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

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    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: 15,150 Member
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    megatron1129 wrote: »
    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: 307 Member
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    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
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    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: 15,575 Member
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    megatron1129 wrote: »
    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
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    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
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    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: 479 Member
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    I have this exact problem too!
  • keelyjrs
    keelyjrs Posts: 62 Member
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    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
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    BILLBRYTAN wrote: »
    You could be experiencing the same as starving children in third world countries whose bellies are bloated. When your stomach is empty and your mind wants to eat, it causes the stomach to secrete acid in expectation of food to digest. The acid produces gas which bloats the belly. This is why those who suffer from acid reflux sometimes get attacks of gas. I thought the option might at least be worth considering. The obsession with losing weight can do a lot of physiological and psychological harm.

    ....wat? Seems like OP is not under eating.
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
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    IvanOcampo wrote: »
    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.

    I have a general idea of how many calories I eat, some days I'm under my 1400 goal, and some days I'm above. Trying to track everything I do gets me frustrated and discouraged and usually backfires completely. I'm sure if I ate a lot of pre-packaged crap and could scan the barcodes it would be super easy to log everything, but I don't eat that way and as the youtube video says; Aint nobody got time for that.

    And maybe my terminology was wrong - I don't care about building muscle as much as I do about getting stronger, which seem to be 2 different things.
  • megatron1129
    megatron1129 Posts: 9 Member
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    keelyjrs wrote: »
    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
    Don't worry, I poop like a rock star. This Ivan guy commenting probably needs to drop a few tho. (I'd insert a funny hashtag here if this was anything other than MFP)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    holly55555 wrote: »
    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 :)

    Very true. My bust appears to be growing because every time I go down a band size I go UP a cup size. On the other hand, I have lost 10" in my actual bust measurement.
  • boarderline1
    boarderline1 Posts: 5 Member
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    I am having the same problem. I'm 44. Went off birth control in march thinking i was prego. Dozens of urine tests, an ultrasound and ct scan later and no sign of anything. No tumors, no cysts, not even any sign of water build up. Yet weight still coming off while stomach and boobs grow. I eat healthy (fish, vegies, etc..) so don't need a dietician. I've lost almost 60 lb over the past 2 years. I do have DB type 2. Endocrinologist is stumped. OB can't figure it out. Doc thinks the DB is having some kind of funky reaction to the weight loss. Whatever the case, I am frustrated, discouraged and depressed. It's been 5 months and no one can give me any answers. Anyone? Please?
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
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    When I start losing weight my body does this thing where all the fat on my body seems to get more "loose" and stays that way for days or weeks then suddenly everything tightens up and shrinks down. That weird, flobbery stage is really annoying and discouraging but DON'T GIVE UP!
  • boarderline1
    boarderline1 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have that lower ab flab too. But its the upper ab that's got me out of whack. From just below the belly button and up it's semi hard and seriously distended. Doc gave me pipe cleaner and I did a prune juice super cleanse. I'm now on water pills. Still growing
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    well, btwn time and obesity, your body fat distribution can change. i didn't have belly podge until i gained and aged. stress or lack of sleep could also be a factor (higher cortisol can lead to that fat distribution).
  • boarderline1
    boarderline1 Posts: 5 Member
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    Seriously the best explanation I've heard in 5 months.
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
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    lnlawrence37 wrote: »
    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!

    This^^^^

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