not fat but stomach sticks out

[fitopia]

Along with pilates and reducing carbs, also good are:
plank
plank with a climbing motion
cable pulldown
lat pulldown
pulldown standing with close grip (I don't know what this called)

I sometimes do some old school single dumbbell cross body exercises, but I don't know what they are called. I'll edit this post if I find out.

[aschenbrenner]

I was looking for a post that explained when it is best to eat sweets if your gonna eat them. But while searching i found this and I just wanted to thank the one who originaly posted this thread! and also every one who replyed to it because i have this exact problem and i have ways of battleing it now. thanks again

[havoc00]

Wow this thread describes my problem, thanks for the replies

[chaingang92]

well i have the same problem with the stomach sticking out, and i noticed that my stomach started sticking out when i first started taking in protein. so what should i do now ? i can see my abs when i pull my stomach in. but when i let it go it sticks out again...
im 6 feet and weigh 145 pounds.
please let me know aSAP !!!

[Nick1971]

Also, you might check with a back doctor to see if you have any lordosis going on. That exaggeration of the spine might be an issue. It could also just be an issue of bad posture.

[nick1990]

****, i hate this prob.
I realize this is an old ass thread, but i have a question or two.
Im sitting at around 11-12% bf, and dont think this should be a problem for me.
So what you guys are saying is that it is prob arises from creatine intake, too many carbs, or just plain fat (maybe visceral)?
Anyone have any other explanations?

[beyondbasic]

were def on the same page.

[th3pwn3r]

****, i hate this prob.
I realize this is an old ass thread, but i have a question or two.
Im sitting at around 11-12% bf, and dont think this should be a problem for me.
So what you guys are saying is that it is prob arises from creatine intake, too many carbs, or just plain fat (maybe visceral)?
Anyone have any other explanations?

were def on the same page.

You guys need to PRAY that it's fat. If it's something else, it'll be much harder/expensive to fix or correct/change. If you have pelvic tilt it's worse(IMO), if it's loose skin it's also worse than being too fat.

[alexl53]

****, i hate this prob.
I realize this is an old ass thread, but i have a question or two.
Im sitting at around 11-12% bf, and dont think this should be a problem for me.
So what you guys are saying is that it is prob arises from creatine intake, too many carbs, or just plain fat (maybe visceral)?
Anyone have any other explanations?

i'm in the same boat and it really sucks! seems as if no matter what you do, the appearance never changes. i started doubling my cardio and barely any change has happened (and no i'm not a noob when it comes to the diet)

could be intestinal things though like previously mentioned

[th3pwn3r]

i'm in the same boat and it really sucks! seems as if no matter what you do, the appearance never changes. i started doubling my cardio and barely any change has happened (and no i'm not a noob when it comes to the diet)

could be intestinal things though like previously mentioned

Do you have cheat meals or cheat days?

[bb09]

At the risk of sounding silly, I've known a few people who thought their stomach was prominent - until they looked at themselves side-on in the mirror with their arms lifted, and realised it was just spinal curvature that made it look like their stomach stuck out.

[diefast101]

At the risk of sounding silly, I've known a few people who thought their stomach was prominent - until they looked at themselves side-on in the mirror with their arms lifted, and realised it was just spinal curvature that made it look like their stomach stuck out.

I agree... i noticed this when i looked in the mirrow sideways.

[marh_fighter]

there are many things that this could be, here are a few that are generally body builder specific;

From an increase diet in protein you become more gassy so you could be bloated, from a long term diet of high protein high carbs without fiber & greens you can clog your intestines one man died from this and during his autopsy they removed 32 pounds of clogged intestine. It is a myth that you need such massive amounts of carbs calories unless you don't have fat reserves. Also your body can only absorb so much protein and put it to use the leftover will clog your intestines. If you insist on a high intake of proteins then increase the amount of naturally produced human growth hormone(hgh increases the amount of protein the body can uses at once) through sprint cardio excercise (20 min HR goal and 10min above HR goal, whether biking running or swimming) diet, and sleep.

Creotein (spelled incorectly?)was also mentioned as carrying waterweight, sodium and potassium also have this property, keep sodium @ 500mg daily and only potassium after a workout that would leave u sore.
Alchohol is high in calories/carbs & reduces the amount of HGH released into your system. HGH increases your metabolism and abiliy to put on good muscle mass, bone growth/strength
Aside from organ fat there is one more I will mention, which is the most serious, lack of growth, deformation or forward curvature of the spine, these can reduce the space many ppl refer to as the organ cavity, compacting the organs together. Symptoms include but not limited to, stomach poking out, bloated feeling, lower back pain while running, difficulty breathing while sitting.
Basically do fix your diet for 6 months with excerecise, no results or symptoms occur speak to your doctor immediatly, thought rare these are prominent in male lifters.
If anyone has ?s about hgh or anything else email me.

[baseballcards23]

that same exact thing happens to me, i have little fat everywhere else. I don't eat too healthy but i never get fat except for the stomach. but when i flex, u can easily see a 4 pack. when i dont it sticks out a ton.

[SirRhosis]

Some people just have larger organs than others too. Purely genetic. Many Endomorphs have small intestines that are much larger than other body types, but as nature isn't prone to following templates to the "T," you have to consider that even some lighter frame people will have larger organs than others.

Ok, that sounds dirty, but that part is true as well, lol.

[th3pwn3r]

This is a terrible thread. Most people in this thread with this problem are carrying too much body fat but they're trying to convince themselves that it's something else, what a shame.

[SirRhosis]

This is a terrible thread. Most people in this thread with this problem are carrying too much body fat but they're trying to convince themselves that it's something else, what a shame.

Uhm, no. I know I'm fat. My stomach doesn't stick out when I'm low BF. Some do though, that's all I'm saying. Maybe you need to stop jumping to conclusions rather than thinking things through.

[th3pwn3r]

Uhm, no. I know I'm fat. My stomach doesn't stick out when I'm low BF. Some do though, that's all I'm saying. Maybe you need to stop jumping to conclusions rather than thinking things through.

Uhm, no, I never once mentioned you in my post did I? No. Maybe you're the one who is jumping to conclusions. Take some time and read through this thread and find the post where I attack you directly, good luck.

[SirRhosis]

Uhm, no, I never once mentioned you in my post did I? No. Maybe you're the one who is jumping to conclusions. Take some time and read through this thread and find the post where I attack you directly, good luck.

Yeah... My point was that it isn't true for me, it might not be true for them. I never accused you of attacking me directly so that is a total non sequitur. You made a general comment about "most people" and since I probably have some of the highest BF% here, it is easy to conclude, logically (no assumptions) that you were including me.

Do you deny my claim that intestine size varies among a population? Do you deny that some people have a "pot belly" look when relaxed, even at 10% of Bf while others do not? Some may be just where the body stores more fat, and yes, they could get to 6-8% BF and possibly lose it. Some people, however, at 16% BF have flat stomachs. I'm thinking criticizing somebody (or multiple people) asking a valid question is in poor taste, tbh. Especially in a generalizing manner which can include all arguments in the thread.

[th3pwn3r]

Do you deny my claim that intestine size varies among a population? Do you deny that some people have a "pot belly" look when relaxed, even at 10% of Bf while others do not? Some may be just where the body stores more fat, and yes, they could get to 6-8% BF and possibly lose it. Some people, however, at 16% BF have flat stomachs. I'm thinking criticizing somebody (or multiple people) asking a valid question is in poor taste, tbh. Especially in a generalizing manner which can include all arguments in the thread.

No, I don't deny your claim among any population, that's valid. Of course some people have a pot belly look and it's from a number of reasons, however, the people I would consider to have the serious issues are the lean individuals. Also, your mention of BF percentage doesn't help out much because we have no idea how much muscle mass said individual has. The more muscle mass you have the better you'll look even with higher levels of BF. Also, not everyone stores fat the same. You're also entitled to your thought so it's cool you gave your opinion, you've won the internet Oh and if you have some free time check out some of the members pictures in this thread, it's quite apparent that their problem is too much body fat and not pelvic tilt, a broken spine or bloating/god hating them.

[cristia]

I sort of have the same problem -which is annoying and ironic- I have been on an insane diet for the past three years, im vegan and I do 360 sets of different crunchies every night. What the f***k? So is it STILL fat?

[markwinterfresh]

Alright, not sure this thread is still active but here goes.

I've got the same problems generally outlined here, an abdomen that seems to bloat out unless I suck it in and flex. Thing is, I've got a 6-8 pack when I do flex, I got tested recently and am sitting at about 5% BF so please don't anyone try to tell me about visceral fat being the issue here. It's my side profile I'm concerned with, from the front and back I've got the V going and defined abs, but from the side my middle looks really thick and even sticks out a little further than my chest. I'm 5'7" 153lbs and the rest of me is pretty lean, plus my waist is only about 27". So again, I don't get why my core is so much bigger at such low BF and only sticks out in front, because I've still got the definite V going on from front and back profiles.

I've noticed my stomach tends to fill up pretty quick, it's difficult to eat enough to sustain hypertrophy and I'm wondering if that's an indication of some intestinal blockage maybe?

Another observation: when I do a couple sets of pushups to failure, the pump I get fills my chest/lats/shoulders out and sorta pulls back my abdomen, at least temporarily. My chest is about 43" around the shoulders, but maybe it needs to get bigger?

Thanks for the help.

[ADB007]

I had exactly the same problem and I tried all the suggestions in this thread.. nothing worked. I eventually went to a professor who did IgG allergy testing on me. I found out I was highly intolerant to gluten, milk and soy which was in almost everything I was eating. Gluten and milk are the most common 'delayed reaction' allergens so try cutting them out for a week and see how you feel. Whey is a milk derivative so you will need to cut that out too

[Wass0392]

can i just say lads. id advise you to do a little research into Lordosis. that could be why your stomach sticks out. in a nutshell, its the natural curvature of the lower spine... but some people have an exadurated curve. this causes the stomach & butt to stick out a bit.

[davebar]

I have this for sure, but I also have a high bf%

[CRyan64]

I had exactly the same problem and I tried all the suggestions in this thread.. nothing worked. I eventually went to a professor who did IgG allergy testing on me. I found out I was highly intolerant to gluten, milk and soy which was in almost everything I was eating. Gluten and milk are the most common 'delayed reaction' allergens so try cutting them out for a week and see how you feel. Whey is a milk derivative so you will need to cut that out too

i always thought dairy products had something to do with it but wasn't sure if it was broscience or not. i guess i'll try cutting out dairy and see what that does. but i also have a mild case of lordosis as well.

[SixShotKid]

[QUOTE=davebar;679056091
I have this for sure, but I also have a high bf%[/QUOTE]


I recently went to a waterpark with my friends, they all knew I was a harcore athlete and had a six pack. So when I took my shirt off everyone immedetly thought I was fat and the laughing begun. Upon looking at my self in a mirror I noticed that my gut was stiking out, this is almost exactly what I saw. PLZ HOW DO YOU FIX THIS?!

[zolaswolf]

How to fix the pooch belly.

I used to have super flat abs super defined six pack and weighed 143 lbs at 5'7 I stayed this way for most of my life until I decided I wanted to do body building and gain more muscle mass... Funny thing is I have figured out the bodybuilding way is the wrong way to eat. I used to eat only 3 good meals most likely any where from 600-800 calories each mostly made of whole foods.. the typical dinner and lunch set up. Didn't ever eat breakfast.

Didn't work out much either... I could easily exercise all day long I had so much energy.

Upon starting a mass gain diet for muscle mass I had read to eat 5-6 meals a day... Eat tons of protein.. So I did this and other dieting weight lifting tips. I started packing on fat...and some muscle and after a while of this I began getting pooch belly. Big time. I figured this was normal because it was a "bulking phase" and that I would have to "Cut" later. So I did.. but guess what stayed??? Got some six pack and a pregnant belly.

Number of Dieting causes:
Eating too many times a day. It is a myth that eating 5-6 meals a day will promote weight loss and peptide yy response. It was shown that 3 meals eaten regularly had a better Tef response than nibbing on several small or medium meals. This may also be the association of the bloat that occurs because of the excess intake at short time frames. I also found that cutting out High Gi foods makes a huge difference because of the anti nutrient Lectin which causes several problems gastronomically. I want to point something out. You all have seen them.... Those guys who are in prison?? They are HUGE. Super human looking at that... Do you think they eat 6 times a day? So bare with me.. they eat well but they dont eat a lot either... they eat 3 meals a day constituting the daily recommended 2,000 calorie diet. Yet they pack on muscle mass like crazy and are some of the most fit people you could shake a stick at.

A quote from a Prison worker:

Of course it will differ in each state, but here in Texas, one day would consist of breakfast - fruit, bread and butter, piece of sausage, pancakes, cereal.

Lunch - pork roll, carrots, green beans, bread and mashed potatoes.

Dinner - chicken goolash, 2 more vegetables and fruit

Cut the crazy protein intake.. get your protein from food it will take longer to digest and will have a greater Tef response.

Drink moderate amounts of water.. Yes water is great but tap water in large amounts is bad. Drink distilled water in high amounts if you wish.

Some Physical causes of the bloat.

Poor Posture. Do some yoga and or Pilate to strengthen your back. Some Hindu exercises are good.

Tight hip flexors . This pulled in my stomach quite a bit.
If you stand against the wall and you can place your hand behind your lower back then your hip flexors are tight. Work on stretching your hip flexors and work on tightening the glutes.

It may also be from a loose transverse abdominal that some one also mentioned on here before. This is true and it is responsible for pulling in your stomach. This muscle is activated when doing sprints and football calisthenics Try this out as a supplement to cardio. Besides Short bursts of energy and having it in irregular intervals is proven to have the best metabolic response from your body eg raising metabolism.

Its a lot to swallow but once I stopped listing to the majority of the body building community and when back to basics which was just eat a regular meal have fun when your workout and play very hard with your friends with a football I got my six pack back and a super flat abdomen. Hope this was helpful and Btw this isn't broscience. Look it up.. more studies recently prove this, all I have done is relay the information.

[provostg]

Im 6% body fat and have the same problem, I think it might be Creatine , gonna try to stop taking it for a while and see.

Yo man did you figure out the problem? I'm not on creatine and hella skinny but got it too.

Might be lordosis for me I've got a pretty big butt haha, but my posture seems normal, hopes it fat or an allergy, (gluten, milk, yeast etc.) something I can fix would be nice...

[Diev]

This thread has been bumped numerous times over several years so many of the contributors have probably long forgotten about the thread, if you have questions you might be better off trying a PM to the poster rather than asking them in an old thread that they may no longer look at.

Understand that every persons circumstances are likely to be different. I don't think there is a 1 size fits all response here. Simply posting "it's fat, lose weight" is not particularly productive. Seeing as this thread keeps being found and bumped it seems a lot of people are concerned with this issue so thought I would reinforce a couple of possiblities besides simply having excess body fat.

1. Check for lordosis, have a look at the photos in post #55 does your spine look something like that when you stand side on and look in the mirror? some people are so focused on their protruding stomach they may not notice a corresponding lumbar curvature at the lower back. Can also try to wall test mentioned near the bottom of post #58.

2. Check for dietary issues such as gluten intolerance that may be causing excessive bloating, would need to see your doctor or some other medical specialist here.

3. Weak core and/or poor posture can be a cause for some people (see point 1). There is more to core strength than just doing situps or crunches.

4. Of course carrying excess body fat will also cause the issue, you should consider fixing that. The stickies at the top of this forum would be a good place to start if you aren't sure.