lower belly pooch / 50lbs lost

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lalonmeg000
lalonmeg000 Posts: 276 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I know everyone struggles with losing belly fat but I am feeling a little discouraged.

Just as a quick background its been about 18 months or so since I started my journey to getting healthy. In the first year I lost almost 50lbs going from a size 14 to a size 10. Since August I have lost another size and now a solid 8. To start I ran, doing the couch to 5k program, and then in July added weight training.

Overall I am very confident in my clothes now. My legs and back side are more toned and my arms are becoming more defined. Clearly my belly is also shrinking otherwise I wouldn't still be dropping pant sizes. However...it looks so flabby and huge compared to the rest of me! Sure it looks pretty flat in jeans and a shirt but say a swimming suit ? Nope! It almost looks like a post baby pooch but I have never been pregnant much less had a baby! Sits just below my belly button but then my pelvic area is flat as a board.

I guess my question is, is there anyone else out there who went through this kind of middle or in-between stage in their weight loss where all of the sudden the weight seemed to stop coming off and your little pooch seems to never get smaller?

Also any advice in ways to jumpstart my routine again? I have thought maybe because I am so busy in grad school I easily get in the habit of doing to same things at the gym because I don't have to think about it, maybe my body is bored?

Words of wisdom or simple "I feel ya" would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • dlcam61
    dlcam61 Posts: 228 Member
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    I have that issue but I've had 4 kids & I lost 90 pounds. The best advice I can give you is to seek out the help from a personal trainer and maybe think about checking in with a nutritional counselor. Some of the people I have worked with have been instrumental in getting me over plateaus and only 1 of them set me back. Mainly because she underestimated the amount of physical activity I perform daily & had me on such a restricted diet that I was nearly passing out.

    Keep in mind though, no matter what you do the belly fat is the last thing to go on a woman. If it were easy to get rid of you know there would be a lot of flat abs and not so flat everywhere else people ;)
  • lalonmeg000
    lalonmeg000 Posts: 276 Member
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    Thanks for the support!

    Unfortunately I have no money for a personal trainer, I have budgeted in for the gym which apparently makes me a very odd grad student lol anyways I may do a little more searching and try to switch up my routine a bit. It's just so easy to get into a habit and use the same routine and be in the mind set of "well at least I am going to the gym"


    Also you look great! Congrats on the 90lbs loss :)
  • lalonmeg000
    lalonmeg000 Posts: 276 Member
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    bumping - any one else out there going through something similar?
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    If the belly is where you held most of your fat, it will be the very last to go. I have about 20 pounds to go and its all belly. It doesn't bother me much because in the end I know I will get there. Just keep going forward with what you are doing.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    I've never lost 50 lbs or more, but I've lost this same 30 on my ticker before. I have about 15 to go, give or take. That is practically all belly/waistline now. It looks tremendously different than it will in 15 lbs. I've seen it before, a few years ago :)

    Sometimes that's just how it goes. You had to get rid of the other parts before the body wanted to budge the tummy. Yep!! I bet you'll see better ratios with those last few pounds. Good luck!

    Edit: I cross posted and we said the same thing, lol.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    Just keep at it. It may seem like your not losing around that area but you are, it just seems like its not moving bc that is where our bodies are programmed to hold most of our excess so it may just be disproportionate whike your on your journey. Women also have it harder than men in that area...so.....sorry. BUT just keep at it and one day you'll look in the mirror and notice a change.
  • callie006
    callie006 Posts: 151 Member
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    I didn't have that large of a weight loss, but I have a lower belly pooch. It's partially genetic, and my aunts have it too. We got it from my grandma- belly pooch and big boobs. My lower belly fat does shrink when I lower my body fat, but I'd have to get pretty lean to get rid of it entirely (I'm guessing). I once got down to about 115ish and a size 0 at 5'5, and it was still there, tiny but still there. I think the best thing to do is keep up with the weight training, eat a modest deficit and have patience. It will get better.

    The one thing I'd say is that too much ab work makes my belly look way worse. I've had more success with doing compound lifts and other moves that use my core rather than traditional ab work.

    I'm just impressed by what you've accomplished so far. You've had amazing success at losing weight.

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