losing more weight.

Anyway, any advice you guys can give would be appreciated. And sorry if this isn't the right place; it seemed like the forum it fit most in. Thanks guys!

[Slevin]

Well there isn't any exercise that's going to make you "spot" loose. You will loose body fat as a whole.

If you are healthy there is a natural supplement called CLA. Conjugated Lineolic Acid. You can get it at GNC. It's been proven to reduce bodyfat around your abdomen.

Don't expect anabolic like results though lol. Expect a natural loss over time. I don't remember any of the stats from the clinical studies, so I can't give you an exact lbs loss.

[mann007]

Do cardio, cardio and cardio. Do some weight training also, so you won't lose your actual muscle.

[Thrust]

So the answer is pretty much "lose weight?" Is there any way (besides an expensive doctor's visit that I can't afford) to know whether it's healthy for me to lose any more weight. I don't want to sacrifice my overall health for a flat stomach.

[wildblue]

Thrust, what is your diet like? If you're eating a lot of carbs or taking in a lot of sodium you may be retaining water. If that's the case change from starchy foods to raw vegetables and try to lower your overall sodium intake (ie sodas, chips etc). You'd be surprised how making such a simple will affect your body.

Years ago I used to drink sweet tea whenever I'd eat out then switched to water or diet soda and I dropped about 10 lb in a few weeks, because I wasn't taking in so many empty calories.

[Thrust]

That could be it. Being a college student, all-nighters often require sodas and fast food, both of which I can do without. I've gotten better about eating out, I always order water (mostly because I'm cheap and don't want to pay for a drink, but I've been trying to cut back anyway).

Thanks for the help

[wildblue]

Not a problem, bud. ; )
Always glad to help another Carolinian.