Belly Fat - won't go away

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So, as you can see by my ticker I have lost 93lbs so far, I still have 25 more pounds to go. I am doing cardio 5-6 days a week and work with a personal trainer two days a week (he is awesome!). My problem is, while my stomach has shrunk considerably I still have a rather large belly that hangs, I thought it would turn more into a skin flap that hangs but there is still a lot of fat. With only 25 more pounds to go I am worried that exercise may not be enough and I may need to look into plastic surgery to get it removed.
Has anyone else had this issue? If so what did you do?

Replies

  • LE193
    LE193 Posts: 23
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    I posted a very similar post a few hours ago because my belly is definitely my trouble zone! :( anyway, the stomach is the last place fat leaves from Ive been told, so if you stick at it and shed those last pounds hopefully youll start to notice some difference there (obviously only if you combine it with tummy toning exercises to get the muscles in shape underneath).

    Personally I've been underweight in a bid to be rid of my belly and also exercised excessively, but i can honestly say ive never successfully combined a healthy, stable diet with regular exercise so fingers crosssed thatll fix it.

    but just keep at it, the tummy will be the last place for it to show but with the right exercise i dont see why it wouldnt, good luck
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Maybe you have more than 25 lbs to go
  • lasmit4477
    lasmit4477 Posts: 308 Member
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    Maybe you have more than 25 lbs to go


    ^Hate to bare the news to this, but I do agree with Rock!
  • angdestry
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    I was in my 20's when I lost 103 lbs. My body maturally likes to be between 140 and 150 at 5'5". Even when I was sick and dipped to 135, my body jumped right back as soon as I was better. That said, I had my "belly roll" as I lovingly called it. It just sort of hung there. It caused problems when I tried to workout because it was so uncomfortable. I ended up getting a tummy tuck to resolve the issue. 9 years later and it's still the best thing I could have done for myself. I've put on a few lbs that I want to lose and am using MFP to see if I can break the 140 mark. Use your BMI as a benchmark on whether you've lost "enough" to get rid of the tummy.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    I have a long way to go, so I have no experience. However, from reading the forums it seems like this has happened to a lot of different people (especially women). Those who have gotten the stomach they want seem to all consistently say they have cut down on the amount of cardio they do and have started lifting heavy.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Are you following a diet and exercise regime and general lifestyle that is specifically designed to shift abdominal fat? Ask your trainer about the published research, if they don't know find a new trainer. Expect to have a fairly regimented life tho, it's not the easiest road.

    ETA are you saying you are training seven sessions a week?
  • lasmit4477
    lasmit4477 Posts: 308 Member
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    I was in my 20's when I lost 103 lbs. My body maturally likes to be between 140 and 150 at 5'5". Even when I was sick and dipped to 135, my body jumped right back as soon as I was better. That said, I had my "belly roll" as I lovingly called it. It just sort of hung there. It caused problems when I tried to workout because it was so uncomfortable. I ended up getting a tummy tuck to resolve the issue. 9 years later and it's still the best thing I could have done for myself. I've put on a few lbs that I want to lose and am using MFP to see if I can break the 140 mark. Use your BMI as a benchmark on whether you've lost "enough" to get rid of the tummy.
    [/quote


    I don't really agree with using BMI to help with this. BMI and BF% are two different things. BF% would benefit you more with this matter. You may experience excess skin due to the amount of weight that one would like to lose as well. Calorie deficit and lifting heavy, FTW.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    Fat distribution is genetically determined; some of us hang onto fat in our thighs, others, the belly. I hate to say it, but if you have a pannus (the hanging belly fat), you may need surgery to lose it.
  • sundaywishes
    sundaywishes Posts: 246 Member
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    I have a long way to go, so I have no experience. However, from reading the forums it seems like this has happened to a lot of different people (especially women). Those who have gotten the stomach they want seem to all consistently say they have cut down on the amount of cardio they do and have started lifting heavy.


    ^ this.
    as a few here have mentioned, you may need to lose more than 20 lbs to hit your goal physique.

    ^ also valid, but in conjunction with the first quoted statement.
  • CDAGMA
    CDAGMA Posts: 9 Member
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    I too, am having problems with my belly fat. I am hearing more and more about heavy lifting for women. There was just a great article in Women's Health about this. After 1 month of cardio consistently I have lost not anything around my waist....
  • rachelilb
    rachelilb Posts: 179 Member
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    Lift and lift heavy!
  • cunfewzed1
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    although lifting is great advice, it has nothing to do with your belly fat.

    as a few here have mentioned, you may need to lose more than 20 lbs to hit your goal physique. i know that in my own weight-loss journey, i would have already hit my goal weight twice. we hold more fat than we think we do and we have less LBM than we think we do.