stomach pouch won't budge!

christinelast
christinelast Posts: 76
in Health and Weight Loss
I think I'm gonna be one of those ppl that no matter how hard I workout or restrict my calories this pouch of a stomach wouldn't budge! I have been strength training 3-4 times a week, cardio 3 days and I get enough protein and consume less calories than my maintence ( I eat 1420) I'm 115 pounds and even at this weight I've always had that bulge! I dream of having it a flat stomach and have been working my *kitten* off! Will I just stay like this no matter what?
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Replies

  • mzco14
    mzco14 Posts: 91 Member
    Bump- I too would like suggestions.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    Mine is a lot smaller now that I'm nearing the lower end of the BMI estimate. But it looks like I'm going to have to be at the very lowest healthy body fat possible to get rid of the rest of what I want gone. And it has definitely been the last holdout.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    I made a post about this earlier. Seems to be a common problem for women especially women who have had children. Guess one of those wonderful joys of motherhood.
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  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    I think I'm gonna be one of those ppl that no matter how hard I workout or restrict my calories this pouch of a stomach wouldn't budge! I have been strength training 3-4 times a week, cardio 3 days and I get enough protein and consume less calories than my maintence ( I eat 1420) I'm 115 pounds and even at this weight I've always had that bulge! I dream of having it a flat stomach and have been working my *kitten* off! Will I just stay like this no matter what?

    Read here. The OP was obese and is a mum with 2 children, I think: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    I made a post about this earlier. Seems to be a common problem for women especially women who have had children. Guess one of those wonderful joys of motherhood.

    It's a problem with those with high body fat and/or low lean body mass. Just because you have children, doesn't mean you can't have a well defined stomach. But there are some exception, just like in every case.


    OP, how tall are you? That will determine which side of the spectrum you are on.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    I made a post about this earlier. Seems to be a common problem for women especially women who have had children. Guess one of those wonderful joys of motherhood.

    It's a problem with those with high body fat and/or low lean body mass. Just because you have children, doesn't mean you can't have a well defined stomach. But there are some exception, just like in every case.


    OP, how tall are you? That will determine which side of the spectrum you are on.

    Well I'm not severely obese and only need to lose 30lbs and I can't get rid of mine. So yes I attribute mine to pregnancy and c sections.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    I made a post about this earlier. Seems to be a common problem for women especially women who have had children. Guess one of those wonderful joys of motherhood.

    It's a problem with those with high body fat and/or low lean body mass. Just because you have children, doesn't mean you can't have a well defined stomach. But there are some exception, just like in every case.


    OP, how tall are you? That will determine which side of the spectrum you are on.

    Well I'm not severely obese and only need to lose 30lbs and I can't get rid of mine. So yes I attribute mine to pregnancy and c sections.

    If you need to lose 30 lbs, then your body fat % is too high. Genetics will determine where you store the body fat. Those that store it in the mid section will take longer to get there. I can bet though, if you are weight training and you get to a low body fat 16-24% ish body fat, then you will have a flat and probably defined stomach.

    Keep in mind, it's about body composition, not weight. There are many cases of underweight women on this board with stomach issues. It's because their lean body mass is too low.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Most of it will go away with a calorie deficit as you lose weight. You might not be able to completely get rid of it though if you have some loose skin in there, unless you go down to a pretty low fat percentage.
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    I am just 5 foot
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    It is not lose skin, it is fat. It looks so weird cause everything else is perfect and then you look at it and can easily grab 2 handfuls of giggly fat.
  • mamaoftwins9197
    mamaoftwins9197 Posts: 142 Member
    I've come to terms with the fact that no matter how much weight I lose, I will always have the mommy pouch! I had twins and then another baby less than 3 years later! I'm ok with it.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    Hello fellow joey.

    Most of it boils down to genetics, I believe.

    I work out like a bandit, watch my intake fairly well, but after having three kids, I still have a little one. I call it my baby carriage. I wouldn't trade it for anything because I have three blessings that I think the world of.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    Keep lifting weights. It will change over time.

    May even help to look into a heavier lifting program such as Nia Shanks's Beautiful Badass, New Rules of Lifting for Women or Stronglifts 5X5 or something.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Well women should have a curve there. But if it's beyond that, maybe you have ibs of some sort? Food sensitivity?
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Wait, you are 5 feet tall, 115 lbs, and want to lose 30 pounds? So your goal weight is 85 pounds? Pardon for sounding rude, but....are you out of your mind?

    <
    This is me, at 5 feet tall, and 107 pounds. You desperately need to adjust your goals, because at 85 pounds you will be dead, or at least look like you've been dead for several days.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I strongly suggest not trying to lose anymore weight. At this point, I think it would be wise to bulk to build some lean muscle mass, and then cut fat. If that's not an option you want to go with, just keep lifting, eat at maintenance, and your body composition will slowly improve. It just takes time.
  • lorigem
    lorigem Posts: 446 Member
    Wait, you are 5 feet tall, 115 lbs, and want to lose 30 pounds? So your goal weight is 85 pounds? Pardon for sounding rude, but....are you out of your mind?

    <
    This is me, at 5 feet tall, and 107 pounds. You desperately need to adjust your goals, because at 85 pounds you will be dead, or at least look like you've been dead for several days.

    The OP doesn't want to lose 30 pounds. That was someone else who made the comment.
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    Wait, you are 5 feet tall, 115 lbs, and want to lose 30 pounds? So your goal weight is 85 pounds? Pardon for sounding rude, but....are you out of your mind?

    <
    This is me, at 5 feet tall, and 107 pounds. You desperately need to adjust your goals, because at 85 pounds you will be dead, or at least look like you've been dead for several days.
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    No way! My goal when I first started was 30 pounds! I started off weighing 145
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    I strongly suggest not trying to lose anymore weight. At this point, I think it would be wise to bulk to build some lean muscle mass, and then cut fat. If that's not an option you want to go with, just keep lifting, eat at maintenance, and your body composition will slowly improve. It just takes time.

    No I don't want to bulk! I'll dislike the way i look even more!
  • Lauramh31
    Lauramh31 Posts: 95 Member
    I would consider whether you could be intolerant to certain foods. I never thought I was bloated - just had a tummy pouch like you ... then i cut out gluten/grains at the suggestion of my doctor, and in a week or less my pants fit differently and I didn't have a muffin top anymore, etc. It wasn't from weight loss, it was cutting out a certain food type that got rid of mine. A friend of mine has that issue w/ dairy - she doesn't get the typical diarrhea from lactose intolerance - she gets bloated and has a tummy pouch. Anyway, it's worth considering and maybe trying a few things!
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    No way! My goal when I first started was 30 pounds! I started off weighing 145

    Oh dang, I am so relieved! I thought you were insane there for a second!

    50488-whew-gif-5ub7.gif

    Also, I can pretty much guarantee you won't dislike yourself after a bulk. If you do it right (nice and slow, that is) you will end up with a bangin bod. Trust me. Add more muscle, you'll thank me later. :flowerforyou:
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I made a post about this earlier. Seems to be a common problem for women especially women who have had children. Guess one of those wonderful joys of motherhood.

    It's a problem with those with high body fat and/or low lean body mass. Just because you have children, doesn't mean you can't have a well defined stomach. But there are some exception, just like in every case.


    OP, how tall are you? That will determine which side of the spectrum you are on.

    Well I'm not severely obese and only need to lose 30lbs and I can't get rid of mine. So yes I attribute mine to pregnancy and c sections.

    If you need to lose 30 lbs, then your body fat % is too high. Genetics will determine where you store the body fat. Those that store it in the mid section will take longer to get there. I can bet though, if you are weight training and you get to a low body fat 16-24% ish body fat, then you will have a flat and probably defined stomach.

    Keep in mind, it's about body composition, not weight. There are many cases of underweight women on this board with stomach issues. It's because their lean body mass is too low.

    Totally this^^^ Body composition is VERY important. The reason why heavy lifting reverses fat accumulation is that it increases lean body mass and the more lean body mass you have, the more calories you will burn 24-7 (even while sleeping!) That is one reason why men have an easier time losing body fat--because they have a much higher percentage of lean body mass than most women. A 160 pound man and a 160 pound woman will typically have very different body compositions. Since every pound of fat takes many fewer calories to maintain than lean tissue, it tends to be the case that "the fatter you are, the fatter you will get". :grumble:

    The reason why pregnancy and C-sections increase belly size is because both tend to increase body fat and decrease lean body mass. The high amounts of estrogen prompted by pregnancy promote fat deposition (nature wants to assure that the baby is properly nourished and uses estrogen to spur appetite during pregnancy and lactation). Any surgery will cause the loss of lean body mass because of the sedentary nature of the recovery period and there are hormonal reasons for it as well. Surgery prompts very high levels of cortisol (even if only for a short time) and the sleep deprivation that comes with new parenthood also spurs cortisol production. Cortisol causes the loss of skeletal muscle (arms and legs) and an increase of belly fat. Not fair, but there it is.
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    So how can I lower cortisol if that's possible?
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    And I don't wish to add more muscle, is that neccasary for a flat stomach?
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    So how can I lower cortisol if that's possible?

    It is possible but not easy as the circumstances of modern life--long commutes, loneliness, crime and the threat of crime, sleep-deprivation, the demands of trying to be a full-time parent and a full-time worker, etc. make us feel constantly stressed. And prolonged stress promotes chronically high levels of cortisol (which does a lot of bad things in the body not just plumping our mid-sections). Here's an ehow article on lowering cortisol naturally. http://www.ehow.com/how_4697731_lower-cortisol-levels.html Exercise is part of the equation. :smile: Good luck!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    And I don't wish to add more muscle, is that neccasary for a flat stomach?

    Why wouldn't you want to add more muscle? If you are worried that it will make you "look bulky" I wouldn't worry about that. Look at some of the threads where the women have started a heavy lifting program--they do NOT look bulky--just slim and toned. The only way you could look "muscle-bound" as a women, is to take steroids (they are especially bad for women, but they are not good for men either).
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    Its personal prefernce. I just want a flat stomach that's it
  • PonkiPoodles
    PonkiPoodles Posts: 12
    Core work, lots and lots of core workouts. When I was doing martial arts, before I picked up all the weight I now have to lose, I had rock hard flat abs after a year of doing high intensity core workouts 6 hours a week. No, not a six pack or muscled abs, but hot model flat abs. That is the only thing that has ever worked for me and I've always had a little bulge no matter how thin I was. You have to tone the muscles right under that area, not necessarily build more muscle.

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