Belly Fat

[Jing]

I'm trying to lose belly fat while maintaining muscle, for a few days I have gone on a small calorie deficiency but cutting calories is making me feel bad also keep having that low blood sugar shakey feeling, what's the best way of losing belly fat ? Everything I read says sugar is bad for belly fat is this a myth? Do I just stick with feeling bad? I've never had to lose weight before I've always been really skinny all my life.

 

[Hans]

Fat around the midsection is usually a sign of elevated cortisol and insulin resistance. It could also be due to sluggish liver function.

How many calories were you eat during the deficit and what were your macros?

 

[Jing]

Fat around the midsection is usually a sign of elevated cortisol and insulin resistance. It could also be due to sluggish liver function.

How many calories were you eat during the deficit and what were your macros?

2800 calories, about 160grams of protein,about 400 grams of carbs, about 110 grams of fat.

 

[Hans]

2800 calories, about 160grams of protein,about 400 grams of carbs, about 110 grams of fat.

Lol that is a lean bulk for some. I'd say the low blood sugar is due to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia causing hypoglycemia, thus spiking cortisol.
What foods do you eat for carbs?

 

[Jing]

Lol that is a lean bulk for some. I'd say the low blood sugar is due to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia causing hypoglycemia, thus spiking cortisol.
What foods do you eat for carbs?

Lol I know but going lower on calories will make me feel worse, I get my carbs from milk,oats,bananas,orange juice,potatoes,yoghurt,baked beans.

 

[Hans]

Lol I know but going lower on calories will make me feel worse, I get my carbs from milk,oats,bananas,orange juice,potatoes,yoghurt,baked beans.

It's good if you can lose weight on high calories, I though you might have been eating too little.

Have you perhaps tested fasting glucose and insulin and also an oral glucose tolerance test?

Do you experience endotoxin symptoms from any of your meals or specific carb sources?

 

[somuch4food]

Calorie deficit doesn't get rid of visceral fat. I went from 150 to 130 as a 5'9 female when I went into the clean eating no added sugar fad and I still had fat around the abdomen and on my thighs. I had a lot less strength though.

Sugar is bad for belly fat because it can exacerbate many issues.

I agree that visceral fat is about hormone/gut issues.

 

[Jing]

It's good if you can lose weight on high calories, I though you might have been eating too little.

Have you perhaps tested fasting glucose and insulin and also an oral glucose tolerance test?

Do you experience endotoxin symptoms from any of your meals or specific carb sources?

Not sure if I can lose weight on 2800 might need less but will feel awful have had a headache everyday since starting on 2800.

No haven't done any of them.

Yh I think I do I think meals with oats and milk and bananas. My digestion is pretty bad.

 

[Jing]

Calorie deficit doesn't get rid of visceral fat. I went from 150 to 130 as a 5'9 female when I went into the clean eating no added sugar fad and I still had fat around the abdomen and on my thighs. I had a lot less strength though.

Sugar is bad for belly fat because it can exacerbate many issues.

I agree that visceral fat is about hormone/gut issues.

What would you suggest to do then?

 

[Dino D]

the only time I lost belly fat 4 real is when i went on an almost protein only diet... + some low carb veggies, and very little fat like two eggs a day...
i felt very bad... however, it worked... I'm not suggesting it, just saying...

 

[Jing]

So I need to go low carb then?

 

[Dino D]

So I need to go low carb then?

I'm not saying that, especially not on this forum, and low carbs isnt good for me also... the takeaway could be: Dont spike your insulin the whole day (dont eat carbs all the time with every meal)... you could go low carb or keto only for 2-3 weeks in a year (but not more...) sometimes you could try skipping meals (intermittent fasting)... do some exercise :)
when you have days where youre activity level is super low, you could eat a bit less, on training days or days with more activity you could eat more...
some people seem to do better on low fat, some on high... look into that and see what works 4 you

 

[somuch4food]

What would you suggest to do then?

Like @Dino D , I think preventing insulin spikes and drops helps. Anything that reinforces carb/oxidative metabolism is also helpful.

As for how to help gut issues, I'm afraid it's all too personal to recommend anything in particular. You will have to toy around the many variables yourself. Here's the list of everything I consider potential culprits:

• B vitamins deficiency: B1, B2, B6 and Biotin are the main ones for carbs I think
• Animal proteins: too much or too little
• Starch vs sugars
• Dairy
• Mineral imbalances: magnesium seems important for carbs
• Soluble and insoluble fibers
• Quantity of fat per meal
• Liquids vs solids
• Oxalates
• Carotenoids
• Time of the day
• Less variety

I'm currently on less liquids, more thiamine (B1) from foods and low-mid oxalates and carotenoids. I also make sure to have some animal proteins with all meals. It helps me cognitively. I also try to listen to my cravings more, the body knows best.

Personnally, I can attest that too much sugar and refined starches can make me balloon up belly wise. I find mixed meals help with this: some animal proteins, something salty, something sweet and a cup of milk/juice/water.

If you find yourself feeling empty 1 or 2 hours after a meal, you didn't tolerate well and you should tweak it until it feels satisfying.

 

[Hans]

Not sure if I can lose weight on 2800 might need less but will feel awful have had a headache everyday since starting on 2800.

No haven't done any of them.

Yh I think I do I think meals with oats and milk and bananas. My digestion is pretty bad.

My advise would be to find foods that you can actually digest well.
This might be overly restrictive for now but totally worth it. Endotoxins and the inflammation thereof messes with glucose oxidation and reduces mitochondrial quality.

Finding foods that work well for you will not give you shaky feeling or your hunger might even reduce greatly. You'll feel more stable, have more energy, etc.

Maybe find 1 protein source and one carb source you can digest well and eat only that for about a week. Then add other food one by one to see if your body is ok with it or not. Basically an elimination diet. As your gut and digestion improves you'll be able to tolerate more food.

 

[Jing]

I'm not saying that, especially not on this forum, and low carbs isnt good for me also... the takeaway could be: Dont spike your insulin the whole day (dont eat carbs all the time with every meal)... you could go low carb or keto only for 2-3 weeks in a year (but not more...) sometimes you could try skipping meals (intermittent fasting)... do some exercise :)
when you have days where youre activity level is super low, you could eat a bit less, on training days or days with more activity you could eat more...
some people seem to do better on low fat, some on high... look into that and see what works 4 you

I sometimes wait a few hours to eat after waking up so a little fast I'm also doing weights 3 times a week.

 

[Jing]

My advise would be to find foods that you can actually digest well.
This might be overly restrictive for now but totally worth it. Endotoxins and the inflammation thereof messes with glucose oxidation and reduces mitochondrial quality.

Finding foods that work well for you will not give you shaky feeling or your hunger might even reduce greatly. You'll feel more stable, have more energy, etc.

Maybe find 1 protein source and one carb source you can digest well and eat only that for about a week. Then add other food one by one to see if your body is ok with it or not. Basically an elimination diet. As your gut and digestion improves you'll be able to tolerate more food.

Problem is I don't seem to digest anything good tbh everything seems to hurt my digestion in some way, I'm probably just going to stick with 2800 calories for a while and see how it goes.

 

[forterpride]

Drop your fat to 20g daily. Consume carbs and protein liberally till satiety. You will see a dramatic reduction in fat and maintain lean muscle mass. I've lost 4 kilos this month following this protocol and I feel great albeit a little sick of eating so frequently. I subsist off of .5% milk oj liver and oysters

 

[PATB]

I think when you eat a lot of carbs (as opposed to ketosis) you sometimes need to do exercise to lose fat. Unlike a ketogenic diet (which I don't recommend; fat loss does not equate to improved health) if you don't have a really high metabolism, you're going to have to do some exercise to lose it. I just got a new programming job and I hurt my shoulder so I stopped going to the gym (it's almost healed and I plan to go back). In 2 months I feel like I gained 10 lbs of fat, basically 0 exercise. I wasn't eating all that well either.

High intensity exercise mostly uses carbs, but low intensity (like walking) can use fats. So if you walk a few miles a day that can help a lot. Medium-intensity cardio (running) isn't a good idea though. Walk, and maybe do sprints or lift weights for high intensity.

 

[DrJ]

I think if you've got everything else right (mitigating insulin, making sure to blunt cortisol) and you still can't lose belly fat, you should consider that it might be gut problems. That will cause bloat and fat storage through cortisol as a protective measure for the digestive organs. IF you take some activated charcoal each day for several days and start to notice a flatter stomach and less belly fat, then it's a good clue that is what is going on.

 

[Hans]

I think when you eat a lot of carbs (as opposed to ketosis) you sometimes need to do exercise to lose fat. Unlike a ketogenic diet (which I don't recommend; fat loss does not equate to improved health) if you don't have a really high metabolism, you're going to have to do some exercise to lose it. I just got a new programming job and I hurt my shoulder so I stopped going to the gym (it's almost healed and I plan to go back). In 2 months I feel like I gained 10 lbs of fat, basically 0 exercise. I wasn't eating all that well either.

High intensity exercise mostly uses carbs, but low intensity (like walking) can use fats. So if you walk a few miles a day that can help a lot. Medium-intensity cardio (running) isn't a good idea though. Walk, and maybe do sprints or lift weights for high intensity.

Fat gain after stopping exercise is about >95% due to excess calorie consumption and not due to exercise using the carbs. Your metabolism is more than capable at handling the carbs without exercise.
Maybe overtraining and too high cortisol can also play a role, but its minor.