Bony frame fat stomach

[ViolaPlains]

As the title says, I think I’ve got a bony frame that I don’t want to lose any more weight from, but I’ve still got quite a fat stomach that I do want to lose from.

I’ve lost 5st 5 on MJ since May 24. I’m 54, perimenopausal, had a transverse pregnancy 9 years ago that left “some nerve damage” in my stomach area (according to GP). Does anybody have any advice on how to get rid of some stomach fat. I’m on 10mg of MJ as part of titrating down and my losses are really slow now/non-existent. I think my stomach is going nowhere - I’d just like a few more inches off.

What exercise are you doing?

I suspect that to get rid of belly fat, you need to change your diet. You don't say what you are eating now.

I am also on a weight loss journey (have lost about 5 stones). I have also always had trouble with belly fat, even when I have been a healthy weight in the past and was exercising like crazy - I used to be a competitive triathlete so I never ever stopped.

I feel like now for the first time ever, I am having success at losing belly fat. I can't do any exercise because I am now too unwell. I took part in the Zoe study last year and learned a lot. For example, even though porridge has the reputation for being a healthy breakfast that releases energy slowly, what I discovered by taking part in Zoe was that Porridge and banana (favourite breakfast) gave me a gigantic blood sugar spike, so I assume that a large part of the energy from that was being laid down as belly fat. In a way, I did kind of know that porridge gave me a spike because whenever I had it, I was always starving by 10:30 and had to have a snack. I now have chia seed pudding for breakfast and even by lunchtime am not particularly hungry.

I had the same issue with the blood sugar with jacket potato too - even though I had it with lots of veg and chicken, which is supposed to help lessen the spike.

Wholemeal bread also gave me the same problem. Croissants even more so.

So now I am not eating porridge at all. I eat much less bread and pasta and potato. I'm eating far more veg and pulses - even though I was already eating a lot of these. Also less red meat, more nuts and seeds and more olive oil. Also lots of yogurt and kefir.

Hi OP, well done on your weight loss so far! To answer your question the fat cells in your body are fixed in terms of where they are distributed (mine are most saddlebags) so if I drop my weight to get my legs slimmer my upper body looks too thin. You can tone your tummy muscles but excluding any bloating or distension the only way to change your tummy size is with surgery to remove fat which is often a step too far for some people (myself included!).

And I should have added - you might not be getting any blood sugar spikes from any of these foods. We are all different. However, if you have noticed that you are always very hungry very quickly after certain meals, that is a clue.

I would work on strength training and building up lots of muscle to fill those 'bony' slim areas to give some balance and sculpture to your physique. Look up body recomposition, this is what you want to achieve, it can be slow but very worth it. Obviously I am basing this response on no disabilities preventing you from doing so, apologies if it's not possible for you to strength training in this way due to disability.

I've always had a big belly from 18, my mum told I looked 3 months pregnant back then. Fast forward stopped eating meat for 5 years and mainly ate carbs as not many options as a vege, put on lots of weight and found out a few months ago I've been prediabetic for years and my GP didn't tell me. Anyway I went from bmi 32.4 with a waist of 93cm to bmi 24.0 and waist of 79 cm now. I definitely notice since I've cut down carbs and eating more protein, my belly is a lot flatter and less bloated, if I have a bad few days then i get water retention and bloating again. So best advice look at your diet and drink more water of you don't already. I've also started strength training, as well as pilates and HIIT and my waist has shrunk in so I'd definitely do this if you don't already.

Have you ever been checked by a specialist physio for an unhealed diastasis recti?

I am at a bmi of 21 and still have stomach fat, some of us are just shaped that way.

I am strength training as suggested by a previous poster, not all weight is ‘equal’ so you can be a healthy bmi but if your body is made of muscle rather than fat you will be smaller as muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space.

I have the same issue. I am also at BMI 21 and the rest of me looks almost too thin, but I still have a fat tummy. Smaller than it was of course, more of a little pot belly I guess. I am wearing clothes that fit me fine in every other way (and my trousers are hanging off my bum a bit) but I still feel uncomfortable when I have been sitting for a while because my waistband feels tight at the front. (Larger trousers look ridiculous, like clown trousers, and make me look starved). I am not going to lose any more weight, but I wish so much the tummy would have gone away!

You need to sleep more, reduce stress no booze and sugar and take good bacteria and you’ll be fine

My fat tummy is definitely just fat (I can pinch the roll!), it's not bloating or anything gut related.

Thanks, that’s really helpful advice. I was thinking about strength training. I’ve got more energy and do more walking but obviously I need to ramp it up.

I do eat quite well - Greek yog, chia seeds and collagen powder for breakfast, don’t tend to have anything then until tea, which is usually fish and veg/salad. I have started to incorporate more protein. I think it’s just give it some extra welly on my last two pens - I was half hoping somebody would come up with an easy answer!