Considered underweight but have a pooch

Rawrsawrus29

Hey guys,
so I am 1,75 cm tall and weigh 52 kgs (yes, I know, I'm underweight). I really love my new body because I feel attractive and comfortable in my own skin! However, I've started to notice a little pooch coming along.. is it just me making things up or is it actually possible?
My question is, how do I avoid the pooch from coming back?

*NOTE: I am currently on vacation in a beautiful city so the only form of exercise I am able to do is walking around town (which is a lot!!).. there are no gyms and there is so much tempting food.. However, I have enough self control to say no to most of the treats!

Camera_BagintheUK

What do you mean by "pooch"?: In the UK a pooch is a small dog!

Hey guys,
so I am 1,75 cm tall and weigh 52 kgs (yes, I know, I'm underweight). I really love my new body because I feel attractive and comfortable in my own skin! However, I've started to notice a little pooch coming along.. is it just me making things up or is it actually possible?
My question is, how do I avoid the pooch from coming back?

*NOTE: I am currently on vacation in a beautiful city so the only form of exercise I am able to do is walking around town (which is a lot!!).. there are no gyms and there is so much tempting food.. However, I have enough self control to say no to most of the treats!

Rawrsawrus29

Lol, right! A pooch being flabby skin/fat around the lower belly..

Mutant13

I used to be very similar. I was 1.76 and 53.5kg. It sounds like while your weight is low your body fat % is high. Strength training is really the best option to deal without. Without gym access I would look into body weight training. You would be surprised how far you can get with the right exercises

darrensurrey

What do you mean by "pooch"?: In the UK a pooch is a small dog!

Hey guys,
so I am 1,75 cm tall and weigh 52 kgs (yes, I know, I'm underweight). I really love my new body because I feel attractive and comfortable in my own skin! However, I've started to notice a little pooch coming along.. is it just me making things up or is it actually possible?
My question is, how do I avoid the pooch from coming back?

*NOTE: I am currently on vacation in a beautiful city so the only form of exercise I am able to do is walking around town (which is a lot!!).. there are no gyms and there is so much tempting food.. However, I have enough self control to say no to most of the treats!

Aye. "Paunch".

darrensurrey

I suspect you've done this on a VLCD? In any case, this is the result of sustained undereating. You have two options:

1) continue to undereat until your belly catches up, you'll experience all manner of health issues along the way but it's possible to remove all fat - I see this with cancer patients undergoing chemo.
2) eat more food, eat more protein, start strength training to build muscle which will result in a more healthy physique.

I know which option I prefer. If (2) is your choice, MFP is the right place for advice and support.

As for your current location, presumably you're only there for a couple of weeks? I'd just enjoy the food as 2 weeks is nothing in the greater scheme of things. Food is part of the culture of wherever you are so you should enjoy it. Walking to offset the cals is a good idea but you'll be doing that anyway. Then go back home and start anew.

placebomonkey

I used to be very similar. I was 1.76 and 53.5kg. It sounds like while your weight is low your body fat % is high. Strength training is really the best option to deal without. Without gym access I would look into body weight training. You would be surprised how far you can get with the right exercises

Agreed I had exactly the same problem and last year tried to lose it by endless running which never worked! ive now been doing weight training and cut the cardio down a bit for about 2 months and my tummy is almost flat

Good Luck xxx

lauren3101

I suspect you've done this on a VLCD? In any case, this is the result of sustained undereating. You have two options:

1) continue to undereat until your belly catches up, you'll experience all manner of health issues along the way but it's possible to remove all fat - I see this with cancer patients undergoing chemo.
2) eat more food, eat more protein, start strength training to build muscle which will result in a more healthy physique.

I know which option I prefer. If (2) is your choice, MFP is the right place for advice and support.

As for your current location, presumably you're only there for a couple of weeks? I'd just enjoy the food as 2 weeks is nothing in the greater scheme of things. Food is part of the culture of wherever you are so you should enjoy it. Walking to offset the cals is a good idea but you'll be doing that anyway. Then go back home and start anew.

This, precisely.

I only have one thing to add to this; throw out the scales if you are going to pick option 2. You will reach the body you want long before you reach the weight you want.

igotabulletproofheart

It's most probably either bloat, bad posture or weak core muscles.
Considering you're on holiday my guess is it's just water retention caused by a sudden calorie surplus. Basically, you're bloated because you're eating more calories than usual, or it might be that you're not drinking enough water. If this is the case then don't worry to much about it, when you get back home just go back to your normal diet and things should go back to normal within a week. Also, if you''re not drinking at least 1.5-2l of water a day then get into this habit.

If you have weak core muscles then do workouts that are able to strengthen them i.e. pilates, ashtange yoga, vinyasa yoga, power yoga, DDP yoga, calisthenics, hula hooping and so many more!

The other thing could be posture. If this is the case then consider doing a workout from the above list to improve your posture as those workouts also exercise the spine. I can't speak for calisthenics when I say this because I've not yet properly looked into it.

Rawrsawrus29

Back at home I do pilates daily so I do train my core a lot, I guess I just got thrown off track for a few weeks
Thanks everybody! I'm gonna go do some exercises!

lacaro1

This is almost freaky, I have the EXACTsame problem/stats, I am 175cm and 52 kg and I have a little pooch. But in my case I think it is just genetics, I have always had it, no matter how much I weigh or train my core muscles, it is just the way it is and I am fine with it. Just out of curiosity, what are your other stats (waist, hips, belly bf% etc.)? Maybe, in contrast to me, it is just water retention for you;)

fitOsaurus_Rex_we_changed

i would recommend looking at the food choices that you make. i cannot see your diary so i cannot see what you eat, but abs are mainly made in the kitchen which means you have to clean up your diet to get rid of that layer of fat over top of them. this is the exact reason why some girls can be anorexic and/or bulimic and still be flabby and unhappy with their bodies...it's about the calories you eat, not just how many you eat. good luck! i think you should try to put a little bit of weight back on (muscle wise) so that you are no longer underweight and become happier with your body.


edited to add: some people are not built to have abs, it's just genetically impossible...sucks but look at your family and see where the bellies are at to determine if you think you might be built to have abs or not...just like not everyone has hips built to create a thigh gap (no matter how skinny they get) some people are not built to have abs.

fitOsaurus_Rex_we_changed

I used to be very similar. I was 1.76 and 53.5kg. It sounds like while your weight is low your body fat % is high. Strength training is really the best option to deal without. Without gym access I would look into body weight training. You would be surprised how far you can get with the right exercises

agreed!!!

kr1stadee

I suspect you've done this on a VLCD? In any case, this is the result of sustained undereating. You have two options:

1) continue to undereat until your belly catches up, you'll experience all manner of health issues along the way but it's possible to remove all fat - I see this with cancer patients undergoing chemo.
2) eat more food, eat more protein, start strength training to build muscle which will result in a more healthy physique.

I know which option I prefer. If (2) is your choice, MFP is the right place for advice and support.

As for your current location, presumably you're only there for a couple of weeks? I'd just enjoy the food as 2 weeks is nothing in the greater scheme of things. Food is part of the culture of wherever you are so you should enjoy it. Walking to offset the cals is a good idea but you'll be doing that anyway. Then go back home and start anew.

This, precisely.

I only have one thing to add to this; throw out the scales if you are going to pick option 2. You will reach the body you want long before you reach the weight you want.

Yep.

If you strength train (and eat right), you will lose fat.

Rawrsawrus29

Just going to put it out there, I eat VERY clean! I don't eat fried foods at all, I don't eat junk food or processed food either. I don't ever eat bad carbs and I drink 2 litres of water a day, so I am quite healthy.. I just eat too little in general.

action_figure

Hey guys,
so I am 1,75 cm tall and weigh 52 kgs (yes, I know, I'm underweight). I really love my new body because I feel attractive and comfortable in my own skin! However, I've started to notice a little pooch coming along.. is it just me making things up or is it actually possible?
My question is, how do I avoid the pooch from coming back?

*NOTE: I am currently on vacation in a beautiful city so the only form of exercise I am able to do is walking around town (which is a lot!!).. there are no gyms and there is so much tempting food.. However, I have enough self control to say no to most of the treats!

You can still do body weight fitness. Try planks, pushups, etc. Work on core fitness.

Rawrsawrus29

This is almost freaky, I have the EXACTsame problem/stats, I am 175cm and 52 kg and I have a little pooch. But in my case I think it is just genetics, I have always had it, no matter how much I weigh or train my core muscles, it is just the way it is and I am fine with it. Just out of curiosity, what are your other stats (waist, hips, belly bf% etc.)? Maybe, in contrast to me, it is just water retention for you;)

waist- 60 cm
Hips- 76 cm
belly-77,5 cm

nxd10

I have a Pilates ball at work that I use as a chair. It makes me sit up very straight and strengthens my back and stomach muscles noticeably. It's not like heavy lifting, but it absolutely helps the pooch.

I also do an exercise my Mom taught me. You lie o nyour back. Push your stomach out as far as you can and hold it 10 seconds. Then pull it in as far as you can and hold 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times. It's tiring. It does help those muscles.

You can do it while walking or driving too. Kegels for your belly.

nxd10

The Scientific NY Times workout. It's exhausting but it does work well:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/

MityMax96

Just going to put it out there, I eat VERY clean! I don't eat fried foods at all, I don't eat junk food or processed food either. I don't ever eat bad carbs and I drink 2 litres of water a day, so I am quite healthy.. I just eat too little in general.

Hmm.... :huh: :huh:

Do you track your intake? Are you sure about carb/sugar intake.

My first recommendation would be:
Get in the gym and push around iron, don't focus on just abs. Do the whole body.
Pilates is great, but I think at this time, you might want to try some iron.

Second would be:
Make sure you are tracking your food intake, and make sure you are not consuming a lot of processed sugars....
Sounds like you aren't, but you don't know for certain, til you start tracking.

Third::
You may need to up caloric intake.....you may be too low, and your body at the point where it is preserving the calories it gets because it knows it is in a caloric deficit....maybe a "severe" caloric deficit.

MityMax96

Oh, and veggies.
Broccoli, asparagus, etc...

Fiber is a wonderful thing.