Becoming a freak! AHHHHH!

azlady7
azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
edited September 22 in Motivation and Support
Ok so I am feeling like a freak or something. I am losing the majority of my weight in my legs, arms, back and butt. I have this horrid (albeit irrational) fear that I will forever have a huge stomach! The most frustrating thing.....I still wont go down in size! Let me give you an example and keep in mind I am not trying to gross you out here. My underwear.......it is HUGE on my buttt, kinda looks like a freaking miniskirt it hangs sooo bad. Now this is a good thing in one sense.....I am losing weight right? But it still fits perfectly around the waist! UGH! All my pants droop around my butt and are flappy huge around my legs but are normal around my midsection. And this isnt a recent thing. I have literally gone down 4 underwear sizes in 2 months. No joke. Thank God they have elastic waists so that it can still stretch to accomodate my waist! Same thing with shirts.....baggie shoulders, but same in the stomach. So while the rest of my body is going down in size my stomach isnt which is forcing me to keep wearing bigger clothes!!! I know I cant spot reduce, but seriously?!? I am looking like a freakish pregnant lady!! Anyone else ever deal with this and how long did it take until your stomach went down? And I am talking to the BIG ladies here. Not that I dont appreciate the skinnier ones, but I am 273 lbs so this is more drastic than left over fat. Thanks!

Replies

  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    That is not abnormal, stomach weight is the hardest to lose, just keep going at it, it will all come together soon enough. Plus you can try adding more stomach exercises, abs etc to your routine.

    Goodluck
  • Hatchlady
    Hatchlady Posts: 10
    Dang!
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    Dang!

    that makes me feel so much better.
  • michelle49
    michelle49 Posts: 1
    Start walking. That's what did it for a friend of mine who is even a lot older than you are. Walking and running will tone your entire body.
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    That is not abnormal, stomach weight is the hardest to lose, just keep going at it, it will all come together soon enough. Plus you can try adding more stomach exercises, abs etc to your routine.

    Goodluck

    thanks for the support :) I am tryingto be patient hehe
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    Start walking. That's what did it for a friend of mine who is even a lot older than you are. Walking and running will tone your entire body.

    Well I dont thinks its a toning problem since I am still like 140 lbs over weight. And I do walk a mile to two miles 3 days a week plus aerobics 5 days a week. its a matter of the fat melting off.
  • sharonuk10
    sharonuk10 Posts: 277
    I did not notice much of my tummy loss until I had lost about 25 or so pounds. I still have a tummy but figure it will go in the end. Hang in there and don't freak when you are not actually seeing results. Just keep going and one day you will put on your pants and they will be too baggy and loose to wear.

    Edited to add: I can still wear my bigger sizes though they are baggy in the legs etc but still fit my waist this is due to the elastic in them. BUT I can also wear smaller sizes.. soo go to a store and try on smaller sizes from time to time and see if that raises your spirits. I did that and it surely helped.
  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
    I agree, some cardio exercise might help here as it works your entire body and gets the heart rate and blood pumping!
    I get a very bloated belly with my IBS so i know how frustrating and upsetting it can be. But it WILL go, it's just taking a little longer than the rest of you is all.
    Try doing some aerobics or swimming, you'll be using your entire body then!

    Let us know how it goes!

    xx
  • moniraq
    moniraq Posts: 63 Member
    I've lost 14 pounds and I went to buy some clothes for an upcoming trip the other day. I noticed my stomach still bulging out, big as ever when I was trying on my clothes.

    I'm not doing heavy exercise but I'm walking about 5 days a week. My partner says my stomach looks smaller to her but I don't see it. So if anyone gives you a good answer, please share!

    Monica
  • wonrob
    wonrob Posts: 66 Member
    I'm quite the opposite, and am having difficulty losing limb fat.

    So I guess it depends on the individual
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    I agree, some cardio exercise might help here as it works your entire body and gets the heart rate and blood pumping!
    I get a very bloated belly with my IBS so i know how frustrating and upsetting it can be. But it WILL go, it's just taking a little longer than the rest of you is all.
    Try doing some aerobics or swimming, you'll be using your entire body then!

    Let us know how it goes!

    xx

    I was simming 40 laps a day but its too cold now lol. and I do aerobics 45 mins a day 5-6 days a week :)
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member

    Edited to add: I can still wear my bigger sizes though they are baggy in the legs etc but still fit my waist this is due to the elastic in them. BUT I can also wear smaller sizes.. soo go to a store and try on smaller sizes from time to time and see if that raises your spirits. I did that and it surely helped.

    good idea! maybe that will help :)
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    I read a lot of health/fitness magazines (cause sitting on your butt reading about exercise is SOOOO much easier than doing lol)...but I swear EVERY issue, someone is asking about losing the tummy, and they always say walking/jogging/running is the best way to get your tummy to slim down.

    So maybe up your walking to 5 times, and aerobics to 3? lol Or go for longer walks, or try doing the run/walk...where you run/job for like 5 min, then walk for like 5 min...repeat. I haven't worked myself up to that yet...but I hear its a really good calorie burn. :o/

    Good luck! My tummy the part that bothers me most, if I could just like lypo my tummy now, and keep losing for the rest I would. My butt, hip and thighs don't even bother me...I mean they do need to eventually shrink down, but if they take their time fine...its my belly...it needs to go...like right now. lol
  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
    Well you're doing a great job in that case, just keep it up and your stomach will follow suite soon enough! I can understand how frustrating it is though when you want to embrace your progress by buying smaller clothes. Do you measure yourself weekly too? It may be worth talking to a dietitian about it if it starts worry you - maybe they can tell you what exactly is going on? But I reckon that it'll start coming off if you keep at it.

    I am also the opposite, i have really fat limbs (my arms bother me the most, i really try not to show them) but my stomach is usually smaller (when it isn't bloated).
  • jackal75
    jackal75 Posts: 95
    When I began working out again this year (first time since 1997), I talked to a trainer about my goals. He told me that stomach fat is the hardest to lose for everyone, and especially for men. His suggestion for me (on top of diet) was to do intervals on the elliptical machine or arc trainer.

    Most people get on a machine and go the same pace (slowing as they tire out) for a predetermined amount of time. The heart rate goes up, but hits a point where it levels off in the workout. While that is burning calories, it becomes rather generic and the body pulls reserves from wherever it wants (for me it was my face and arms.)

    Intervals:
    Get on the machine, and do a 5 minute warm up at a moderate pace. Then do a minute at a sprint, making the heart rate spike. Drop back into a moderate pace. Depending on stamina, you can repeat this many times.

    With any exercise, check with a doctor to see if you are safe to do this. The idea here is that you burn fat more efficiently when your heart rate fluctuates. Your body is not allowed to compensate like it does for the steady (albeit higher) heart rate, so it pulls from everywhere.

    I still have a ways to go for my stomach as well, but I've lost 40lbs. I have gone down a shirt size and a pants size. Like anything worth doing, patience and hard work will eventually pay off. You can do it!
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
    I would be concerned that it is the 'bad' fat around your organs. It is the first fat to go though, with aerobic activity. Typically for women, the belly fat is the first to reduce, whereas for men, it is the last.
  • azlady7
    azlady7 Posts: 471 Member
    Thanks guys for the comments, I do feel better :) I suppose for my body the stomach will take the longest. I just need to be patient and not let it get to me :)

    Neuroticvirgo....good ideas on changing up my walking and aerobics! I think I might give that a try. I need to switch things up anyways so I dont get bored with what I am doing! Thanks!
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    I've lost 30lbs and have this SAME issue... all my pants that I was wearing before I am still wearing because the waist fits... but the butt sags... and the legs sag.. But I refuse to buy new clothes, because to me the waist has not changed. I haven't measured my waist in a few months.. but I'm sure it's close to what it was..

    And I see a trainer 3X's a week, and do cardio 5-6 times a week.. so I know it's not lack of exercise.... So I'm sorry but I'm at loss of words! lol.. When I first started training they said it could be I am burning muscle instead of fat... so they recommended eating before my workout... at least 1 hour.. maybe that will help you?
  • KarenBorter
    KarenBorter Posts: 1,157 Member
    Cardio IS certainly key but so are core exercises. If you can, start doing push ups, keeping your tummy tight (pulling the bellybutton to the ceiling) and do the girly ones (on your knees, butt down). Any sort of plank type poses will also help. If you lack the upper body strength, start doing crunches and increase the amount you do by 1 every day. Small goals are easy to meet. I know I am a "skinny" girl but I have a tummy issue too. It's so hard to lose and while I do have 25 more lbs to lose I bet that my tummy will never be flat.

    I think that it's important to remember that you didn't get here overnight and it's not going to go away over night BUT IT WILL GO AWAY you just have to work at it.
  • kkochend
    kkochend Posts: 27
    I have lost 104lbs, and I truly understand! My legs, arms, and butt are tiny and the majority of my weight is in my stomach. I feel out of proportion. To help me feel better, I have started recording total body measurements. Since starting this back in Sept 9/17 to be exact I have lost 4 inches off my waist alone!

    Walking is excellent, I also use all of the cardio machines at the gym and take the stairs whenever I can. This month I added some ab exercises (torso twist machine, crunch machine, back extender machine, and I do leg lifts. I'm looking for a cheap indoor pool to start swimming lap (excellent total body workout!)

    Don't get discouraged, and keep working! It will all catch up eventually I promise.
  • ct1986
    ct1986 Posts: 200
    I don't have much in the way of advice but my body is doing the EXACT same thing! It's so frustrating....just know you're not alone and hang in there.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    If you lack the upper body strength, start doing crunches and increase the amount you do by 1 every day. Small goals are easy to meet.

    I'm not ready to get into crunches just yet, but I really liked this advice. I think I will do this when I start, I also push myself, and then can't do anything for like a week. lol
  • gecho
    gecho Posts: 426 Member
    I would be concerned that it is the 'bad' fat around your organs. It is the first fat to go though, with aerobic activity. Typically for women, the belly fat is the first to reduce, whereas for men, it is the last.

    I don't think this is accurate, Belly fat is the HARDEST to lose for EVERYONE. Maybe men have it easier but it will not be an easy road. Just keep trying, do some ab exercises.

    Go to this site http://www.shapefit.com/
    they have a ton of different workouts and it may have something you like in the ab section.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
    This is what I was talking about regarding the two types of body fat and which is bad, and how to reduce it.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39767598/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/
  • jadedbunny28
    jadedbunny28 Posts: 5
    This is the best I can tell you....you will look freakish for period of time, as my good friend and work out buddy, Chris, said to me last night. LOL. In losing almost a hundred pounds, I can tell you that there were times I thought, "My, how slender my thighs look in comparision to the rest of my body." I am currently having a moment where I find that they are one of the largest things in comparision to the rest of my body. My friend Chris and I have both lost a significant amount of weight, and the best I can tell you is that you will see it all come off of one area at one time (so it seems). Then suddnely, another area will drop. Don't get discouraged. The out-of-proportioness will get better. This week you'll hate your stomach, next week it might be your butt. But you have to stick with it to get anywhere. And eventually, all of you will be nice and slender. I know...I'm hating my tummy right now, too. But when I think about how bad it used to be, I guess it's not so bad afterall. :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories