I am down to 136 pounds. Why do I still have a belly?

I don't get it. In February of this year I was 190+ pounds. But nowadays, thanks to a diet and exercise, I am now down to 136 pounds.

But yet I still have a belly! Shouldn't my belly have been gone by now?! :sad:

I should also mention that I am male.
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Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    You can't target specific areas of your body for fat loss.
  • You can't target specific areas of your body for fat loss.

    That's true.

    My belly will go away eventually though, right? As long as I keep exercising and dieting?
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    You belly will flatten over time.

    Are you doing any weight or strength training?
  • 136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.
  • You belly will flatten over time.

    Are you doing any weight or strength training?

    Nah. Just cardio.
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
  • srogers89
    srogers89 Posts: 190 Member
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.
  • Chibukalu908
    Chibukalu908 Posts: 212
    Your belly will go eventually
  • Lane1012
    Lane1012 Posts: 211 Member
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
  • FireStorm1972
    FireStorm1972 Posts: 1,142 Member
    I agree with the weight lifting after you have reached your goal. I'm in the same boat sorta, I was 265lbs now at 184 and my goal is 150-160lbs, then start more weight training to build some muscle tone and try to drop my body fat %. I also have the flab around the waist, its getting smaller. Maybe you have loose skin and it will tighten over time.
  • 136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.
  • Your belly will go eventually

    I hope so! :smile:
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)

    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.
    I agree with the weight lifting after you have reached your goal. I'm in the same boat sorta, I was 265lbs now at 184 and my goal is 150-160lbs, then start weight training to build some muscle tone and try to drop my body fat %. I also have the flab around the waist, its getting smaller. Maybe you have loose skin and it will tighten over time.

    Best of luck to you!
  • FireStorm1972
    FireStorm1972 Posts: 1,142 Member
    Try some resistance bands, cheap and can store away anywhere. Downside they only go to 30lbs or so. Unless you add more bands.
  • Try some resistance bands, cheap and can store away anywhere. Downside they only go to 30lbs or so. Unless you add more bands.

    Hmmm, I never considered those before. I'll look into it.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Look into a bodyweight strength training regimen that you can do without any equipment. And chinups/pullups are both great exercises that will target quite a few muscle groups when done properly.
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.
  • Lane1012
    Lane1012 Posts: 211 Member
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.

    Wow, I'm 5'7' and I weigh 150. I'm a runner so I need to stay pretty light so I mix in strength training between runs. You don't need a lot of equipment for resistance stuff (pull up's, push ups, dips, etc. for upper body) .. and a lot of gym memberships are more reasonably priced now.
  • Look into a bodyweight strength training regimen that you can do without any equipment. And chinups/pullups are both great exercises that will target quite a few muscle groups when done properly.
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.

    Wow, I'm 5'7' and I weigh 150. I'm a runner so I need to stay pretty light so I mix in strength training between runs. You don't need a lot of equipment for resistance stuff (pull up's, push ups, dips, etc. for upper body) .. and a lot of gym memberships are more reasonably priced now.

    What do you guys think of this video?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    It's a beginners guide on how to do pull ups.
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.

    He is correct. Start doing your pull ups and push ups now before you lose any more muscle! And maybe some squats and lunges, etc. In my humble opinion you should try to recomp instead of losing more weight. (Gain muscle).
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Look into a bodyweight strength training regimen that you can do without any equipment. And chinups/pullups are both great exercises that will target quite a few muscle groups when done properly.
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.

    Wow, I'm 5'7' and I weigh 150. I'm a runner so I need to stay pretty light so I mix in strength training between runs. You don't need a lot of equipment for resistance stuff (pull up's, push ups, dips, etc. for upper body) .. and a lot of gym memberships are more reasonably priced now.

    What do you guys think of this video?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    It's a beginners guide on how to do pull ups.

    I personally love Scooby. He is one of a handful of people I subscribe to on YouTube.
  • 136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.

    He is correct. Start doing your pull ups and push ups now before you lose any more muscle! And maybe some squats and lunges, etc. In my humble opinion you should try to recomp instead of losing more weight. (Gain muscle).

    And along with those should I still continue my cardio?
  • j_bark
    j_bark Posts: 1,274 Member
    I typically don't have the time for a gym session and definitely don't have eq at the house to lift heavy. So I use my own body weight. Dips using a table, push-ups, planks, crunches, lunges. Resistance on both the up and down. Slow steady control. Build your core also with some pilates. Losing weight doesn't drive muscle growth.

    Sure it goes faster with heavier weight but use what you got.
  • Look into a bodyweight strength training regimen that you can do without any equipment. And chinups/pullups are both great exercises that will target quite a few muscle groups when done properly.
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.

    Wow, I'm 5'7' and I weigh 150. I'm a runner so I need to stay pretty light so I mix in strength training between runs. You don't need a lot of equipment for resistance stuff (pull up's, push ups, dips, etc. for upper body) .. and a lot of gym memberships are more reasonably priced now.

    What do you guys think of this video?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    It's a beginners guide on how to do pull ups.

    I personally love Scooby. He is one of a handful of people I subscribe to on YouTube.

    Thank God for YT right? If it wasn't for YT I'd probably have to buy a video or something to find out how to start doing pull-ups, haha.
  • I typically don't have the time for a gym session and definitely don't have eq at the house to lift heavy. So I use my own body weight. Dips using a table, push-ups, planks, crunches, lunges. Resistance on both the up and down. Slow steady control. Build your core also with some pilates. Losing weight doesn't drive muscle growth.

    Sure it goes faster with heavier weight but use what you got.

    Thanks for the advice!
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Look into a bodyweight strength training regimen that you can do without any equipment. And chinups/pullups are both great exercises that will target quite a few muscle groups when done properly.
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.

    Wow, I'm 5'7' and I weigh 150. I'm a runner so I need to stay pretty light so I mix in strength training between runs. You don't need a lot of equipment for resistance stuff (pull up's, push ups, dips, etc. for upper body) .. and a lot of gym memberships are more reasonably priced now.

    What do you guys think of this video?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    It's a beginners guide on how to do pull ups.

    I personally love Scooby. He is one of a handful of people I subscribe to on YouTube.

    Thank God for YT right? If it wasn't for YT I'd probably have to buy a video or something to find out how to start doing pull-ups, haha.

    Or you could use really ancient technology and go to a local library and find it in a book! :laugh:
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    I typically don't have the time for a gym session and definitely don't have eq at the house to lift heavy. So I use my own body weight. Dips using a table, push-ups, planks, crunches, lunges. Resistance on both the up and down. Slow steady control. Build your core also with some pilates. Losing weight doesn't drive muscle growth.

    Sure it goes faster with heavier weight but use what you got.

    Thanks for the advice!

    That gentleman gave excellent advice as well. Even though I have been strong in my lifetime I have never felt as strong through my entire body as I have as when I was doing yoga at least once a week. I really should do more of it myself.
  • Look into a bodyweight strength training regimen that you can do without any equipment. And chinups/pullups are both great exercises that will target quite a few muscle groups when done properly.
    136 seems on the small side for a man. Do you lift?

    Nah. My plan was to become as thin as possible and then start doing pull ups.

    Thats a bad plan. Your new plan should be to start lifting heavier and eat MOAARR. Eat all da foodz n proteenz!
    Start doing weights as well, this helps strengthen the muscles and pull everything in so to speak. As long as your diet is on point as you start to lift weights everything else should firm up and fall into place.

    Would doing pull-ups and chin-ups do the same thing? Cause I don't have any lifting equipment, but I do have one of those attachments you can put above the door for pull-ups and chin-ups.

    You can still achieve hypertrophy through bodyweight exercises. Yes! Pullups are a fantastic exercise even for people with a lifting program. You dont need a gym to gain lean body mass and burn fat (although lifting heavy is an excellent way). Google hypertrophy / bodyweight exercises. There are tons. This is where I need contingencyplan to finish up with his advice.
    also depends on how tall you are .. 136 on a 4'9" guy will look remarkably different than someone 5'9" .. all other things being equal (no lifting, just cardio)
    Yeah I am 5'7 and a half, lol.

    Wow, I'm 5'7' and I weigh 150. I'm a runner so I need to stay pretty light so I mix in strength training between runs. You don't need a lot of equipment for resistance stuff (pull up's, push ups, dips, etc. for upper body) .. and a lot of gym memberships are more reasonably priced now.

    What do you guys think of this video?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRznU6pzez0

    It's a beginners guide on how to do pull ups.

    I personally love Scooby. He is one of a handful of people I subscribe to on YouTube.

    Thank God for YT right? If it wasn't for YT I'd probably have to buy a video or something to find out how to start doing pull-ups, haha.

    Or you could use really ancient technology and go to a local library and find it in a book! :laugh:

    :laugh:
    I typically don't have the time for a gym session and definitely don't have eq at the house to lift heavy. So I use my own body weight. Dips using a table, push-ups, planks, crunches, lunges. Resistance on both the up and down. Slow steady control. Build your core also with some pilates. Losing weight doesn't drive muscle growth.

    Sure it goes faster with heavier weight but use what you got.

    Thanks for the advice!

    That gentleman gave excellent advice as well. Even though I have been strong in my lifetime I have never felt as strong through my entire body as I have as when I was doing yoga at least once a week. I really should do more of it myself.

    Thanks for your advice as well!
  • In fact, thanks for everyone's advice! Much appreciated.
  • mkollenb
    mkollenb Posts: 8 Member
    I know one thing I have been working @ loosing weight & I currently have lost a total of 44lbs. since Dec 28. I believe you must add the weight lifting this is the same problem I am incurring right now is my belly fat has not gone away not all of it. I was going to try some weightlifting and see if it helped. I ride a total of 24 miles on my bike daily to & from work so I know I am getting the cardio workout but I believe i must add the lifting in order to loose the belly fat along w/sit ups & stomach excercises that might help. I'm only @ 157lbs my goal is to be 120lbs.