Need Help With Belly Fat

MaiLinna
MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Or whatever the hell is wrong with my belly. I understand that you cannot spot reduce at all BUT I feel there may be something wrong with my diet or some sort of exercise that can alleviate my issue. My weight gain is all in my thighs and my belly, but it is to the point where you would think I was rather thin until you saw what seriously looks like a mommy bulge. Yes, I look like I'm pregnant. All the time. No, I am not pregnant, or I would have had the baby 2 years ago. For 3 years I've carried this bulge. It's not hard at all. You can squish it around all you want. My breasts? Still wearing an A. They're still itty bitty mosquito bites.

I've never seen another woman look like me with this amount of bloating. Some days aren't as bad but some days I look so pregnant I ALMOST LOSE SIGHT OF MY FEET.

I don't have the luxury of a doctor to turn to for questions, so I have to make due with a weight loss forum. Is it bloat? Water retention? Too much sodium? Bad posture?

Replies

  • VICTORAPAZA
    VICTORAPAZA Posts: 31
    amiga encontre esto para bajar 3 kilos en una semana aqui te dejo el enlace
    http://tinyurl.com/kyrlp68
  • Amandawith3kids
    Amandawith3kids Posts: 367 Member
    diastis recti. basically your abs are split, not next to each other like they are supposed to be. thats not fat, its your organs. nice huh? i have it too after 3 kids and 2 sections. mine got somewhat smaller with time on its own, but its still quite large. i found some exercises on lifestrong.com to help specifically with that. search for mommy tummy or belly exercises after pregnancy.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    I used to have a very large mid-section yet I was much larger than you. I wish you would have posted a photo of yourself in shorts and a sports bra so I could really tell what you are talking about. But I will tell before I started I was pretty much large all over and as I have lost weight I have lost from all areas. I will post a photo from my one year mark to show you once you start losing weight you will lose from all over including your belly.

    de20ad9b-cf82-45b9-82e7-b5bf6b2c7ed4_zps9b0d01c5.png
  • ChristinWrites
    ChristinWrites Posts: 119 Member
    A lot of people will poopoo this answer, but check into food intolerances. I had the same issue and would bloat terribly and discovered later on it was due to lactose intolerance and wheat gluten issues. When I eliminated them both for awhile, I was able to work back up to eating dairy again *in moderation* without the bloating and gut pain - but I still have to stay away from wheat. There is something in it that is too hard for me to digest properly and it caused all kinds of issues. When I got rid of it, my belly flattened out significantly and I didn't have heartburn and other issues anymore despite still being overweight.

    Watch your food journal here if you are logging everything and see if something triggers it or worsens it. It could be something you are eating that makes you puff out like that. I looked pregnant all the time until I figured out the problem.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    You could be allergic to something. Some people bloat when eating certain foods. You could try an elimination diet or just journal how your body reacts to certain foods. Milk is a common culprit as is wheat and some fruits.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach
  • Alix68
    Alix68 Posts: 30 Member
    In your photos you don't look nearly as bad as you make out! You've just got a bit of fat around the middle - it always looks worst from above! Don't stress about that, just continue dieting and exercising and it will eventually go away. Mine is going after about 3 months of trying and I looked pretty much like you (except 20 years older) at the start.
    When I lose weight it goes in this order - boobs, legs, face, neck and shoulders, bum, belly. When I look like a stick insect all over I'm still working on the belly. I think some people are just like that. I would also say, as the lady above says, try some exercises especially for your abs but be careful as this gives me sciatica so take it slowly.
    On the NHS Choices website there is a range of exercises and programs designed for people who haven't exercised for a while - you could do a lot worse than try there, it's a good site - not run by super-fit types who make you feel inadequate! Just designed to help people become fit and healthy.
  • must_deflate
    must_deflate Posts: 183 Member
    I agree with Alix. You don't look pregnant, you just have belly fat. A lot of women gain fat in the belly, hips, and thighs and very little in the upper body. It's just where your excess poundage decided to settle. Lose some weight and the belly will shrink. You may also benefit from upper body weight training to help balance out your figure.
  • lightmouse
    lightmouse Posts: 175 Member
    I carry fat around my belly, it's the only place I carry it. I am flat chested, with no waist and hips and have thin arms and legs. I have detested my stomach since I was 12. I'm now 29 and you name it, I've tried it. I even had a personal trainer once who told me I should just accept that my stomach sticks out. I felt I couldn't wear a bikini because I felt I just looked pregnant, particularly as the rest of me is so small. I considered breast enlargement so my stomach wouldn't look so out of proportion. I did NOT think I was fat, but I hated my body shape. I looked at the photo of me finishing the London Marathon in 4 hours and the first thing I thought was "WHY is my tummy sticking out so much".

    Over the last three months I have radically overhauled my diet and exercise. I do less cardio and more bodyweight exercises (I'd love to lift weights but I don't have access to a gym), eat little and often and I am starting to see the tummy I always wished for. Granted, I still obsess over it a little too much, and it still refuses to look flat when I turn sideways, but I am getting better. Changing my profile picture to it was a massive step for me.

    It may not work for everyone but I used the IIFYM method with a 15% deficit (I used the calculator online) for two and a half months and now I'm in maintenance. I have been following it seriously (with the odd off day) since January 1st and I have reduced my body fat percentage to the point that I am stating to look more toned now. Even in maintenance my tummy is looking better. I want to keep going and see if I can get that elusive toned tummy :smile:

    I know how you feel. I don't know if we will ever get what we want, but we CAN be in the best shape we can be. It's all in the diet, I know that now. I wish I'd known it 10 years ago! Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • Edensienna
    Edensienna Posts: 180 Member
    Light mouse your tummy looks awesome :)

    I too have a tummy pouch of fat despite being quite trim elsewhere.. I think it will be the last place to go if I stick with a small deficit and stay active...
  • Kimsoontobe
    Kimsoontobe Posts: 110 Member
    I used to have a very large mid-section yet I was much larger than you. I wish you would have posted a photo of yourself in shorts and a sports bra so I could really tell what you are talking about. But I will tell before I started I was pretty much large all over and as I have lost weight I have lost from all areas. I will post a photo from my one year mark to show you once you start losing weight you will lose from all over including your belly.

    de20ad9b-cf82-45b9-82e7-b5bf6b2c7ed4_zps9b0d01c5.png

    Great job.
  • Kimsoontobe
    Kimsoontobe Posts: 110 Member
    I carry fat around my belly, it's the only place I carry it. I am flat chested, with no waist and hips and have thin arms and legs. I have detested my stomach since I was 12. I'm now 29 and you name it, I've tried it. I even had a personal trainer once who told me I should just accept that my stomach sticks out. I felt I couldn't wear a bikini because I felt I just looked pregnant, particularly as the rest of me is so small. I considered breast enlargement so my stomach wouldn't look so out of proportion. I did NOT think I was fat, but I hated my body shape. I looked at the photo of me finishing the London Marathon in 4 hours and the first thing I thought was "WHY is my tummy sticking out so much".

    Over the last three months I have radically overhauled my diet and exercise. I do less cardio and more bodyweight exercises (I'd love to lift weights but I don't have access to a gym), eat little and often and I am starting to see the tummy I always wished for. Granted, I still obsess over it a little too much, and it still refuses to look flat when I turn sideways, but I am getting better. Changing my profile picture to it was a massive step for me.

    It may not work for everyone but I used the IIFYM method with a 15% deficit (I used the calculator online) for two and a half months and now I'm in maintenance. I have been following it seriously (with the odd off day) since January 1st and I have reduced my body fat percentage to the point that I am stating to look more toned now. Even in maintenance my tummy is looking better. I want to keep going and see if I can get that elusive toned tummy :smile:

    I know how you feel. I don't know if we will ever get what we want, but we CAN be in the best shape we can be. It's all in the diet, I know that now. I wish I'd known it 10 years ago! Good luck :flowerforyou:

    You look amazing.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,420 MFP Moderator
    Its all about lowering your body fat. Looking at your pictures, you could be around 30% (give or take). For many people who carry your fat in your tummy, you need to get to a fairly low level (maybe 20%). So have a moderate deficit (1 lb per week), try to get 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass (I found macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats) will help this and lift weights. Resistance training helps with muscle retention which will inevitably make you lean. If you get to a low body fat and you don't have a flat stomach, then body composition can become the issue; this is a different process as it would require bulk/cut phases. But you wont' have to worry about that until you hit a low body fat.
  • lightmouse
    lightmouse Posts: 175 Member
    Light mouse your tummy looks awesome :)

    I too have a tummy pouch of fat despite being quite trim elsewhere.. I think it will be the last place to go if I stick with a small deficit and stay active...

    Aw thank you :blushing: it guess it really is true that abs are made in the kitchen! It's the only way I've managed to get rid of the blasted thing! Worst moment was during uni at my Saturday job at Woolworths, wearing their very flattering uniform...stockroom guy who speaks very little English says to me "Angela, you have some good news!" I looked puzzled and he pointed to my belly and said "much happiness!" I don't know who was more mortified. I was a size 8/10 at the time, which tells you all you need to know about my annoying belly :mad:
  • lightmouse
    lightmouse Posts: 175 Member
    Its all about lowering your body fat. Looking at your pictures, you could be around 30% (give or take). For many people who carry your fat in your tummy, you need to get to a fairly low level (maybe 20%). So have a moderate deficit (1 lb per week), try to get 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass (I found macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats) will help this and lift weights. Resistance training helps with muscle retention which will inevitably make you lean. If you get to a low body fat and you don't have a flat stomach, then body composition can become the issue; this is a different process as it would require bulk/cut phases. But you wont' have to worry about that until you hit a low body fat.

    ^this :drinker:

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