lost 12 pounds but clothes are still tight in the waist...

[vermontgirl]

Hi all,

I am just wondering what is going on. I lost about 12 pounds and my clothes fit better on my upper body but around the waist, they are still snug! Why could this be? I really need my skirts to be less tight. I am trying to lose about 10 more...I am assuming that the waist will be smaller after those lost pounds. I don't know. Anyone have any ideas why my stomach is still flabby where my skirts and pants button up?

[vermontgirl]

I just kind of hoped it would have gotten a wee bit smaller.
 

[Tigerchild]

I was going to say it took me 20 lbs before I noticed size change, but I have a goal of losing almost 100 (down 85 so far).

I really started noticing major changes with the abdomen and leg areas in particular when I started lifting weights and doing TRX.  Up until that point, my belly just sort of deflated, if that makes sense--so it was less poofed out but still in the way.  I still have lots of loose skin, but have lost inches at a faster rate than pounds.  I even went up about 5 lbs recently but dropped another dress size during this time.

You cannot spot reduce.  I do think weights and crosstraining has done wonders for me, as far as clothing fit.  A majority of that involves having better posture (both in the back and in the abs, not just pooching out all the time).  It's not like I'm sucking it in all the time either, I just seem to have in general more of an awareness, if that makes sense.
 

Also, you may have an overhang just because that is how your body is right now.  I know I will always have some rolls/skin where my pants button unless I get surgery (which ain't happening, I hate pain and can't afford it).  Same thing with my trainer and other people I know (even people who never were obese like me, but they had kids)!

Edited by Tigerchild - 5/21/12 at 12:26pm

[chel]

I agree with pp. It took me 20lb before going down a size. I store my weight in the middle. Most noticeable change is in the thighs and back.
I did go down another size after the next 10.
Once you get smaller it can be 5lb between sizes.

I find so much is tight at the waist and too big in the butt/thigh. Add in a large chest and not much fits right

[Ruthiegirl]

All I can say is 'me too'. My belly is still sp thick even after losing 15 pounds. For me, I know that I will see a more defined waistline when I strengthen my core and not till then.

[vermontgirl]

I probably have to find a workout video that is all about strengthening the abs right?

It is funny how the weight comes off. The first thing I lost were my breasts. That was the one thing I didn't want to lose.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Tigerchild]

Vermontgirl, I don't even think you need to find a video per se--if you do a search online there are tons of really good exercises for core strengthening!  Just keep in mind that it takes time, and it still won't "spot reduce", it will just tone/strengthen the muscles under the skin/fat layer and will help you with your posture, which does wonders (IME) for belly pooch.  I think though that unless you're going to do weights and/or other training, your body shape will probably remain the same even as you go down in weight--and with loose skin you're just going to have to give it time.  Not a very exciting answer I know.
 

[BeFitMom]

You can take inches off your waist by rebuilding the abdominal wall correctly.

Start by strengthening in your deepest abdominal muscle, your Transverse Abdominis, or TvA. When contracted the TvA compresses the abdomen and narrows the waist. (The TvA does not move bone.) Then after you've built an adequate amount of TvA strength, progress to postpartum exercises that train the muscle to function as a stabilizer. (All of these should use lower spine flexion, rather than upper spine flexion.) This is key to re-flattening the abdominal wall after pregnancy.

In the mean time, don't do most traditional ab exercises like crunches, oblique pusles, full roll downs/roll ups, most Pilates mat work, and yoga moves like "boat pose." If you do these types of moves without enough TvA functional strength, then the abdominal wall will bulge outward during exertion, and your tummy will stay extended.

BeFit-Mom
 

[AngieB]

I found that I didn't notice a change in my belly until I cut out refined sugar, then within a week or two there was a big change. 

[aaahmyeye]

BeFitMom, how do you train the TvA?  What kind of exercises?
 

[dakipode]

Ugh, please stop talking about the TVA as if it's the magic muscle, it isn't and no, you can't make it contract before any other muscle.

To go back to the original post and as many have said before: you cannot spot reduce. The way your body loses inches cannot be dictated by the number of pounds you lose alone. It has to do with diet also, as one of the previous posters mentioned. But ultimately you can't predict where you will lose and where you won't.

Not sure if that actually contributes anything to this discussion. Just felt compelled to respond to the TVA comment.

[syoung]

I lost 25 lbs before I saw any changes in my stomach.  What I believe contributed to the change after 25lbs is:

1. The stomach fat is often the last thing to go anyway

2. Exercising (didn't do that before)

3. Carb cycling

I wrote more about it here: http://www.squidoo.com/how-long-will-it-take-to-lose-20-pounds

Just scroll down to the bit about the stomach if you want more info on how I did it.

The bit about TVA sounds interesting.  I'd love to know more about it.  Don't know if it's true or not, but why not try?