To ask you to advise me why my stomach is massive

[samjamsam]

I'm really struggling atm. I have a massive stomach - 31-32 inches.

I am a size 10 otherwise due to my massive stomach. I would probably be a size 8 if I didn't have my stomach to fit into clothes. I weigh 7 stones 13 pounds (50.3kg).

I have been to the doctors and had tests for gluten intolerance, cortisol, pregnancy and all came back normal.

My typical diet:
Breakfast: 40g oats, oat milk and 2 strawberries
Lunch: small portion of quinoa or couscous with 1/3 tin chickpeas and 1 banana.
Snack: malt loaf (91 calories) or no snack, very occasionally a treat like popchips
Dinner: e.g. 1 mug of pasta with tomato sauce (olive oil, garlic, 1/2 tin peeled tomatoes) aubergine and ricotta; jacket potato with a tin of beans and cheese

I do a 10-15 min workout in the morning such as a lower body workout, light cardio or abs and do about 8000 steps a day.

Please help!!

iIcant remember if you said how much you weigh but a good rule of thumb is 0.8 - 1 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight for feeling full and sated so if you weighed 8 stone that would be around 90-110gms protein a day. you will struggle to hit that but it's good to have something to aim for. as an example 40g oats plus 70g quinoa plus a small tin of beans is approximately 25g of protein so you can see how far short you are falling.

Ffs your tummy really isnt that big

I feel like you could rename this thread "waaaaa, I'm really thin but why dont I look purrrrrrrfect like a supermodel?!"

Malnutrition.
No where near enough fat, protein and vitamins from veg and fruit.
And you need more calories too.

And oat milk is devoid of all the nutrients that dairy milk provide so osteoporosis on your diet is almost guaranteed

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

I feel like you could rename this thread "waaaaa, I'm really thin but why dont I look purrrrrrrfect like a supermodel?!"

Have you seen this!

Today's dinner was a burger bun with 2 Portobello mushrooms, soy sauce, maple syrup and homemade guacamole. So hard to ditch the bun and have 2 solitary mushrooms and guacamole!! Need some low carb high protein veggie food that doesn't have egg

Lentils can be good, tofu, cheese, greek yoghurt all ok. It is definitely much more challenging for vegetarians.

I lift weights in the gym, compound exercise like squats and deadlifts help to build muscle. I do a full body work out a few times a week so push, pull, legs and core. I am also working in my personal goal of being able to do a pull up so my exercises are based around that.

Google skinny fat and see if any of it resounds with you.

Oh some protein rich veggie foods that I can think of :

Milk, cheese, yogurt( particularly Greek style) beans and pulses of any kind. You can also add protein powder to porridge or make shakes.

If you eat fish, that would be the best option for protein and fat. All seafood and especially oily fish like smoked/non smoked salmon and mackerel. Sardines brilliant for calcium.

The basis of this is the ketogenic diet. I'm not sure how to apply it to vegetarian though.

You eat quite a lot of carbs, might be that. And some people, like myself, store fat around the belly rather than anywhere else.

I’d deffo look at decreasing the beige carb intake and increasing the protein and fruit and veg. I know you said you’re vegetarian, but there’s lots of really yummy stuff you can have that are gonna fill you up without being super beige carbs.

Eg. For dinner I would have a halloumi salad. Lettuce/spinach. Red onion. Tomato. Cucumber. Roasted cauliflower and broccoli marinated in a little olive oil and paprika. A bit of hummus. Salt. Pepper. Lemon juice and some oregano. Super yummy. And you can eat tons cos it’s mainly just veggies.

Each as much mushrooms or guacemole as you want, honestly you wont gain weight.

This is not like the low calorie/low fat diet. Once you feel satisfied you stop eating, which will happen quickly because of the fat content.

You may find you can go all day without eating because your blood sugars will be so stable. Be careful of that and make sure to eat regularlh

I'm veggie and don't eat gluten as it bloats me.Honestly not that hard as I hate the side effects so much.I eat lots of nuts,cheeses,beans,salads,sweet potato etc.Lots of gluten free alternatives now.Aldi has lots.If GP tests all come back normal I have found HIT classes the best way to burn belly fat.Try Lucy Wyndham Read on YouTube. All free and some less than 10 mins every day.

Exactly this.

I get it, @samjamsam I'm similar shaped (although partly because I've had two children) I feel like my shape makes it harder to find closes to fit plus I have been asked so many times if I'm pregnant. It's made me very self conscious.

I have recently been diagnosed with food intolerances, dairy being the biggest culprit and having cut them from my diet I have seen a difference. I paid to get tested privately as my GP wasn't helpful.

Sorry, my comment was supposed to be a reply to Eckhart, who is spot on!

There was no protein in the meal you have just eaten. You really need to add protein foods.
Look up kwashiorkor and see the pictures of thin people with huge bellies. You are as malnourished as people who are truly in famine

@lemonsandlimes123 I bow to your superior knowledge and will heed your unsolicited advice to the letter...

It might be worth paying for a consultation with a dietitian who can look at your specific body / lifestyle / health issues / diet and give you informed, scientific advice on what to eat, and what activity might be best for you. My friend does this for people & looks really in depth at all sorts of things to work out how their body needs to function.

[quote Eckhart]@lemonsandlimes123 I bow to your superior knowledge and will heed your unsolicited advice to the letter...[/quote]

It does look like you are protein deficient and lacking in muscle town. Increase lean protein and do some heavy lifting, you can get gains with bodyweight only for sure. Increase your caloric intake and get your sleep. You may find you gain weight but get a smaller waist if you do some weight training.
I'm 5' 2" - aiming to get to 11st but have a smaller waist than you and can do chin ups - the best iron supplements are the big iron bells with handles on them.

@samjamsam The Diet Doctor has healthy low carb vegetarian recipes

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/vegetarian

I think you look absolutely fine. Doesn't everyone have a stomach like that?

@samjamsam

My body today

My dad has a body shape like yours. You will definitely benefit from more protein and strength training. Focus on your core too - often weak back or pelvic muscles can cause your belly to pop out too.

Potential PCOS? Bad skin? Excess hair?