waist size unchanged!

[dianam]

So i have lost 14 pounds since January, but my waist hasn't changed at all! i do the treadmill 3-4 times a week at alternating intensity, and also alternate with yoga, latin dance, and strength training. I feel better, and stronger. i limit breads to a couple times a week, eliminated rice, and eat salad almost every night at dinner.I do not eat any processed foods.  Any ideas what i am doing wrong? 

[goodthoughts]

I have had the same problem since entering perimenopause.  I sympathize with you but have no solutions.  Let me know if you hear of any.

[KristenAnne]

Have you added weights to your routines? Weight training will help your core. Also a strong back equals a strong core. Think of balancing exercises: You can sit and do upper body while on a balance ball, planks are wonderful, push-ups with your feet on a balance ball works too.

Good job on the weight loss! It'll take time, but you will see your waist size change. I really think the goal is to add more weights with balancing techniques.

Good Luck!

[Heybales]

Have you ever been at a lighter weight as an adult?

I ask because some left teenage life already overweight, and have no idea what their body might look like at less weight.

If you don't know, you may have a thick midsection, and while you can't select where fat is lost, it's not coming off there first, and even when it does, it may not be much.

But also interesting that the stress hormone cortisol when constantly elevated causes fat to be stored or retained there in stomach, so perhaps examine stresses in life.

Lack of sleep, food sensitivities, disease, illness, frequent intense exercise, unreasonable diet amount, life in general - all are stress and add up and can cause cortisol to stay elevated, rather than the healthy spikes that might occur from good exercise workout.

[dianam]

actually i weighed as little as 110 lbs (way too thin) about 30 years ago, to a high of 190 lbs 6 a few months ago. this has been a steady gain, although some medications put weight on in a hurry ( haven't been on those meds in years though). i do have a lot of stress- can't change that though.

[Heybales]

@dianam wrote:

actually i weighed as little as 110 lbs (way too thin) about 30 years ago, to a high of 190 lbs 6 a few months ago. this has been a steady gain, although some medications put weight on in a hurry ( haven't been on those meds in years though). i do have a lot of stress- can't change that though.

---

Then you might look over those list of stresses and see which ones you do have control over. Some you do.

even the stress of being on a diet - don't make the deficit so extreme then with bigger weight loss goal. back off and accept the fact that bigger won't be better, and could easily lead to little to none anyway - while it increases stress to body.

But picking a better deficit can be more sustainable and remove some stress.

[slysam]

This is out in left field since you cannot choose where your body releases fat, sadly. But hormones can effect fat distribution sometimes hence why sometimes people's proportions change when some aspect of their hormone balance changes or when taking hormonal medications. For stress hormones, some people find that exercise helps or that certain types of exercise help. Some find that yoga or tai chi help them (likely due to the relaxation and deep breathing aspects though a lot of practices have some good balance and core stabilizing work included). Some find fun, feel good cardio like hiking outside, dancing, moderate cycling, playing golf, wlaking their dogs, etc help. If you are doing a lot of vigorous exercise, replacing some of it with milder relaxing exercise can help (not all vigorous exercise can help too).