Hey Everyone,

I have been on a diet for around 2 months. I am 18 years old, 5'8" and around 152 lbs (I'm in college and don't have access to a scale). My goal is to lose around 10 lbs. I know I'm not fat and am pretty thin everywhere except my stomach. I have about 7 lbs of fat on my stomach and nowehere else. In short, I look like I'm 7 months pregnant. I've had this physique since 6th grade and frankly I am fed up.
I started my diet moderately. I cut out the fattening foods, which was difficult being up at school because everything is fattening. I ate a lot of lean protein, cut out the bad carbs and ate lots of fruits and vegetables. I also did some abdominal exercise as well as 30 minutes of cardio a day. As time progressed I did not see any improvement. I became more obsessed with my weight. I think I may have been close to anorexic and partly bulimic for about 3 weeks. I was eating around 750 calories and purging most of it along with my daily exercise routine. It dawned on me that what I was doing was wrong so now I'm back to my moderate diet. I just need some advice because I don't have that much weight to lose but its concentrated in an unhealthy area that could cause future health problems and I just want to be thinner. Not anorexically thin, just enough so that I feel confident wearing a bathing suit.
I realize I sound like a teenage stereotype but I'm not. I'm just close to giving up. Another thing is I stay around the same weight no matter what I eat. I probably had an eating disorder at one point where I binged but didn't purge. Thats why I figured I had the stomach but now I'm not so sure. Maybe this is my set point and no matter what I do I'll be this weight. I'm just getting desperate and looking for advice. Thanks.

hmm, it sounds like an image problem. since 5'8" and 150lbs is very healthy and a little bit under the "standard" weight for women (I'm assuming you are a woman because of your screen name). anyways, you the reason you are not losing any fat is because you are not eating enough and excercising too much. granted, gradually you'll be come skeleton like, but your tummy will not become smaller since anerexic patients have enlarged bowls, so they all look pregnant.

here is what you should do, unless you have the time and money to consult a physician. first of all, eat a healthy 1800-2000 calories a day meal. at this point, focus on protein, your excercises had forced your body to break down too many amonoacids from your organs for you to stay alive and relatively alert. If you are doing intensive cardio excercise, you might want to slow it down at this point, since your body doesn't have nearly enough protein or energy to generate movement and growth of your muscles
I'm beting alot that you feel tired all the time, unfocused when you are awake, having trouble memorizing things and sleep doesn't refreesh you as much as it should. You should eat healthy until you are energetic and ready to go. after that, remember to eat alot of vegetables for plenty of vitamins, complex starch such as break and pasta, simple sugar like candies should be avoided. and if you want nice flat abs, I guess work out and nice dose of protein should do the trick. before I finish my tirade. remember, it's simply calories in, calories out, how much you eat and how put your body takes out that is if and only if you have a healthy organ system. starving yourself will only make your tummy look bigger (it tends to retend water too if you take in enough nutrients). 5'8" is pretty tall. you should get into modeling!

Thanks for your reply. I am considered overweight by 10 lbs according to my doctor. I guess I forgot to mention that I am also big boned. No matter how much weight I lose I would still be a size 10 or 12 dress and I could probably never fit into anything smaller than a size 7 jeans. Hopefully, that puts things into a better persective...so much for modeling. I'll try uping my cal intake and include only healthy food. Its just so frustrating because no matter if I eat 3000 calories or 1000, I just stay the same. Some would be grateful for that, but it works both ways and its annoying. I can't lose or gain weight.

P.S. I also drink about 3 liters of water a day. I didn't think this would cause bloating because the more water you drink, the more you let out but I am retaining water. Ugh, I'm just so depressed.

Here is my two cents worth,

Why don't you try keeping your calories around 1400 a day eat 4-6 times a day that should include breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and a late night snack
By eating more you are bring up your metabolism and you are less likely to over eat later on
Also have you thought about weight training/ resistance training? They are a great way to tone and when you tone you drop inches.
Cardio is also a great thing to incorporate into your workout, 3-4 times a week for 30 min is what is recommended

Don't give up sometimes you just have to change 1-2 things

Slow and steady is the game

if you drink ALOT of water, remember to eat lots and lots of vitamin tablets! most water soluable vitamins comes right out of you when alot of water are lost.
hmm...that and today's designer jeans or even clothes are labeled very small. as in, a size 7 should be pretty small for your height. besides, you want to loose weight or fat because you want to be healthy. not eating a balanced diet could make you look HORRIBLE! actress/dancers who constantly starve themselves look WAY older than they are suppose to be.
I mean if you are going to be in bed all day due to lack of energy and look like an old maid all the time, what's the point of being skinny?

Yes I want to lose weight to be healthy. I'm not fat now, I know that. I just have 10 lbs on my abdominal area, which is the unhealthiest place to have it and I want to lose it. I wear a size 9 jeans now and sometimes a 7 anyway (depending on the store). I have like a 31 waist. I'm not even sure how much weight I need to lose. My doctor told me 10 lbs but that was before I went to college and gained a few lbs so I prob. need to drop more. Every time I go home, the scale says I weigh more but I don't look that much heavier. Before I left I was 146, I'm prob around 152-3 now. I don't have a bad self-image of myself and typically I'm not that concerned with my weight. It all started when I had to go to a Frat formal and started dieting to look better in my dress. i figured I might as well keep up with it because summer is coming. I'm just getting ticked that I'm not losing anything and I appear bloated (prob cause of the water intake). If anything, I'll just stop, eat tons of junk food and stay the same weight. The only reason I gained weight in college is because I'm not as active. I'm from NYC and I walk everywhere where as up at school, my classes are a 2 minute walk from my dorm.

P.S. When I was calorie restrictive, I had plenty of energy. Naturally, I am bursting with energy and really active. And for whatever reason when I was restricting, I had more energy and wasn't sleeping at night/ wasn't taking my usual daily nap.

In short, I am not anorexic nor do I have a bad self image. I just want a few tips to lose a couple of lbs. I would be perfectly happy if I could drop 5.

ah, sorry, it's just that you sounded a little depressed before ^_^ I'm glad to see you are happier now. just eat small portions and you'll be fine. one pound of fat has about 3800 calories (more or less). I'd say forcus on cario work out then instead of muslce works that way you won't feel bulky because of muscles. ^_^ good luck!

Thanks for your reply. I am considered overweight by 10 lbs according to my doctor. I guess I forgot to mention that I am also big boned. No matter how much weight I lose I would still be a size 10 or 12 dress and I could probably never fit into anything smaller than a size 7 jeans. Hopefully, that puts things into a better persective...so much for modeling. I'll try uping my cal intake and include only healthy food. Its just so frustrating because no matter if I eat 3000 calories or 1000, I just stay the same. Some would be grateful for that, but it works both ways and its annoying. I can't lose or gain weight.

P.S. I also drink about 3 liters of water a day. I didn't think this would cause bloating because the more water you drink, the more you let out but I am retaining water. Ugh, I'm just so depressed.

You should see other doc. because im 5'6 im my ideal weight is 145-150, so you're like a lot taller and thiner, if you keep obssesed w/ the way you look you will never loose the non-important 10 pounds. You dont need a diet, you need something confortable a routin to do the rest of your life, because if you keep doing that imagine, when you get pregnant and gain weight, are you gonna starved amd die or something...

Thanks guys. In a couple of days I plan on starting a running routine when I have more time. I think thats the only way the tummy will come off.
I don't know why my ideal weight is 140? I do have a good amount of fat on my tummy but nowehere else. I don't know if this has anything to do with it; I am very small chested, small butt and small hips. I literally only gain weight in my tummy. In short, I have the shape of a middle aged man with a beer belly,lol. I'm pretty comfortable in my skin none the less. I just have a goal of wearing a bikini for the first time this summer. I would never dream of leaving my house in one now and I want to have the opportunity to wear a bikini while I'm still young. Thats all.

P.S. I was really proud of what I ate today. I think it was well balanced and had all the essential nutrients. I got a grilled chicken fajita type thing for dinner but I put it on a wheat wrap instead of a typical white tortilla and put salsa and jalapenos on it. It was a lot less fattening without the cheese and guacomole, which I love but sacrificed for health's sake. Typically, I get a turkey wrap wih lite mayo for most of my meals because everything else available in my dining hall is garbage. It was a nice change.

i hate mt stomach. i sued to love it amnd have abs amd everything but i didnt know it- long story. anyway- i would love to burn that nasty fat off and resculpt my body. heading off to college this year i want to keep my body in shape. not fo rthe boys. for the boy.
i want my bf to have more to brag about when he is in college and also i want to feel comfrotable and sexy again.
i think once i get past the 160 mark i will be overjoyed and really pump it.
i wont lie, i can see an ice cream cone here and there but iam not going to deprove myself and get super stressed out and gloomy over something like that. i am going to really work hard at being sensible and listenign to what my body wants.

for those of you girls that want to rid the stomach fat and are already at a good/healthy weight i highly suggest pilates. the workouts are amazing. you feel great and look great fast. walking isnt a bad idea either.