To feel ashamed, embarrassed and not know how to fix this?

[Avatarthewayofwater]

I've taken the image from Google as I'm far to embarrassed to take a picture of myself.

Any weight I gain goes on my stomach and due to emotional binge eating I find myself here.

I did have ultrasound scans to check nothing underlying was going on, but no its visceral fat and only I can get rid if it.

The problem is I've changed my diet completely and calorie counting and eating healthy along with exercise. Yet nothing has changed stomach wise.

I'm so self conscious and I can't wear normal clothes because I constantly look pregnant.

Even at the gym I hide in a big hoodie so no one can see.

It's making me depressed and I don't know how to get rid of the stomach fat.

Has anyone else been like this and managed? I had a c section years ago and have an underactive thyroid if that makes any difference.

Please be kind...

How long have you been dieting and exercising?

And how old are you?

If your stomach has a disproportionate fat distribution, you could get liposuction. If you lose fat through diet and weight loss then you may lose it from other places too and your stomach would still be disproportionate.

I'm in exactly the same boat, put on 4 stone between september and december last year. Been dieting and exercising for 3 months solid now and nothing, no change at all, not a pound/cm lost. Never had a problem losing weight in my life before its a joke. And yeah its all stomach and face :(.

ME!! Truthfully, @Avatarthewayofwater
I assume it's just the way I was made, sadly.. when I've lost weight, it's gone from the tops of my legs etc, not my tum.. I've just kind of learned to live with it & try to dress accordingly & disguise it.
My dad was the same.. he liked a pint so I always thought his was a beer belly, but maybe just apple shaped? Plus I had a c section & I definitely don't think it helps..

I can't afford liposuction.

I'm 37. The rest of me is a size 10-12 buy my belly is a size 16. So it's more obvious.

I can lose weight in other areas and am doing with eating healthy and exercising. But not even an inch off the belly.

Are your thyroid levels stable?

Are your stomach muscles separated (diastasis recti?)

I am exactly the same, even when I lost lots of weight my belly still stuck out. I've gained weight again and my belly really sticks out and I'm struggling to get into my size 12 jeans.
I have tried gluten free, no dairy, tablets that are supposed to help with bloating but nothing seems to ever make a difference
I'm constantly jealous of people with lovely flat stomachs

I used to carry weight like this on my stomach. I’m early 50’s.

9 months ago I joined Slimming World, stopped drinking alcohol & started going to the gym at least 4 x per week (doing cardio spinning & weight resistance body pump classes).

In 18 weeks I lost 31 lb and completely changed my body shape (including loosing the stomach). The weight resistance training was a game changer for me.

Can you run through a break down of diet? Guilty pleasures etc? Alcohol intake? Removing certain foods/alcohol can help. I’ve found removing sugar (can’t drink my multiple coffees without it) I find half a teaspoon of honey does tastes nicer than my previous two sugars, decaf fancy coffee, I don’t drink anymore and can recommend gorgeous alcohol alternatives! I stick to a fasting diet also (which really doesn’t feel like it as I’ve never been an eater on a morning) also work/lifestyle wise impacts

I go to the gym but just do an hour walking fast on the treadmill at the moment to build up my fitness. Also walk to work and back which is half an hour each way.

Breakfast I have fruit and a yoghurt.
Lunch a salad or hummus and veg etc.
Tea I have meat and veg.

I bloat terribly, have skinny legs and arms but a bloated belly and I hate it too! Sick of wearing tshirts trying to hide it. I am 6 months pp but I've always bloated. I have pcos so don't know if that contributes. I will be watching this thread

The person in the picture would look a 100% better if they tightened their core and straightened their back. Yes there's a lot of fat there but it's really exacerbated by posture. What do you look like when you hold it in? (Your muscles, not your breath) because that's what you should do all the time.

Pilates -helped me

Riding a motorbike - game changer.. (its enjoyable and my waist has never been so thin)

When I'm breathing out I look 9 months pregnant. When I hold it all in tight I look about 7 months.

Not to worry you, OP, but last time I read a thread like this, where the woman had a big fat tummy and was normal weight everywhere else, she had a massive cyst.

Have you been to your doctor?

2 or 3 years ago I got sent for a full ultra sound of my stomach, bladder, womb etc.
I was told everything was fine and it was visceral fat, that is hard to get rid of but really bad health wise.

No advise was given other than eat healthier.

Insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) gave me bloat. I had it because of polycystic ovaries, but I have hypothyroid issues as well. I found a low carb diet and Metformin worked for me, although not diabetic. I would demand blood tests to make sure there is nothing metabolic going on. NHS tests at GP-level are pretty basic, and my insulin resistance was only picked up in a medical trial at a hospital by chance. It was life changing and I lost weight, and felt better.

Re the gym an hour on the treadmill to increase your fitness is a waste of time. Get a PT there if they offer it even one session or to show you the equipment, or get stuck into classes with cardio and weights, that’s how you’ll increase your fitness by doing the exercises rather than just walking.

You need natural morning sunlight every day for more than 20 minutes. No glasses and not through windows.
Change your diet over to more fish and organ meat based for a few weeks too.

Swap the gym cardio for weight training. Increasing muscle mass and strengthening your core will make a huge difference.

Increase the protein in your diet and concentrate on tracking your calories. If you’re in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight - including on your stomach.
Allow yourself treats/don’t be too strict or it won’t be sustainable long term.

Try inulin powder, it's effective for shifting visceral fat obviously as a part of a healthy lifestyle. It's a soluble fibre, you can get pure inulin powder from so many places, Amazon, health sites or Holland and Barret.

You probs should check online for daily quantities, I have a couple of teaspoons a day dissolved into hot drinks because its a pre biotic and it helped me with my eczema, but specifically for the burning of visceral fat may have a different recommended intake amount. I know it takes up to six months to have a full effect so not an overnight thing. Beware it does give you wind for the first couple of weeks.

I remember watching something years ago on TV and it said inulin, which is a type of fibre, was particularly good for helping get rid of visceral fat. You can buy it as a supplement. It's helped me. Search on the internet and you'll see there are quite a few studies.

I would go to the GP. All the best.