Belly Fat, exercise and non response

msmettalife9824

Hello, I weigh 133 lb/ 5' 4" and have been actively engaging in at least an hour intense strength focused workout routine daily for over a month focused on my core and specifically my abdomen. I do include some cardio and I walk daily for close to 10, 000 steps minimum. My diet is low calorie but, I do focus on consuming close to 130 G protein/ day.

Exercise routines are varied through the week to target multiple muscles. I have gained strength and muscle overall.

But, WHY have I seen zero change in my waist measurements? How can I address my larger waist?

rileysowner

You can't spot reduce. Where fat comes off is out of your control. Assuming you are in a calorie deficit and losing fat elsewhere, you will eventually lose it in the belly area.

evileyefirefly

Exactly what Riley said. You can't spot reduce, this is something that is pushed all over but isn't a thing. Your body will lose fat where it wants, and its different for each person just like where you deposit fat. Sucks, but keep at it. Cardio is really good for overall weight loss, make sure you're mixing your strength training with cardio(Seems like you're doing this). I'm doing a weight loss circuit/ weight training (25reps at 75%+ max. 11 exercises with ~45sec between exercises, do 2 sets) Or when I do regular weights I will do cardio of some sort each day, usually 2 days weights/cardio then either a cardio only day or rest day. I try and workout 6x a week like that. Don't get discouraged, progress is there and while it may not be where you want it to be you're doing well.

kidiki

Have you consulted with a physical trainer? It may be worth it to see if any refinements are needed in your workout techniques.

Retroguy2000

You're gaining muscle, you're focusing on your abs, and you're wondering why your waist size isn't going down?

If your weight isn't going down, you aren't in a calorie deficit. You may be gaining muscle and losing fat. Take pics to help measure your progress. These things take time, keep at it. Consistency will bring results.

yirara

What the others said. Another thing: take a photo of yourself from the side. Do your belly and bum stick out to opposite sites? It's very common in people who sit a lot. It's called anterior pelvic tilt. Next to training your abs you should also train your lower back because the muscles at the from and back work together. And do exercises for the pelvic tilt, because if your posture is more upright your figure will look a lot different.

msmettalife9824

Thanks all for the comments! To be clear, I am focusing on both lateral and sagittal core exercises, switching daily between conventional core exercises and primal flow with cardio thrown in twice a week. My pelvis is not the issue as I did check it's not in anterior alignment. I have to be careful as I don't want to loose any more weight so must not go into carb deficient; I am currently with a goal of 40 % carbs, 20 fat, 40 % protein. I try to eat 130 G protein a day to meet that goal. Overall, my total calories are between 1200/ 1400 day. Any further thoughts? I would dearly like to shrink my waist from 133" to 130'. Sigh...

AnnPT77

msmettalife9824 wrote: »

Thanks all for the comments! To be clear, I am focusing on both lateral and sagittal core exercises, switching daily between conventional core exercises and primal flow with cardio thrown in twice a week. My pelvis is not the issue as I did check it's not in anterior alignment. I have to be careful as I don't want to loose any more weight so must not go into carb deficient; I am currently with a goal of 40 % carbs, 20 fat, 40 % protein. I try to eat 130 G protein a day to meet that goal. Overall, my total calories are between 1200/ 1400 day. Any further thoughts? I would dearly like to shrink my waist from 133" to 130'. Sigh...

What units are you using there? At 5'5" and 133 pounds, you're not overweight, so neither inches nor centimeters make sense in "133" to 130'" (which in my usual units and notation would be 133 inches to 130 feet, and I'm certain that isn't right!). Did you mean 33 to 30 inches? That would be plausible.

Even if you don't have anterior pelvic tilt, there are other postural issues that can affect appearance of abdominal thickness (and even waist measurement), like a forward head/shoulders posture or a tendency to lock knees.

Since you're focused on the waist measurement more than appearance, though, it's somewhat less likely to be posture.

I hate to bring this up, though it is a thing, but again less likely since you're focused on waist measurement more than appearance: We do see women here, especially young women, with an unrealistic idea of normal female body shape, because of the pernicious nonsense from so-called "fitness influencers". Women have uteruses, and that affects abdominal shape. This may have zero to do with your situation, but it's common enough that I feel like I should say something about it. There's more about it here:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat/p1

I do think that thread includes some perspectives on how long it took women to reach certain body changes. That may be relevant to your plans and concerns, even if the overall message of the thread isn't.

One observation: "Over a month" is still a short time span for interventions that depend on muscle mass. Strength increases do happen that fast (from neuromuscular adaptation), and possibly some pumped/toned/tightened appearance. Still, in something over a month (but presumably less than 2), I'd expect relatively little change in muscle mass/structure, especially if you're in a calorie deficit.

The carbs really don't make much difference in fat loss at constant calories, but if your gross intake is a true 1200-1400 calories at your size and with that activity schedule, I'd expect you to be in a deficit and losing weight. (That might not show up on the scale yet, if the exercise is all or mostly new in that month or so.) If you're doing all that on that few calories, you'd have to be pretty old for calorie needs estimates to make that your maintenance calories.

Finally, I'll mention something about body structure, because the structure our genetics bring us can have implications. For me, my waist size is never going to be small enough to give me an hourglass-ish appearance. (I'm around your size, 132 pounds this morning, and 5'5".) If I were to drop 10 pounds, my waist might drop down below 30", but not by much (and that's with more than average overall muscle mass thus lower than average body fat for my demographic).

Why is that? Mostly because I have a body structure that brings my rib cage pretty close to the top of my pelvic bones. It's hard to measure, but there's maybe a 2.5 inch space between my lowest rib and the top of my pelvic bone, and my rib case isn't very tapered. No matter how little fat I have on my abdomen, no matter how much exercise I do, my waist size can't shrink much because the waist skin will just be stretched between rib cage and pelvis in a relatively short straight line. Unless I add lots of muscle mass to my chest/shoulders and hips/booty, I'm going to be rectangle-shaped. (That's OK with me, BTW: I'm happy with my body.)

If you felt comfortable posting photos, you might get more feedback about structure/posture and body composition kind of stuff. That's not a request, let alone a demand, just an observation. If you wanted to do that, a two-piece bathing suit, front and side would be ideal (including shoulders for posture reasons), or at least close-fitting but not compressing workout wear. Photos in undies are against the rules here.

laurachambers86

I don't have much more advice to give other than to keep at it. You need much longer than a month, for context I've been strength training consistently for 8 months and although I can see some definition towards the top of my stomach, I still have that little paunch under my belly button. We're all different and will take different amounts of time to reach certain goals. The other thing I would say is don't get hung up on reaching a certain measurement or weight. I got fixated on this for a while even though I was in a healthy range for me. We can become consumed by arbitrary numbers and targets and then "fall off the wagon" when we don't hit them.

ltomberry

Agreed you can't spot reduce. Your body puts on fat in a certain pattern and takes it off in the reverse pattern. There is some genetic and individual variation but the biggest factor is sex. Women store fat more in the breasts, hips and butt, while men wind up with a big belly. This is mostly due to estrogen (specifically estradiol) putting it where it's needed for reproduction.

Fun fact: both men and women have testosterone and estrogen in their bodies, but the ratios are reversed. Your body is influenced by whichever one is more dominant. When men get big and fat, their testosterone goes down. The ratio changes. Also, there is something in the fat layer called aromatase that converts testosterone into estradiol. So overweight men start to store fat like women and get gynecomastia. (man boobs)

Post menopause, estrogen levels go down in women, so if they put on extra weight after that, they are more likely to wind up with a belly like the men. It's a little harder to get rid of the belly when you are fighting against hormones.

ninerbuff

When you intensely train muscle, it grows if overloaded. That INCLUDES abs, obliques, etc.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

claireychn074

ninerbuff wrote: »

When you intensely train muscle, it grows if overloaded. That INCLUDES abs, obliques, etc.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I was thinking this and hoping someone would say it. You don’t actually get a slim waist by building ab muscles. I’ve put on about an inch in muscle on my waist (over a couple of years) by working hard on my core.

loulee997

I'm going to get yelled at---but okay--here it goes. Spot training doesn't really work. However since you seem pretty happy with your body except for the waist---here are some things that may help---please consult a trainer or doctor with questions.

Hula Hooping. I know it sounds stupid. For some people it can help with that area. You have so little to lose--it may or may not help.

Waist Curls--you may already be doing these.

Waist Trainer--It takes months, but for small changes---some people have found success with it. It can help if loose muscles due to birth or other injury. It basically trains them to be tighter. Not sure if I believe it works, but some people swear by it.

Reverse crunch

Scissor kicks---RC and SK help if you have a pooch due to kids.


Check with a trainer first. But these are worth researching.