Having trouble losing (lower) stomach fat

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Eva_M97
Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! I've been on a weight loss mission for almost a month now, I have strictly followed a low carb diet with calorie deficit ( something between 500- 1200 cal per day ) and been following c25k running program, since I was a complete beginner with exercise. So I do cardio 7 days a week (30 minutes each workout, sometimes more like hiit) and strength training at least 5 times a week, sometimes with weight sometimes body weight (depending on difficulty) and make sure to have some protein after. Thanks to all this I've lost 6-7 kg (some of that probably water weight I know) and it's definitely showing on my upper torso, back, chest, face, 5cm on the waist, little bit on the thighs and butt... but not on my most tragic area, my stomach. I haven't lost a single centimeter measuring around my hipbones and belly button. Now I find this really discouraging for obvious reasons, but I don't understand why this is happening. Any ideas? Could visceral fat have something to do with it? I have no idea.
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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    The fat will come off from some places later than others. For you, it sounds like that will be the stomach. Just keep doing what you've been and it will happen.

    That 500-1200, is that your deficit per day or the calories you're consuming?
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Because most people store fat in that area and it's the last place it comes off for them.
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    The fat will come off from some places later than others. For you, it sounds like that will be the stomach. Just keep doing what you've been and it will happen.

    That 500-1200, is that your deficit per day or the calories you're consuming?

    The calories I'm consuming, sorry for the confusion. So it looks like I'm just being too impatient :/
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    The fat will come off from some places later than others. For you, it sounds like that will be the stomach. Just keep doing what you've been and it will happen.

    That 500-1200, is that your deficit per day or the calories you're consuming?

    The calories I'm consuming, sorry for the confusion. So it looks like I'm just being too impatient :/

    you're massively under eating

    But I don't feel weak or anything? I mean how would I be out there runnning around every morning after 3 and half weeks if I was undereating that much ? And I do feel myself getting stronger and having better endurance.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    The fat will come off from some places later than others. For you, it sounds like that will be the stomach. Just keep doing what you've been and it will happen.

    That 500-1200, is that your deficit per day or the calories you're consuming?

    The calories I'm consuming, sorry for the confusion. So it looks like I'm just being too impatient :/

    you're massively under eating

    But I don't feel weak or anything? I mean how would I be out there runnning around every morning after 3 and half weeks if I was undereating that much ? And I do feel myself getting stronger and having better endurance.

    you're massively under eating...
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,568 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    The fat will come off from some places later than others. For you, it sounds like that will be the stomach. Just keep doing what you've been and it will happen.

    That 500-1200, is that your deficit per day or the calories you're consuming?

    The calories I'm consuming, sorry for the confusion. So it looks like I'm just being too impatient :/

    you're massively under eating

    But I don't feel weak or anything? I mean how would I be out there runnning around every morning after 3 and half weeks if I was undereating that much ? And I do feel myself getting stronger and having better endurance.

    Hun, you need to eat more! Your body needs food, especially for the activity you're doing. You can only lose so much body fat in a day and the rest is muscles and other useful stuff. You don't want to lose muscles as they keep you not only lean, but also prevent osteoporosis and other bad things. Btw, your heart is a muscle too. You don't want to burn energy out of THAT muscle.
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    Massively under eating and over training is going to be a recipe for disaster. It will likely cause your body to lose more muscle (which means you aren't losing as much body fat); cutting body fat and maintaining muscle is what makes people look lean. Excessive calorie cuts can lead to a host of issues; hair loss, skin issues, gallbladder issues, etc.... Also, why are you doing cardio 7 days a week while lifting 5 days? What are your goals? What are you trying to achieve? What would you like out of exercise?

    :/ wow sounds bad but I don't feel bad? In the beginning goal was to lose weight , but now I'm also looking to start running, in my strength workouts i mainly do legs and some core training to support my running goals. Atm I can jog/run about 20min straight, which isn't much but a lot more than the 1 minute I could struggle to jog when I started.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Massively under eating and over training is going to be a recipe for disaster. It will likely cause your body to lose more muscle (which means you aren't losing as much body fat); cutting body fat and maintaining muscle is what makes people look lean. Excessive calorie cuts can lead to a host of issues; hair loss, skin issues, gallbladder issues, etc.... Also, why are you doing cardio 7 days a week while lifting 5 days? What are your goals? What are you trying to achieve? What would you like out of exercise?

    :/ wow sounds bad but I don't feel bad? In the beginning goal was to lose weight , but now I'm also looking to start running, in my strength workouts i mainly do legs and some core training to support my running goals. Atm I can jog/run about 20min straight, which isn't much but a lot more than the 1 minute I could struggle to jog when I started.

    you are three weeks in so you don't feel bad YET...this is not sustainable or safe in any way...what calories does MFP recommend for you and why aren't you following that?
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Massively under eating and over training is going to be a recipe for disaster. It will likely cause your body to lose more muscle (which means you aren't losing as much body fat); cutting body fat and maintaining muscle is what makes people look lean. Excessive calorie cuts can lead to a host of issues; hair loss, skin issues, gallbladder issues, etc.... Also, why are you doing cardio 7 days a week while lifting 5 days? What are your goals? What are you trying to achieve? What would you like out of exercise?

    :/ wow sounds bad but I don't feel bad? In the beginning goal was to lose weight , but now I'm also looking to start running, in my strength workouts i mainly do legs and some core training to support my running goals. Atm I can jog/run about 20min straight, which isn't much but a lot more than the 1 minute I could struggle to jog when I started.

    you are three weeks in so you don't feel bad YET...this is not sustainable or safe in any way...what calories does MFP recommend for you and why aren't you following that?

    Recommends 1200 cal , I only eat more asceticly few times a week
  • Savyna
    Savyna Posts: 789 Member
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    From my experience I felt horrible after 5 days of eating about 300-600 calories (a long time ago when I was afraid to eat and thought 1200 was too much). I was in college and just felt like death on that 4th night. I don't understand how someone could eat as little as you say you are, workout as much as you say you are and feel perfectly fine.

    Unless you are weighing everything with a food scale I believe you're eating much more than you think you are. You don't have to eat so little to lose weight; that was the best thing I learned this time around. I'm much more happier and healthier (mentally and physically) realizing that.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    Savyna wrote: »
    From my experience I felt horrible after 5 days of eating about 300-600 calories (a long time ago when I was afraid to eat and thought 1200 was too much). I was in college and just felt like death on that 4th night. I don't understand how someone could eat as little as you say you are, workout as much as you say you are and feel perfectly fine.

    Unless you are weighing everything with a food scale I believe you're eating much more than you think you are. You don't have to eat so little to lose weight; that was the best thing I learned this time around. I'm much more happier and healthier (mentally and physically) realizing that.

    this is true. OP - how are you measuring your food intake?? (although based on the fact she has lost 15 lbs in less than a month she is probably still waay undereating)
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Eva_M97 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    The fat will come off from some places later than others. For you, it sounds like that will be the stomach. Just keep doing what you've been and it will happen.

    That 500-1200, is that your deficit per day or the calories you're consuming?

    The calories I'm consuming, sorry for the confusion. So it looks like I'm just being too impatient :/

    you're massively under eating

    But I don't feel weak or anything? I mean how would I be out there runnning around every morning after 3 and half weeks if I was undereating that much ? And I do feel myself getting stronger and having better endurance.

    You will. And then it will be too late.
  • Eva_M97
    Eva_M97 Posts: 49 Member
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    Muscleflex79 wrote: »
    Savyna wrote: »
    From my experience I felt horrible after 5 days of eating about 300-600 calories (a long time ago when I was afraid to eat and thought 1200 was too much). I was in college and just felt like death on that 4th night. I don't understand how someone could eat as little as you say you are, workout as much as you say you are and feel perfectly fine.

    Unless you are weighing everything with a food scale I believe you're eating much more than you think you are. You don't have to eat so little to lose weight; that was the best thing I learned this time around. I'm much more happier and healthier (mentally and physically) realizing that.

    this is true. OP - how are you measuring your food intake?? (although based on the fact she has lost 15 lbs in less than a month she is probably still waay undereating)

    Scale, or ready foods from stores like soup or whatever that's got the calories and all calculated per portion

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