We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

What's the Best way to lose the Pooch?

jalisa3080
jalisa3080 Posts: 19 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 35, don't have kids, am 5'8" and 196.5lbs. Weight has always been an issue for me and I typically carry it in my stomach, hips and thighs. What are the best exercises to slim the pooch that I can't seem to get rid of?

Replies

  • thiosulfate
    thiosulfate Posts: 262 Member
    You can't spot reduce. All you can do is lose weight and tone up.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,463 Member
    edited June 2016
    There isn't a way to target fat loss to a particular area. Your body will lose based on your genetic shape. Lose weight and the fat will leave everywhere - if you carry it in your tummy and hips, that will be the last place it will leave - but proportionately.

    Ya. I know.
  • jalisa3080
    jalisa3080 Posts: 19 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    There isn't a way to target fat loss to a particular area. Your body will lose based on your genetic shape. Lose weight and the fat will leave everywhere - if you carry it in your tummy and hips, that will be the last place it will leave - but proportionately.

    Ya. I know.

    Thanks for the feedback...I was hoping for a nicer answer but I appreciate the truth!!!
  • jalisa3080
    jalisa3080 Posts: 19 Member
    thiosulfate wrote: »
    You can't spot reduce. All you can do is lose weight and tone up.
    thiosulfate wrote: »
    You can't spot reduce. All you can do is lose weight and tone up.

    Thanks!!! Guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing...I was hoping for some miracle exercise I hadn't heard of yet, lol.
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
    I had roughly 30 lbs to lose when I was heavier, and carried it all in my stomach - also don't have kids. When I lost the weight my stomach firmed right back up. I ended up losing past my initial "goal", and now it's flat in the mornings before I eat. I wasn't certain if you were concerned about loose skin or what not so I figured I would share. I was about your age when I lost the weight. Good luck on your journey!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Just keep losing fat. For many people stomach fat is the last to go. And by last I mean it can come down to the last 5 lbs. It's possible you may need to get leaner than your ultimate goal, which means at a certain point you'll be deciding if it's worth the effort. Only you can make that call.
  • jalisa3080
    jalisa3080 Posts: 19 Member
    MorganMoreaux wrote: »
    I had roughly 30 lbs to lose when I was heavier, and carried it all in my stomach - also don't have kids. When I lost the weight my stomach firmed right back up. I ended up losing past my initial "goal", and now it's flat in the mornings before I eat. I wasn't certain if you were concerned about loose skin or what not so I figured I would share. I was about your age when I lost the weight. Good luck on your journey!

    Thanks for sharing your story! I don't have loose skin but just a lot of extra fat in my lower stomach. I lost weight before so I know it's possible and feedback like this makes it that much easier! Thanks again and Congrats on your weight loss!
  • jalisa3080
    jalisa3080 Posts: 19 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Just keep losing fat. For many people stomach fat is the last to go. And by last I mean it can come down to the last 5 lbs. It's possible you may need to get leaner than your ultimate goal, which means at a certain point you'll be deciding if it's worth the effort. Only you can make that call.

    I appreciate this feedback. I'm trying to set my expect ions appropriately so this is super helpful!!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    jalisa3080 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Just keep losing fat. For many people stomach fat is the last to go. And by last I mean it can come down to the last 5 lbs. It's possible you may need to get leaner than your ultimate goal, which means at a certain point you'll be deciding if it's worth the effort. Only you can make that call.

    I appreciate this feedback. I'm trying to set my expect ions appropriately so this is super helpful!!

    Happy to help. I had no idea how literal "last to go" meant when I started out so I try to tell people that. I'm within my healthy range (148 @ 5'5.5") but still have a good amount of stomach fat, despite being very lean elsewhere. I have stretched skin as a complicating factor but still lose fat in places I never imagined (e.g., neck) more than my stomach.
  • cglouie
    cglouie Posts: 33 Member
    edited June 2016
    I'm 5'8" , no kids and started at 195 lbs so about where you are. A year later, I'm down to 136 lbs with 5-10 lbs before I start maintaining. Frustratingly, it's just now that the fat is coming off the belly and I can visibly tell that it's getting flatter. Of course, it's been shrinking since the start as I went from a size 14 to almost a 4 now but it's been round and ample up until recently. Just keep losing the fat and it will eventually come off. Good luck!
  • jalisa3080
    jalisa3080 Posts: 19 Member
    Thank you for this feedback and encouragement
  • BellaSOUL11
    BellaSOUL11 Posts: 49 Member
    That damn pooch!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories