Not losing my belly...

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Replies

  • hrh2009
    hrh2009 Posts: 20
    Maybe this snippet explains it better than I did (more sciency :)...)
    Belly fat is stored when the combination of excess calories meets the hormonal influence of cortisol and insulin. This is important to understand because those losing weight who take a purely caloric approach may find that the fat around their belly seems to burn off at a much slower rate or lag behind all together. This is because belly fat is as much a hormonal phenomenon as it is a caloric one.
    Now looking at the link between a sugary diet and insulin... how would elimination of sugary foods not reduce belly fat?
    Wheat... allergic maybe.
    Sugar... not so much.
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    Im 5'3 and my waist measures 29 inches.......its the muffin top that i hate!!!

    Wait, did I read that correctly? 29"? That doesn't sound like a "huge gut" to me, but I could be wrong.

    Focus on strengthening your core muscles and do some research on body recomp. If you still feel you're fluffy in the middle right now, it might just be that you have little to no ab strength/definition and need to focus on strengthening those muscles.

    Edited for clarity.
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    Also, uscmp's advice. Take it. Seriously.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Maybe this snippet explains it better than I did (more sciency :)...)
    Belly fat is stored when the combination of excess calories meets the hormonal influence of cortisol and insulin. This is important to understand because those losing weight who take a purely caloric approach may find that the fat around their belly seems to burn off at a much slower rate or lag behind all together. This is because belly fat is as much a hormonal phenomenon as it is a caloric one.
    Now looking at the link between a sugary diet and insulin... how would elimination of sugary foods not reduce belly fat?
    Wheat... allergic maybe.
    Sugar... not so much.

    It takes excess calories. That's exactly what your copy/paste says. It's the combination of eating too much and hormones (carbs cause insulin spikes, not just sugar). If she's in a deficit then she's not adding to belly fat. If she's in a deficit she'll continue burning fat from every place she stores it whether she eats sugar or not.
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    Maybe this snippet explains it better than I did (more sciency :)...)
    Belly fat is stored when the combination of excess calories meets the hormonal influence of cortisol and insulin. This is important to understand because those losing weight who take a purely caloric approach may find that the fat around their belly seems to burn off at a much slower rate or lag behind all together. This is because belly fat is as much a hormonal phenomenon as it is a caloric one.
    Now looking at the link between a sugary diet and insulin... how would elimination of sugary foods not reduce belly fat?
    Wheat... allergic maybe.
    Sugar... not so much.

    It takes excess calories. That's exactly what your copy/paste says. It's the combination of eating too much and hormones (carbs cause insulin spikes, not just sugar). If she's in a deficit then she's not adding to belly fat. If she's in a deficit she'll continue burning fat from every place she stores it whether she eats sugar or not.

    This.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Im 5'3 and my waist measures 29 inches.......its the muffin top that i hate!!!

    The easiest answer may be to wear higher waist pants that aren't as tight. I see that you are 46. Hate to tell you, but as we get around this age, our hormones change and we start carrying more weight in our midsections. It is next to impossible to get back the slim waists that we had in our 20s and 30s. At 120 lbs, you are at a good weight for your height. You may want to concentrate on building muscle and strength, and just accept you will need larger pants, or a higher waist, to not have the muffin top. Sorry.
  • jendan40
    jendan40 Posts: 2 Member
    I've had 6 children and my body likes to keep some extra around the middle! Some friends and I have had great success with the Wheat Belly Diet. I use it with Paleo to lose. I am just starting again because it is hard to avoid wheat and grains especially for me when 1) kids are home and 2) I am on the run. After 3 days of being faithful to it, my tummy is considerably smaller. I feel better too. Good luck!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Im 5'3 and my waist measures 29 inches.......its the muffin top that i hate!!!

    The easiest answer may be to wear higher waist pants that aren't as tight. I see that you are 46. Hate to tell you, but as we get around this age, our hormones change and we start carrying more weight in our midsections. It is next to impossible to get back the slim waists that we had in our 20s and 30s. At 120 lbs, you are at a good weight for your height. You may want to concentrate on building muscle and strength, and just accept you will need larger pants, or a higher waist, to not have the muffin top. Sorry.

    You might want to check out Sarauk2sf. It's not next to impossible, it just takes a change in mindset.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    Just keep losing fat. Are you doing any strength training? It can't hurt to strengthen your muscles, including your abs. Then when the fat comes off, you'll have a nice firm-looking middle.

    I'm sort of in the same boat. I've lost 11 lbs. in the past couple of months, but I am just now starting to fit into some pants in the next smaller size. (And not all; some are still too snug.) My belly hasn't gone away as much as I'd like, although it's definitely smaller. My upper torso has slimmed considerably, and I've bought smaller bras, but my belly is diminishing more slowly. I have about 12 lbs. to go.

    I am in the same spot! I am almost to target (also have 12 pounds to go) but my little buddha belly is not cooperating. My abs are getting quite strong and I can poke my belly and feel them. I have lost a lot of fat in my chest, neck, arms and legs but still am holding onto fat in the belly, a little in the thighs and my butt. I think weight loss for women works from the outside in, with the belly last to go. I have a feeling these last few pounds are going to take a little longer!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    Im 5'3 and my waist measures 29 inches.......its the muffin top that i hate!!!

    The easiest answer may be to wear higher waist pants that aren't as tight. I see that you are 46. Hate to tell you, but as we get around this age, our hormones change and we start carrying more weight in our midsections. It is next to impossible to get back the slim waists that we had in our 20s and 30s. At 120 lbs, you are at a good weight for your height. You may want to concentrate on building muscle and strength, and just accept you will need larger pants, or a higher waist, to not have the muffin top. Sorry.

    You might want to check out Sarauk2sf. It's not next to impossible, it just takes a change in mindset.

    Sara does look amazing, and she works hard for that body. That is why I didn't say it was IMPOSSIBLE, but close. I don't know what Sara's waist measurement is now, but it is probably not as small as it was when she was in her 20s. Sara looks dang good, but she is not super-skinny like the OP appears to want to be. Sara focuses more on building strength than weighing less.

    My suggestion was for the OP to just be a bit more realistic about what is possible, and still have a life outside of dieting.
    Muffin tops generally come from tight, low-rise pants. At only 120, I can't imagine that the OP has a LOT of fat left to lose, and a 29" waist at her age is not uncommon. The way I am built, my super-skinniest waist I ever had was 27", and I was underweight at the time, and in my 20s. Some women are just built with thicker waists, and as we age, it gets even more disproportionate.
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
    To put it simply...

    OP needs to further evaluate her BF%, as body composition is a better guide than a number on the scale. You could be 140# with a flat stomach if you had a different body composition.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Im 5'3 and my waist measures 29 inches.......its the muffin top that i hate!!!

    The easiest answer may be to wear higher waist pants that aren't as tight. I see that you are 46. Hate to tell you, but as we get around this age, our hormones change and we start carrying more weight in our midsections. It is next to impossible to get back the slim waists that we had in our 20s and 30s. At 120 lbs, you are at a good weight for your height. You may want to concentrate on building muscle and strength, and just accept you will need larger pants, or a higher waist, to not have the muffin top. Sorry.

    You might want to check out Sarauk2sf. It's not next to impossible, it just takes a change in mindset.

    Sara does look amazing, and she works hard for that body. That is why I didn't say it was IMPOSSIBLE, but close. I don't know what Sara's waist measurement is now, but it is probably not as small as it was when she was in her 20s. Sara looks dang good, but she is not super-skinny like the OP appears to want to be. Sara focuses more on building strength than weighing less.

    My suggestion was for the OP to just be a bit more realistic about what is possible, and still have a life outside of dieting.
    Muffin tops generally come from tight, low-rise pants. At only 120, I can't imagine that the OP has a LOT of fat left to lose, and a 29" waist at her age is not uncommon. The way I am built, my super-skinniest waist I ever had was 27", and I was underweight at the time, and in my 20s. Some women are just built with thicker waists, and as we age, it gets even more disproportionate.

    The problem is some arbitrary number you are looking for. Measurements and weight tell us a small part of the story. Does it matter if you have two extra inches on your waist if you look incredible? I get why we set weight goals when we start out, but it doesn't matter what you weigh or what your waist is if you aren't happy with how you look.

    The OP needs to focus on improving body composition. She says she doesn't want to lose more weight, so you are right that she doesn't want to be super skinny. Well in order for her to lose that belly fat she has to lose fat. In order to lose fat she either needs to lose weight or improve her body composition. The best plan for her would be to follow a progressive lifting program and eat around maintenance for a while then reassess where she's at every 3-6 months.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Im 5'3 and my waist measures 29 inches.......its the muffin top that i hate!!!

    The easiest answer may be to wear higher waist pants that aren't as tight. I see that you are 46. Hate to tell you, but as we get around this age, our hormones change and we start carrying more weight in our midsections. It is next to impossible to get back the slim waists that we had in our 20s and 30s. At 120 lbs, you are at a good weight for your height. You may want to concentrate on building muscle and strength, and just accept you will need larger pants, or a higher waist, to not have the muffin top. Sorry.

    I can't agree with this ^^ I'm in my mid 40's and my waist and hips are smaller now than when I was in my 20s and I was slim then. It takes determination and consistency with workouts (a mix of strength and jogging) and counting calories but its worth it.
    (my waist is 26.75" and hips 35.5)
  • MonaLisaLianne
    MonaLisaLianne Posts: 398 Member
    I'm surprised that this question has been asked and addressed many, many times on MFP but I've never seen anyone bring up one of the possible causes of the "look 6 months pregnant" problem. Some women who have had children have Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation) This is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves. Pregnancy is a common cause of this separation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diastasis_recti although men can have it, too.

    It *can* be helped with certain exercises, but sometimes surgery is required to repair the separation. Here's a link to a few exercises, but if you do a web search you'll find a wealth of information about this problem.
    http://www.nowloss.com/How-to-get-rid-of-diastasis-recti-exercises-after-pregnancy.htm

    There's no point in losing more weight if the problem is with the muscles in your abdomen. I hope this helps you - and the *many* other women (and men) suffering from diastasis recti.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I'm surprised that this question has been asked and addressed many, many times on MFP but I've never seen anyone bring up one of the possible causes of the "look 6 months pregnant" problem. Some women who have had children have Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation) This is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscle into right and left halves. Pregnancy is a common cause of this separation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diastasis_recti although men can have it, too.

    It *can* be helped with certain exercises, but sometimes surgery is required to repair the separation. Here's a link to a few exercises, but if you do a web search you'll find a wealth of information about this problem.
    http://www.nowloss.com/How-to-get-rid-of-diastasis-recti-exercises-after-pregnancy.htm

    There's no point in losing more weight if the problem is with the muscles in your abdomen. I hope this helps you - and the *many* other women (and men) suffering from diastasis recti.

    Diastasis recti doesn't cause muffin top like she claims to have.

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