Now what?

Could it be a question of exercising your tummy muscles as they may have been stretched a bit?

I lost a lot of weight (and am still very slowly losing weight) but still have a small "tummy" bump. From my research, getting rid of that is quite hard -- "resistance exercises" are apparently the way to go.

@Kentoldlady1 agree with posters, exercise to move it around is going to help but it's not a quick process if my tum is anything to go by.... one day at a time is good as it actually keeps me on the "program".

Hi. I think you have done so well and it would be a shame to put any back on again m. Are you hungry and suffering on this lifestyle? If so its not sustainable and you should try something that is but if not you could stick to it and see where your body settles As to the tum I rhink some pilates could help your strength and posture- sit uos will tend to increse the dome effect! I am a rrainer byt you need a heptologist ro see if you still have a fatty liver!

Kentoldlady1 said:

I have been very lucky. I have been able to lose a lot of weight (nearly 6 stone) and my blood glucose at my last hbalc was 39. I am now in the middle of my healthy weight range.

I am still diabetic, not in remission or reversal but I can live with that. I feel so much better and I am eternally grateful to everyone on this forum.

But. I still have quite a round tummy. My arms and legs are getting thinner but the tummy remains!! I have lost inches around there, but nowhere near as many inches as off my bottom!!

So, my question. Do you think I should continue on my lower cal lchf diet? Or up my calories and just accept that I have a very round tummy? I am wondering if I still have quite a bit of liver fat, and so should continue to lose weight, but dont really want to be a bag of bones either.

I am happy enough on the amount of cals etc I am eating, but must admit as it gets closer to Christmas I am dreaming about nuts and cheese.

But, on the other hand I would be more than willing to continue if there is still a chance I could manage a remission.

My family want me to stop. I had said that once I reached my target weight, which I am fairly sure I will this week, that I will start to up my calories. I think that they think that I will go back to.eating carbs, even after 6 months of me not eating more than 50 grms a day.

I would be grateful to hear what any of you would do, or have done. I would love to be one of those for whom significant weight loss has resulted in remission, but can live with just being healthier. Just feeling a bit dithery at the moment.

Thanks all.

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Hi. I have exactly the same issue. Have also lost almost 6 stone and am less than a kilo from the target weight I set myself, but considerable fat still around my middle.

Am working on the assumption that this means I’m still very insulin resistant and have visceral fat. I am going to continue trying to lose weight (I am on 20g or less carbs a day) but have recently joined an indoor HIIT rowing class and am doing some resistance work with a trainer at the gym to try and increase muscle percentage in my body (and improve insulin resistance).

It really does seem to be a delicate balancing act.


Edited to correct typo.

Are you looking for perfection or are you looking to be healthy?
If you are looking to be healthy, I would not stress about your "small tum".
Exercise, eat sensibly and enjoy your life with your new improved body.

I have no suggestions about the tummy fat. Maybe those suggesting exercise are right, but if you are healthy, look good, feel good, and love your way of eating, have good BS levels, why change? Christmas is just a few days, and I intend to enjoy it.
As soon as I reached my target weight and found the right balance to maintain, I just stopped counting anything - and that helped me relax a bit about things. I do still weigh myself to keep an eye on things. I lost 4 stones. You have both done so well to lose 6 stones.

You could splash out and have an insulin resistance test from Medicheks, or just a fasting insulin test, which will give you a good idea about your IR and the state of play with your insulin levels.

quite a lot will be lose skin. youve done great. some toning exercise may help.

I've had three babies, after the last one my tummy never flattened out again. I am left with the loose skin but at my age I look better dressed anyway

Hi. Why are you thinking calories when it's the carbs that cause weight gain? The body is generally very good at working out how to avoid becoming a bag of bones. I would just keep going with the low-carb diet and having enough proteins, fat, veg and some fruit and you should find a stable BMI point.

I had a rock hard middle, and a huge waistline - more an equator, but it all went on eating things supposed to lower cholesterol not that terrible low carb diet which should not be allowed - but after some months eating low carb foods just as I did when I was a lot thinner, my waistline began to shrink and my 'bay window' look changed - but it was not an overnight thing. I can eat anything, just about, so I do, restricting only high carb foods. I can eat up to 60 gm of carbs in a day but usually stay lower. My weight was all on my middle and I have had to consciously alter how I stand now that I am not having to deal with it all.
Nuts and cheese are things I eat, though not every week, as I find that there are so many foods which I can eat, rather than having to avoid that I have even wasted foods by not eating them in time.
I stood on the scales thing morning and realized that I have lost more weight, without even trying, but I expect that it will slow down and stop when I get back to something reasonable. I put the scales away when I am low carbing as a regular thing - though it will perhaps be another year before I do that having been on a high carb diet for about two years and seen the weight piling on like crazy - do more exercise was the advice, when I could hardly walk for my knees hurting. Thank goodness that is gone now.
I would think that you can maintain weight and eat more, just not high carb foods. Being able to maintain weight is far more difficult than losing it. One reason for Atkins being so successful is that there are four parts to it, and there is a lot of advice about slowing down and maintaining, just as much as starting off and losing.
My reduction in waistline was nothing to do with weightloss - in fact I lost hardly anything whilst my waist shrank about 8 inches - it is a foot smaller than last year.

I'm another one with the same issue @Kentoldlady1; I've been unable to shift the fat tum, despite losing weight and inches elsewhere. Exercise hasn't worked so far; it seems from some of the replies here that maybe I'm doing the wrong exercise. Thanks for starting this topic; very helpful.

Kentoldlady1 said:

I have taken up swimming again. And now do some yoga. But my tummy feels solid, as tho there is more than just lose skin (yuk, so much information!)or flabby muscles. It feels harder. Not like rocks! But solid.

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Metformin was only thing which softened my tummy fat hun.

Ps. If you have any concerns ask gp for an examination thou, just in case?

Salvia said:

I'm another one with the same issue @Kentoldlady1; I've been unable to shift the fat tum, despite losing weight and inches elsewhere. Exercise hasn't worked so far; it seems from some of the replies here that maybe I'm doing the wrong exercise. Thanks for starting this topic; very helpful.

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Yes, switching the exercise makes a diff for me. Used to do aerobic LSD (long slow distance). Now a couple diff types of interval and resistance. Feels better and notice BG creeps up a bit w/o exercise.

Kentoldlady1 said:

Thank you all.

Its not to do with how I look. Although having a pre baby and pre 60 year old body would be nice!!! But I think its all a bit too late for that.
Its all to do with liver fat and insulin resistance.

I am definitely going to up my exercise. I do an aquafit class and have started yoga, but am thinking about a pilates class. My big problem is getting out of the door.

For me, losing weight has always been about the diabetes. It has been my motivation. I was lucky to find this forum.

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Hi well done on your weight loss. I do a fairly gentle Pilates class most of us are 50++ and then practise the core exercises at home most days dosent take long and has made a huge difference to my middle alongside the dieting and 2 stone weight loss I have achieved