Any suggestions for me?

rieann84
rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My problem area is my belly. I'm kind of okay with every other aspect. I've seen pictures of ladies with legs that look like mine and yet their stomachs are much more slim. Knowing you can't spot reduce, I worry..thinking that my limbs will tighten up and look very skinny while i'll still have this pot belly.

I stick to about 1500-1700 calories a day (although I have not been logging as of late :\ ) And lets be honest, it truly is an estimate as I don't have a food scale. But i'd like to think i'm pretty honest with myself.

I'm currently doing the p90x3 program, but sometimes will skip a day, double up, etc because of my work schedule. Sometimes I will work from 10 am to 10 pm and this is after getting home from work at 3:30am the night before so the energy just isn't there.

Not to mention, I'm trying to identify the type of fat I have. When I lie down on my back and feel my stomach it doesn't feel squishy, so i'm wondering if I mostly have visceral fat, or fat that is not directly on the surface. Currently 5'2" ish and in the upper 140s. Dress size 8 to 10.

Any suggestions for me? :\

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    You are correct in that you cannot spot reduce fat. Usually once all other areas of your body become lean, the less lean areas start to catch up if you continue losing. If you get your stomach to the point where you are happy with it and find that your arms are legs look too thin, then you can switch to muscle building as your focus.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Like you said, you can't spot reduce. The only way to lose excess fat in your belly is to lose fat everywhere - by eating at a caloric deficit. Are you actually losing? If not, your lack of logging/weighing is surely the culprit. I don't think that's what you're asking about here, though, so I'll move on...

    Some people have a really hard time getting rid of fat on certain parts of their bodies. If you're not already doing some type of strength training, I'd suggest you start immediately. I still have some fat on my arms and belly even though I'm only 3-4 lbs from my ideal weight, but I can see it slowly leaving as the weeks go by.

    You'll probably just have to wait and see what happens. According to your profile, you have over 20 lbs left to lose, so my guess is that your belly size will reduce quite a bit as the weight really starts coming off.
  • Cheekies_
    Cheekies_ Posts: 319 Member
    I didn't post the question but I love this advice! I've had this same question as I lose weight. Thanks, vismal and Lyndsey!

    vismal - Over the weekend, I read your post about your transformation. It was inspiring and really stuck with me!
  • rieann84
    rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
    I was doing a lifting regimen but my problem is that I get antsy when I don't see results in a timely fashion. So, I ordered p90x3 hoping to get somewhere. I want to see the program through and then return to lifting. Investing in a food scale seems like a good option, as much as I will loathe being so strict and being "that person".

    I get so frustrated when I think of how long I've been "at it" and how many times i've fallen/quit. And especially because I'd like to think I'm not "that bad". I don't eat fast food. I don't drink soda. I'm active in my job. :\
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    I would switch back to the lifting routine from p90x. While p90x burns a fair amount of calories, as a strength program, it pales in comparison to barbell movements and compound lifts.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I worry..thinking that my limbs will tighten up and look very skinny while i'll still have this pot belly.

    I can identify with this because it is my fear too. I am very happy with my legs and arms but still very much have a belly. I dress to cover it up but it is there, lurking about :) All I can say, though, is keep plugging along. I don't think it really matters what kind of fat it is. Keep eating at a deficit for now, exercise, etc. It will eventually dwindle. (At least this is what I tell myself.)
  • rieann84
    rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
    I would switch back to the lifting routine from p90x. While p90x burns a fair amount of calories, as a strength program, it pales in comparison to barbell movements and compound lifts.

    I've considered it many times .. but I would feel like such a failure if I just gave up. :(

    Maybe I can see it through but just space it out a lot. Like, make p90x3 my cardio part of my routine. 2-3 times a week sort of thing. *SIGH*
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    I was doing a lifting regimen but my problem is that I get antsy when I don't see results in a timely fashion. So, I ordered p90x3 hoping to get somewhere. I want to see the program through and then return to lifting. Investing in a food scale seems like a good option, as much as I will loathe being so strict and being "that person".

    I get so frustrated when I think of how long I've been "at it" and how many times i've fallen/quit. And especially because I'd like to think I'm not "that bad". I don't eat fast food. I don't drink soda. I'm active in my job. :\

    Please don't take this the wrong way - but you have to remember how long you have been "at it" doesn't matter. You need to use the tools in order to be able to do this for the rest of your life. It doesn't suddenly stop when you achieve your goal weight.

    Changing my way of thinking has allowed me to have patience with my body and the loss and to understand that even when I reach my goal weight I will still have to lift, run, cycle, etc and watch what I put in my mouth lest I revert.

    good luck

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