question on my flabby stomach

[cal2]

Hi, i am 20, weigh 99 pounds and im 5'3 and have a belly. i had a gyno appt and my lab results were negative. the doc didnt find anything wrong or any kind of infection. i have been running, well started running on the treadmill and lifting weights but i dont seem to see any changes on my stomach. i dont really intake alot of protein, can that be a reson why. also why does all the food seem to just go to my stomach?? anyone has the same problem? what should i do?? i started eatin 5 mini meals a day and cut down on carb during dinner and started drinking OJ in the morning and also started drinking water. ive been on this routine for 5 days now so i know i wont see changes that fast. any suggestions on why i have a pot belly?? ive always had it. my mothers side has a history of it. how can i get rid of it??

[Outcast]

Try doing exercises to strengthen your core (that's front AND back). Make sure you stand up straight. If you're slouching or if your stomach muscles aren't toned, all the exercise in the world won't get rid of the gut.

[A Fly onThe Wall]

Could be bloating .. Maybe IBS ..

 

Google IBS

[Blackfrost]

If you've had your gut for a long time, it doesn't just go away in 5 days of working out. It takes time to lose weight, and the persistance of doing regular cardiovascular exercise / and or weights as well. Protein is not going to flatten your stomach either. You just have to work steadily at dieting and exercise, and your gut will eventually go away. Post your daily example of what you're eating for your meals, and I can help you further

 

BTW Orange juice has alot of sugar in it. A couple of helpful dieting suggestions is to cut down (or out) sugar and white processed carbs (i.e white bread, white rice, flour tortillas) you can easily replace them with whole wheat bread, brown rice, and whole wheat tortillas.

 

Each of your meals should have an equaly balance of carbs and protein, to help your insulin level flattens out to normal. Drink lots and lots of water - this is critical to good weight loss.

 

Cheers

[Basic]

I'm no expert but I lost the belly 2x in my life. I found that if I toned my abs (sit-ups) early in my quest, the toned muscles tended to push my belly out...making it more noticable.

 

After the belly is reduced (it seems like you're doing the right stuff) then I work the abs.

[Naive]

The only way for a flabby belly to go away is with exercise. No other way that I know of to make stomach hard.

[Rosalind]

Did your doctor make any recommendations? Could it be hereditary like you mentioned?

 

A 20yr old, 5ft 3, weighing 99 lbs is NOT fat.

 

I can't help but feel sometimes it's a case of body dismorphic disorder.

[cal2]

Thanks everyone.

 

Blackfrost - i started eating healtheir. i dont drink soda and started drinkin water and juice. In the morning i wake up and run on the tread mill for 20 minutes sumtimes i run in the evening. then i hold dumbells and go down to the floor and back up. i do that for 2 minutes lol. My thighs were killing me the next day. then i lift weights for 2 minutes. and wait an hour and then eat breakfast i have the kellogs nutri bar and water, orange juice, white egg. afternoon i have nutrition bar, sumtimes water. indian food that consist of carbs. mid evening i have carbs. dinner i have chicken salad,orange,milk. i also drink ensure chocolate drink in the morning or afternoon. i need to eat 5 mini meals a day i mean i dont follow dis routine all the time. and then at nite i lift weights for 2 minutes. i try doing crunches but i need to get rid of the belly first. i think i might have IBS but i had a doctors appt not to long ago and she said everythin is fine and had a gyn appt and said everythin is fine. im just going to get medicine for IBS cause i dont think the doctors know what they are talking about. im like 99 pounds and have a belly and i just want to get rid of it. my doctor did say that the belly can be because of genetic factors but u can always beat it. can u plz tell me what i should do and like what i should eat and what time and when i should workout and for how long? thanks so much.

[sophia34]

cal2, this may sound counterintuitive to you, but I think one part of your problem is that at 5'3" and 99 pounds you are classified as UNDERweight. (Your body mass index is 17.5, where the "normal" range is 18.5 to 24.9) That's not to say that 99 pounds might not be perfectly normal for you, but it's something to consider.

 

That said, the fact that your stomach is protruding may well be that, because you may be underweight, the rest of your body is slightly out of proportion to your stomach. You may have trouble gaining weight, but if not, gaining five to ten pounds may actually put everything back into proportion and your belly may seem to recede.

 

Just a thought...

 

I also would suggest that you focus on other things besides your abdomen--being healthy all around. And perhaps look into Pilates, which is an overall body strengthening workout although it does strengthen the core (which includes everything from hips to chest). Pilates may improve your posture and flexibility, which in turn would strengthen your core in a way that eventually flattens it out.

[Bogus103]

Do you drink a lot of pops and eat a lot of candy?

 

I'm going through the same thing you are..I'm 90lbs and 5'3..and my belly pops out..I think in some girls this is very common! But sometimes the pop and candy can really blow your stomach up and make you feel like you are going to explode! I stopped drinking pop and eating a lot of candy...i've only done this for a bout a week right now and I can already tell the difference! I haven't felt like I was going to explode! It almost felt as if I was pregnant...so I kinda understand what you mean!

 

Hope something works..cuz you have a very thin frame and I know having a bigger stomach is quit annoying...it feel slike it's the only thing people look at!

 

Good Luck!

[Blackfrost]

I must have missed your diet post cal, sorry for the late reply.

 

5 small meals per day is good, and it looks like you are eating relatively well. You can have carbs, just try to avoid large amounts of processed carbs "white carbs" i.e. white bread, white rice, most cereals.

 

Your weight workout is kind of all over the place though. Work with your weights for at least 30 minutes in a one time session, once per day (on days that you do your weights). Using weights everyday on the same body parts is counter productive to building and toning muscle, so I reccomend you use your weights ever second or third day, but treat it like an aerobic workout. You can burn just as many calories lifting weights and targeting different muscle groups, as you can with most cardio machines. The key to getting a good workout with weights is to only take little rest intervals of 30-60 seconds between sets. You'll be sweating in no time Don't worry about building any big muscles, that's a whole different methodology of using heavier and heavier weights until muscle failure. Your weight lifting will help you tone your muscles, and the more toned and lean your muscles becomes the more fat your body naturally burn to feed those muscles.

 

The biggest success that I have found with weight loss has come from always exercising first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach. Then when you are done exercising, and your heart rate is thumping along, wait at least one hour before eating breakfast. What you are essentially doing is: you've slept all night (so all the food from dinner the night before is digested and gone) then you exercise - and since your body has no food to process, it begins pulling from your fat reserves to fuel your workout. Then after you are done working out, that extra hour you are sitting around waiting to eat, your body is pulling even more fat to feed itself. The key then is, you are now starving hungry when it's time to eat - make sure that you do not go overboard and eat large amounts of every good looking food in the kitchen. Just eat until you are full - not stuffed. Time these little meal about every 2 1/2 hours apart throughout your day, and you should begin losing weight in no time.

 

Keep drinking lots of water. It's absolutely vital to fat loss as well.

 

Cheers

[Toni_no12002]

ive read in many places that you cant spot reduce.like work on one part of your body.if its fat then no amount of excerise will shift it without a diet.try a calorie controlled diet and try running etc to burn calories.you need to be aiming to burn more calories than you are eating.also if you do sit ups etc that will not get rid of a flabby belly but will only tone the muscle underneath.if theres fat there infront of the muscle you wont see it anyway.so try a calorie controlled diet and excercise to burn calories.also drink water about 8 glasses a day.it will take time dont expect results over night but it should work!

[Blackfrost]

absolutely true. You cannot spot reduce. Otherwise every fat guy would have six pack abs hahahaha

[Toni_no12002]

i used to think you could spot reduce i was always doing stomach crubches etc but in the end it only toned the muscle underneath the fat was still there.but now im on a caloire controlled diet and im also doing excercise to burn calories like biking its working ok !

[cal2]

i am 20 5'3. how much calories should i take in? i just want a flat stomach , i dont wna lose weight anywhere else. i have fast metabolism so its hard for me to gain weight i only gain weight on my stomach.

[sophia34]

There's no way to spot reduce, and there's no way to tell your body where to lose weight. In fact, I've heard there's a "first on, last off" factor when it comes to losing weight--the first place you put it on is the last place you'll take it off. However, if you lose any more weight, you'll have no guarantee that it would come off your stomach. In fact, you'd probably just end up losing weight from other areas and end up looking unnaturally skinny and unhealthy.

 

You might try avoiding all sugars and refined carbohydrates (white bread, white flour, etc.) and eating a good-carb (whole wheat, grains, fruits, vegetables), high-lean-protein diet. I've heard that can sometimes reduce belly fat because you're no longer eating the type of carbs that tend to be stored around the middle. I think you could also weight train to become more muscular on your arms, legs, shoulders and back, so your body will seem more proportionate to your stomach.

 

If I were you, I would not try to lose any more weight or cut any more calories--if you have a fast metabolism, calories are NOT the problem anyway. You may just be genetically predisposed to having a belly and I don't think any amount of exercise or calorie cutting is going to change that. Get below 99 lbs and you're only risking your health.

 

You're asking for a secret that does not exist, cal2. Sorry.

[tiadesai]

hello

are youdoing those exercises everyday

remember the right kind of exercises and th right kind of food will get you the desired results

so consultyour gym instructor for exercises and your dietician for diet

that will work for you

thanks

[mutton]

I've heard from somewhere that muscles do weigh more than fat. For professional bodybuilders, its possible for them to build up the muscle and trim down the fat for lean muscle/definition. At the same time they maintain a healthy weight and sensible diet, but without much fat on the body. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should go and turn yourself into a she-man, but with a little bit a research, it just might be possible for you to slim down/tone your stomach without losing the much neccessary weight (and without having to look like a professional wrestler either). Just a thought.

[sloppiness]

make sure that you are streaching properly before and after running, you can develop a runners pouch. Make sure you streach your abdomen by placing hands on hips, one leg out in front other leg, as if your going to do a squat and streach back.

[pippen_2k]

I think your on track with the food your eating, but your exercise routine is a little out of whack.

 

20 Min cardio sessions is far too short! I recommend a time in between 40-50 mins at least 3-4 times a week where you are working about 70% to your max. On the days when you dont do your cardio activity, do moderate weight and high rep workouts, ensuring you only have around 1 min rest between sets like blackfrost stated. It works wonders.

 

Goodluck and remember persistance is the key. I see far too often people start these rotines and give up after a few weeks.. It takes months so stick with it!

[may]

hey, is it true that thin framed girls seem to have prominent bellies? has anyone who's had this gained weight and noticed that the condition improved?

[guest]

I'm 5'5" 115 lbs. I do not weigh very much, but certainly have flabby areas. I eat very carefully (plenty of protien, water, low carb) and work out 3-4 days a week. The day I developed my small chest is the day I developed a flabby belly. I am a classic apple shape. From my chest up and knees down I am very trim. My waist is about the same measurement as my hips, my inner thighs are loose and round. I've tried everything you can imagine to lose my potbelly. As I near 30, I'm realizing its just the way my body is and there's not much I can do about it. Everyone has body issues, this is my mine.

Ok, thats enough for the mature, rational talk - does anyone else have any suggestions? Does anyone reading this know how a thin, healthy person can lose a lose, flabby belly? I haven't worn a bikini since I was 14 and would love to feel comfortable in one.

[Toni_no12002]

Im sick of diets!they do my head in i spend half my life on one i think and every magazine i buy there in it!

 

My sister is a size 8 and she wants to be on a diet to lose her belly!she hasnt bloody got one lol if she wants to see one she can look at mine lol

 

Do most diets even work?

[sophia34]

Most "diets" don't work because most people can't stay on them. Few, if any, people can eat a low-carb diet or a all-fruit diet or whatever else kind of diet for the rest of their lives. So when they're on the diet, they lose weight. When they're off, they gain it all back. Only lifestyle changes work to lose weight. As so many people on this forum have noted, it's an "eat less, exercise more" proposition. And you have do it, on most days, for the rest of your life.

 

But you're right--seeing magazines push every type of diet and miracle food for losing weight gets real old, real fast. But what those magazine diets don't tell you is that you have to customize "eat less, exercise more" to fit your body and lifestyle, so that you won't go "off" it like a diet. You have to plan for your favorite foods so you don't feel deprived. Those magazine diets also often don't encourage people to focus on what's important: strength and health. I bet if your sister focused on food and exercises that made her feel strong, energetic and healthy, she'd focus less on her belly. Better yet, with such a plan, her belly would probably take care of itself.

 

I can't criticize her too much, though. I'm also a size 8 and hate my stomach. I feel her pain! But I also realize I'm well within the healthy weight range for my height, and since I've lost weight, my belly is MUCH less pronounced. Focusing on weight training, running, and other exercises has really helped. People notice the muscle definition I've developed in my arms, shoulders, and legs and I feel much stronger. So that's gone a long way toward helping me forget my unfortunate, genetically inspired belly pooch.