I gain all of my weight in my belly! Is it a bad thing?

Shorelivin42
Shorelivin42 Posts: 22 Member
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In the last year or so I’ve gain about 20 lbs. I realize that’s no good and I probably should lose some of it. But I’ve noticed all of the weight I’ve gained is in my midsection and my belly seems to grow and become a round, protruding “beer belly” that hangs over my pants. I’m 26 yo, currently 5’10”, 185 lb with a waist of 41 inches. In the past year my waist has grown 5 inches or so. Why do I gain all of my weight in my belly and is it a bad thing??? Anybody else carry all of their weight in their midsection.

Replies

  • h1udd
    h1udd Posts: 623 Member
    yup ... that seems normal to me .... if its any consolation you ARE also sotrying fat on your arms and legs .. the downside being when you start to loose weight, it goes from these area 1st, so you end up for a period with skinny arms and a belly ... its a great look, but short lived.

    Get yourself in a sustainable deficit and start lifing weights ... you can turn that around in no time.

    But to answer the question ... storing fat around your midsection like that IS bad for your health, but its totally normal !
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    That's an interesting photo, I'm also 5'10" but am around 210 with a waist of around 36 inches, even at my heaviest of 225 i have not had a waist of more than 40. Difficult to tell from photo but I would say I've never had a belly like that but have a fatter neck/chin than you.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    It is typical for males and, unfortunately, it is a type of fat distribution that indicates higher health risk.
  • Shorelivin42
    Shorelivin42 Posts: 22 Member
    ap1972 wrote: »
    That's an interesting photo, I'm also 5'10" but am around 210 with a waist of around 36 inches, even at my heaviest of 225 i have not had a waist of more than 40. Difficult to tell from photo but I would say I've never had a belly like that but have a fatter neck/chin than you.

    I should add that by waist size I mean measurement at my navel, not pants size lol in pants I wear a 34. But might have to size up with the recent weight gain. I pretty much have only gained weight in the stomach area! Though you weigh more, you seem to be in better shape then me based on your measurements!
  • Shorelivin42
    Shorelivin42 Posts: 22 Member
    h1udd wrote: »
    yup ... that seems normal to me .... if its any consolation you ARE also sotrying fat on your arms and legs .. the downside being when you start to loose weight, it goes from these area 1st, so you end up for a period with skinny arms and a belly ... its a great look, but short lived.

    Get yourself in a sustainable deficit and start lifing weights ... you can turn that around in no time.

    But to answer the question ... storing fat around your midsection like that IS bad for your health, but its totally normal !

    I haven’t noticed any weight gain in my arms or legs! Not yet anyway. but perhaps because I do lift. I don’t really do any cardio and haven’t watched what I eat in a long time which probably explains the weight gain lol
  • ap1972
    ap1972 Posts: 214 Member
    ap1972 wrote: »
    That's an interesting photo, I'm also 5'10" but am around 210 with a waist of around 36 inches, even at my heaviest of 225 i have not had a waist of more than 40. Difficult to tell from photo but I would say I've never had a belly like that but have a fatter neck/chin than you.

    I should add that by waist size I mean measurement at my navel, not pants size lol in pants I wear a 34. But might have to size up with the recent weight gain. I pretty much have only gained weight in the stomach area! Though you weigh more, you seem to be in better shape then me based on your measurements!

    Ah yes I meant pant/trouser size, I've only just learned about the navel measurement so will have to try and measure that. Not sure I'm in better shape my moobs are certainly worse than you and it's not easy to judge your own body either. I remember seeing myself on CCTV when I was in the worst shape and I was shocked at how i looked.

  • Shorelivin42
    Shorelivin42 Posts: 22 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    It is typical for males and, unfortunately, it is a type of fat distribution that indicates higher health risk.

    It just seems every little pound I’ve gained has gone directly to the middle! Lol thought that was odd!
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited March 2018
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    It is typical for males and, unfortunately, it is a type of fat distribution that indicates higher health risk.

    It just seems every little pound I’ve gained has gone directly to the middle! Lol thought that was odd!

    Not odd at all. Do a Google search for "Android fat distribution". It's the typical fat distribution pattern in males.

    Also, it looks like you took that picture while sitting, which is the worst possible posture and shows the abdomen/stomach in its worst possible light. Even relatively lean people look fatter when they take pictures sitting down.
  • Shorelivin42
    Shorelivin42 Posts: 22 Member
    daraalt wrote: »
    belly weight is the worst kind of weight gain. it is a symptom of metabolic syndrome and can lead to heart issues, diabetes, etc. Are you drinking a lot of beer? Are you drinking a lot of sugary drinks? Are you eating a lot of carbs and sugars? Then a high fat / low carb diet works best for this type of weight problem.

    Yes, unfortunately I’ve been out of control with my eating habits. Beer, snacks, desserts. High fat/ low carb diet? I get the low carb part but how come high fat? How does that work?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    I thought this thread was familiar...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    daraalt wrote: »
    belly weight is the worst kind of weight gain. it is a symptom of metabolic syndrome and can lead to heart issues, diabetes, etc. Are you drinking a lot of beer? Are you drinking a lot of sugary drinks? Are you eating a lot of carbs and sugars? Then a high fat / low carb diet works best for this type of weight problem.

    I had a belly like that once upon a time...I don't anymore, and I never did keto. The belly will go down over time when calories are reduced to a level that is below maintenance.
  • Shorelivin42
    Shorelivin42 Posts: 22 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    It is typical for males and, unfortunately, it is a type of fat distribution that indicates higher health risk.

    It just seems every little pound I’ve gained has gone directly to the middle! Lol thought that was odd!

    Not odd at all. Do a Google search for "Android fat distribution". It's the typical fat distribution pattern in males.

    Also, it looks like you took that picture while sitting, which is the worst possible posture and shows the abdomen/stomach in its worst possible light. Even relatively lean people look fatter when they take pictures sitting down.

    Had never heard of that until now. Yes, I did take the picture sitting. It probably does accentuate the fat, but it is certainly still protruding when I stand.
  • marmaladepixie
    marmaladepixie Posts: 83 Member
    Have you had any blood work done lately to check your liver enzymes, etc? Might be worth it to see your GP. From what I can tell in the photo it looks more swollen, not squishy.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    A 41 inch waist is never a good thing, but some fat is worse than others. If it's mostly "jiggly" fat under your skin, that's the less worrisome kind. It's subcutaneous, laying on top the muscles, and while problematic doesn't pose any special risks. If it's "solid" fat underlying the muscle, then it's visceral, meaning it's taking up space around your internal organs. This is very bad, and significantly increases risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic problems.
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