bacon41123

I eat healthy and work out often. I have toned legs and arms and am 10 pounds away from my "perfect weight". However, I have a flabby stomach. It is gross and very unflattering. I hate it and I hate trying to find bottoms that fit. My question is.... How long after quitting does it take to go away. Please tell me your experience including if you made any changes to your lifestyle. Thanks!

stark6935

Don't think about weight so much. Think more about body fat % and muscle mass. You lb weight in highschool or whatever isn't a good indicator because as you get older your body fat is going up, and muscle is going down, meaning you are probably fatter at the same weight you were younger.

bacon41123

Thanks for the input. I am much stronger than I was in high school. I am not really worried about weight because I do like to lift heavy. My only concern is the flabby stomach. It is quite large. Ick

bacon41123

Bump

advbike

It is probably adipose fat. Lifting will not burn it off as well as low intensity cardio in my experience. Also high carb diets (and alcohol) will deposit more of it directly on your belly. Lifting is high intensity so burns glucose. Long runs, cycling, etc will burn fat if you keep the intensity down and go for more than an hour. Of course if you already have good muscle mass that raises your metabolism and should reduce the fat, as long as you're not overeating, espec carbs.

AllieB

Bacon,

Your body may just want to store the extra there. Mine certainly does. Even when I was medically underweight and down a cup size from my usual bra size I still had a small spare tire. My body just pulled fat from my breasts to store on my waist. Joy.

Alcohol does encourage storage on the waist, but any shift in storage preference may take many months and will depend on what your body's pre-set preference is.

I'd bet, however, that your belly seems a lot more egregious to you than it does to anyone who sees you.

(Also, if you've just lost weight, as it seems you may have, the "flab" may be excess skin. Your body will gradually reabsorb that skin, but it takes time.)

Ohio1

Definitely second the low intensity cardio to help with losing weight in general. I have walked off about 40 pounds in the past few months I have not jogged a single inch. Just lots of strolls around the neighborhood and a few miles here and there on the treadmill its amazing how many calories you can burn in a day without breaking a sweat.

Leshar

Hi Bacon,

I was never over weight, a little on the skinny/lean side in fact, but I had a flabby,bloated belly when I was drinking. I've found that yoga has really helped to tone my abs, lose the flab. The breathing makes you concentrate on your core, I find, and I do the core engagement which you need for many postures, regularly now, eg, "mountain pose" when waiting in a line up, or doing dishes.
Yoga too, has helped me with mindfulness/staying present in this recovery journey.

Good luck!