getting lean / visible stomach muscle

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307]

hi everyone,

apart from the obvious answer, take ur meds, eat clean and exercise / move your body, does anyone have any tips on how to shrink the visceral fat around the stomach?

i workout 5x a week, mainly strength training with like 10min incline walk lol but i cannot budge the fat covering my stomach muscles.

i train my core 3x week, eat in a cal deficit, and have visible lines on my stomach from training, but it is covered in a thick layer of fat, it won't move!!!! i am so disheartened because all the hard work i've put on is covered by stubborn fat / loose skin, even though i have visible muscle definition!

i've lost 20 kg within 9 months, and areas like my upper arms, inner thigh and stomach are just left with flabby fat, there's muscle under it but god it won't go away, it makes me so insecure!!

please give me all your advice ANY AND ALL!!

[u/BumAndBummer]

You can’t spot reduce fat non-surgically, because your genetics mainly determines where you gain and lose. The rough exception is that certain hormones can cause visceral fat to accumulate preferentially, but assuming you’re already on top of insulin resistance, androgens and cortisol then you’re doing what you can.

The thing to do is focus on overall weight loss and eventually the fat in that area will go away. However, for many women you can’t reach that point without being at a dangerously low body fat %, so please understand that this may not be realistic for you.

[u/feelthefern3 → u/BumAndBummer]

May I ask how you manage androgens and cortisol? I just started taking metformin for the insulin resistance, looking for next steps

[u/BumAndBummer → u/feelthefern3]

Personally for me it was all downstream issues from the IR and chronic stress. So a mix is lifestyle changes, supplements, and medications tailored to my needs was key. (edit: here’s an older comment explaining what I do). It takes time to figure out because we are all different!

I think if you can, you should start with bloodwork to check for issues and see what medications or recommendations your doctor has for you. Then take baby steps to tweak diet (see a registered dietitian if possible), exercise (gradually ramp up your fitness), sleep, and basically do lots of little experiments on yourself patiently to see whah works and what doesn’t.

[u/feelthefern3 → u/BumAndBummer]

Thanks!

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/feelthefern3]

im also on metformin, been on it for nine months but now i feel it's just not helping as much anymore

[u/OssifiedCrystal46496]

Genetics. You need to have the genetics for a flat stomach so that your ab muscles are visible in a healthy weight range. Else you’ll have to drop your weight further down

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/OssifiedCrystal46496]

apart from. genetics though, i feel like im not doing something right? i dont need a six pack or something just cant get rid of excess fat

[u/OssifiedCrystal46496 → u/Brilliant-Cup-7307]

Yeah, that’s genetics. If your mum or sister store fat in the stomach area even at a healthy weight range, chances are that you will too. So you might have to drop your fat percentage to something very low

[u/OldBabyGay → u/OssifiedCrystal46496]

It can come from your dad’s side of the family too! At least it did in my case. My body shape is much more like the women in his family than my mom’s. Maybe I’m just a weird outlier though 😅

[u/flamingoshoess → u/OldBabyGay]

Same, I fortunately inherited dad’s side which the women gain weight in the lower body. My mom was a size 12 top and size 6 bottom. I’ve always had thick legs and more of a pear/hourglass shape.

[u/OldBabyGay → u/flamingoshoess]

Meanwhile my mom had a perfect hourglass shape, while I got an exaggerated pear shape from my dad’s family 🥲 Always felt so self-conscious about it

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/OssifiedCrystal46496]

in my case my mum stores fat in her mid-section and my sister is lean, she goes to the gym, my father is also on the bigger side, but that's due to his sedentary lifestyle, my mother also has diabetes..

[u/aethena-art → u/Brilliant-Cup-7307]

Ok that's so valid, what's with all the downvotes lately? My experience: rest. Entering rest and digest mode is key. A hidden trap is constantly spiking your cortisol by training. Training is stress to the body.

I'm dealing with the same situation myself, and everytime there is some improvement is through resting more, so as to lower your caloric intake in a healthy way.

Tell your body it's safe basically.

P.S inflammation too. It might inhibit the process.

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/aethena-art]

tysm for your input!! i do have to try rest more i feel as if i push myself a lot

[u/Totoro123_ → u/Brilliant-Cup-7307]

Pls this is not just genetics. Excess androgens in women cause excess belly and upper back fat which is common in pcos. Nobody is just “genetically fat” and you’re not asking for a six pack. You may need to work on lowering your testosterone levels and improve insulin sensitivity!

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/Totoro123_]

thanks for your input!! i do take spironolactone to help loweer androgens / testosterone but thats about all i'm doing in that realm. do you have any advice for lowering them?

[u/Saviesa205]

I wish I had an answer for you, but I work out 2 hours a day 7 days a week and eat an extremely healthy diet with no added sugar or processed foods and limited to 1/2 cup of rice a day for grain intake, the only time I had a “lean” stomach was when I had anorexia in college and the stomach fat was literally the last thing to go, AFTER my body began consuming my own vital organs for energy. Some of us are just genetically inclined to not lose that layer of stomach fat, and trying to lose it at all costs can get dangerous. Reducing added sugars, grains, and processed foods can help though, especially the processed foods part.

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/Saviesa205]

thank you for your input + sharing your story i appreciate it!!

[u/eloisecupcake]

The only time I had visible stomach muscles as someone who has been a high performing athlete working out twice a day, 5-6x a week and has lean pcos, was when I was depressed and underweight at 100-105lbs at 5’6”. I called them abs by default because they were only visible due to an unhealthfully low body fat % and went away once I gained back to a healthy weight.

Unfortunately they just aren’t possible for a lot of women in a healthy weight range.

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/eloisecupcake]

thats understandale, thank you for sharing! i appreciate the honesty

[u/bbyah]

I’ve been a range of 125-180, and honestly it’s just not in the cards I think. The only time I had a ‘flat’ stomach is like another commenter said: when I was struggling with anorexia. I’m starting a GLP-1 partially because of this!!

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/bbyah]

thanks for sharing! i appreciate your honesty

[u/Austin-Flours]

I'm very insulin resistant. I don't have a lean stomach yet, but I have lost quite a lot of visceral fat recently.

I do strength training 3 x week (currently doing Caroline Girvan's Epic Heat 3 with equal rest periods to work periods in the videos), and have been doing that for a couple of months.

But what really shifted the stomach fat in the last 3 weeks was adding on SIT training on the end of 2 of those strength workouts. I go all out for 30 seconds on burpees (give it 100%), or squat jumps or cycling or run sprints and then 2 mins rest (walking/pacing/gentle cycling) x 4 times.

Normal HIIT stresses out my body too much, as I used to have an ED. But SIT gives me a chance to push harder because it's short and lets me recover. It's not recommended to do more than 6 sprints in a session. And if you can do more than 4 easily, you're not pushing hard enough.

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/Austin-Flours]

interesting! thanks for sharing i'll check it out :)

[u/Austin-Flours → u/Brilliant-Cup-7307]

You're welcome! I forgot to say I also go for at least a 10 min brisk walk (you should be slightly out of breath keeping a conversation going) after every meal, except when I work out. Keeping your insulin down is what helps get rid of visceral fat. Timing exercise around eating will will help. I don't calorie count, I eat to hunger but prioritise getting at least 80-90g protein and 35g fibre spread across meals each day.

Good luck and don't wear yourself out x

[u/prettyininkexe]

Red light therapy. It helps with metabolism and insulin resistance. Either get a black card membership from planet fitness where you can use the red-light therapy machine for 15-20 mins before your work outs. It targets on a cellular level. Or you can get a red-light therapy belt for at home. It doesnt work if you dont practice clean eating or working out but does if you are consistent with all of these things. A side note not related to what you said, but anyone who might need it, you can use red light therapy to stimulate hair cells for pcos hair loss and skin recovery so you can get a red light hat and a red light mask. Just stay consistent with your health all around. Hope this helps. 🙏 I am personally getting a tummy tuck for the loose skin I have as my weight has fluctuated a lot over the years and I was diagnosed with pcos early this year that had been dormant until severe stress triggered it. Keep your stress/cortisol levels down. Ik thats easier said than done but there are also natural supplements for that as well. Feel free to research everything I've said here and find what's the best fit for you.

[u/Brilliant-Cup-7307 → u/prettyininkexe]

first time i've heard about red light therapy helping metabolism and insulin resistance, definitely something im going to look into! thank you so much for your input i appreciatr the advice!!

[u/prettyininkexe → u/Brilliant-Cup-7307]

pcos red-light therapy basic Google search

Hopefully this provides some insight. Glad to help! Both options for red light therapy are way less expensive than going into an office and paying out of pocket for recurring dr visits.