Ok, I know I'm not the only one with this problem so I decided to make a post about it and see if we could come up with some motivation.

The first place I gain is in my mid-section, which *conveniently* is the LAST place I lose from.

I've never had a problem with my legs or arms or even my butt/hips.

My butt is actually the first place I lose from (unfortunately, since I need a butt implant to begin with lol)

I find I lose motivation when I KNOW i've lost pounds, and feel smaller and see that my waist is smaller, but my pants still fit the same darn way they always have. (Like most women, I don't wear my pants around my natural waist, but a little bit below my belly button).

I know you can't spot reduce, and I've been doing cardio like a mad-man. I guess it will eventually shrink down if I keep all this up, but it's just hard to feel different (better) about the way I look when I feel my pants fitting the same they had 12 pounds ago...

If you're feeling like I am about this, lets discuss it and see if we can stay motivated together!!

<3 Gen

P.S. I couldn't help but post this. I know it's gross but it made me giggle, and it's slightly on topic :-p

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I am in the same situation but I was thinking there are some posts from people about a couple of supplements that help that region of the body. Can anyone shed some light on this?

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Well, it's a documented fact that weight gain in the tummy area is a BIG indicator of insulin resistance, so if that is where you tend to gain, it's a pretty sure bet that you may be having trouble in that area... have you ever had your bloodwork done to make sure you are not diabetic or pre-diabetic?
Whether or not, this woe (way of eating) is sure to help you as it does an EXCELLENT job of keeping your blood glucose levels low and steady, preventing spikes in insulin which leads to fat storage around the midsection. The longer you eat this way, the more weight you will see come off your middle and this is MUCH healthier, long-term.

In the meantime, you might want to schedule an appointment with your GP for a fasting A1C test... this will give them an idea if your blood-sugar levels have been bouncing around or spiking too high. Make sure they do an A1C and not just a "spot-check" fasting glucose. The A1C gives a glimpse of what your insuilin levels have been doing over a period of 3 months and therefore, is a better indicator of a serious problem.
Good luck & I hope this helps!

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Summer

Thanks for your response, I have had plenty of blood work done, as I stated in a thread in the women's section, I had a pituitary tumor and every part of me has been checked out a-ok.

Unfortunately my belly is an obviously genetic problem, as both my mother and father's family are thicker in the middle.

:jump:

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Sorry, I had not read your post in the women's forum.

And btw, my blood work came back "normal" for years before they figured out to do an A1C on me. Every time they did a fasting glucose on me, I was in the "normal" range, but once they did an A1c (which came back at 7.8!!), they discovered it had been spiking a LOT during various times of the day and by that point, I was a full-fledged diabetic.
Hormonal imbalances can also contribute to midsection weight-gain, but (and not trying to be redundant here) insulin is THE hormone that controls all the other hormones.
A great book for you (and others) to check out: The Schwarzbein Principle by Diana Schwarzbein, MD.
VERY eye-opening!
HTH,
Summer

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Summer

I have the same problem with gaining in my belly too, but I also gain in my butt. So I look like I have a double butt...one coming and going!

I'm glad you asked about this, because I didn't know about it being an indicator of insulin resistance. I am waiting to get the results back from my fasting glucose for this year. It was 99 last year....my previous doctor didn't believe in pre-diabetes!

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How can one not "believe in" pre-diabetes???
That is so strange! Whether he "believes" in it or not, it exists and it is the best early indicator that you need to get things under control.

While a fasting glucose is nice to have, I still believe that an A1C should be required for anyone who might even be *thinking* about becoming diabetic.
It truly gives the best picture of what is going on with your blood sugar.
Keep us posted, Shelley, and let us know what they say!

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Summer

I just got the Atkins book on diabetes, written by Mary Vernon and Jackie Eberstein. They bring out that belly fat is an indicator of pre-diabetes and diabetes. I have belly fat, but also butt fat, thigh fat, upper arm fat, double chin fat, finger & toe fat, you name it, it's fat! I carry it all over, so I don't know if the belly fat is an indicator, since I carry the fat all over, too. Some people aren't fat except in the belly.

I just scanned through the book, haven't had time to really read on it, but it has a lot of interesting info. I'm not diabetic, but the principles to prevent diabetes apply to all of us who have weight problems.

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Nita

I can't understand his "beliefs" either, especially since it is even on the American Diabetes Assoc. page for any lay person to see. I changed doctors after this, and put myself on Atkins!

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Doctors!! I guess we have to remember that they ARE just people with all their own ideas and such and that some aren't so good... (not to demean their years of hard work in med school and such, but we can all agree, not all deserve their licenses..)

My father's doctor doen't tell him to lose weight.... My dad is 51, 5'4" and weighs somewhere around 230, almost all the weight in his mid-section.

He will not listen to me when I tell him to lose weight. He thinks it's a funny joke, and has no problem with how he looks or feels. I tried to guilt him into it by writing him a letter with all the tearjerkers in it like "dont you want to be around to see me get married and have children?" but that doesnt even seem to have an effect!!!

I am so frustrated with him I could burst... He's a ticking time-bomb and I feel that he is selfish for being so indifferent about his health, which affects all of us.

Ugh just needed to vent... thanks guys

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Hey Genny, you can lead a horse.........

Here's an idea: Make some really YUMMY LC meals and share them with your dad. I find that if I feed people LC food and they don't know it, they finally figure out it's REALLY good and they don't have to starve themselves. A lot of people are resistant to "diets" because they associate "dieting" with starving. Not so with this WOE, eh? If you preface a "speech" with, "I love you so much dad........" But before doing a "speech", I would just demonstrate how awesome this WOE truly is.

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