[knb]

Hi there;

I'm 23 (5'7" and 129lbs) and have been working out consistently for 3 months now. I do level 3 of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, level 1 of shred with weights, and 30 minutes on the elliptical every weekend. On weekdays I do 30 day shred, and the elliptical.

In December I was 142lbs, and have dropped to 126lbs (however I've started drinking alot of water which has upped me to 129lbs for 2 weeks! :\ ). My question is, why am I not losing the actual body fat? Obviously I've lost some, but my belly fat is so prominent still and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Help?!

[freelancemomma]

At 5'7" and 129 pounds you're already at the low end of the healthy weight range, so it's no surprise if the "vanity pounds" come off slowly. (Not criticizing here; I'm also seeking to maintain a vanity weight.)

You're doing fine and the fat IS coming off. If you tend to store fat in your belly, it'll be the last place that releases the fat.

F.

[IanG]

You are losing fat and probably some muscle too with that regime which is a lot of cardio.

Unfortunately, people maintain bellies for all sorts of reasons, some of which are unrelated to fat. I still have one. It gets bigger when I eat and if I get gas (which I get a lot) or if I am bloated. So you may just have to live with it.

If you are worried about muscle loss, eat more lean protein (eggs, fish, chicken) and start lifting some weights (not just cardio, with weights). At the moment you are burning everything.

[LovelyLeah]

Are you sure it's fat? In another post you had said that you've been drinking alcohol every night for the past few years. I don't know and can't judge how much you were drinking but my cousin had a similar problem and discovered that her stubborn stomach "fat" was actually a symptom of cirrhosis. Again, I don't know you or your background or how much you were actually drinking but just something to consider.