Looking heavily pregnant when I'm not
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With all due respect to you, OP. I really think you need to speak to a doctor. The way you are describing your body sounds very disordered and your diary shows that you are eating way less than you should. The fact that you are dismissing reasonable advice to see a doctor/share a pic to rule out dysmorphia leads me to believe that you are just looking for people to tell you to lose more/work harder/restrict more. Well you shouldn't. Set your goals on MFP to an appropriate rate of loss for your weight (.5/week) and eat the goal it tells you. Eat back a portion of your exercise calories.
As an aside, if you look pregnant, people will say something. At my pre-MFP weight I had strangers asking me if I was expecting. Our culture is very baby obsessed, and the likelihood of friends or family members being on the look out for a baby bump is very high if you are in a steady relationship, while strangers will make comments regardless. If you are not getting comments of these kinds, you probably don't look pregnant.10 -
gogetemrogue wrote: »With all due respect to you, OP. I really think you need to speak to a doctor. The way you are describing your body sounds very disordered and your diary shows that you are eating way less than you should. The fact that you are dismissing reasonable advice to see a doctor/share a pic to rule out dysmorphia leads me to believe that you are just looking for people to tell you to lose more/work harder/restrict more. Well you shouldn't. Set your goals on MFP to an appropriate rate of loss for your weight (.5/week) and eat the goal it tells you. Eat back a portion of your exercise calories.
This. The diary is very concerning, if it is accurate. Malnutrition leads to things like hair loss and no menses, but most people don't mention (or even know about) some of the other things, like really bumpy, flaky nails, or cracks at the corner of your mouth. It is not an attractive look. Get some help.5 -
If your stomach tends to accompany painful bloating after meals, do your doctor.
I'm a celiac. When I was undiagnosed I always carried a sweatshirt to hold in front or wear in order to cover my protruding belly. It would get painfully large, but at times it would get flat. If your stomach is bloating and the flattening out, see your doctor.0 -
[/quote] It's definitely a lot worse now I've gained weight, so I think I'll try to get my weight down first, this time with exercise, see if that helps. I don't know if it's just my body type as I've never really seen others with the same problem, not to the same extent anyway. It's like the stomach doesn't belong on my body, always so big in comparison to everything else. [/quote]
To be clear, you say you are 118lbs at 5'2"...by no stretch of the imagination do you need to lose weight. You may just be skinny/fat. You may want to look into recomposition with resistance/weight training.
As for your belly, again, the idea you think you need to lose weight at such a low weight already indicates body dismorphia. But if I am being less dramatic, it could be an intolerance to gluten or dairy that is causing bloating.
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collectingblues wrote: »TheresaAnn1990 wrote: »Perhaps a trip to your doctor might help? They may have a more knowledgeable answer. Or perhaps it's just your body type? The teenage years are when most folks develop into their given body shapes/types, so that may be what happened. I've known some people who just hold their weight in certain areas.
It's definitely a lot worse now I've gained weight, so I think I'll try to get my weight down first, this time with exercise, see if that helps. I don't know if it's just my body type as I've never really seen others with the same problem, not to the same extent anyway. It's like the stomach doesn't belong on my body, always so big in comparison to everything else.
Were you undereating before, to get to that low weight? It's common when undernourished people start eating more adequate levels -- typically seen in recovering anorexics -- to put it all on in the torso. It'll redistribute eventually, but it takes time -- like, a year.
And, just in case you're thinking about restricting again (now that I've seen your diary), keep in mind that it's not going to redistribute if you don't eat at minimally acceptable levels. Less than 1,000 calories a day is just going to prolong the problem.
I have increased my calories now. I've joined the gym and am now planning to take my time and lose the weight I've gained slowly. I know restricting too much the worst possible way to lose weight, just was feeling a little stressed last week.
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NeverSawAWildThingFeelSorry wrote: »You could have ovarian cancer, cysts or an enlarged uterus. Also protein malnutrition and liver problems can sometimes lead to what you are saying you see. Please please go get checked out.
I doubt it as I've had this problem for so many years.0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »There is no point in trying to adjust things by manipulating your weight or posture if the whole thing is caused by an underlying medical condition.
Go ask your doctor.
Once all these things (including posture and weight and all the medical concerns others have brought up) have been discussed and ruled in or out with your doctor's help, then you can plan!
This is correct. It doesn't even have to be something scary, you may just have an intolerance to some food that is causing you to be bloated. Since you will not be posting pictures, we'd also have to consider that you may be seeing something that isn't there. Body dysmorphia is a real thing where the way you see yourself is not really the way things actually are. Have you measured your waist circumference? This may be a more objective measure than the mirror.
I will get checked out, but I worry the doctor will just think I'm a hypochondriac. My sister has coeliac disease, I eat a lot of gluten, hope it's not the case, but could be.2 -
Ask your doctor about Cushing's syndrome. There are many medical reasons for a disproportionately large midsection and you really, really need to get it looked at if you are correct that your stomach doesn't look like anyone else's you have seen of the same weight.
It's reasonable to expect the doctor to think you are a hypochondriac- mine did - but I wasn't a hypochondriac, I was someone with a massive tumor. Insist on being taken seriously.6 -
OP, are your periods ok? Certain gyno conditions can cause this.0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »If your doctor is not seeing anything out of the ordinary and this isn't a new thing (you mentioned you've always had a protruding stomach since puberty) it may as well be posture. That can be worked on and corrected.
Fat loss through resistance training and a very small deficit may help if any of that is fat and posture training still leaves you unsatisfied.
This! If there's no medical reason then this is very true! I had a miserable posture for years (and back pain). My size was always recorded as 167cm and I so wanted to be bigger. Then I started lifting weights and doing bodyweight exercises. Not only did my posture improve so much, I'm now just over 169cm! Just a better posture does so much to improve things.4 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »There is no point in trying to adjust things by manipulating your weight or posture if the whole thing is caused by an underlying medical condition.
Go ask your doctor.
Once all these things (including posture and weight and all the medical concerns others have brought up) have been discussed and ruled in or out with your doctor's help, then you can plan!
This is correct. It doesn't even have to be something scary, you may just have an intolerance to some food that is causing you to be bloated. Since you will not be posting pictures, we'd also have to consider that you may be seeing something that isn't there. Body dysmorphia is a real thing where the way you see yourself is not really the way things actually are. Have you measured your waist circumference? This may be a more objective measure than the mirror.
I will get checked out, but I worry the doctor will just think I'm a hypochondriac. My sister has coeliac disease, I eat a lot of gluten, hope it's not the case, but could be.
Coeliacs is an autoimmune disorder, and those often run in the family. This alone would be a reason to go to your GP.
And yes, restricting too much means your body starts munching on even more on your muscles and your posture will only get worse.3 -
I won't be posting a picture, but I really am not over-exaggerating. Posture is terrible, I slouch a lot. Also, I rarely exercise, although I have joined the gym recently (Monday) and hope to stick to it this time, even if I just work out 3 days a week. Maybe that's it. Lack of exercise.
I think you just answered your own question. Cardio exercises will help reduce belly fat...that's a fact. And strength training will help with your posture, amongst other things.8 -
rueruechika86 wrote: »I won't be posting a picture, but I really am not over-exaggerating. Posture is terrible, I slouch a lot. Also, I rarely exercise, although I have joined the gym recently (Monday) and hope to stick to it this time, even if I just work out 3 days a week. Maybe that's it. Lack of exercise.
I think you just answered your own question. Cardio exercises will help reduce belly fat...that's a fact. And strength training will help with your posture, amongst other things.
Nope. You can't preferentially reduce fat from any particular part of your body. That's called "spot reduction" and it's not possible. No diet, supplement or exercise will help you choose where you lose fat from. Cardio burns calories and can help establish a caloric deficit, but it won't preferentially reduce fat in the belly/midsection.8 -
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