Stomach fat accumulation

erfie1
erfie1 Posts: 6 Member
edited March 7 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sure there are others who struggle with stomach fat but what I dislike most is that, despite having lost 15kg, being within the BMI range for my height, and being active, I actually find that I have more stomach fat now than when I was a few kg heavier.

I wondered if any of the following could be contributory:
- I was doing Yoga/weights, now I just cycle and swim
- I was cutting out butter completely.

Could a low fat diet be helpful? Or is sugar more likely to be a culprit? I find it difficult to include weight training in my regime because I can't currently afford a gym.

Could it be that my core muscles are just very weak?

My concern is that stress is the main problem.

Any advice appreciated.

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    how do you know you have MORE stomach fat? after losing 15kg isnt it more likely that you just notice it more because the rest of you is smaller?

    you can do bodyweight resistance training at home, i would definitely add that back into your routine.

    you just need a calorie deficit to lose fat.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Talk to your doctor. Trying to guess and do trial and error on these things is very stressful.
  • erfie1
    erfie1 Posts: 6 Member
    I think it could be something to do with muscle/fat ratio. I find the intricacies of fat/carb/protein consumption balanced with the right amount of weight to cardio training hard to follow- I find strict balancing acts hard to stick to and have lost all the weight I have by allowing myself to slob out sometimes and eat chocolate and cake, and not by counting calories but just by eating less after a period of indulgence.

    I just thought there might be a 'key' to this that others on here would know about... But I will approach my doctor if it persists (I think he/she may have more important patients however!)

    It occured to me that I have lost weight by going through stable periods or where I've gained a few pounds only to lose more the next time. This has worked well for me but could it be that my body has interpreted this as yoyo dieting and therefore dumped fat on my abdomen?



  • erfie1
    erfie1 Posts: 6 Member
    Also - I don't know that I have gained stomach fat. I'm going by how clothes fit and my sideways profile in the mirror...!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Too many things. You either have to lose more fat or look into body recomp. Butter and sugar do not make your tummy big, too many calories do. Also, you don't need to talk to your doctor about everything.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    have you checked you're not pregnant?
  • erfie1
    erfie1 Posts: 6 Member
    I found out last year that I couldn't get pregnant. But otherwise a sensible suggestion, thanks.

    I agree that calorie cutting is the way forward. Body recomp - will look into that.
  • NK1112
    NK1112 Posts: 781 Member
    First off, I have read that belly fat is the last place people lose weight, so it takes a lot longer for that area to slim down.

    Second off, how is your health? Do you have a lot of stress? Do you eat a lot of carbohydrates? Has your blood sugar ever been tested to see if you have too much sugar in your blood. .... I'm only saying this because medical reports say that when a person is insulin resistant (a precurser to Type II Diabetes) that blood sugar builds up because your body is resistant to insulin ... and your body puts out more insulin to overcome that ... and too much insulin in your blood makes your body store belly fat and you get that huge prego looking belly when you are not prego.
  • 808Trish808
    808Trish808 Posts: 122 Member
    I have a pouch too. I thought it might be hereditary because my mother's side of the family all have it. Still I'm gonna try and work on it to see if I could be wrong.
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
    edited October 2014
    Do you actually KNOW your stomach is growing? I know that when I was at my peak weight I had excess belly fat, it's usually the last thing I put on. When I started loosing weight, my waist was actually shrinking even though my stomach felt flabbier, which at first glance could look like it was more stomach fat, when in fact it wasn't.

    It has something to do with skin not shrinking as fast and the fat cells being empty and your body filling them with water as a "place holder", before eliminating them. It's called "dieter's edema / squishy fat / whoosh" in some circles, and although it's still a "myth". It did happen to me... and I didn't know what it was until literally last week, even though I've been losing weight for a year now, there are periods when I feel flabbier without changing any of my habits and then suddenly I'm just not as flabby. I'm just guessing... that may not be it.

    Working out your core seems sensible.
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
    NK1112 wrote: »
    First off, I have read that belly fat is the last place people lose weight, so it takes a lot longer for that area to slim down.
    It's different for everyone. It's the last place I put it on and the first one to go for me.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    Most likely you just lose fat on your stomach last. You didn't get more fat there, you just lost it from everywhere else and now the stomach is the last of it.

    No need to cut out sugar or eat low fat. You actually want to eat fats, like mono unsaturated fats, because they are important for hormonal function.
  • rdkstar
    rdkstar Posts: 260 Member
    I think that I am just like you. Except that I take measurements every month. My stomach looks bigger because the rest of me reducing faster. Much more noticeable in side profile. My stomach measurement show it has gone down 3 inches but just doesn't look it. I'm going to keep cutting calories and lift weight.
  • erfie1
    erfie1 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks guys, feeling better :smile: about it. It's horrible having a tummy isn't it? it almost looks like it doesn't belong to the rest of me now.

    Crisb I completely identify with your description of feeling flabbier at some points. Sometimes it feels as if my stomach is simply bloated. So maybe it is a question of water retention. I'm going to drink more water to see if that helps, and will do measurements.

    Hoping it is a deceptive thing - definitely don't want to be prediabetic! I do know that I have weak core muscles and an enhanced curve in my lower and upper back so I imagine it could look worse than it is - I've always thought that.

    So yoga, weights, water, eating good fats - ok, that makes sense.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,147 Member
    Your ticker shows 48 pounds to go, perhaps its still sitting in the tummy area?
  • erfie1
    erfie1 Posts: 6 Member
    That's old - haven't updated for ages.
This discussion has been closed.

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