checkmate1

I am over 3 months sober and still have a big beer gut. I've lost 9kg but my stomach looks the same. Anybody have this problem? You would think after 3 months you would see some improvement. I've lost all the fat and bloated face, I'm looking healthier but wondering when and if I'll lose it.

Snarf

First, great job on 3+ months, and second, congrats on losing the 9kg! Neither of those is an accomplishment to be taken lightly.

As for your stomach, I unfortunately don't know what to tell you. I had the reverse problem; when I was drinking I didn't eat very well and was very skinny, so when I stopped drinking I was trying to gain weight, not lose it. Hopefully you'll see some movement on that front, but I'm glad you're otherwise looking healthier.

Reset

Do you exercise?

Sometimes the "beer gut" is actually the result of your abdominal muscles sort of giving up and letting your stomach hang out. If your gut is pretty solid (as opposed to soft) that could be the problem.

babycat

Abs are about 90% diet. You can do all the crunches in the world but if your diet is not there, neither ill your abs. Too much salt can be a big factor too.

tooling

They say abs are made in the kitchen not the gym. That's false. Visually it's true because you can't see the muscle behind that fat, but you have to work the muscle to make it form.

And yes I had a gut and I have been working out for a year. My gut used to be fat and the muscles let it hang. When you start working them they tighten up but the fat still hangs.

So you have two things you need to do: Eat low fat diet and work the stomach muscles to gain tightness.

if you want that belly gone just eat once a day for as long as it takes.

LexieCat

Not to scare you, but sometimes the "beer gut" can be ascites--fluid collecting in the abdomen as a result of liver disease. Might be a good idea to check with your doctor. It's a good idea anyway, after three months' sobriety, just to have a general checkup and make sure everything is OK.

Supercrew

The "beer gut"/"beer belly" is a misnomer. Now drinking heavily did affect my diet, but I was even able to lose alot of the belly while drinking.

You need to change your diet and start doing some cardio, (like a daily walking routine). A low fat diet was mentioned above, but I was also able to accomplish it with a low/no carb diet. The other thing I would recommend would be to limit your serving sizes for your meals to the size of your fist, and drink alot of water. I have lost about 80 lbs over the last 10 years and 25 lbs, (of basically belly fat) over the last year. Quitting drinking is a great start, but I have found that exercise, cutting down on fats and or carbs, and portion control are the keys to changing your belly.