Fat but flat belly turning into hard belly sticking out?

nelinelineli

Hi there,

I've been dieting and exercising for 2 months and had a very steady result in both weight and inches loss overall. I'm not very big so changes are small but noticeable.

Overall my body is going from, as I used to call it, "jelly body" to being "hard" at touch - back, thighs, bum and abdomen - and measurements agree I'm shrinking - except for my waist.

Now I know fat around the middle area is a bit more stubborn, but my issue here is that it feels the fat IS going away, because my abdomen feels "hard".
Yet it seems to be growing and sticking out in front, something that wasn't quite true before. I've looked at my before and after pics as well and it indeed looks like my waist is more pronounced (smaller on the sides), muscles are a bit more visible, but sticking out around the navel and below. There's no possibility of pregnancy, just in case that gets brought up.

Has anyone experienced this? Can this be a temporary result of workouts? Will it eventually go away?

Thanks

pinkraynedropjacki

All I am is a belly. I don't have fat anywhere else at all, just belly. Now depends on the day but mine can make me look like I'm ready to give birth. It will go hard as a rock & stay that way for hours. On other days can be almost nothing to worry about in size.

I've tried so many things taken out of my eating to see if that was what cause it & still no luck. Seems as though I'm a stick with a ball in the middle.

jdad1

keep doing what you are doing as it sounds like you are doing it right. Genetics are what they are, just except them, keep going, and enjoy having a hard body.

Ant_the_old_keith_lemon

sounds perfectly toned to me, its not about skinny after all is it?

nelinelineli

sounds perfectly toned to me, its not about skinny after all is it?

Definitely not! I'd love me some more muscles.

I'm just bugged by going from a chubby hourglass figure to a big belly look. For reference, i'm still pretty round, nowhere near "fit" level. But if this trend continues I'll end up with nothing but belly:)

nelinelineli

All I am is a belly. I don't have fat anywhere else at all, just belly. Now depends on the day but mine can make me look like I'm ready to give birth. It will go hard as a rock & stay that way for hours. On other days can be almost nothing to worry about in size.

I've tried so many things taken out of my eating to see if that was what cause it & still no luck. Seems as though I'm a stick with a ball in the middle.

It sounds like I might be going up the same alley there. For reference, was your abdomen always a bit bigger? Or it just started being noticeable after losing weight / working out?

Ant_the_old_keith_lemon

im finding lately that fat is moving (my opinion) from where i build on my back to my stomach area, all my extemities are tight and defined with the last area to reduce being the last 1/2" of saggy man boobs (filling up with pecs slowly) and a small bit of fat infront of my abs...

sounds a lot like what you are talking about

after a core workout i can play bongos on my upper abdomen but it is obvious that i have a little layer of lardy fat infront haha!

i am thinking this is the "last couple of pounds" everyone talks about!

As we have chosen a good lifestyle to stick to and not a crash diet i am sure that when we lean off a little further all will be well.

its the final transition?

nelinelineli

i am thinking this is the "last couple of pounds" everyone talks about!

As we have chosen a good lifestyle to stick to and not a crash diet i am sure that when we lean off a little further all will be well.

its the final transition?

Fingers crossed man, fingers crossed!!

Ant_the_old_keith_lemon

i don`t cross my fingers, i take a deep breath close my eyes and gritt my teeth.... BOOM haha!

now go do some planks with a gallon of water in a backpack!

nelinelineli

Planks... I'm still working on those! Took me a month to get from "doing push-ups" against the wall (yes, I couldn't push myself off the wall while standing almost vertical...) to doing a proper "man push-up". Now I'm fighting the same battle with the plank ones. But I'll get there! Hopefully my big belly won't stand in the way!

jayjay12345654321

Has your diet changed? I was reading an interesting article on WebMD last night about the different types of fat. Actually, it was a quiz to test people's knowledge on each type with explanations for the correct answer after each question. It said trans fat will relocate fat from the hips, thighs and other areas to the abdomen. I suspect your belly feels hard because there is very little fat between the muscle and skin (subcutaneous fat) but if that's true what WebMD says, and maybe you're workout is making you hungry enough to grab foods or margarine based items that have trans fat in them, then perhaps that is the cause. You're sucking extremity fat into the visceral abyss of your abdomen. Check your trans fat in the diary reports and google it and see what other sites say that might support or refute that information.

RachyD21

Maybe it's bloating that's now becoming more pronounced/noticeable because you've lost fat? Or bloating caused by a change to a healthier diet?

For a few months after I changed my diet up to include more fibre and healthy foods, I definitely noticed my tummy would stick out a lot. It even started being quite achy at one point. Thankfully it deflated eventually and everything's back to normal. My dr. said it was very common when you clean up your food intake and it just takes time for your body to adjust. hth

pinkraynedropjacki

All I am is a belly. I don't have fat anywhere else at all, just belly. Now depends on the day but mine can make me look like I'm ready to give birth. It will go hard as a rock & stay that way for hours. On other days can be almost nothing to worry about in size.

I've tried so many things taken out of my eating to see if that was what cause it & still no luck. Seems as though I'm a stick with a ball in the middle.

It sounds like I might be going up the same alley there. For reference, was your abdomen always a bit bigger? Or it just started being noticeable after losing weight / working out?

It was always bigger, think I just never lost the 'pregnant' look after having my son 20 years ago... just now that I'm thinner all over it is still the same size there on most days no matter what I do. Even running never helped that.

stefjc

Relax. You belly holds your fat. You have worked the muscles and gained muscle mass yet your body has not given up that fat store. SO now you have fat and muscle and your belly looks flat but big.

Keep going. When it is ready your body will utilise that store of fat and you will lose some of the belly size. Just make sure you eat a well balanced diet and exercise properly. It will work itself out.

Of course you could go mad and start one of the great weight lifting body sculpting programmes - but you may find your stubborn belly fat defies even the most strict regime for longer than you would like

Good luck

nelinelineli

Has your diet changed? I was reading an interesting article on WebMD last night about the different types of fat. Actually, it was a quiz to test people's knowledge on each type with explanations for the correct answer after each question. It said trans fat will relocate fat from the hips, thighs and other areas to the abdomen. I suspect your belly feels hard because there is very little fat between the muscle and skin (subcutaneous fat) but if that's true what WebMD says, and maybe you're workout is making you hungry enough to grab foods or margarine based items that have trans fat in them, then perhaps that is the cause. You're sucking extremity fat into the visceral abyss of your abdomen. Check your trans fat in the diary reports and google it and see what other sites say that might support or refute that information.

Good info, good to know! It's unlikely in my case since I'm pretty wary of "anything that needs a label" and have always eaten pretty clean. Just a lot! But clean enough...
But your info is a good reason to keep it that way!:)

nelinelineli

For a few months after I changed my diet up to include more fibre and healthy foods, I definitely noticed my tummy would stick out a lot. It even started being quite achy at one point. Thankfully it deflated eventually and everything's back to normal. My dr. said it was very common when you clean up your food intake and it just takes time for your body to adjust. hth

Thanks for this! Yes i've been pumping up fibers and proteins. Definitely could be it I'll just wait it out

nelinelineli

Relax. You belly holds your fat. You have worked the muscles and gained muscle mass yet your body has not given up that fat store. SO now you have fat and muscle and your belly looks flat but big.

Keep going. When it is ready your body will utilise that store of fat and you will lose some of the belly size. Just make sure you eat a well balanced diet and exercise properly. It will work itself out.

Of course you could go mad and start one of the great weight lifting body sculpting programmes - but you may find your stubborn belly fat defies even the most strict regime for longer than you would like

Good luck

Ok this is exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks!
*Goes back to doing those planks*

igotabulletproofheart

Have you been doing either crunches, sit ups, [the wrong] strength training or other exercise that specifically target the external obliques or rectus abdominis? If so, then read this: www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/sexy_female_training and focus on the section about "The Britney Sears Syndrome".

For those who mentioned toning, please never speak the word again. I think someone mentioned that your belly sticking out means that it's toned. This tells me that that person knows very little about what they're talking about because you can't be "toned" if you have enough fat to have your belly stick out. Only when your body fat is <23% then can you start showing some muscle definition and consider yourself somewhat toned.

ninerbuff

One can actually make their stomachs protrude outward by just pushing it out. This is why I tell my clients to "hold their abs in" during exercise. Heavy or intense exercise can have some "pushing" out their abs to power up their exercises. Keep your abs "in" when you breathe and push.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

vs1023

Have you checked your abs for a diastasis or separation of the connective tissue holding your abs together?