Fat belly but not fat anywhere else !!

[WeightLate]

I am a size 12, had a baby 6 months ago and at the top end of my BMI. I want to lose around a stone to be comfortably in my BMI. I wouldn’t describe myself as fat, but I do have a big, fat, bloated belly and always have done. Clothes look awful. Even when I was a teenager people would ask me if I was pregnant (I was a size 8 then!)

Although I am at my biggest I have ever been, my legs, arms, face aren’t particularly fat, just my belly! Does anyone else struggle with this and how did you get rid of it?

I have this. I’ve lost 4 stone and I’m still apple shaped, just a small one. I’m trying to embrace it as I can’t lose more weight (BMI 19.5)

I have the same issue.
I actually broke down yesterday in changing room because nothing looks right.

I stripped to my doctor to show her exactly what I'm dealing with she said

It's a stress belly and I need to work on my core muscles and apparently a very weak pelvic can make our belly's stick out and be stubborn

I literally have a size 10 frame with a size 18-20 belly. And it's been like that since my second child. My third is now 6 months

Are you quite stressed?

My doctor advised, no sugar at all, core muscles and pelvic muscles exercise!

I yh

Same here. I've gone up a size in jeans because of this after being the same size for many years. I think mine is down to hormones and peri menopause, 'middle aged spread'. Rest of me is fine but I cannot get rid of the tummy and it makes me look pregnant if I wear anything remotely tight.

I have no clue how to get rid of it.

Do you do any core strength work? Pilates, swimming, horseriding kind of thing. Might not be fat, might just be poor core. Tends to give a little budda style tummy

Same. Pilates and literally no sugar in anything! Has helped quite abit. Drinking water all day helps too , stops you holding into fluid, reduce salt intake. However b4 cutting out all sugar and joining pilates I could work out at the gym daily , eating well, size 8 and still be asked if I'm pregnant 😫 I have to wear a size up in jeans with protruding tummy also which makes my bum and legs looks saggy as jeans too big elsewhere! It's so annoying, I feel your pain, pilates has helped though

Look up diastasis recti. When your abdominal muscles separate (often after pregnancy)
It gives even slim women a huge belly.
Typical core exercises are the WORST thing to do if you have this so worth checking you don't have it

Yes, same here, if you put something over my middle you wouldn’t know I had issues-I lost a stone and a bit last year and definitely got the belly down, it was all white bread, cereal and fizzy drink related, so I literally just halved that, didn’t eat after eight, drank more water. It’s back in the last few months, but I don’t mind as much as I did I just need it for energy really!! I’m happier now but yes, have a belly and am inching towards size 14 (for reference have just hit ten stone and am 5 ft 4 age 43

Some women are just genetically prone to having extra fat there. I've always carried a bit of extra fat there since I was a teenager. I have endo and IBS, so the intestinal bloating and general inflammation makes the belly distend, which makes it look worse. It doesn't matter what weight I am or how fit I am. I've been underweight and still had it. Even if you do core exercises, it only strengthens the muscle underneath and won't get rid of the fat.

If you're constantly bloated then it's worth doing something like a low-fodmap diet for a bit and seeing if there are food triggers.

I have this problem and have even been trying to research how to get rid of it. As I see it, there is no instant solution and you have to think in terms of YEAR, not days or even months! Eat small portions, count calories (and then take off 500 from what they say you need a day), go very much into protein (but don't forget fibre, useful fats, even some carbs to keep going), do both core weight and cardio exercises (nothing fancy, just running and even push-ups). Belly fat is the LAST to come off. Speak to me in a year's time... but I am not optimistic!

I've always been like this due to high cortisol levels, and pregnancy definitely made it worse. 4 months pp and I still look pregnant at times. All my weight goes to my belly and no where else. I thought oh well pregnancy will spread it out maybe I'll actually get some hips and a butt. Nope. Looked like a big potato with little toothpicks sticking out

I'm like this. All my weight sits around my middle, add stomach issues which cause bloating and I permanently look pregnant.