is just eating a calorie deficit enough? (pics included)

jigglyone
jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
so ive posted many times about what i should do different to have a flatter/leaner belly and mostly all answers are just to eat at a deficit and my bf% will go down. i kno this takes time, but i stepped on a a scale this morning and noticed i lost another pound and a half. (which isnt a bad thing) since i am short however ( i am exactly 5'0) i am worried that ill just keep dropping the weight and be left with my flabby belly, which is what i hate the most! although i did go down a few inches, it still seems large. so what i am asking is should i just be patient and wait or is there anything else i can do?
photo_zpsa342cb3d.jpg before

photo3_zps518516e5.jpg after
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Replies

  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    If you lose all your excess fat, what would your "flabby belly" be comprised of? The rectus abdominus doesn't have much slack, it's part of your core muscles that hold you upright. Get rid of the flab, and you'll have a flat tummy. And you can always tone those muscles a bit once you've lost the weight, if you don't think your tummy is defined enough.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Are you doing any strength training?

    How much protein are you getting?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Sorry, can't make your pics work.
  • janet6567
    janet6567 Posts: 129 Member
    Could what you think is flab actually be excess skin from your weigh loss? (I don't know how much you've lost so that's just a guess.)
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
    I tried to get your pics to work but the link is wrong...
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Yes, just be patient. Eat at a deficit, strength training helps.
  • Artaxia
    Artaxia Posts: 185
    Do some core exercises.
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
    so ive posted many times about what i should do different to have a flatter/leaner belly and mostly all answers are just to eat at a deficit and my bf% will go down. i kno this takes time, but i stepped on a a scale this morning and noticed i lost another pound and a half. (which isnt a bad thing) since i am short however ( i am exactly 5'0) i am worried that ill just keep dropping the weight and be left with my flabby belly, which is what i hate the most! although i did go down a few inches, it still seems large. so what i am asking is should i just be patient and wait or is there anything else i can do?
    photo_zpsa342cb3d.jpg
    photo3_zps518516e5.jpg
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
    .
  • sohmui
    sohmui Posts: 108 Member
    Saw a programme on TV last night about visceral fat - the dangerous 'internal' kind that is indicated by a fat belly. It said that once you start to diet seriously one of the first kinds of fat you lose is this visceral kind and that is good. As for me, it took a few months, yes, but eventually I have a fairly flat belly for a 72-year old :smile: But having lost 34 lbs, I have started some strength training to firm up my muscles overall.
  • HanneeNz
    HanneeNz Posts: 4 Member
    Eating a deficit will definitely help with the weight loss however its really important to combine this with exercise where possible. Losing weight through eating right and exercising will help you lose fat and gain muscle. If you just eat a deficit, while you will notice the number on the scale is goind down, your body shape may not greatly change, it will still be your body only smaller. Exercising, particularly weight training will help tone and firm up your body and you're more likely to see a more toned tum in the long run. The only thing to remember is that when you are losing weight, you can't really target areas to lose fat first and a lot of people seem to find that losing belly fat takes the longest. Don't give up, it can be a long journey but if you stick at it, you'll be amazed at what you can achieve!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    If it's loose skin from losing a lot of weight or pregnancy it may shrink up over a few years after you lose weight or it might not. Even if you lose the underlying fat you may still have the skin.

    Also it won't go in a week or two. Be patient, continue eating at a deficit, do some core strength training and you'll know you've done everything there is to do.
  • AlliecoreXX
    AlliecoreXX Posts: 78 Member
    Can't see the pics, but the reason everyone is preaching diet is because a flat stomach is mainly diet-related. However, if you want to be anything more than just skinny, you're going to have to throw toning exercises in there. A good looking mid-section is like 80% diet and 20% exercise, but one without the other just doesn't work.
  • marigolddd
    marigolddd Posts: 10 Member
    so ive posted many times about what i should do different to have a flatter/leaner belly and mostly all answers are just to eat at a deficit and my bf% will go down. i kno this takes time, but i stepped on a a scale this morning and noticed i lost another pound and a half. (which isnt a bad thing) since i am short however ( i am exactly 5'0) i am worried that ill just keep dropping the weight and be left with my flabby belly, which is what i hate the most! although i did go down a few inches, it still seems large. so what i am asking is should i just be patient and wait or is there anything else i can do?
    photo_zpsa342cb3d.jpg
    photo1_zps7438d437.jpg
    photo_zpsa342cb3d.jpg before

    photo3_zps518516e5.jpg


    photo3_zps518516e5.jpg after

    Fixed it.
    IMO you need to lower your BF % by calorie deficit.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    The way you get rid of a belly is to lose weight all over. My belling looked similar to yours 30 pounds ago, but now it's much flatter and more well defined, but so is everywhere else. I could not have accomplished this without losing the weight by eating at a calorie deficit. I also do full body workouts at the gym, which helps to tone and keep my limber (and pain and stiff free).

    I don't think you can just get rid of your tummy without losing some weight everywhere.
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    ty everyone for the responses. so continuing my diet and adding some exercises will def do the trick?
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    I tried to get your pics to work but the link is wrong...

    pics are up
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    The way you get rid of a belly is to lose weight all over. My belling looked similar to yours 30 pounds ago, but now it's much flatter and more well defined, but so is everywhere else. I could not have accomplished this without losing the weight by eating at a calorie deficit. I also do full body workouts at the gym, which helps to tone and keep my limber (and pain and stiff free).

    I don't think you can just get rid of your tummy without losing some weight everywhere.

    thank you
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    The way you get rid of a belly is to lose weight all over. My belling looked similar to yours 30 pounds ago, but now it's much flatter and more well defined, but so is everywhere else. I could not have accomplished this without losing the weight by eating at a calorie deficit. I also do full body workouts at the gym, which helps to tone and keep my limber (and pain and stiff free).

    I don't think you can just get rid of your tummy without losing some weight everywhere.

    thank you

    Hang in there, and you can do it!
  • gmthisfeller
    gmthisfeller Posts: 779 Member

    http://s920.photobucket.com/user/jardimgirl/media/photo_zpsa342cb3d.jpg.html -- before

    http://s920.photobucket.com/user/jardimgirl/media/photo3_zps518516e5.jpg.html -- after

    Here they are.
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    thx
  • jennk5309
    jennk5309 Posts: 206 Member
    I struggle with the same issue- my weight tends to stick to the belly area and I believe I'd have to be underweight to get a flat belly. I can get too skinny in the legs, butt and arms and still have a belly. However, I have read and have had the experience that eating monounsaturated fats (along with calorie restriction) helps. Nuts, olives & olive oil, avocados, dark chocolate, etc. help reduce visceral fat, which is the most dangerous kind for your health.

    I've incorporated small amounts throughout my days and have seen a 13" loss in my waist over the last 6 months. I still feel like I have a big belly, but it's a definite improvement!

    The other thing is, I know I need a tummy tuck to get the results I really want- there is just too much excess skin from having a HUGE baby. I don't think it will ever shrink back from that. My cousin has maintained a big weight loss for 5 years now, is pretty darn thin, and she still has excess skin in spite of regular toning exercises. So I don't think it's in the cards for me to have a flat, tight stomach unless I pay for it :(
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    so the only resort is lipo?:cry:
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    so the only resort is lipo?:cry:

    No, the most rational approach is to lose fat through caloric deficit, as stated many times in this thread.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    so the only resort is lipo?:cry:

    I don't think so. I think with a deficit and some form of weight lifting routine incorporating core exercises (squat, deadlifts, overhead press) you can see great results. It will take time and patience, however. That's what has been helping me. I'm not 100% but the past 5 months have been awesome. We're predisposed to lose in certain areas but the end results will look even better than just deficit alone.
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    so the only resort is lipo?:cry:

    I don't think so. I think with a deficit and some form of weight lifting routine incorporating core exercises (squat, deadlifts, overhead press) you can see great results. It will take time and patience, however. That's what has been helping me. I'm not 100% but the past 5 months have been awesome. We're predisposed to lose in certain areas but the end results will look even better than just deficit alone.

    thx
  • Ian_Stuart
    Ian_Stuart Posts: 252 Member
    Sorry! I don't know how I managed to miss this thread until now. I would recommend reading this article: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • jigglyone
    jigglyone Posts: 410 Member
    ty
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Lift weights it really does help :) do strong lifts it is simple and really straight forward :D
  • hwoeltjen
    hwoeltjen Posts: 199 Member
    Let me solve this problem for you.

    One of the hardest places to lose weight....even for bodybuilders....is right around that area.

    You have that excess because your BF% is still too high.

    Be patient and keep moving forward. You will eventually lose it. There is nothing you can do to target a certain area for fat loss. I'm sure you know that already. As your BF% gets lower....so will the fat accumulated in those regions.

    You can also try using one of those exercise bands. They say it increases blood circulation (low blood circulation is the reason you lose fat slower in those areas). Other than that....patience is key grasshoppa.

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