My "belly" seems "chubbier", the more weight I lose...?

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drewlfitness
drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
edited August 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone experience this? I've gone from 268lbs to 235lbs. I'm definitely slimmer, but I feel like the more weight I lose, the "chubbier" my belly appears (because the weight I'm losing is coming off of different areas, other than my stomach area, causing the effect of my stomach area actually seeming "chubbier"?)

Has anyone experienced this? If so, guess it's just normal until I lose another 10-20 for the fat to finally come off my stomach area?

Kinda annoying and de-motivating. My stomach is immune from losing fat.
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Replies

  • khenrickson65
    khenrickson65 Posts: 15 Member
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    Do not get disencouraged! Youre shedding weight. Your proberly right, the weight os coming off other areas more making your stomach APPEAR chubbier. Your body takes weight off where it wants. Everyones body is diffrent. Keep pushing and be patient. Congrats on the weight lose thus far. You got this.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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    drewlamonte wrote: »
    Anyone experience this? I've gone from 268lbs to 235lbs. I'm definitely slimmer, but I feel like the more weight I lose, the "chubbier" my belly appears (because the weight I'm losing is coming off of different areas, other than my stomach area, causing the effect of my stomach area actually seeming "chubbier"?)

    Has anyone experienced this? If so, guess it's just normal until I lose another 10-20 for the fat to finally come off my stomach area?

    Kinda annoying and de-motivating. My stomach is immune from losing fat.
    Perhaps measure and track it along with weight as a sanity check to prove to yourself that it too is shrinking?

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    Don't worry! I'd be fairly sure this problem is just in your head. Our self-perception is ridiculously inaccurate.
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    khenrickson65 wrote: »
    Do not get disencouraged! Youre shedding weight. Your proberly right, the weight os coming off other areas more making your stomach APPEAR chubbier. Your body takes weight off where it wants. Everyones body is diffrent. Keep pushing and be patient. Congrats on the weight lose thus far. You got this.

    Thanks. I'll just lose another 10 now.
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    Orphia wrote: »
    Don't worry! I'd be fairly sure this problem is just in your head. Our self-perception is ridiculously inaccurate.

    Now that's very true. Very. Just have to focus on the "big picture". It's just interesting that the "big picture" (aka not having fat that is "grabbable" on my stomach), is a much larger and longer "big picture" once you get down to a certain weight, perhaps.
  • 150FNG
    150FNG Posts: 18 Member
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    I'd also suggest adding some weight training so that your weight loss isn't including so much muscle in addition to fat to help give your body a more solid looking physique as the weight continues to drop off. You're doing awesome man!
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Yes! I thought my belly looked so fat today and then learned that I lost 1 inch in my waist in the past week. I guess my body is changing and it just looks kinda odd right now. And my waist is slimming slower than other areas.
  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
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    I have experienced this. I think for me it was partly inaccurate self-perception but also I lost more weight off my hips and it made my stomach look more prominent. It lasted a for a few weeks but it seems to have evened out.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Part of it could be you are showing some signs of loose skin and the underlying fat can then be stubborn. Just keep on losing. If you arent lifting then you should consider it.
  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
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    Multiple body measurements are your friend

    Measure down or up from a particular joint and start tracking it

    You may be amazed

    Some report fat get jiggly when you are losing fat. Not sure if that is fact based or just seems that way

    You are heading in the right direction.

    Ride it out.
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    Mavolence wrote: »
    I'd also suggest adding some weight training so that your weight loss isn't including so much muscle in addition to fat to help give your body a more solid looking physique as the weight continues to drop off. You're doing awesome man!

    Actually have been lifting for the last 5 months. Always heavy lifting. Just recently began squatting and switching certain lifts to 5x5, and I'm at my strongest in 5 years.

    I do specific ab exercises about once a week ago, and I hate it. They are hard and exhaust me more than bench or squat (if I actually go hard at it). If I just do basic crunches, it feels pointless so I usually either do something involving weight, or nothing. Squatting and others lifts like standing military use my abs at least, just not as intense as doing something like ab roller (which I hate).

    But from all the reading I've read, doing tons of ab workouts won't solve the issue of fat layer ontop of abs and stomach...which is another reason I don't feel doing crazy abs is necessary...but I could be wrong...
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    oh_happy_day wrote: »
    I have experienced this. I think for me it was partly inaccurate self-perception but also I lost more weight off my hips and it made my stomach look more prominent. It lasted a for a few weeks but it seems to have evened out.

    I've noticed the same thing too. My sides are slimmer, but my belly fat doesn't appear so. Probably a lot of perception. It's not cool that my stomach area holds fat more strictly than other areas. All the weight lifting I've been doing has given me great rewards, I've definitely become more toned and muscular, but not my stomach.

    Some people say that it's simply near impossible for certain people to get a 6-pack (visible), due to genetics. Could be true. I don't see many "big guys" with 6-packs after all. Instead, just a flat stomach, which is nice but not a ripped 6-pack.
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    KittensMaster wrote: »
    Multiple body measurements are your friend

    Measure down or up from a particular joint and start tracking it

    You may be amazed

    Some report fat get jiggly when you are losing fat. Not sure if that is fact based or just seems that way

    You are heading in the right direction.

    Ride it out.

    Yeah I need to get on the measurements thing...thx
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    read this

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    read this

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    Thanks for the article. Good to see I've been doing all the right things. Have been eating at a deficit (NET), for the past 4-5 months. Have been doing more cardio, only to make up for eating, so
    to make stay around my NET caloric goal (after adding calories back from exercise). I'm sure that eventhough I'm doing cardio to make up for eating, it's slowing my weight loss/fat percentage loss, but it's still working overall. I just started doing the strong lifts a month ago and have increased all weights, just benched 5x5 at 245lbs easily, which was a nice surprise.

    Think it's the patience that I need. Especially when I started at 268lbs, and now am at 235lbs, and would like to get to 220lbs. The body adapts to the exercise, making each additional pound more difficult to lose. Lately I've been "cheating" more often and taking a week off from "heavy lifting" specifically to shock my body, then switch back right away to shock it again. It seems to be effective, but psychologically very difficult as I usually gain a pound or two during that "cheat" segment, only to lose it quickly (and more) right after I end the "cheat" segment of 5-7 days or so.
  • 555_FILK
    555_FILK Posts: 86 Member
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    I hear you. I'm below my original goal weight and the belly is still there. But finally shrinking. And yes, it took a long time just to see some loss on the sides, along with losing fat *above* the belly, and off the lower back. The belly has been really stubborn the whole way. I think for some of us, we have to get to a fairly low bf% overall before the belly is flat.

    I think you do have to work the abs if you want to see them. I hate crunches (and are they bad for your back?) I've been doing kettlebell swings, squat thrusts, and bicycle maneuvers. Of course, I'm nowhere near any kind of positive results, so take this with a grain of salt. B)
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    No.
  • 555_FILK
    555_FILK Posts: 86 Member
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    MyChocolateDiet wrote: »
    No.

    darth_vader_noooo.jpg?1365367238
  • drewlfitness
    drewlfitness Posts: 114 Member
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    MyChocolateDiet wrote: »
    No.

    Thanks...
  • amelialoveshersnacks
    amelialoveshersnacks Posts: 205 Member
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    Do you take progress photos? I found them to be helpful.

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