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dieting and exercising, minimal weight results
Hey guys! I finally made the decision to start leading a healthier life. 6 months ago I hired a fitness trainer. Shortly after I changed my diet bit by bit, and I now home cook virtually everything from scratch (the exception is bread). Weight wasn't my ultimate goal with this lifestyle change, but I honestly wouldn't mind dropping the weight! I was hoping that with all this, I'd loose a good chunk of my belly fat, and not have it jump around so much if I walk. Maybe one day, my breasts will stick out more than my belly. ;) So I'm hoping someone here can help me figure out why I'm not loosing belly fat.
My workout routine: run 4 miles 4 times a week. 2 days with my trainer doing strength training (including core) mixed in with some cardio for 1 hour. 1 day off or maybe run 2 miles.
Diet: A typical day would be... (an average total of 1600 calories)
breakfast: strawberry milkshake (no added sugar, just strawberry and milk), sometimes multigrain bagel.
snack: Usually a bowl of berries, grapes, some other fruit.
lunch: last night's dinner, such as vegetables with chicken. I rarely use sauce, I typically flavor with seasonings and vegetables. Sometimes, lunch is a salad instead, filled with nuts, fruits, and vegies.
snack: More fruit and raw vegetables.
I currently work out during this time.
dinner: similar to lunch, but a different recipe to keep things interesting. It's generally vegies, meat, minimal carbs.
I'm a 5'3" 21 year old woman. 6 months ago I was 144 pounds, 34% body fat. I'm now 137 pounds, 30% body fat. It's next to impossible to pinch fat on my legs and arms (yay!), and even my rings are now falling off my fingers. However, I have not even dropped a quarter of an inch off my belly. I'm confused how this is, as is my trainer.
I do occasionally cheat. Sometimes I'll have a soda, sometimes a piece of candy, maybe a cookie. Thing is, I don't do this often and it's not much at a time. Any less, and I won't have them at all and I'll go nuts. ;) My trainer agrees and doesn't think that's the culprit.
The only thing I can think of is my mirena (birth control). Unfortunately I can not switch this or go off as I am on this for a nasty medical condition and not actually for birth control reasons. I've literally tried every other treatment and had surgery, but this mirena has been just a blessing for me and removed most of my problems. The next step is just to remove my uterus if I can't use mirena. So this really is a no change for me for the rest of my life. That said, I've been on hormones since I was 14 and use to be stick thin, and haven't suddenly changed weight with any hormonal change. So I'm just confused here.
Is there anything I can do to remove this stubborn belly fat? I don't to be unhealthy and do something like starve myself (I'd rather have the gut and be healthy), but I'm already doing everything I should be! Work out, eat the right foods, avoid processed foods, etc. How on earth are my fingers loosing fat before my belly which is full of it?
If anyone has recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it!
My workout routine: run 4 miles 4 times a week. 2 days with my trainer doing strength training (including core) mixed in with some cardio for 1 hour. 1 day off or maybe run 2 miles.
Diet: A typical day would be... (an average total of 1600 calories)
breakfast: strawberry milkshake (no added sugar, just strawberry and milk), sometimes multigrain bagel.
snack: Usually a bowl of berries, grapes, some other fruit.
lunch: last night's dinner, such as vegetables with chicken. I rarely use sauce, I typically flavor with seasonings and vegetables. Sometimes, lunch is a salad instead, filled with nuts, fruits, and vegies.
snack: More fruit and raw vegetables.
I currently work out during this time.
dinner: similar to lunch, but a different recipe to keep things interesting. It's generally vegies, meat, minimal carbs.
I'm a 5'3" 21 year old woman. 6 months ago I was 144 pounds, 34% body fat. I'm now 137 pounds, 30% body fat. It's next to impossible to pinch fat on my legs and arms (yay!), and even my rings are now falling off my fingers. However, I have not even dropped a quarter of an inch off my belly. I'm confused how this is, as is my trainer.
I do occasionally cheat. Sometimes I'll have a soda, sometimes a piece of candy, maybe a cookie. Thing is, I don't do this often and it's not much at a time. Any less, and I won't have them at all and I'll go nuts. ;) My trainer agrees and doesn't think that's the culprit.
The only thing I can think of is my mirena (birth control). Unfortunately I can not switch this or go off as I am on this for a nasty medical condition and not actually for birth control reasons. I've literally tried every other treatment and had surgery, but this mirena has been just a blessing for me and removed most of my problems. The next step is just to remove my uterus if I can't use mirena. So this really is a no change for me for the rest of my life. That said, I've been on hormones since I was 14 and use to be stick thin, and haven't suddenly changed weight with any hormonal change. So I'm just confused here.
Is there anything I can do to remove this stubborn belly fat? I don't to be unhealthy and do something like starve myself (I'd rather have the gut and be healthy), but I'm already doing everything I should be! Work out, eat the right foods, avoid processed foods, etc. How on earth are my fingers loosing fat before my belly which is full of it?
If anyone has recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi, loosing belly fat can be a difficult job at times. What ever you have done so far has accounted in success to some extent. Now you want to get rid of the belly fat. Follow a few tips to start losing belly fat but it would not be a faster phenomenon. Major factors contributing to belly fat are overeating, no exercise, lack of balanced diet. Serving sizes bigger than required/ eating without being hungry/ snacking while watching movies, TV. You have two each small sized servings more frequently a day as compared to large servings few times a day. Include fruits, vegetables, and grains (multiple servings), meat/dairy products (once or twice). Avoid saturated fats and replace them with polyunsaturated ones. Keep doing cardiovascular exercise like walking, jogging, aerobics, cycling etc along with few abdominal exercises as well. It increases metabolism and burn calories. Calculated weight training will also help. Good luck.
Hi!
I'm a personal trainer and I am impressed by your workouts and your diet. You are definitely on the right track as evidenced by your weight loss and body fat reduction. Unfortunately, due to our hormones and higher estrogen levels, women are very good at storing fat around the midsection and hips. Our bodies are ever alert to the idea that we might need to nourish a little one at any time!
Most women (even figure competitors) lose weight in the face & breasts first, then the arms and legs, and then finally the hips and waist. Exactly the opposite of what we want!
So keep at it, keep your little diet 'cheats' in so you don't lose your mind, and good luck!
I'm a personal trainer and I am impressed by your workouts and your diet. You are definitely on the right track as evidenced by your weight loss and body fat reduction. Unfortunately, due to our hormones and higher estrogen levels, women are very good at storing fat around the midsection and hips. Our bodies are ever alert to the idea that we might need to nourish a little one at any time!
Most women (even figure competitors) lose weight in the face & breasts first, then the arms and legs, and then finally the hips and waist. Exactly the opposite of what we want!
So keep at it, keep your little diet 'cheats' in so you don't lose your mind, and good luck!
Keep at it! Some women are more prone to storing belly fat than other and this tends to be the most stubborn place to lose it in these individuals. It sounds like you are doing all the right things and congrats to you for all your progress. It is possible that the birth control is slowing the fat burning from your midsection but it is not impossible to beat. I would nix the bagels just to be sure the carbs aren't the problem. Other than that your belly has no choice but to burn stored fat if you reduce calories and increase activity!
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