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New vegan - belly fat problem!

New vegan - belly fat problem!

Started by Jennifer on January 25, 2011

6 Comments

Jennifer said #1 Jan 25, 2011 at 9:09pm

Last update :-) Just wanted to say that I am back at my normal weight and look fine again. I was still nursing my third child when I wrote my original post. When he stopped, I dropped the last few pounds that had been bugging me. Thanks for the responses. Wish I had never posted about this now :-)

I have been vegetarian for 15 years and made the leap to vegan recently. I feel wonderful, but I have a big problem. I have always been a normal weight and the number on the scale hasn't gone up since I made the change, but my belly has gotten enormous. Seriously, I look just like I did when I was six months pregnant. It is not bloating (i.e., not hard)...it is god-awful, mushy fat. Does anyone know what is going on? Is this part of detox or does being vegan mean that I am going to hate my stomach for the rest of my life? Thanks for any input :-)

UPDATE: So I believe this was an adjustment issue of sorts. I have been eating better and I would say the problem is about 80% resolved now. I think I embarked on a "vegan honeymoon" in December/early January and went a little too crazy trying new foods. I cooked/baked up a storm and thought that if it was all vegan, I could disregard things like portion sizes and limiting high fat goodies (like nuts, which I absolutely love and indulged in way too often during this period). I've learned my lesson :-)

Sarah Noel said #2 Jan 26, 2011 at 10:05am

Jennifer, Unfortunately I don't feel like I have much to say, but wanted to respond anyway. I'm not sure what is going on with your body. You said you went vegan. Does that include cutting out a lot of sugar? And you said your stomach is noticeably BIGGER than before? When I went vegan (about 11 months ago....and I had been vegetarian for years prior), I cut out a LOT of the sugar I was eating before. And my stomach really flattened out! I had always had a rounded belly before, even when the rest of my body was thin. Since cutting the sugar, my belly has gotten much flatter. Obviously that's where I stored the calories from the sugar I was consuming before. And now I notice when I do eat more sugar than normal for a few days, it goes straight to my belly and it starts to round out a little again. Sure keeps me on track, that's for sure!

But anyway, my suggestion to you would be to keep up the vegan diet, and cut out most (if not all) processed and refined sugars. Give it a few more weeks and see what happens and how you feel. If your belly continues to grow bigger and bigger, I'd see a doctor or at least talk to someone knowledgable about this stuff. But I would think as your body gets used to the new diet, it will regulate itself and get back on track. Are you exercising much? If you're really concerned about the belly fat, I'd suggest regular exercise (at least 30 minutes, continually, of heart-pounding, sweating exercise 4-5 days a week, or more), along with the vegan diet and eliminating sugar. Plus, with the vegan diet, make sure it's natural, whole foods, the majority of the time. Very little processed foods. Anyway, that's my suggestion....hopefully it works out for you and your body gets back on track and you love it even more! :-)

Beary said #3 Jan 26, 2011 at 12:51pm

Hi Jennifer, I also don't have much insight into this because my stomach has always been my 'trouble zone' where body fat distribution is concerned!

However, although I am sure you are fine, I wanted to say that when any woman notices a dramatic unexplained increase in abdominal girth, its good to check with your ObGyn just to make sure nothing is going on down there. Again, I am sure you are absolutely FINE, but I know a woman who developed a very large fluid-filled cyst (totally benign) but indeed, it did make her look a bit pregnant!

One other thought is that perhaps you are eating more fiber. Fiber holds a lot of water as it moves through our large intestine (which is a very healthy thing in terms of keeping 'regular'), but if you've never experienced it before, I imagine it could make you feel a bit mushy down there!

Now, as for my tummy, I've begrudgingly learned to appreciate the 'benefits' of my unfortunate body type: bigger boobs, a tiny tushy, and skinny legs! (Just trying to look on the bright side!)

nikbella said #4 Feb 3, 2011 at 12:02pm

I would say watch your sodium intake. I lost 7 pounds by doing that alone. The mg of sodium should be no higher than the number of calories. If you are cooking, you should only add the salt when you are done.

Despite decreasing my sodium. I have been experiencing a little of the same problem more recently. I think it is b/c I have been doing a lot more strength training ie crunches. My friend said that she went through the same phase where the muscle underneath sort of pushes the fat out and makes it more noticeable. My over all size has continued to decrease. My plan is to keep up the strength training, but increase my cardio.

I have no idea how medically accurate this theory is.

harry son said #5 Oct 22, 2011 at 2:45am

Obesity especially belly fat has become a common problem of most of us. It leads to various health problems; out of which some may be life threatening. People with excessive weight are always looking for weight loss tips. There are several effective ways to lose weight but one should remember that weight loss takes time. If you are keen to lose your extra pounds and you have patience, then you will certainly be able to lose weight. It's easy, if you follow below tips and eat foods.

Breakfast:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A nutritious breakfast can give you a good start. If you don't put something in your stomach after 8 hours of sleep, your metabolic system weakens and fails to burn the extra calories. It's good to control your food cravings, but breakfast shouldn't be skipped. Always make a good start with foods that burn belly fat like oat meal and light cereals.

Greg Mason said #6 Apr 17, 2012 at 4:37am

I Also Heard "The Truth About Abs" by Mike Geary has a good ab program for men and women who want to lose stomach fat. They claim there are 7 Foods you can eat that KILL stomach fat whether you exercise or not. They have a free video you can watch at http://www.truthaboutsabs.com , Good Luck and God Bless!

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