Rock & a hard place

FitDiva1993

I’m getting frustrated because I really just want to focus on putting on muscle at this point but I still have some lower belly fat. My waist is a 28.5 and the area around my belly button is 31.5. I’ve lost 60 pounds (weighing 153 at 5”7 down from 212) . I got down here in August but then decided to try bulking/recomp..I was making gains but felt uncomfortable because I still had some belly lower belly fat and didn’t want to add to it. (I gained 5 pounds) I stopped doing that and went back on a deficit, now I’m back down to 153 and had a goal of getting down to 145 and starting a bulk but who knows if the lower belly fat will be gone by then. I’m just getting so tired of being on a deficit of any kind when I could be making gains. My bum sticks out now and it didn’t before lol, so I want to keep increasing it. I’m thinking of trying recomp again when I get to 150. I just want all of my belly fat completely gone but I want to make more booty gains cuz it’s growing . Any advice ?

sarko15

Your body is your body and there's not a lot you can do to drastically change your proportions once you're at a healthy weight. Belly fat and muscle also aren't mutually exclusive...you can have both, and there's not much you can do to target train.

What's your body fat %? Your weight doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to body composition.

PAV8888

Optimisation is good as it keeps you mindful and in the game.

But it is worth looking at the big picture from time to time.

Wow! You're no longer 212!!!

Have you thought of eating along "maintenance" and concentrating on your lifts and athletic progress more than on just your weight?

spiriteagle99

The body stores fat where it is genetically predisposed to do so. Storing fat is a survival trait. Many women store fat in their belly, even when they don't have much. I weigh 120, am bony in my upper body, but I still have a belly. If you are happy with your overall weight, then start recomp.

mmapags

Didn't you post almost the exact same thread a few months back? Or was it someone with a very similar user name?

Dreamwa1ker

I always link this thread because it is important to see: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat/p1

cupcakesandproteinshakes

Fitduva you say you have been bulking/recomping since August. First bulk and recomp are not same thing. Recomp is maintaining weight on the scale while doing strength training. Bulk is gaining weight while strength training.

If you’ve only been training since August then that’s a really short time to see any progress. IMO you prob need to lose some more before considering bulking.

That said, without pics it’s hard to say.

cupcakesandproteinshakes

To add: I recomped for 2 years at around 140 and 5 ft 8.5. I saw some muscular gain particularly top half of my body. But I had and still have belly fat. Having a flat stomach isn’t a realistic thing for me. But I’ve decided to cut a little bit more then bulk slowly. Precisely because I gain first round the belly.