Frustration in Maintenance ...

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rhtexasgal
rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Ok, so I have been maintaining for over a year now and during this year, I have not given much thought to my little belly pooch. I've been basically basking in the fact that I have been maintaining a size 4 for year (which I have never worn before) and developing biceps and triceps. However, I have been coasting a bit too long!

I was not totally recognizing that my trainer has had me on a recomp plan for the past six months. However, in retrospect, it makes sense since I have already reached my weight loss goals. With that realization, I started getting a hinky feeling that my overall body inflammation and sore feeling that I have been attributing as a by-product of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), may not actually be due to that.

I started studying my food diary and concluded that I have not been getting near enough protein. Often times, I am not getting even half of what I should be getting. I love eating so this has been by accident! No wonder I have been constantly sore! I was not giving my muscles the proper nutrition ... such a simple thing *sigh*

The only fat I have left to lose is a little in my butt and inner thighs (however not much) and my belly. I've noticed that pants still fit but differently because my butt has lifted a bit and is more toned and the thigh area of my pants are looser. That belly is the last holdout!

So, I have been consciously adding more protein in and those times I do, I feel better physically. My question is: if I keep up the recomp and keep my protein up, do I dare have a hope of shrinking this belly pooch? It has been a lifelong companion, even in high school when I was weight training and ran cross country and track! I can't really blame it on the 2 c-sections I had 17 and 14 years ago. I guess with my weight loss goal tackled, I am impatient for this next goal to be accomplished.

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  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
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    I have a really annoying answer for you...maybe! It will probably get smaller - but it might never go away.

    We all have something we don't like about ourselves or wish looked a little different. When we look at other people we tend to pick out their best features. People are not looking at you and noticing the thing that bothers you :wink:
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
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    I am not overly worried about the belly as I had not really been focusing on it for the past year during maintenance. I have been more worried about my unnatural aches and pains. I am in week 2 of boosting my protein and it does seem to be helping. Could a small amount be attributed to my inflammatory bowel disease? Sure, especially since even when symptoms are in remission, other inflammation can occur, based on research I have done.

    However, if I am doing recomp, why not shoot for a better belly? I just cannot believe how stubborn that type of fat is!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Oh yeah I do firmly believe it will eventually almost fully go away, I'm experiencing something similar, same weight but in 8th month of recomp, my belly has flattened greatly and I reckon with another few months it will flatten more. Not sure it'll be flat as in concave, not perhaps in my genes but it'll be good enough for me :smile: I'm happy in general with my shape which is the main thing.

    Its interesting about what you're saying ref protein, I would have days my legs don't feel up to their usual strength - that may well be down to inadequate protein, I will have to work on that to see if it makes a difference.

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