Belly fat last?

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Do you lose belly fat last? I have been told by numerous people that the belly is the hardest to get rid of and that you tone everywhere else first and then normally the belly is the last to go.

Any ideas?

Replies

  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
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    Nope. I have lost a significant amount of belly fat in my 28 pounds down. I lose the most (as in look thinnest first) in my face, then arms just because I have so much less fat there to begin with. For me, hips and thighs will be last because I'm pear shaped and that is the hardest to lose. I can have a fairly flat belly and lots of fat on my legs. That's the way I'm built. Each of these IS losing fat at the same time though -- it's just the time to appearing thing varies because of their individual starting points. You might be different though.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    No you actually lose fat fairly evenly from the entire body. The reason it appears that you lose fat around the stomach last is because you have more natural stores of it there anyway, so the effect takes longer to show... but it's coming off your stomach at the same rate as everywhere else.
  • christyjoyjr
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    My belly is the first to go. My thighs are last. Makes me look like a ridiculous caricature.
  • avasano
    avasano Posts: 487 Member
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    If you are trying for a 6 pack then yes.
  • Prudiddy
    Prudiddy Posts: 262 Member
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    Nope. I have lost a significant amount of belly fat in my 28 pounds down. I lose the most (as in look thinnest first) in my face, then arms just because I have so much less fat there to begin with. For me, hips and thighs will be last because I'm pear shaped and that is the hardest to lose. I can have a fairly flat belly and lots of fat on my legs. That's the way I'm built. Each of these IS losing fat at the same time though -- it's just the time to appearing thing varies because of their individual starting points. You might be different though.

    This one! It really depends on the exercise you are doing, I've done alot of rope jumping over the last few months and my core seems to burned the most fat to me! The first thing people started to notice was my waist was getting smaller. Like I said, rope jumping requires you to tighten up the gut as you jump to keep proper balance and form. So no it is not necessarily the last to go!
  • lovinpettis
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    My belly is actually the first to go, but I have mainly belly to lose. I'm top heavy, so most of my weight is in my stomach. As I'm losing, my legs/thighs, butt/hips appear to be larger now, because my stomach is shrinking. I think it also depends on the kinds of food you eat. I'm doing low carb, and my doctor says that targets belly weight.
  • AnnyaSB
    AnnyaSB Posts: 233 Member
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    Because I have more fat on my belly than anywhere else it lookslike I have more to lose there. I am around 10lbs off target now and pretty slim everywhere else, but still have a flabby gut - I HATE it - and what makes it worse is that I can feel a lovely muscly belly under there from all the shredding :mad:
  • myownadvice
    myownadvice Posts: 95 Member
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    According to most of what I have read, you lose fat all over at the same rate. However, if you tend to carry most of your weight around the middle, it makes sense that that's the last place you will see reduced. Also, areas of your body that are smaller can appear thinner as the muscle in that area gets built up (for instance in your arms). If you just think about it in pure percentages, you will see results faster in areas that naturally carry less fat. All that being said (and I apologize if that is clear as mud), I have found that the inches come off faster when I am following Dr Oz's idea "Don't buy anything with more than 4 grams of saturated fat or 4 grams of any sugar (especially high-fructose corn syrup) per serving." If you haven't already, I highly recommend Dr Oz's book "You On a Diet". It is an easy read, no-nonsense approach to how and WHY to eat properly utilizing whole foods for better all over health.

    Just my opinion for what it's worth.
  • lydiapt210
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    I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT LIKE THAT I WILL KEEP THA IN MIND AS I START TO LOSE MY WEIGHT
  • K0135
    K0135 Posts: 34 Member
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    Mine seems to be last because I'm apple shaped
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
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    You cannot spot reduce. It's impossible. The exercise(s) you do will not determine where the fat comes off.

    Your body "prefers" to store fat at different locations - generally abdominal for men and hips and thighs for women.... although it's very individual within this range. When your body runs out of easy storage in it's favored places, it begins to pack fat elsewhere, preferring your core and slowly moving outwards towards your extremities. This has a strong biological imperative, as having fat calves and forearms would make it much harder to run away from predators than fat on your core. :)

    When you lose fat, it will be burned relatively evenly, but as you have more fat in your body's preferred storage places, it will appear to be slower. To lose the last of the "overweight" fat and reach a truly healthy weight, the preferred places (i.e. belly or thighs) will definitely be some of the last places to lose the extra fat and become toned.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
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    This one! It really depends on the exercise you are doing, I've done alot of rope jumping over the last few months and my core seems to burned the most fat to me! The first thing people started to notice was my waist was getting smaller. Like I said, rope jumping requires you to tighten up the gut as you jump to keep proper balance and form. So no it is not necessarily the last to go!

    The muscles tightening in your core can cause a reduction in waist size. This doesn't mean that you've burnt more fat there, just that the muscles are naturally more toned and therefore holding your body better. Size isn't 100% related to only fat.

    Note that this is not a bad thing, it's just not related to the fact that you've burned more fat there. :)
  • EmilyT1994
    EmilyT1994 Posts: 33
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    My stomach is probably the slimmest part of my body.
    But it's kind of soft.
    If I excercise, I feel my legs and arms getting firmer.
    But my belly's always soft.
    For me it is hardest to tone up.
    But I really hate sit ups, so that's probably why.
    I prefer to run or dance and use my limbs more.
  • urbansmamma
    urbansmamma Posts: 202 Member
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    Belly fat is related to diet. If you have a gut and are doing hundreds of sit-ups you will have a six pack... but under a lot of fat. Just like crack heads aren't doing thousands of crunches for their cut abs, they simply aren't exactly eating. If you are working your bootie off and not getting cut abs look at your diet... as is my situation... LOL :)
  • ZoeyRobinson
    ZoeyRobinson Posts: 301
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    I have to disagree about diet because I was a gluten free vegan living on whole foods for 4 years. And I still had a gut. My problem is I have hormonal imbalances. But I see my arms and legs are more toned but my abs are still buried under fluff.
  • urbansmamma
    urbansmamma Posts: 202 Member
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    I have to disagree about diet because I was a gluten free vegan living on whole foods for 4 years. And I still had a gut. My problem is I have hormonal imbalances. But I see my arms and legs are more toned but my abs are still buried under fluff.

    I agree there are exceptions, but in the majority it's a diet issue.