Is the stomach the last place you lose weight at?

Question

I have been exercising and dieting for a month now and have gone from 255 lbs. to 240 lbs. for a total loss of 15 lbs. The thing is I don't really see any difference in my stomach area. Also will only eating one meal a day, lunch, have negative effects on weight loss and strength training instead of positive effects?

Answer 1

In men, the abdominal area is where the bulk of excess fat tends to be deposited. This has to do with genetic factors as well as physiological characteristics that have evolved over time. In women, by contrast, fat tends to get deposited in the thighs.

When you are in a calorie-restricted state, you will burn fat from all areas of your body in an attempt to close the "energy gap." However, because you likely have more overall fat in your trunk than in your legs or arms, the fat loss in your stomach area will be less noticeable. It's like removing a 1/2 cup of water from a container that has a gallon of water in it, versus removing the same amount of water from a container with a cup of water. The one with the less volume will be more noticeable, even though you've removed exactly the same amount of liquid from it.

That said, your eating plan really needs to change. Eating once a day is counter-productive and is probably already slowing down your ability to burn fat effectively. You should be eating your calories across six smaller meals. When you eat, your body has to not only expend calories just to digest your food, but it also lets your brain know that you aren't starving and that it's okay to tap into those stores of fat for additional energy. Right now, at one meal a day, your body thinks there's a famine in the land and it's actually tenaciously holding on to that stomach fat because it doesn't know how long the famine might last.

Make sense?

Remember that a "meal" doesn't have to be anything huge, so working or being on the go isn't really an excuse for not being able to eat six times a day. For example, an apple with a couple tablespoons of natural peanut butter counts as a "meal" under this approach. So does a bowl of oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder, or a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and some almonds. The main thing is to always try to have a complex carb, a lean protein and some good fats in each meal.

By the way, congratulations on the 15 pounds -- that's no small feat. Change your approach to eating and you'll really start to chip away at the belly.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

It depends on the person, but for most the stomach is one of the last places to show weight loss. You need to spread your calories out over the day so you're eating a meal or a snack every few hours. You also need to eat enough that your body doesn't go into starvation mode and store every extra calorie. Try Weight Watchers. The point system is really easy. After about a week you can calculate it in your head; and, the point range will let you be sure you are eating enough.

Answer 3

Not a guru or anything, but I have been up and down that hill before. I do know that not eating is not the answer. Your body actually thinks it is starving on one meal a day and will hold onto the weight that much longer. Several smaller meals throughout the day works much better. I have followed the same routine that you have described and then went back to regular eating with continued exercise and the weight fell off. At to another plateau. Good luck - Oh and depending on your body type, you may see results everywhere else except you stomach or those lovely handles.

Cheers

Answer 4

it depends on a persons body type but yea the stomach is a tough place to lose the fat. alot of people even have a little pouch there which is genetic. I think you're doing good considering u lost 15 pounds in a month, keep up the good work. but i would recommend for u to eat at least 3 meals a day, maybe even 5 small snacks/meals. it helps keep your metabolism going and prevents you to overeat all at once. even for one of the meals try substituing it with a protein shake or good quality protein bar. For the shake, u can buy the powder almost anywhere and add it with whatever you want. Some people use water others milk and others milk, yougurt, fruit and ice.

Answer 5

I think it was Covert Bailey (spelling uncertain) that said men and women gain and lose weight differently. He said women fill-up like a bag. They gain weight from the bottom up and lose it from the top down. I think he was assuming that you didn't do targeted exercises. So the last thing to show weight gain is in the face and the first thing to show weight loss is the face. He contended that the knee region and upper legs were the hardest place for a woman to get rid of excess pounds. Men on the other hand gained weight around the waistline and it spread in both directions. He also contended that like women, men shed pounds in the reverse order that they were applied.

Answer 6

Where your body tends to store fat is genetic. It sounds like your body is predisposed to storing fat around your midsection so in this case, yes you will not see a significant difference there for some time.

Please don't skip meals like you're suggesting, not only is it terribly unhealthy but it's counterproductive. If you don't supply your body with enough calories you will go into "starvation mode". Basically, your metabolism will take a significant drop as your body believes food is scarce, making it hard to lose weight.

Finally, congratulations on your progress so far. However, 15 pounds is an awful lot to lose in just a month. It's much healthier to lose approximately 1-2 pounds a week and you'll be more likely to be doing it through positive lifestyle choices that will result in long-term weight loss.

Answer 7

yes - eating one or even 2 meals a day will slow down your metabolism
find daily calorie intake calculator on the net, enter all your stats and it will tell you how many calories you need a day to maintain, take off 300-400cal off that number and thats how much you need to lose.
eat 5-6 small meals a day (eat every 2-3 hours - it optimizes your metabolism)
5-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day
8 glasses of water
have complex carbs for breakfast - they give you energy
have protein (lean meat, legumes etc) for dinner - repairs muscle
cardio exercise 4-6 times a week for 30-50min (ideally 45min because the first 20-30min body burns carbs and only then starts burning fat), light weight training (more muscle=faster metabolism)
dont consume foods that are made of white flour (white bread, cakes, pasta etc.), sugar loaded foods (cookies, icecream, candy etc) and nothing fried, oily.
ofcourse you can spoil yourself once in a while with a little treat:)
when you lose fat - you lose it evenly all over body so the places with thinnest layer of fat are noticable first (e.g. face) and the places with thickest layer of fat will show it last (e.g. belly)

Answer 8

My friend eating less can actually be more harmful to you in regards to losing weight. Especially at 240lbs, Trust me I went from 235 to 205 in a matter of months from Jan till present. I have done a lot of reading and the body will hold on to fat cells instead of releasing them to burn off if you stop eating. In fact you can actually eat 4-5 small meals a day to help your muscles burn fat. eating good is just as important as excercising. I still have my gut but it has greatly decreased due to diet and training. I workout out 3-4 days per week and have noticed much improvement. I mess up on the diet here and now but nothing overboard. But if you starve yourself that will work against you.

Answer 9

Your abdominal muscles are probably stretched vertically and horizontally. It won't shrink unless you work at pulling them in, and holding them in. They will tighten up overtime, and eventually may prevent you from overeating. If they are strong enough, you'll get full and have to stop eating.

Switch to smaller meals, same or less total calories. One big meal will tend to store away fat, and cause protein scavenging at other parts of the day.

Answer 10

Exercise each morning when compared with night