At a crossroad...

abcindy
abcindy Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sorry, a bit of a long post here (my first topic! Nerve wrecking! haha!), but need to explain some of my dilemmas...

So I have more or less attained my weight loss goals. I am happy with what the scales show, and generally happy with what I see in the mirror. I am ready to start on maintenance. Except for one small thing - that is my tummy, which is still huge for some reason, and is preventing me from wearing those nice sexy bodycon dresses I bought ha!

A brief background of my journey - I lost most of the weight on a 1200 calories diet (generated by MFP), and I always ate back my burned calories. About a month back, I stumbled on this forum, read thru the topics, and manually upped my calories to 1600 based on the TDEE - 20% model. I have had to struggle a little to reach the goal on many days, but generally I do hit the 1600, give or take a few. I do not track macros.

I workout at the gym about 3 times a week, alternating my workout between yoga-based classes, cardio and weight. And also some abs exercises at home some times.

Now, I do not want to lose any more from my upper body, but I really want to lose that tummy. I know about no spot reduction and all that, but what more can I do to nudge the tummy in the right direction a bit? Or what am I doing wrong?

Also, should I continue to eat at a deficit, or to increase my calories to closer to my TDEE? But based on my lifestyle now, I really don't know if I can do much more calories than now unless I am gorging on the less healthy food I so loved in the past (I am eating 3 full meals a day already, plus even some snacks in between. I am not starving myself).

I have set my diary to public (I hope you guys can see it). But as I live in Singapore, perhaps about 40% of my entries may not make sense to you (local food and names). Also, if you do open my diary, you may need to go back about 2-3 weeks as I was down with stomach flu last week, and was having nothing but plain porridge, and didn't bother to log for that few days.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Replies

  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    If you are happy at your weight and unhappy with a particular spot, body recomposition is probably the way to go. Switch to maintenance calories, no more deficit, and focus on free weights and heavier weight, increasing the amounts you lift incrementally.

    Check out Stronglifts 5X5 or New Rules of weight lifting for women.
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
    If you are happy at your weight and unhappy with a particular spot, body recomposition is probably the way to go. Switch to maintenance calories, no more deficit, and focus on free weights and heavier weight, increasing the amounts you lift incrementally.

    Check out Stronglifts 5X5 or New Rules of weight lifting for women.

    ^^^This!^^^
  • abcindy
    abcindy Posts: 11 Member
    Oh! Thanks so much! First time I hear of this term, shall go find out more about it :)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    By body composition, they mean your fat to muscle ratio. So, even though you will be maintaining your weight, you will be losing fat. If your desire is to not lose any more fat on your upper body you may want to go slow with this Even with weight training you can't choose where you lose fat. You may lose it in your upper body before losing it in your belly.

    Unfortunately, you can't choose where your body loses fat first or last, except with surgery.
  • MartinaNYC
    MartinaNYC Posts: 190 Member
    Hi! I am pretty much in your same situation, except I didn't reach my goal weight yet (but I'm getting closer and closer). What I noticed with myself is that the last pounds I dropped came off straight from my face and chest, while all I still need to lose is the extra fat around my thighs (belly in your case). I think that since our body is not a robot and we cannot tell it: "hey, just take from my thighs/belly and leave the rest as it is!", I believe that body recomposition is the right answer for both of us- you need to focus on adding some more crunches and co. to your exercise routine and I need to focus on adding some more lounges and squats...or we could switch body parts (I, by nature, have a flat stomach) :wink:

    Now, just a curiosity (as I'm on a 1200cal diet and was thinking to increase my numbers): do you still eat back your exercise calories now that you are at 1600 a day?
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Hi! I am pretty much in your same situation, except I didn't reach my goal weight yet (but I'm getting closer and closer). What I noticed with myself is that the last pounds I dropped came off straight from my face and chest, while all I still need to lose is the extra fat around my thighs (belly in your case). I think that since our body is not a robot and we cannot tell it: "hey, just take from my thighs/belly and leave the rest as it is!", I believe that body recomposition is the right answer for both of us- you need to focus on adding some more crunches and co. to your exercise routine and I need to focus on adding some more lounges and squats...or we could switch body parts (I, by nature, have a flat stomach) :wink:

    Now, just a curiosity (as I'm on a 1200cal diet and was thinking to increase my numbers): do you still eat back your exercise calories now that you are at 1600 a day?

    Crunches won't actually flatten a belly.

    Look into compound exercises like squats, dead-lifts, rows, and presses. You want to build muscles and all over. And before anything else is said, for females it is INCREDIBLY difficult to become "too muscular" and it doesn't happen over night so if you trend that way you can easily back up a little bit but anyone who hasn't weightlifted before is a LOOOONG way from that day, no matter what their ideal body type is. But, unless you are seriously obese, this is NOT compatible with a large deficit.
  • abcindy
    abcindy Posts: 11 Member
    Hi! I am pretty much in your same situation, except I didn't reach my goal weight yet (but I'm getting closer and closer). What I noticed with myself is that the last pounds I dropped came off straight from my face and chest, while all I still need to lose is the extra fat around my thighs (belly in your case). I think that since our body is not a robot and we cannot tell it: "hey, just take from my thighs/belly and leave the rest as it is!", I believe that body recomposition is the right answer for both of us- you need to focus on adding some more crunches and co. to your exercise routine and I need to focus on adding some more lounges and squats...or we could switch body parts (I, by nature, have a flat stomach) :wink:

    Now, just a curiosity (as I'm on a 1200cal diet and was thinking to increase my numbers): do you still eat back your exercise calories now that you are at 1600 a day?

    Hi! Yes I have started weight training under the guidance of a trainer. Hopefully that will help some. To answer your qn on eating back calories, as 1600 is based on my TDEE (which already takes my activity level into consideration I do not log my exercise calories anymore. I just make sure I hit around 1600 everyday.
  • abcindy
    abcindy Posts: 11 Member
    Hi! I am pretty much in your same situation, except I didn't reach my goal weight yet (but I'm getting closer and closer). What I noticed with myself is that the last pounds I dropped came off straight from my face and chest, while all I still need to lose is the extra fat around my thighs (belly in your case). I think that since our body is not a robot and we cannot tell it: "hey, just take from my thighs/belly and leave the rest as it is!", I believe that body recomposition is the right answer for both of us- you need to focus on adding some more crunches and co. to your exercise routine and I need to focus on adding some more lounges and squats...or we could switch body parts (I, by nature, have a flat stomach) :wink:

    Now, just a curiosity (as I'm on a 1200cal diet and was thinking to increase my numbers): do you still eat back your exercise calories now that you are at 1600 a day?

    Crunches won't actually flatten a belly.

    Look into compound exercises like squats, dead-lifts, rows, and presses. You want to build muscles and all over. And before anything else is said, for females it is INCREDIBLY difficult to become "too muscular" and it doesn't happen over night so if you trend that way you can easily back up a little bit but anyone who hasn't weightlifted before is a LOOOONG way from that day, no matter what their ideal body type is. But, unless you are seriously obese, this is NOT compatible with a large deficit.

    Hey, thanks so much for your advice! I started weight training with a trainer recently, so I guess I am on the right track. I am not worried about being too muscular (I love the muscles in my arms LOL). So I guess I will just continue with what I am doing now, except with maybe a slightly higher calorie goal. Will have to headache over more healthy food choices now! :)

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