Fat Stomach!!!

drey0422
drey0422 Posts: 39
in Health and Weight Loss
So i have lost a grand total of 15lbs. 8 since i started MFP. But I don't know where i'm losing the weight, i have pictures and they still look identical (my hubby agrees). I've had 3 kids and it was REALLY stretched out with my last pregnancy (8 months ago). I've been only doing cardio (running , walking) WHAT CAN I DO?! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!?

Replies

  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    You're losing weight, so clearly you're *NOT* doing it wrong at all.

    Do yourself a huge favor and get a tape measure. Measure: neck, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, upper thigh, calves, upper arm and forearm. Write those measurements down. Re-measure once a month.

    That will tell you *exactly* where you're losing your weight.

    P.S. You've probably lost weight all over. Because everything is shrinking at almost the same rate, proportionally it doesn't look like anything has changed *at all.*

    I tried comparing pictures taken 30 days apart myself recently, and I couldn't see any difference visually. However, the tape measure showed that I had lost between 1.75 and 2 inches on each of my shoulders, chest, waist and hips measurements.

    My guess is that something similar is true for you as well.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    You can't target weight loss on specific parts of the body. The best you can do is to ensure you are eating at a calorie deficiency, keep your body properly hydrated, get adequate sleep/rest, and get in some exercises. More importantly, have patience.
  • cheesevixen_staci
    cheesevixen_staci Posts: 153 Member
    Maybe try strength training. It's been 3 months for me, and it's still difficult to see "change", but the toning really helps me see my body fat decreasing.

    My husband has a hard time with it too because of the fact he sees me every day. However, he did notice my strength training efforts, such as butt.

    I like p90x abs or XHIT training for every other day use. I do 30 day challenges a lot too.

    with strength training you see more of a difference because it really does change the shape of your body. As you lose weight.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    For many people, the stomach is the last place we lose. You've probably lost it off our upper body, thighs, bum, etc. And sometimes the first 10 or so aren't that noticible because a lot of that is water weight. A co-worker of mine has been on a special diet from her doc and lost 16 pounds in 3 weeks. You couldn't really see much of a difference the first two weeks but this week I definitely noticed (and let her know).

    I also have to say, this post is a bit ironic. Most folks complain that they might have lost a size but the scale shows no progress while you seem to be having the exact opposite problem. Not picking on you, just making an observation...

    How about your clothing - are you noticing things fitting a bit loose? Have you tried taking actual body measurements?

    I would suggest adding some weight training to your workout. Cardio alone won't likely give you the physique you're looking for. Plus it helps to maintain muscle mass while you lose so that those losses are mostly fat. Making sure you eat at least your minimum of protein will help too.

    But most important, you just have to have patience. It's going to take a little while for you to get to goal and I'm sure you'll start seeing a difference as you get closer.
  • Vanessa_Ross
    Vanessa_Ross Posts: 18 Member
    You will start to notice it. I just posted something similar last week but mine was about clothes sizes not changing. Funny thing is this morning I put on one of my shirts on and realized how much better I look in it now than i did before. Have patience.
  • drey0422
    drey0422 Posts: 39
    I would suggest adding some weight training to your workout. Cardio alone won't likely give you the physique you're looking for. Plus it helps to maintain muscle mass while you lose so that those losses are mostly fat. Making sure you eat at least your minimum of protein will help too.

    But most important, you just have to have patience. It's going to take a little while for you to get to goal and I'm sure you'll start seeing a difference as you get closer.

    i would love to add weight training but I don't have a clue where to start. I'm afraid to hurt myself and to look like a complete weirdo! the only thing I have notice is that my legs are looking a little toned and nice but that's not what i need to get rid of... i want this stomach gone. The fact that i look like I'm 5 months preggo is what made me take on this change in lifestyle.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I would suggest adding some weight training to your workout. Cardio alone won't likely give you the physique you're looking for. Plus it helps to maintain muscle mass while you lose so that those losses are mostly fat. Making sure you eat at least your minimum of protein will help too.

    But most important, you just have to have patience. It's going to take a little while for you to get to goal and I'm sure you'll start seeing a difference as you get closer.

    i would love to add weight training but I don't have a clue where to start. I'm afraid to hurt myself and to look like a complete weirdo! the only thing I have notice is that my legs are looking a little toned and nice but that's not what i need to get rid of... i want this stomach gone. The fact that i look like I'm 5 months preggo is what made me take on this change in lifestyle.

    Weight loss doesn't work that way. You can't pick and choose where the fat comes off from first. When you're in a deficit, your body burns fat from wherever it wants to first, and the stomach area is usually the last place, thus where the weight comes off the slowest.

    With that said, when you're in a deficit you lose water, fat, and muscle (LBM). When you lift heavy in that deficit you're working to maintain that mass while losing mostly just water and fat. Since your body is mainly losing just water and fat, the scale will move slower, but differences will be easier to see in the mirror and on the tape measure.

    A good place to start are looking into New Rules for Lifting, Starting Strength, etc. You could also look at booking a handful of appointments with a trainer to get your program set up and how to check your form in the mirror. You should be able to go from there.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I feel the same way, three months in. It finally rained here in Washington, (hot summer) and I put my jeans on I hadn't worn all summer. They are HUGE! thats where you notice!
    Great job on you loss!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Be patient. It takes a long time! And the more you lose, the harder it gets. Stick with it and you'll see results.

    I honestly just started really noting real changes this week and I've lost 60 pounds.

    Keep going. :)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    If you don't want to or can't lift weights, try bodyweight training. There are a lot of free plans out there. I started with the Nerd Fitness beginner bodyweight workout and then switched to Start Bodyweight's basic workout before eventually moving on to weights. Bottom line, though, you just need to be patient and keep on keeping on with your weight loss. I have lost a lot of weight all over but my stomach is still very much a fat zone. It's way smaller now but I have a long way to go before it is anything close to trim. But I just keep chugging along because I know it's getting better bit by tiny bit.

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