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...

I feel for you as all my weight goes on my stomach too. In covid lockdown 1 I got a bit obsessed with exercise after I started doing laps of the garden like captain Tom. I started logging them daily, then moved onto fitness videos and couch to 5k. I was only just into overweight at 5ft 1 and 9st 4 but I lost 24lbs to get to 7.5 stone. My stomach did largely go, not totally flat but it proved to me it was possible. It was hard work and I didn’t look good in other ways. My neck looked like Deirdre Barlow! In the end I gained at least half back and looked a lot better and have to accept my stomach won’t go completely without losing a lot of weight which in real non covid life is impossible to keep up with

I always thought I was like this (I am at the moment too!) But I found I dropped weight slowly and suddenly the last 3lbs all came off my tummy.

I will give the inulin a go. Ordering it now.

I can and have lost weight but it won't come off my belly. And if I do anything that builds my stomach muscles it just pushes it out further as the fat doesn't move.

My gp still only offers telephone consultations and just tells me to carry on eating healthy. I think if I could afford liposuction and a tummy tuck I'd do that.

I've been steadily losing weight for several weeks now by using the nutracheck app and intermittent fasting. It's working for me, and most of my fat was on my stomach too. Maybe a calorie tracking app would help you OP

Look up Autophagy and water fasting on you tube, because Autophagy renews the cells it’s also meant to shrink them.
I too emotionally eat and actually find this the easiest way to diet

OP, first off, you have nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.

You have done really well to adjust your diet and increase exercise. How long have you been doing this?

Wright loss isn’t a smooth line. It’s plateaus and upspikes and different bits at different times.

My sense is that increasing strength training will help. Core strength work won’t ‘build’ your abs (unless you are following an extreme body builder regime) but will tighten your core muscles like a girdle around you. Coupled with the weight loss.

Do 10 mins of core exercises twice a day at home every day.

Most of all: don’t give up now!

I would insist on a GP appointment. Have you other symptoms?

Is your hypothyroidism autoimmune? If so get a blood test for coeliac disease and cut out gluten.

I think where we carry weight most is the least to go, so it’s likely you won’t see a change to your tummy until you’ve lost a significant amount of fat.

Sorry meant to add- if you don’t need to lose weight elsewhere it’s really tricky

Is it possible you're not doing the right type of exercises at the gym to target this?

You have commented twice with the same thing. In the op she says she’s been and had scans.

It’s called apple shape, it’s to do with naturally higher cortisol levels causing your body to store fat around the middle. You’ll lose weight from absolutely everywhere else before you start to notice it in your tummy, but it will come off there eventually don’t worry! Just keep doing what you’re doing.

I was the same after baby no.3, I looked ridiculous in whatever I wore because the larger sizes drowned me but the smaller sizes made me look like a boulder with these skinny little arms and legs sticking out!

Yes but that was 3 years ago. Anyway sorry for annoying you with my comments.
all the best.

have a look at mybodygallery, it’s a website where you can input your height and weight and see what others look like. Might be comforting to see others with your body shape!

You told us what you eat, but not how much.
What about snacks and drinks?
Have you actually tracked what you eat in terms of calories?

You need to exercise, not just walk.
At least 45 minutes 4-6 times a week.
Work on your core and your abs.
Work out with dumbbells: start out with 3-5 kg but aim to increase over time.

Check out these workouts on YouTube:
Bowflex 3-minute plank
Rebecca Louise Best Abs
Caroline Girvan Braced Abs and Core
Rebecca Louise Ageless Arms
Rebecca Louise Bingo Wings
Caroline Girvan EPIC Beginners

As LB2020 said, have you checked of your stomach muscles are separated? If they are you have to be careful what exercise you do as it can put more strain on them. You can see if they are by laying flat on you back and put 2 fingers in your belly button, when you sit up you will feel the stomach muscles close around them. I have this unfortunately!

I was told my stomach muscles were not separated a good while ago. I will see if I can check though.

In terms of how much I eat I have been aiming for 1,200 calories per day eating as healthy as I can. Usually I end up under that.

The reason I'm just doing the treadmill at the moment is because I feel really really unfit.

I'm also avoiding the weights area due to feeling disgusting and self conscious. It doesn't seem to matter what time of the day I go, it always seems to have skinny, good looking people in there and I just feel so embarrassed.

You need to get your underactive thyroid treated.

Make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. But the thyroid needs attention as a priority.

Op this is me too, dont worry lots of people have this, I totally look pregnant. I am working on a few programs slowly, you want to be careful on your workout so choose one designed for mum tums - I read plank is not ok for this for example - do things that arent putting pressure on your tummy but working it - eg side planks, butt lift, squats, dog pee, vaccy etc, lots of mum tum programs advertise at me through facebook so I just signed up to one and trying with that rather than traditonal workouts, that could help. Pilates & yoga? I think also pausing bread & pasta could help but ive not gone that far yet!

Can I say first, sugar is evil for this kind of thing. If you cut all sugar and carbs and then look at grains you might react to.
I found that OATS were worse than wheat for bloating .
and when I say sugar I also mean fruits and alcohol, this also means lots of milks and yoghurts etc etc.

Having been a fitness person obsessed with abs for a long time when younger I always say it’s 95 per cent diet and 5 percent exercise.

I know people will say this is extreme and unhealthy or even and eating disorder but cutting sugar is probably the only thing that helps reduce stomach fat and bloating.

Yes, eat healthy but also little, like really little. Train your stomach not to want much. That is definitely possible. Make fruit your only snack. Halve the sizes of your other meals. You will see the difference.

Here is an example.of a days eating.

I was the same and had a tummy tuck. Best thing I ever did

Not sure why it only posted one image.