Belly fat not disappearing

(Ernest) #24

Nope! You can’t target body part fat. Only time and patience will destroy belly fat.

(Doug) #25

340lbs/155kg to 280/127 here, and waist circumference has only declined 2 or 3 inches (~6 cm). Even at my heaviest, if viewed from the rear I looked much more “normal.” But oh, that side view…

(Empress of the Unexpected) #26

That’s so true. My arms and legs look like sticks. The belly is still there, but flatter.

(Brian) #27

It may take a while, but it will eventually get taken off. Our body is kinda like a kid with it’s favorite toy. You can take some of the other toys but you’re not gettin’ that one (often belly fat) without a fight! :wink:

(LeeAnn Brooks) #28

For women, usually it’s the boobs that go first.:joy::flushed::weary:

(LeeAnn Brooks) #29

Well, even if it comes off evenly, if you have more belly fat than you have arm and leg fat, it would stand to reason that more would remain on the belly area longer. If you have more belly fat and ended up with as trim a belly as your legs and arms at the same time, it wouldn’t be coming off evenly, would it?

(Allie) #30

This is true… I’m rebuilding mine with heavy chest training :joy:

(KCKO, KCFO) #31

Not for all of us. My boobs are thick and heavy, they still are. I did go down some band sizes, but DDD/Gs still pretty much are needed for them. And even that came off after my waist started going down.

I just reread an old posting of mine above, I have gone down another pants size, weight is staying the same. So the changes do happen, albeit slowly sometimes. Never thought I would fit into 4s again, it has been decades since I was this size.

KCKO

(Fred Buchanan) #32

I’ve noticed that my waist / belly is the last place I lose from.

I was in a 42 (US) waist jeans (A snug 42 that is.) when I started. I had some 40s in my closet I’ve been wearing since a month into my new lifestyle. I know I could fit a 38, but I’m playing leapfrog with my sizes to save $$ on wardrobe changes.

I tried on some 36s I had kicking around, just for the heck of it. Legs fit fine, but the waist is still a no go.

I really didn’t put much thought into it, though. Just planned on keep keto-ing through until I get where I want to be…

I was always told you lose weight from the extremities in. Didn’t think Keto was any different.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #33

Lucky you. I go from nice C cups to let’s just pretend we’re still a B cup before it ever comes off my thighs or ass.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #34

I still have the belly I had twenty years ago, but at least it’s back to being a big belly again, and not a pillow of fat strapped to my chest! Interestingly, my legs thinned out recently, so I suspect some of the belly may start to go, soon.

(Pete A) #35

Keto-ing on will get rid of the belly fat.

(KCKO, KCFO) #36

Not really so lucky. When the rest of your body is a small and your boobs are still large, it is hard to find any tops that look right on your body. I have always had this issue and I never, ever felt lucky about it. You can’t imagine the back pain from this type of body either.

If you are smaller you can always go padded bras or even braless. Something I could never do since the 4th grade. UGH.

(Jay Patten) #37

Isn’t that the worst?!

(Ron) #38

Had a friend who finally had to have reduction surgery to relieve all the problems this was causing. I could not believe the devastation caused to her shoulders from just the bra straps, can’t fathom what else was affected.

#39

My understanding is that this is a hormonal regulation matter.

Belly fat is specifically related to cortisol levels and stress management - particularly in females where it actually correlates with better health in later life, at least from SAD science.

Once I learned about the cortisol connection and adaptagenic/stress-reducing herbs/spices via studying Ginger (which reduces cortisol and does a ton of other great complimentary stuff as a superfood) around month 6 of keto - I stared supplementing with dry Ginger capsules (you can also do the fresh Ginger tea thing if you organize yourself correctly to properly prepare and drink two cups a day). The Ginger has DEFINETELY enhanced belly circulation and recomposition - it’s slow and steady. (Of course weekly intense slow weight lifting also is FAB for cortisol levels - but not if you’re dealing with high stress levels, in which case it can add to your stress).

The university paper “Cortisol Connection: Tips on Managing Stress and Weight” Christine A. Maglione-Garves, Len Kravitz, Ph.D., and Suzanne Schneider, Ph.D." goes into some of this, albeit without a specific low carb lens:
https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/stresscortisol.html

“Zingiberis Rhizoma [Ginger] significantly suppressed the increase of ACTH-IS (120 min) and cortisol (180 min)”

Belly fat may be stubborn - but there are ways to hack the cortisol situation and Ginger is one of the cheapest superfoods that also compliments appetite suppression as well as enhances enzyme production & absorption of nutrients in the GI tract/microbiome. It’s subsequently a natural anti-depressant and powerful anti-infammatory. I’m taking 4-6 capsules a day (that’s 2.2-3.3 grams).

Contraindicated if you’re on statins/blood-thinners. Ginger is a powerful NSAID and can replace your usual pain relievers like ibuprofin or aspirin - even high dose ones.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #40

Interesting. I’m freaked out by that assumption that heavier is healthier in older women. Having pure belly fat and high triglycerides can’t be healthy. That is why I started Keto.

#41

What I know about the studies on women is that it’s simply an extra layer of fat in the belly - that reflects an overall additional 10 pounds - not obesity per se - and particularly for very lean ladies whose leanness may render them without shock absorption, etc.

HOWEVER - no one’s studying this from a LCHF physiology perspective. There are various kinds of leanness and fatness, etc. What’s critical is hormonal health and nutrient absorption. LCHF/keto females (whether officially keto or some reasonable degree of LCHF) are physiologically optimized, and vastly under-studied!!!

#42

There’s also an arguement (I think it might be in evolutionary biology?) that there is a mammalian benefit to some extra padding/fat stores for backup mothering energy that benefits survival of children during famine/catastrophes. However, traditional grandmothers in land-based pre-industrial cultures weren’t obese, etc. In fact, in some cultures they’re quite lean, but carry a li’l extra energy in the breast fat tissue.

I think female biology is so awesome, and am fascinated with the women’s health aspects of LCHF/keto. :wink:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #43

I went into menopause at 53. I am now sixty. Funny, at fifty I was doing Pilates and mentioned to my instructor that I could pinch a quarter of an inch. She cited the female studies. And laughed at me. But now, I jiggle. I don’t think it is either healthy or attractive. But something is happening because a neighbor mentioned “less protrusion “. Wow. Attractive. And I am not snacking all day long. So a bit of padding, yes. A 25 pound weight gain in 10 years? NO!
Also I am sadly an Apple, not a Pear. my arms and legs now look like sticks. Six pounds water weight in three weeks. With the belly. So still have work to do to be truly healthy. But I truly believe my body will figure things out.