Skinny but I still have a fat stomach???
therosalea
Posts: 3 Member
My BMI is about 20, my body fat percentage is about 19-20%. I eat VERY healthy and am vegan and do strength training a few times a week as well as quite a bit of cardio (I'm training for a marathon). BUT. No matter what, and no matter how much fat I've lost, I still have this weird abnormal fat stomach and it makes me SO mad and upset. People have said to build more ab muscles, which I'm doing. I've thought about getting lipo but it's so expensive. I don't know what to do cos I just wanna be able to wear a bikini to the beach in the summer but I can't if I look like this. Should I restrict my calories again and try to keep losing fat? Is it my posture? Do I have flared ribs? I really hope someone can help me, I'm getting desperate! 
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Replies
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It look pretty normal. It has to be like this. Probably you compared your body with girls on instagram. But let me tell you somthing, those girls are actually have belly, they just hide it and the look so skinny on pictures. Don’t worry about it you are so beautiful 🌸17
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You can already wear a bikini
You may find this recent thread useful: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10687838/how-much-to-lose-for-a-flat-stomach/p16 -
Body recomp will help. You say you are building muscle (which requires a calorie surplus) but you also do a lot of cardio, which could mean that you are simply maintaining the muscle you have, not gaining more. If you were able to cut back on the cardio and focus primarily on strength training while eating at maintenance or even a small surplus you will see changes. I had/have the same issue. I call it a “B” shape belly. All the cardio and restricting in the world wouldn’t touch it, then I delved into the world of strength training and am eating at a 250 calorie surplus while lifting 3 days a week. I have gained weight, which is to be expected, but the shape of my body has improved drastically and my lower pudge is almost nonexistent.8
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I wouldn't say you have a fat stomach at all, looks great to me. Wearing a bikini isn't about having abs but about confidence.
If you aren't happy with your definition at your stats I would look into recomp, see this thread
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
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The calorie surplus idea makes a lot of sense, but, I'm very very worried about gaining fat, even a TINY bit.
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therosalea wrote: »The calorie surplus idea makes a lot of sense, but, I'm very very worried about gaining fat, even a TINY bit.
It's not a surplus but eating at maintenance. You won't gain fat but lose some fat and gain some muscle slowly over time (if you do it correctly as per the link).1 -
if my belly looked like that I would gladly wear a bikini . its not fat at all.31
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Oh lord.
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I think the biggest issue is unrealistic expectations and self image.56
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I think that's your uterus and intestines.58
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I think the biggest issue is unrealistic expectations and self image.Erinloveable wrote: »I think that's your uterus and intestines.
This. ^ You Are looking at the perfectly normal relaxed belly of a slim athletic woman. I think you have unrealistic expectations perhaps.26 -
It makes me sad how many young women think a normal woman's midsection is a "fat belly".
You can't stand relaxed in front of a mirror in your room and expect your stomach to look like a fitness model in her instagram. She went through an intensive 2 week cut with her pro trainer after 5 years of hard work in the weight room, is sucking it in, standing at the perfect angle, timed her natural lighting just right, and still probably photoshopped it.
If you aren't happy with your shape, keep focusing on strength training. That sort of small detail improvement literally takes years. You also need to adjust your expectations of what realistic bodies look like and work on not being so hyper-critical of your own body. You have lots of important stuff like organs and all the food and drink your body is still processing in your belly area, that stuff takes up space!49 -
It makes me sad how many young women think a normal woman's midsection is a "fat belly".
You can't stand relaxed in front of a mirror in your room and expect your stomach to look like a fitness model in her instagram. She went through an intensive 2 week cut with her pro trainer after 5 years of hard work in the weight room, is sucking it in, standing at the perfect angle, timed her natural lighting just right, and still probably photoshopped it.
As a sidebar to that discussion, you rarely see fitness models photographed in a side/profile pose - mostly for a couple reasons:
1) It hides the abdominal definition/contours they want to show.
2) A side profile is awkward and usually the least flattering pose for anybody.
I think I most often see that pose in selfies of young women with body image issues, likely because they're focusing on/accentuating what they perceive as their shortcomings.
[ETA:] And you’re 100% correct that fitness models don’t just jump out of bed, walk into a photo studio on any given day, peel off their top, and casually snap a couple photos to get those results. There’s a lot of prep, planning and post-processing that goes into those photo sessions.16 -
You look perfect. Your stomach has nothing to do with wearing a bikini. Most women’s bodies require some fat to function properly.
I did a little google search for you, and here’s an article about how lightning and posing makes all the difference in photos. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a3621469/women-who-proved-fitspo-photos-arent-always-what-they-seem/13 -
Wow. Where's the abnormal part? You look perfect, actually. Just how a young, lean, healthy woman should look.
People have totally unrealistic expectations for their bodies these days. It makes me sad. Love your body! It deserves your respect and kindness!
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You look perfect. Your stomach has nothing to do with wearing a bikini. Most women’s bodies require some fat to function properly.
I did a little google search for you, and here’s an article about how lightning and posing makes all the difference in photos. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a3621469/women-who-proved-fitspo-photos-arent-always-what-they-seem/
^ THIS!!!3 -
That's a perfectly good looking stomach. Do you not like your organs?18
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It makes me sad how many young women think a normal woman's midsection is a "fat belly".
You can't stand relaxed in front of a mirror in your room and expect your stomach to look like a fitness model in her instagram. She went through an intensive 2 week cut with her pro trainer after 5 years of hard work in the weight room, is sucking it in, standing at the perfect angle, timed her natural lighting just right, and still probably photoshopped it.
If you aren't happy with your shape, keep focusing on strength training. That sort of small detail improvement literally takes years. You also need to adjust your expectations of what realistic bodies look like and work on not being so hyper-critical of your own body. You have lots of important stuff like organs and all the food and drink your body is still processing in your belly area, that stuff takes up space!
This.
You look great OP, I'd be very happy to have your stomach.6 -
You look amazing, you need to change your confidence level not your body. You could slave over being thinner than you already at but is it really worth it and would it actually make you happy?5
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Gosh, I'd kill someone to have your fat belly. To get to that point (if I ever will) would take me a looooooong time still. As others have said before, society has taught us (women especially) to have totally unrealistic expectations of what a body should look like. None of the models, not one, actually looks like she does in photos. It's just not possible. The advent of Photoshop might have been the worst thing that ever happened to body imaging.
Go look at the success story section if you want to see fat bellies. Oh, and go wear that bikini! You look amazing!3 -
I bet you anything you like that when you wear a bikini to the beach 95% of the women there will be looking at you thinking Wow I wish I looked like that in mine.
Take another picture front on and tensed with favourable lighting. I bet you are already where you think you should be according to insta.
Well done you look great. But please be careful, there's more to you than that one small perceived blemish. Your post feels like you're putting way to much focus on it.8 -
UM.... is this a joke?11
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Erinloveable wrote: »I think that's your uterus and intestines.
Women generally have more fat then men specifically for their uterus. @Erinloveable is right in that that is where you're uterus tips forward. Having a little pocket if fat there is nature's way if protecting your uterus and any future babies you might have.
I totally appreciate that you wanting your body to look a certain way. And I also appreciate how this can lead to a great of gaining day. However, you look amazing. You may want to consider taking to a professional to help gain some perspective. Sometimes it's not about what your body might do (gain some fat) and what your body CAN do (train for a marathon!!). You have accomplished so much and it would suck to burn it or end up with disordered eating.11 -
That is not a fat tummy. I wish my tummy looked half as good.2
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The only problem I see is having an unrealistic idea of what women’s bodies look like.16
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No woman who still has her uterus will ever have a truly flat stomach. If you think your midsection is supposed to look like an ironing board I'm afraid you'll always be disappointed. You're not fat, and your stomach is not fat, it's a normal stomach for a human who has reproductive organs (and intestines) on the inside.9
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Are you joking,your belly doesn't look fat to me! Mine is around 60cm,but I did insane things to get it in this shape,which I don't recommend. Best thing is to do intense waist workouts mixed with intense cardio. Workout your side muscles too,because it gives that wasp like shape,although I know there are people who say the opposite. And stretch a lot before and after,so that it gets lean instead of bulky. And workout often if you like eating large portions ^.^19
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I feel like you and I have the same issue. I’m 5.5 weigh about 120 and I hate my belly area. I do have excess fat around my middle and have love handles (more like don’t touch me handles) I apologize for the bra and panties pic. But really it’s no worse than a bikini.5
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I feel like you and I have the same issue. I’m 5.5 weigh about 120 and I hate my belly area. I do have excess fat around my middle and have love handles (more like don’t touch me handles) I apologize for the bra and panties pic. But really it’s no worse than a bikini.
@sara_zimm you two do indeed have the same issue - unrealistic expectations. Please read the rest of the posts on the thread.25 -
Actually I don’t have unrealistic expectations. I have gained nearly 10lbs in the last 2 years and most of it in my belly area. I’ve never been this heavy as I’ve always been naturally thinner. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve gained weight which for someone who’s never had any issues is hard to deal with. I see nothing wrong with wanting a toned midsection. I know exactly where OP is coming from. She isn’t fat- not even a little bit!8
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