[Vaun]

never had a 6 pack. even at weighing 155 as a bicycle racer, and at 210 with 15% BF. I just can not lose it, and when I diet I lose size but not the gut. at 37 its frustrating, I was a serious endurance athlete, a crossfit coach, an athlete my whole life. right now I lift starting strength and do a few WOD's a week. Measuring all of my food right now with Daily Burn to lose some fluff I picked up on a trip to Savannah, and that I am running about 10# heavier than I should be.

[alecks]

People want a short way out. eg starting a fat burner when they are 20% bodyfat etc.

they dont have patience to diet slowly and then what to do after the diet is done.

sure there are hormone related problems,IF you have them but for the majority of the population they are fine,just with excess weight.They fucking complicate everything and dont focus on a slow and steady calorie deficit.

[Albertron]

Yeah, I also have a belly that hasn't gone away since I've put on weight. But as my buddy calls it, I'm in 'perma-bulk' mode, hahahaha

I'm naturally an ectomorph, so if I don't constantly eat, my weight will go down quickly. It's flat first thing in the morning, but becomes round as I eat throughout the day. Although it may sound like a good thing (i.e. if I just incorporate a steady diet), ectomorph's also have difficulty building muscle. In other words, if I don't constantly eat big, I won't get big.

[iknowexactly]

I'm dieting now, but I've decided the best thing to do is lose weight as SLOWLY as possible, without any feeling of deprivation, so I can stay ON the new diet. I've found out I can only lose about 1/2 pound a week eating a diet I really like. Which is fine, really, losing weight is not the problem, it's the fact that 95% of people gain it back...

[billy]

I look in good shape with clothes on 90 kilos at 5ft11 and train 7 times a week but still have a bit of a belly. at 90 kg's I have the same belly I do at 95 thats just how it is sometimes. I am not massive but when I get much over 90 steriods questions come up with girls. Some of the guys I train with are at serious fitness levels, 5 mile runs carrying dumbels as warmups etc, the ones that concentrated on body building before and had only size and no fitness all got a bit of a belly back when they started to train as fighters and stopped the gear. I have seen guys look in awesome shape and then watched them die after 1 5 minute round on a bag, then a guy who looks like shit next to them can do 10 five minute sparring rounds.

[JayJuanGee]

(07-27-2013 10:47 AM)slubu Wrote:  

I've never in my life not had a belly. I was a fat kid, and even when I went from 198 lbs to 154 in 4 months, I still had a belly. This was despite running 4 miles a day, and barely eating (I was insane during that time, thanks ephedra). I've also never gone more than 2 weeks without drinking for the past 15 years.

This wheat belly thing is interesting, I may try it out. Though the closest I ever came to losing the belly was after 5 weeks of backpacking through Europe, constant walking, little food intake, and reduced alcohol.

I’ve just read through this thread, and I find the subject interesting – because personally, I have always considered myself as having somewhat of a pot belly (and it got bigger into my late 20s and early 30s) – but in recent couple of years, I have not really thought about myself as having a pot belly because I lost a lot of weight without trying to reduce the quantity of my food – just changed the quality. Read below… he he he a little teaser.. ☺


Based on the prior posts, I also question whether OP really wants to lose his pot belly, and maybe OP is just running some ideas about the psychological impact of having a pot belly. Though I have noticed that most guys on this thread are not as much concerned about the psychological impact and instead doing something about it.

Surely a pot belly can be a handicap, but also if one has confidence, then the pot belly may not be as big of a negative factor as one may think, especially if a guy spins the belly into a positive - to use a weakness as a strength, as mentioned in an earlier post.

Personally, if possible, I would prefer NOT to have to spin any pot belly into a strength, especially if I can fix it and likely I will live longer if I get rid of the potbelly.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...-risk.aspx

or

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-r...-belly-fat
or
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-fat


Mercola has pretty decent dietary recommendations; however, I am skeptical about any dietary recommendations of webmd (even though webmd does recognize the visceral fat problem, they do not necessarily know what to do in order to lessen it).



Largely, it seems that the first response in this thread by Kosco answered the question about a likely explanation about why the pot belly is happening.. likely a combination of wheat and dairy. I am more inclined towards wheat and other carbs as being the culprit, even though I understand that some people may be sensitive to dairy (especially the processed dairy that is in our food supply).

The website for wheat belly is below:

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

The cardiologist author (William Davis) of wheatbelly blog also has a book with the same title, and the claim is that if a person merely eliminates wheat from his diet, then many health problems will be resolved. Also, wheat is very addictive and causes a person to crave other carbs.

I sense that my historical pot belly has mostly gone away in the last couple of years (my weight went from 200lbs to 175 without restricting calories) due to my diet, even though there is still some potbelly present. Well nearly 40 years of bad eating for me, and likely the belly will not go away completely until maybe little by little… if I do not resort to bad eating – people frequently say I look better without the belly. ☺

Personally, in the last couple of years, I mostly eliminated carbs from my diet and that includes wheat, corn and soy. I also try to eat good fats – animal fats and coconut oil and butter. I avoid transfats and vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils.

In any event, because some of the food that we eat is very addictive, sometimes it can be very difficult changing eating habits – but if we can find ways to satisfy our appetites with limited carbs then we will not feel that we have to eat junk foods.

If we eat well by eating good fats and proteins, then exercise is less important in losing a potbelly. Surely, some guys want some carbs in his diet, and probably just reducing the level of carbs will be helpful – less than 100 grams a day – and better less than 50 grams a day would be good.

Life without bread recommends less than 72 grams of carbs per day (which is equivalent to 6 slices of bread or the equivalent carbs in other foods. http://www.amazon.com/Life-Without-Bread...0658001701



Gary Taubs talks about exercise not being necessary for weight loss – even though exercise may be good for other reasons. See Gary Taub’s book – Why we get fat and what to do about it.

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-Abo...0307474259

[Moma]

Bumping this thread...I'm having a problem with my belly and I need RVF diagnosis.

I've been quite active but I only really see faint abs in the morning..by my first meal, I'm rocking a steady pot.

I can post my meals and intake as need be.

Thanks, guys.

[Tail Gunner]

(04-05-2014 08:47 AM)Moma Wrote:  

Bumping this thread...I'm having a problem with my belly and I need RVF diagnosis.

I've been quite active but I only really see faint abs in the morning..by my first meal, I'm rocking a steady pot.

I can post my meals and intake as need be.

Thanks, guys.

I just posted this information in another thread. I will re-post it here.

I lost twenty pounds in three months (since January 2nd) without dieting, but by simply changing my diet. My level of physical activity remained exactly the same. I did not have a pot belly, but I was obviously carrying a great deal of extra weight. If I have time, I will eventually start a thread.

I eliminated dairy, bread, and sugar (except fruit). I only eat meat two or three times a week (and then, only small portions). I eat mostly plants (fruit, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains). I take two 1000 mg fish oil capsules twice a day along with a good multi-vitamin. I also took digestive enzymes and probiotics to help the transition to a new way of eating.

I emphasize that this is not a diet. I eat as much as I want, whenever I want. Yet I still lost twenty pounds. I am amazed that what you eat -- as opposed to how much you eat -- can have such a significant impact on your weight and your health.

Give it a shot.

[Andy_B]

I have a belly.

I think it has to do with my being like 75 pounds overweight.

I suspect this might case with other guys as well.

[berserk]

(04-05-2014 08:47 AM)Moma Wrote:  

Bumping this thread...I'm having a problem with my belly and I need RVF diagnosis.

I've been quite active but I only really see faint abs in the morning..by my first meal, I'm rocking a steady pot.

I can post my meals and intake as need be.

Thanks, guys.

What exactly do you mean by belly? Are you bloated or is it more like a small gut of fat? Does it disappear when you suck in?

I had a bloated kind of belly for half a year. I was fat, ate way too much carbs and grains and every time I drank beer I would get bloated. I doubt it was really gluten intolerance or anything like that, but I think eating poorly can upset your stomach bacterial fauna, which can lead to bloating. Since losing weight and living more healthy, I have no problems with the belly. I also used to have terrible GERD which also went away.

I still have a bit of a gut even if I have lost weight. It is generally the last to go on men, a last resource fat storage. On men it is on the belly and not on the hips and ass like men, because it is easier to run and move with fat on belly than on your hips. It is simple biology. Layne Norton is the go to guy on these things.

When you say that you have been 'quite active' it could suggest to me that you don't really follow a training program or think about your nutrition. Is that right?

[Moma]

(04-06-2014 03:15 AM)berserk Wrote:  

What exactly do you mean by belly? Are you bloated or is it more like a small gut of fat? Does it disappear when you suck in?

I had a bloated kind of belly for half a year. I was fat, ate way too much carbs and grains and every time I drank beer I would get bloated. I doubt it was really gluten intolerance or anything like that, but I think eating poorly can upset your stomach bacterial fauna, which can lead to bloating. Since losing weight and living more healthy, I have no problems with the belly. I also used to have terrible GERD which also went away.

I still have a bit of a gut even if I have lost weight. It is generally the last to go on men, a last resource fat storage. On men it is on the belly and not on the hips and ass like men, because it is easier to run and move with fat on belly than on your hips. It is simple biology. Layne Norton is the go to guy on these things.

When you say that you have been 'quite active' it could suggest to me that you don't really follow a training program or think about your nutrition. Is that right?

Training program:

I cycle regularly to and fro to various places as my car is out of commission right now. The temperature where I'm at is in the late 70s (and usually is) so that is an additional factor to the exercise I am getting.
I go for 30 min runs (and sometimes mix in sprints) about thrice a week on top of my cycling to the destination (a 10 min bike ride to the park).

I did play some basketball a few days ago (called 21 or American) in a half court setting. Every man for himself. Came back limping like a pimp from sore limbs (which is custom after a long hiatus).

Nutrition:

I generally only consume brown rice and stewed chicken (which I prepare and stew myself). My snacks will consist of bananas, apples and sometimes chips.
I've been doing the chips all my life but rotated the bananas and apples in recently to try and reduce the amount of chips.

I do blend vegetables in my nutribullet (leafy green type such as broccoli, green peppers, spinach, kale and collard greens).

My fluid intake largely consists of water. I may drink vodka, rum when I go out to a club (which hasn't been in a while).

I have now rotated ACV back into my daily consumption. My energy levels are up but my stomach stays bloated during midday and it disappears when I suck it in.

Hope that answers your question.

[cardguy]

It is weird that a lot of guys can't lose their belly.

The stories in this thread are very interesting.

I really don't think it is as simple as just being fat. Of course - for those guys who have never had problems with their belly - it might be a hard thing to get your head around.

[Moma]

I had an issue initially when I lived in the UK after a while, my belly began to grow..but it had abs on top. Then I switched up my routine and it flattened out.
I was doing good in Canada for years and then towards the final years..I don't know if it was feminism LOL..but my shyt just pushed out in 2010 and been there since..now that I'm in the US, I've been even busier but the stomach stays on the pot

[RawGod]

As has been said upthread, a persistent problem belly can be due to several factors. It's definitely not just a matter of eating too many calories. Ask yourself why the lump is there and is not distributed elsewhere in the body.

*Inflammation, food intolerances and compromised digestion are a big issue. Gluten, dairy, bad fats and poor gut flora can be responsible.

*Hormones and your endocrine system i.e. your metabolism impact your body composition. For example, studies have shown that people with thin torsos and limbs but big bellies are often chronically stressed with cortisol out of control. In this regard Vaun's complaint upthread that at 37 he has a persistent belly when he has always been an endurance athlete and crossfitter might not be so paradoxical. A stressed body defends itself by depositing visceral fat.

Solutions are remove problem foods like wheat and dairy, balance your gut flora through diet, replace aerobic exercise with anaerobic, and live a relaxed life with plenty of sleep.

[Moma]

(04-06-2014 08:16 AM)RawGod Wrote:  

Solutions are remove problem foods like wheat and dairy, balance your gut flora through diet, replace aerobic exercise with anaerobic, and live a relaxed life with plenty of sleep.

I might try some kind of detox. Life is fairly stressed, can't do much about that for now.

I don't eat dairy or gluten as a rule as listed, my diet is pretty boring and spartan.

[Vaun]

Many manosphere conventional diets recommend calorie restriction and fasted cardio, which is a recipe for looking like a girl. Not only will you lose fat, but you will lose pounds of muscle, mostly from your upper body first. Thats why a lot dieters you see have weirdly frail looking upper bodies, skinny necks, small flabby arms, etc. In the past The Zone diet cut fat and muscle, so I am avoiding it.

I had huge success last year with the slow carb diet. Dropped about 10lbs in a month, and retained muscle mass, as measured with a 7 pt. caliper body fat test I get at my gym for $50. Went from a 36" gut measured at belly button, to 33". Gearing up to start again this week.

Try slow carb, get tape measures, stay active.

[Vaun]

(04-06-2014 08:27 AM)Moma Wrote:  

I might try some kind of detox. Life is fairly stressed, can't do much about that for now.

I am stressed as hell right now (tax season..)

Do whatever you can to sleep. Sleep in. Turn off all media at night. Read like crazy in bed. Fap if you have to. Sleep is vital.

[SteveCR]

I used to count calories, and it drove me crazy. And then I finally got tired of the whole thing, quit dieting, changed my lifestyle, and the rest has truly been easy. I ended up eating about 700-1,000 extra calories per day with my new lifestyle, and still losing weight easier than when I counted calories.

I buy almost all of my food from the farmer's market and cook it myself. Very little processed food, no chemical additives, preservatives, etc. I eat fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, eggs, peanut butter, full-fat dairy, fish, chicken and beef. My breakfast every single day is a vegetable juice & fruit smoothie (I juice my veggies, pour that into the blender along with fruit). My lunch, just about every day, is either fish or chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, some cheese and a glass of milk. Dinner varies, but I really like huevos rancheros with a bowl of rice and beans, some cheese and a glass of milk.

Eating a natural diet like this changed my life so much. Incredible amounts of energy, effortless weight loss (and eating way more food than I did when counting calories and eating a ton of fast/junk/processed food), quicker recovery-time in the gym, higher libido, etc. I'm much more positive and motivated eating this way. It's a diet that is easily sustainable for life.

[berserk]

(04-06-2014 06:25 AM)Moma Wrote:  

(04-06-2014 03:15 AM)berserk Wrote:  

What exactly do you mean by belly? Are you bloated or is it more like a small gut of fat? Does it disappear when you suck in?

I had a bloated kind of belly for half a year. I was fat, ate way too much carbs and grains and every time I drank beer I would get bloated. I doubt it was really gluten intolerance or anything like that, but I think eating poorly can upset your stomach bacterial fauna, which can lead to bloating. Since losing weight and living more healthy, I have no problems with the belly. I also used to have terrible GERD which also went away.

I still have a bit of a gut even if I have lost weight. It is generally the last to go on men, a last resource fat storage. On men it is on the belly and not on the hips and ass like men, because it is easier to run and move with fat on belly than on your hips. It is simple biology. Layne Norton is the go to guy on these things.

When you say that you have been 'quite active' it could suggest to me that you don't really follow a training program or think about your nutrition. Is that right?

Training program:

I cycle regularly to and fro to various places as my car is out of commission right now. The temperature where I'm at is in the late 70s (and usually is) so that is an additional factor to the exercise I am getting.
I go for 30 min runs (and sometimes mix in sprints) about thrice a week on top of my cycling to the destination (a 10 min bike ride to the park).

I did play some basketball a few days ago (called 21 or American) in a half court setting. Every man for himself. Came back limping like a pimp from sore limbs (which is custom after a long hiatus).

Nutrition:

I generally only consume brown rice and stewed chicken (which I prepare and stew myself). My snacks will consist of bananas, apples and sometimes chips.
I've been doing the chips all my life but rotated the bananas and apples in recently to try and reduce the amount of chips.

I do blend vegetables in my nutribullet (leafy green type such as broccoli, green peppers, spinach, kale and collard greens).

My fluid intake largely consists of water. I may drink vodka, rum when I go out to a club (which hasn't been in a while).

I have now rotated ACV back into my daily consumption. My energy levels are up but my stomach stays bloated during midday and it disappears when I suck it in.

Hope that answers your question.

Ok, I doubt all that brown rice does you any favors. It is very empty calories. Same with the fruit, it is basically sugar though of course other healthy things in it.

I would try a diet high in protein, fat and greens, or basically a hunter/gatherer eating habit.

Keep the chicken, add fish such as salmon and tuna, both taste great fried on plenty of butter or if you can afford it, smoked salmon. Load up on greens, fresh spinach should be first choice and other green leafy stuff, add some tomatoes and cucumbers. Ditch the rice and eat low carb wraps instead. Just some suggestions that worked for me.

(04-06-2014 08:34 AM)Vaun Wrote:  

Many manosphere conventional diets recommend calorie restriction and fasted cardio, which is a recipe for looking like a girl. Not only will you lose fat, but you will lose pounds of muscle, mostly from your upper body first. Thats why a lot dieters you see have weirdly frail looking upper bodies, skinny necks, small flabby arms, etc. In the past The Zone diet cut fat and muscle, so I am avoiding it.

I had huge success last year with the slow carb diet. Dropped about 10lbs in a month, and retained muscle mass, as measured with a 7 pt. caliper body fat test I get at my gym for $50. Went from a 36" gut measured at belly button, to 33". Gearing up to start again this week.

Try slow carb, get tape measures, stay active.

Calories restriction and fasted cardio won't make you look like a girl, but not lifting and not eating enough protein will. Just get enough protein and lift and you won't lose much muscle on a cut.

[cardguy]

The link between the stress hormone, cortisol, and belly fat is interesting. There is a lot of published research in this area online.

I have no idea if I have more or less stress hormones than others. But I have always had a pot belly even when I was slim.

But the link to stress is interesting. I design my life to be as stress-free as possible. Since I am easily stressed out.

So - on the surface - it seems I should have little stress in my life. But - I wonder if your body is one that naturally produces more cortisol than others - then it seems likely you will be somebody who has to fight stress. Even when it appears you have little stres in your life to begin with.

That is how it seems with me. And it kinda' makes sense. If you are somebody who finds it easy to feel over-whlemed with stress. Then it makes sense you would simplify your life to stop that from happening.

As such - even though these people appear to have little reason to be stressed. Due to the hormones produced by their body - they may still feel more stressed out than others.

To add to this. I wonder if those people who put themselves in stressful situations - are those people whose bodies naturally produce low amounts of cortisol?

I dunno' if I talked about it much in the long MGTOW thread. But my approach to life is very much shaped by my desire to reduce any amount of stress to the lowest levels possible.

As such - it makes me wonder if I have naturally produce cortisol more than most others? I will never know for sure. But it does open the door to some unusual ideas.

Take the following.

Lazy people are lazy because they cannot handle stress.

They cannot handle stress because their bodies produce are flooded with stress hormones (cortisol).

The stress hormones makes them more susceptible to gaining belly fat.

And their laziness makes them more susceptible to being fat in general.

Could be a vicious circle at work here for a lot of people. The more we learn about medicine the more we how interconnected things are and how no problem ever has a single simple solution. The body is controlled by feedback loops and cycles of incredible complexity.

I am not looking for any excuses. I just think these issues are often a lot more complex than people think they are.

And the fact that I used the phrase 'I am not looking for any excuses' shows how much of medical advice is driven by emotional and moral arguments (when it comes to issues surrounding weight) - as opposed to a dispassionate look at the issues involved.

[Moma]

Berserk -

Brown rice is great for fiber and a valid carb source..no sure if I agree with empty calories regarding it. It was the switch to brown rice years ago that kept my gut in check. I used to flirt with a looming gut when I used to menace the Basmati..but the brown rice allowed me to enjoy an extended stay of lease in abs city.

Tried the veg thing only with olive oil, meat and fish and spent all my days in a perma state of anger/hunger. If I hit the gym for weights, I would NOT be able to exist on greens.

Fats make me sleepy as a rule and nuts go to my stomach like a loving roo to the pouch.

[SteveCR]

I choose longevity. Blue Zones.

[The Lizard of Oz]

Moma, a couple of things:

First, the tendency to have a bloated belly is often the result of having bad gut flora. There is growing evidence that the functioning of the digestive system (and by extension of the body as a whole) is very strongly influenced by the composition of bacterial populations that inhabit the lining of your gut.

You should strongly consider using a probiotic to introduce the right kind of bacteria into your gut and let them displace the bad bacteria. By far the best probiotic out there is VSL3. It is the one used in all the best clinical trial and it is far superior to other commercially available brands.

http://shop.vsl3.com/vsl3---30-pack-regular-p3.aspx

Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive ($88 for a 30-pack), but what you can do is go to a doctor and have it prescribed to you -- just explain your persistent bloating problem and tell him you want to try this probiotic by prescription. It may turn out to be extremely effective.

The other thing you should try to do is reduce your stress levels. The links between stress, cortisol and belly fat that cardguy was referring to are very real. And bad stress chemistry does all sorts of damage to your digestive system, among other things. It just sucks all around.

I don't think it's almost ever the case that you can't do anything about being stressed. You can always reflect on how the difficulties and hassles you're experiencing are relatively minor, because it's usually true. You may not be able to remove hassles from your life, at least not anytime soon -- but you can definitely change the way you react to them, and that is very much worth doing. Stress is not really about external events -- it's about how we respond to them. Some people become extremely stressed about the least difficulty, while others can remain calm in the midst of real calamities. As much as possible, you should train yourself to be the latter type. The more you can relax and basically not give a fuck no matter what happens, the happier you will be -- and your digestive system will thank you for it.

[Rutting Elephant]

Pedantic note on the thread title: "a belly that won't go away" implies, however subconsciously, that it is a subject, with agency. It's not, it's a parasitical element of you (and me), and hence entirely under our control.
I blame the recent NLP thread for making me think things like this.

[cardguy]

I'm skeptical about probiotics.

It seems like one of those fads over the past decade. Looking at the wikipedia page on probiotics - my sense is that the evidence is pretty inconclusive.