Big belly

[chillyuk]

Over the last couple of months I have shed a stone and a half. I have considerably increased my cycling mileage and at last the extra exercise and some minor changes to my diet things seem at last to be going the right way. What I don't understand though is why my belly has expanded. It is as if the fat from my chest and sides has pooled at the front. The shape and size of my stomach is now like a football. Before I was carrying fat, but it was more evenly distributed over my body so didn't look so bad. The change in shape occured very quickly and for no apparent reason. I just hope it goes down a bit as the weight drops. I have just had a blood test to monitor my Thyroxine levels (I have no thyroid gland) and that is all within normal limits.

 

[numbnuts]

Maybe you need to strengthen your tummy muscles, if I relax totally I'm the same, but over the years I have trained myself to hold my tummy muscles in all the time without thinking.

 

[Tyres23]

Also if your like me I lost it every where but the tummy is last measure it I'm sure it is just losing it there slower in my case because my gut was biggest

 

[Nebulous]

It's unlikely that it has actually got bigger- just that it hasn't come off there.

Weight loss isn't uniform. I lost a lot of weight and the first bit only seemed to come from my waist. Then it changed and it came from just about everywhere but my waist. I had to get my watch strap shortened, put insoles in my shoes as my feet were flapping about, and get new shirts as my neck had shrunk.

Then finally it began to come from my waist again.

 

[Globalti]

The body burns off the subcutaneous fat (under the skin) most easily then gets to work on the body cavity fat. Most likely your waist, chest and shoulders have lost bulk and left your stomach looking big by comparison.

Body cavity fat is more substantive and is built up over the long term, it is said that hydrogenated vegetable fat, which is margarines, cakes, biscuits, i.e. anything industrial, tends to accumulate in the body cavity.

If you cut out anything with this kind of fat, reduce your carbs to almost nothing (beer, potatoes, rice, pasta and instant soups, "milky" drinks and gravies) and try to stick to proteins, vegetables and fruit, that fat will soon go. As mentioned above a good posture with firm stomach muscles will help as well; you will build those muscles and will soon be standing with your stomach held in with no effort.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Pretty much this I'm afraid ^^^^

I'm overweight and have been for a few years now (since quitting the weed), more cycling has firmed-up everywhere except my belly where everything is concentrated. This is the hardest fat to shift and the cavity fat is also the most unhealthy to have. As a CHD sufferer I need to do more to remove it, but it's very difficult, especially with the nature of my work and travel. Also, If I think back, on my father's side most adopted my body shape with middle age, so there are some genetic dispositions to how and where you deposit fat.

The solution is as Globalti states, avoid anything with saturated/hard fats and reduce carbs to a minimum. Veg wins slightly over fruits, but as an cyclist you're better suited to using the free sugars that fruit provides.

Threads like this remind me that I really must listen to my own advice.

 

[screenman]

100 sit ups and 100 press ups a day 5 days a week sorted mine out. I just fit them in with a daily stretching routine.

 

[MacB]

100 sit ups and 100 press ups a day 5 days a week sorted mine out. I just fit them in with a daily stretching routine.

This or something like chinups coupled with the low carb and avoiding certain fats approach. Strengthening the core muscles won't do your cycling any harm either.

 

[chillyuk]

100 sit ups and 100 press ups a day 5 days a week sorted mine out. I just fit them in with a daily stretching routine.

From scratch, at my age, and with three lumber vertebrea fused together. I think I will pass on sit-ups and press-ups. However, I may well have a look how my swimming is nowadays. Years ago I used to do triathlon.

 

[JonnyBlade]

CATCH22! Reduce carbs and cycling more!

My gut has grown since I started cycling more and running less. It's a diet thing I'm sure

 

[screenman]

Should add that at 55 I am now spring chicken, also that 18 months ago 5 of each would have been interesting to say the least.

Chillyuk, facts man if you had given them to us first then the advise may have been different. I suggest seeing a professional medical trained person not asking a bunch internet experts when you have had previous medical problems.

 

[Crankarm]

Have you taken a pregnancy test ?

LMAO. The immaculate conception.

 

[Crankarm]

From scratch, at my age, and with three lumber vertebrea fused together. I think I will pass on sit-ups and press-ups. However, I may well have a look how my swimming is nowadays. Years ago I used to do triathlon.

Would 6 pints of ale and a curry on a friday and saturday night by any chance have anything to do with the shape of your stomach?

Just eat less and not late at night before you got to bed. Your tummy got fat cause you ate too many refined carbs and saturated fats and pies. 55 years old and a huge tummy, you are in red alert heart attack action station now territory.

As McB suggested chins up would be a great help. Also sit ups or crunches and press ups but you say you cannot do these. How about doing some serious running at least 5 miles each day for ever more?

 

[Crankarm]

CATCH22! Reduce carbs and cycling more!

My gut has grown since I started cycling more and running less. It's a diet thing I'm sure

Just because you do a little cycling or running doesn't mean you can still fill your face and expect to lose a lot of weight. Errr ........ no, well you can, but you won't get any thinner or may be you still get yet fatter. Maybe if you are a pro cyclist or marathon runner you can still fill your face, but even these athletes still monitor closely what they eat to avoid putting on excessive weight especially pro cyclists, marathon runners, gymnasts, track and field athletes, ok maybe not shot putters or discus throwers though .

 

[screenman]

Good point, but all I know was it worked for me along with a diet of course. Surely firm stomach muscles look better than slack ugly fat.

I am certainly not an expert on dieting, I do not profess to be, now experienced maybe slightly as I did lose 4 stone 2 years ago and have kept it off.

As for pilates, good call as long as you have an extremely skilled instructor and follow their advice to the letter, it is not easy to do it correctly from a book or dvd.