WHY WONT THIS BELLY GO AWAY!

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DawnMarieMomofTwo
DawnMarieMomofTwo Posts: 186 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all. i know i know we can not spot train but im just very frustrated that after all the work i have put in and only being 134lbs i still have this BABY BELLY! ive still been asked when im i due. i dont have much weight to lose and everyone says to just lose everywhere and it will eventually follow but what is the key to lossing this Baby Belly im willing to work for it, would some weight training help, a diet higer or lower in something??? anyone out there that can give me some advice i would greatly apprecaite it!
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Replies

  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
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    Stick with it girl. Unfortunetly, the stomach is the last place the weight comes off. Try lowering your calories just a smidge and increasing your workouts. Mine didn't disappear until I added some intense weight training.
  • DawnMarieMomofTwo
    DawnMarieMomofTwo Posts: 186 Member
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    Thanks for the advice!!! im wondering if weight tranining is the key?? do you lift heavy?
    Stick with it girl. Unfortunetly, the stomach is the last place the weight comes off. Try lowering your calories just a smidge and increasing your workouts. Mine didn't disappear until I added some intense weight training.
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
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    Bump! I am on my last 13 pounds to my goal weight and I feel like its JUST in my stomach. Although it has slimmed a lot in losing 40 pounds I just want a flat stomach! Let me know what works for you girl. I am doing insanity and hoping it kicks my butt into gear.
  • sarahstrezo
    sarahstrezo Posts: 568 Member
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    I suggest some heavy weight training. I don't have a lot of fat left to lose...maybe 2-3%. I've been eating well and running since April and I honestly didn't see much improvement in my "baby belly" UNTIL I started lifting heavy. I've been doing that and small amounts if cardio 3x per week since beginning of sept, and I've seen more progress that way!!
    I still have a little pooch that I'm wanting to go, but I know it will...in time :)
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
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    What do you do to 'life heavy' for abs? Weighted crunches? How heavy are you lifting?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    What do you do to 'life heavy' for abs? Weighted crunches? How heavy are you lifting?

    You don't lift heavy for abs.. You lift heavy total body.

    To OP:
    I suggest you start weight training... IE Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Overhead press etc.. The more you strengthen your core, the flatter your stomach will look.
  • Jessamyfrm
    Jessamyfrm Posts: 89
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    Maybe it's not the exercise? Maybe you need some more fibre in your diet or something along those lines? :)
  • DawnMarieMomofTwo
    DawnMarieMomofTwo Posts: 186 Member
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    What do you do to 'life heavy' for abs? Weighted crunches? How heavy are you lifting?

    You don't lift heavy for abs.. You lift heavy total body.

    To OP:
    I suggest you start weight training... IE Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Overhead press etc.. The more you strengthen your core, the flatter your stomach will look.
    .

    i do alot of this but not with heavy weights i think my largest weight is 8lbs so i lift a total of 16 since i use dumbells. do you suggest i go REALLY Heavy?? how much weight should i be using? any suggestions
  • DawnMarieMomofTwo
    DawnMarieMomofTwo Posts: 186 Member
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    Maybe it's not the exercise? Maybe you need some more fibre in your diet or something along those lines? :)

    i was kinda wondering the same is it food related? i do get in alot of fiber but i eat alot of Carbs so i dont know if that causes tummy fat to stay
  • DawnMarieMomofTwo
    DawnMarieMomofTwo Posts: 186 Member
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    I suggest some heavy weight training. I don't have a lot of fat left to lose...maybe 2-3%. I've been eating well and running since April and I honestly didn't see much improvement in my "baby belly" UNTIL I started lifting heavy. I've been doing that and small amounts if cardio 3x per week since beginning of sept, and I've seen more progress that way!!
    I still have a little pooch that I'm wanting to go, but I know it will...in time :)

    Thanks for the tip. how much weight do you lift and how many days a week if you dont mind me asking?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Just because the scale says what you want it to say, doesn't mean your body will look the way you want it to.

    You either need to reduce your body fat percentage, keep losing weight, and/or start strength training.

    If you're interested in strength training, heavy lifting is the way to go. This means heavy for YOU. Just because heavy for one lady is a 100lb bench press, doesn't mean you're not lifting heavy if you can only do 45lbs. You start where you can, and build your strength. The only thing required is that you keep trying to increase how much you can lift.

    Look for the book "Starting Strength" and check out the program "Strong Lifts" for a great place to get started.

    Edit to say that ab excerises are unncessary. If you are doing a heavy lifting program that focuses on compound lifts (like Strong Lifts), your core is already going to be engaged. And you don't get 6 pack abs by doing sit ups. You get them by having a low body fat percentage.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Agree with LoraF83.

    However, OP .... in your profile pic.... uh, ....LOOK BEHIND YOU! MONSTERRRR!!!

    *referring to evil Halloween kitty of course :laugh:
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    What do you do to 'life heavy' for abs? Weighted crunches? How heavy are you lifting?

    You don't lift heavy for abs.. You lift heavy total body.

    To OP:
    I suggest you start weight training... IE Squats, Deadlifts, Rows, Overhead press etc.. The more you strengthen your core, the flatter your stomach will look.
    .

    i do alot of this but not with heavy weights i think my largest weight is 8lbs so i lift a total of 16 since i use dumbells. do you suggest i go REALLY Heavy?? how much weight should i be using? any suggestions

    It depends.. Is 8 pounds easy for you? Are you reaching failure by the end? If the answer is yes, then go heavier.

    I personally lift as heavy as I can until I reach failure.. and if I don't, then I know it's time to bump the weights up.
  • HappilyLifts
    HappilyLifts Posts: 429 Member
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    I have still have some work to do, but I've shrunk my belly by around 15cm this year. See profile pic, same clothes, taken a year apart, neither overly breathing in nor out.
    The things I do differently now are and therefore may have contributed to the belly loss:

    I have gone from rare exercise to regular gym attendance (4-5 times a week) for a mix of interval training cardio and body weight and dumbbell work which changes every 6 weeks (a variety of squats and lunges, including working off a box step, planks, side planks, superman, chest presses, flyes, plus a concentrated effort on pulling the tummy muscles in). I have never lifted heavier than 7kg in a dumbbell, but for me that's heavy.

    However, I suspect it's more what I eat that has made the difference for me:
    I now try to eat more protein than I used to (I set my macros to carbs 174g, protein 130g and fats 58g), it's been hard, because I'm not keen on meat, cheese, milk or eggs, but I am tolerating them and using a protein shake and nuts for 'enjoyable' proteins!

    I no longer binge on junk, I don't eat particularly clean, but I don't binge.

    I never used to drink water, now I drink at least 6 glasses a day

    Stick with it, you'll get where you want to be :smile:
  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    Maybe it's not the exercise? Maybe you need some more fibre in your diet or something along those lines? :)

    i was kinda wondering the same is it food related? i do get in alot of fiber but i eat alot of Carbs so i dont know if that causes tummy fat to stay

    Eating a lot of carbs doesn't make your belly fat.
  • NormalSaneFLGuy
    NormalSaneFLGuy Posts: 1,344 Member
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    The reason it won't go away comes down to physics. Muscle weighs more than fat. So it takes a while.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Heavy lifting definitely! Check out the 'New rules of lifting for women'...lot's of good info and a good training program.
  • donnab83
    donnab83 Posts: 105 Member
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    Bumping right atcha! I have the same problem! :sad:
  • lienna1
    lienna1 Posts: 3
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    That's the hardest place to lose, it is very frusterating, i eat correct, ive done crunches, sit up and still just sticking around..i have ab muscles its the fat on top that wont go away.
  • Kara1031
    Kara1031 Posts: 12 Member
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    I am sure this will not be popular, but after three babies and working out for four years, the saggy belly would not improve. I finally opted for a tummy tuck. Now I am not suggesting this is the only solution, but for me it has been the best decision I made for myself. I still have weight to lose but since my Tummy Tuck I have continued to lose weight and am down about 15 pounds and have another 15 -20 pounds to lose I believe. I have always carried weight in my bum and thighs and wish I would stop losing weight in my face neck and wrists and get it to come off my bum and thighs and I would be a happy girl.

    I waited til my kids were older to do the Tummy Tuck so I lived with it for twenty years and after working out consistently for four years, I made the decision to have the surgery so I could move on. It is a tough long recovery and had to stop my workout routine which scared me, but it came back and I am back to my full work out with the exception of some tummy work, but honestly I do not need to so I work on core exercises vs. targeting abs and I could not get any tighter as the surgery pulled my muscles as tight as they can get.

    You can lose weight, but sometimes after having babies our muscle separation causes the protruding belly and I was never able to find anything that would bring the muscle back together. My abs muscles were strong but separated and the skin was saggy and could not get rid of the roll over the hips no matter how much weigh I lost. But that is my body and some people have better genetics. I was so upset every time someone asked me when I was due. It happened to me twice and it was devastating and I was never going to be able to wear a bathing suit and never tucked any of my clothes in.

    This is just my experience and in no way am I suggesting this as the solution because everyone has a different body. Mine did not bounce back well.

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