QuestionI need help...really.. I'm a male, 22 I'm not a fat man, but I have this belly since I remember, I don't know what to do, I've been swimming 5 days a week for a year, I've been on a gym for 4 months, I got on a bad diet before, went really thin on arms legs and face, but my belly and chest fat doesn't disappear, then I put some weight again, and it goes always direct to the belly, what should I do ?
AnswerFirst, you don't mention in your letter whether or not you have seen a doctor. Even if someone with medical training on this site answers your concerns, they have not seen/touched you to KNOW for certain if their advice truly applies to your condition. So I would seek the advice of a family doctor. If you cannot afford such a visit, consider a family clinic. Yes, that means sitting in a waiting room for most of a day, but you MUST have someone take a good look at your entire system before anything definite can be said to you can act on with safety & confidence in mind. When you DO see a doctor, tell them in loads of detail about your family, because a lot of what happens to us is affected by our family history!
That having been said - I'll throw in my 4 cents. NORMAlly, our bodies act as if we go thru cycle of feast followed by famine so it stores extra energy as fat. For most, but not all, women that happens below the waist - leading to thick thighs. For most, but not all, men store their fat above the waist, yep that beer belly is God's/nature's gift to you.
Again you do not describe your diet. Is it high in CARBohydrates - i.e. breads, milk, alcohol, sugars, starchy vegees - if it isn't a Fat or a Protein- it IS a carb. And our bodies convert and store carb faster and easier than either proteins or fats. WHY? Because it takes several steps to convert proteins/fats to what can be stored, whereas carbs only take a few steps of conversion to be stored.
If you read my bio - you know I had surgery. But you should also note that I must eat the right combination of foods to make the surgery work for me. I eat a larger portion of proteins (about 70%), followed by carbs (about 25%) and try not to add any fat beyond what is in the food (5%). This requires my body to burn the fats that are stored in my system to use the protein as fuel. The extra protein is stored as more efficient fuel and as extra muscle. The days I don't eat much protein, I either don't lose weight or gain a few pounds. When I get back into more protein, the weight comes off a pound or two a day, I think clearer and generally feel better. Right now I am fighting my weight and my not being employed - talk about mind games!
As for how long it should take before you notice the weight coming off, that depends on how our body reacts to what we do. Consider that the body learns to expect certain events and prepares for those events. But if you Change your routine, the body usually reacts with a weight loss until it learns how to deal with the change. What this means to you is to try a few new exercise every few weeks. Yes, keep swimming, but every other week, WALK or better yet, run a mile or two every day for a week. Then go back to your routine. Two weeks later do a set of exercises -they do not have to be a military warm-up (pushups, chinups and such), if you can watch the TV show Sit & Be Fit, try those exercises, just do something different every two or three weeks. Perhaps swim twice as hard or twice as far once a month. SHAKE THINGS UP!
My final comment refers to "Diabetes - Self Management" magazine (I am not sure which month, but it was recently) there is an article warning us that the fat our system stores around our internal organs is far worse than belly or thigh fat - again this would require a visit to a doctor.
I hope all of this helps you - it is what has helped me lose over 200 pounds in just under 1 year!
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