I'm losing weight but my belly is getting huge!

megatron1129
megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Seriously - I'm down about 5 lbs in the past 3 weeks but it seems like my stomach is growing. I haven't measured it yet but I'm ready to go take a pregnancy test LOL
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Replies

  • jenncornelsen
    jenncornelsen Posts: 969 Member
    take measurements! this is highly unlikely unless ur extremely bloated. is there anything u have changed in your diet that could cause it?
  • janetlojo
    janetlojo Posts: 5 Member
    It could just be that you've lost weight elsewhere and in comparison it makes your belly look bigger. Don't worry, keep at it and soon you will see that belly shrinking too!
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
    I always seem to be bloated, And I have what I call a 'mans' build. No hips, thighs or butt but a big ol santa belly. Thats why its bothersome to see it getting bigger!!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Any chance of pregnancy?
  • techgal128
    techgal128 Posts: 719 Member
    I always seem to be bloated, And I have what I call a 'mans' build. No hips, thighs or butt but a big ol santa belly. Thats why its bothersome to see it getting bigger!!

    Oh tell me about it. My belly is the last thing to go! I agree with the previous poster though. You will likely lose weight elsewhere first so it looks like your tummy is getting bigger. It'll catch up though.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Take your measurements NOW. Watch them. You'll feel a lot better when you see the measurement is not moving (when you think it's getting larger). Or, if it is getting larger and you're losing weight-you can check you data to see how much sodium you've consumed recently, where you are in your cycle, etc-to see what is contributing to the bloating.

    My waist measurement is up half an inch right now. At first I freaked...then I realized I'm ovulating and I always get a little bloated and hold onto some water weight when I ovulate. Plus I ate a crap ton of salt.
  • IvanOcampo
    IvanOcampo Posts: 226 Member
    How are you losing weight?
    are you exercising? weight lifting/cardio?
    or simply restricting calories?

    could be water - are you eating lots of salty (and delicious) stuff?
  • scookbey
    scookbey Posts: 84 Member
    janetlojo wrote: »
    It could just be that you've lost weight elsewhere and in comparison it makes your belly look bigger. Don't worry, keep at it and soon you will see that belly shrinking too!

    I agree! I think you might be losing elsewhere and your stomach is now more noticeable than before. Don't fret and keep up the hard work!

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    janetlojo wrote: »
    It could just be that you've lost weight elsewhere and in comparison it makes your belly look bigger. Don't worry, keep at it and soon you will see that belly shrinking too!

    Also this. Another good reason to take measurements though. I have lost a lot recently not in the biggest part of my hips, but right around my hip bone. I think it makes my belly look bigger.
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
    I do minimum 20 minutes of cardio at the gym 6 days a week. I also weight train 5 days a week, I don't really care about the number on the scale - I know I'm gaining muscle but looking like I'm 5 months preggo really sucks!

    I eat fairly healthy, I'm not a big fan of salt - rarely use it on my food, sweets are my weak spot!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I do minimum 20 minutes of cardio at the gym 6 days a week. I also weight train 5 days a week, I don't really care about the number on the scale - I know I'm gaining muscle but looking like I'm 5 months preggo really sucks!

    I eat fairly healthy, I'm not a big fan of salt - rarely use it on my food, sweets are my weak spot!

    So you're trying to build muscle...are you in maintenance or a surplus. Confused because you said you lost 5 pounds.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    scookbey wrote: »
    janetlojo wrote: »
    It could just be that you've lost weight elsewhere and in comparison it makes your belly look bigger. Don't worry, keep at it and soon you will see that belly shrinking too!

    I agree! I think you might be losing elsewhere and your stomach is now more noticeable than before. Don't fret and keep up the hard work!

    Yeah this seems likely - any other measurements going down?
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I always seem to be bloated, And I have what I call a 'mans' build. No hips, thighs or butt but a big ol santa belly. Thats why its bothersome to see it getting bigger!!

    I agree with the others, it is very likely just the proportions make it appear like it is getting bigger.

    If you were bloated, you would have gastric distress: excess burping or flatulence and pain and noises coming from your stomach. How's your posture? Slumping your shoulders can make your belly pooch out some too.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I always seem to be bloated, And I have what I call a 'mans' build. No hips, thighs or butt but a big ol santa belly. Thats why its bothersome to see it getting bigger!!

    I agree with the others, it is very likely just the proportions make it appear like it is getting bigger.

    If you were bloated, you would have gastric distress: excess burping or flatulence and pain and noises coming from your stomach. How's your posture? Slumping your shoulders can make your belly pooch out some too.

    I don't know if that is necessarily true. My stomach becomes distended sometimes but I don't always feel uncomfortable. Just looks funny.
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
    I don't track calories - takes the fun out of life for me, I just work out and try to eat healthy and I make decent food choices.

    Not sure about other measurments but I have noticed that my back (bra fat bulge) has definitely toned up a bit.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I always seem to be bloated, And I have what I call a 'mans' build. No hips, thighs or butt but a big ol santa belly. Thats why its bothersome to see it getting bigger!!

    I agree with the others, it is very likely just the proportions make it appear like it is getting bigger.

    If you were bloated, you would have gastric distress: excess burping or flatulence and pain and noises coming from your stomach. How's your posture? Slumping your shoulders can make your belly pooch out some too.

    I don't know if that is necessarily true. My stomach becomes distended sometimes but I don't always feel uncomfortable. Just looks funny.

    Is it distended because there is food in it or because the food that is in it is causing excess gas (which is what bloating is)?

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I always seem to be bloated, And I have what I call a 'mans' build. No hips, thighs or butt but a big ol santa belly. Thats why its bothersome to see it getting bigger!!

    I agree with the others, it is very likely just the proportions make it appear like it is getting bigger.

    If you were bloated, you would have gastric distress: excess burping or flatulence and pain and noises coming from your stomach. How's your posture? Slumping your shoulders can make your belly pooch out some too.

    I don't know if that is necessarily true. My stomach becomes distended sometimes but I don't always feel uncomfortable. Just looks funny.

    Is it distended because there is food in it or because the food that is in it is causing excess gas (which is what bloating is)?

    I guess because there is food in it then. But not always. Sometime it is just very huge and round.
  • lnlawrence37
    lnlawrence37 Posts: 1 Member
    I would say make an appointment with your gynecologist. As a healthcare professional I've seen this quite a bit. Women are losing weight but their stomach still stays the same or gets bigger. What we end up finding via ultrasound is that they have a very large ovarian cyst or that they have fibroids. Better safe than sorry!
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Any chance of pregnancy?

    Highly unlikely.

  • IvanOcampo
    IvanOcampo Posts: 226 Member
    hhm. okay. so you're working out 11 times a week, don't track macros, don't weigh yourself, and don't take measurements?

    gaining muscle doesn't happen from one week to another. to gain a pound of muscle on its own, is almost impossible. I am eating at a surplus of 1000 calories per day, and after 2 months I've gained about 3 kilos of muscle (and possibly around 2 kilos of fat).. and i lift heavy *kitten* weights ..
    i'd suggest you track what you eat .. a surplus of healthy food is the same as a surplus of non-healthy food.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    IvanOcampo wrote: »
    hhm. okay. so you're working out 11 times a week, don't track macros, don't weigh yourself, and don't take measurements?

    gaining muscle doesn't happen from one week to another. to gain a pound of muscle on its own, is almost impossible. I am eating at a surplus of 1000 calories per day, and after 2 months I've gained about 3 kilos of muscle (and possibly around 2 kilos of fat).. and i lift heavy *kitten* weights ..
    i'd suggest you track what you eat .. a surplus of healthy food is the same as a surplus of non-healthy food.

    This is what I was trying to get at by asking you your calorie/macro goals. Nothing wrong with what you're doing, but if you WANT to lose fat, and you ever notice the scale not moving-you cannot assume it is muscle, really. Especially when you're not tracking and you don't have data to look at.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Any chance of pregnancy?

    Highly unlikely.

    Okay then I'm going to go with you're noticing it more. I swear some days I THINK I'm getting bigger, when the reality of it is, is that I think I'm just paying more attention.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    I thought my belly wasn't changing at all - even after a 10 lb weight loss. I took measurements - I lost 2 inches! Looks can be deceiving :)
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    IvanOcampo wrote: »
    hhm. okay. so you're working out 11 times a week, don't track macros, don't weigh yourself, and don't take measurements?

    gaining muscle doesn't happen from one week to another. to gain a pound of muscle on its own, is almost impossible. I am eating at a surplus of 1000 calories per day, and after 2 months I've gained about 3 kilos of muscle (and possibly around 2 kilos of fat).. and i lift heavy *kitten* weights ..
    i'd suggest you track what you eat .. a surplus of healthy food is the same as a surplus of non-healthy food.

    This is what I was trying to get at by asking you your calorie/macro goals. Nothing wrong with what you're doing, but if you WANT to lose fat, and you ever notice the scale not moving-you cannot assume it is muscle, really. Especially when you're not tracking and you don't have data to look at.

    Sure it's an assumption, but an educated guess my back looks leaner and I have an easier time lifting cases of product at work - I don't need to make it all about numbers - waaaaaay to easy to get discouraged that way!! And as for food tracking, I can't and won't do it - life is about living not about writing down every bite. The point is everything in moderation, isn't it?

    I really just wanted to come on here and vent about my santa belly, not be made to feel like I'm not living my life appropriately because I don't want to keep a food diary or track every data point.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    IvanOcampo wrote: »
    hhm. okay. so you're working out 11 times a week, don't track macros, don't weigh yourself, and don't take measurements?

    gaining muscle doesn't happen from one week to another. to gain a pound of muscle on its own, is almost impossible. I am eating at a surplus of 1000 calories per day, and after 2 months I've gained about 3 kilos of muscle (and possibly around 2 kilos of fat).. and i lift heavy *kitten* weights ..
    i'd suggest you track what you eat .. a surplus of healthy food is the same as a surplus of non-healthy food.

    This is what I was trying to get at by asking you your calorie/macro goals. Nothing wrong with what you're doing, but if you WANT to lose fat, and you ever notice the scale not moving-you cannot assume it is muscle, really. Especially when you're not tracking and you don't have data to look at.

    Sure it's an assumption, but an educated guess my back looks leaner and I have an easier time lifting cases of product at work - I don't need to make it all about numbers - waaaaaay to easy to get discouraged that way!! And as for food tracking, I can't and won't do it - life is about living not about writing down every bite. The point is everything in moderation, isn't it?

    I really just wanted to come on here and vent about my santa belly, not be made to feel like I'm not living my life appropriately because I don't want to keep a food diary or track every data point.

    I wasn't saying that. I actually said there is nothing wrong with what you're doing, especially if you're happy! And who knows, if you're aren't tracking perhaps you are in a surplus and if you're lifting heavy-gaining muscle. Which is cool. I would like to be there someday.
  • IvanOcampo
    IvanOcampo Posts: 226 Member
    Yeah, everything in moderation, but moderation is very subjective.
    my dad is obese and moderation to him is eating according to his body weight.

    you can vent and keep your ideals, and i support you for it .. (if it's what you're looking for).. but just because things become lighter it simply implies that your body is accustomed to lifting the weight, not that your muscles are growing.
    if you want to lose weight, then eat less calories than you spend.
    if you don't know how many calories you eat, you'll never know what 'moderation' means in accordance to your personal body needs.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I always gain my most weight in my mid section too and it was always the hardest area to lose for me. When I started reducing my carb intake in March as recommended by my Dr, my mid section started to shrink faster than ever before. I now have a waist again :)
  • kiittenforever
    kiittenforever Posts: 478 Member
    I have this exact problem too!
  • keelyjrs
    keelyjrs Posts: 62 Member
    Can I ask, are ahem things moving? Sometimes constipation can be a real factor and I kid you not, a good bowel movement can lose you 2lb or drop a dress size
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