Losing Weight But Not From Stomach

ExxxyBeast123

Hi all.

So, I'm a 41 year old male, in general good shape, but was just drifting into over weight on the BMI scale and definately have a middle aged man gut!

So 5 weeks ago, i commenced the 5:2 diet as I weighed in 13 stone 8 one evening. At 6 ft tall this isnt a huge weight but is definately over weight for me.

5 weeks later and I'm weighing in at 12 st 4lbs this week, but its not shifting on my stomach much.

The diet is working great for me, but Im starting to wonder how much more Im going to have to shift before I see it going off my stomach. I don't want to go below 12 stone so there's not much more weight to drop but Im sure there's more than 4lbs of fat left on my gut!

Any advice greatly appreciated

thanks

_Zardoz_

You can't spot reduce. Stomach are normally the last place to go on men so you just have to keep doing what you're doing.

lebaker310

You can't spot reduce. Stomach are normally the last place to go on men so you just have to keep doing what you're doing.

What they said. You don't get to pick where the weight comes off.

Robf71

Hey, what you've lost is visceral fat, this is the really unhealthy stuff around you internal organs. I've lost 24lbs now and my 'gut' still looks almost the same although my waist has gone down 4 inches. The belly fat will be the last to go, but you should notice your clothes fitting looser and you should see some muscle definition coming through. The scales don't tell the whole story its always best to take a few measurement and check the mirror as well. I thought losing 2 stone would be enough but I think we all need to shed a little bit more fat than we think. Keep up the good work, MFP has been a live saver, literately.

AmyMgetsfit

Yep belly fat is usually the first to come on and the last to come off. I have been at this since February. I weigh121lbs and still have some belly fat. I am working hard with the weights. It is coming off, just really slow. Just be patient, lift weights and watch your diet. I figure it will take me over a year to lose it all.

Francl27

Belly fat is the last to go here too, but I've still lost a lot of it.

AFGyrl

I have the same issue. I am trying to get a six pack.

jeffpettis

Not sure about stones but if I'm correct that's 18 pounds right? If so 18 pounds in 5 weeks is amazing progress. Don't expect that to continue because most of that was water weight I'm sure. shoot for about a pound a week. Much more than that and you will be losing muscle along with the fat.

As far as how much you will have to lose to get the fat off your belly is anyone's guess. I know most guys get a scale number in their head that they don't want to go below, I used to have this mindset as well but I got over it. Don't pay as much attention to the scale. Use it as a tool not a definition of your weight loss. In other words if you still have fat on your belly at your "ideal" weight then apparently that is not your "ideal" weight. For guys, especially as we get older, fat deposits around the belly will come off last. You can't "shift" fat from one place to another and you can't lose fat from just one area. The order fat is removed from our body is genetically determined and we have no control over it.

Dunsirn

I'll add my voice to the chorus. If there was an easy way to do it, we'd all look like GODS!!

I don't think i've lost much off my gut, it still looks hideous although empirically through measurement, i've lost 7cm off it in the last 6-7 weeks.

I don't follow the MFP plan, because I don't eat exercise calories back and run for 2-6 miles almost every day.

Tiff050709

I have lost 62lbs and my stomach is slowly getting smaller. I take my measurements every couple weeks and my jean sizes are going down. But visually, it looks about the same, to me. As everyone else is saying it's usually the last to go. I don't know if you do strength training but I have heard that along with cardio and healthy eating it helps. I am doing strength 3 times a week.

ExxxyBeast123

all really helpful replies people, so many thanks for that. Like I say the actual dieting on the 5:2 diet is going great for me, I am shifting the weight and can visually see it in some areas and you're right, clothes are looser. 34" jeans which is what I have been wearing for years, I now need a belt for but looking down at the stomach just doesnt look any different.

I shall keep going as in theory anywhere in between 10 and 13 stone (140 - 182 pounds) is healthy BMI for my height, i just dont want to end up looking too thin, but i guess maybe starting some weight training would help bulk up.