What to do about stomach shelf? (Never been pregnant)

[wearethechristiangems]

I’m 29, 5’2, and 135 lbs. as long as I can remember I’ve always had a very abrupt shelf of stomach fat, even when I was younger at a lower weight. I’ve recently lost about 15 lbs and planning to lose 15 more, but I want to look into ways that I can smooth out this stomach, as I think it’ll still be shaped like that at a lower weight. I actually wouldn’t mind having a little fat there if the shape wasn’t so sudden like an actual shelf.

I’ve never seen a body type like this among my peers and only found pictures of this kind of stomach on people who had c-sections before, but I’ve never been pregnant.

What could have caused this and what can I do about it? Corsets? Dry brushing? Surgery? Just keep losing weight until goes away?

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[boynee]

@wearethechristiangems I would say try to eat a lot of protein and losing 10 more lbs will make a huge difference also. I’m 5’2 125 right now trying to get to like 118 it’s so hard

 

[mhayon]

@boynee This is me right now - I’m 5’2” 123/124 lbs wanting to get down to 112/115. It’s sooooooo hard to lose the last 10

 

[intermediary]

@boynee I feel this. It’s where I’m at right now and these last few pounds are stubborn and slow af.

 

[his1966]

@wearethechristiangems I have this! I've found running helps smooth it out.

 

[folukedunni]

@wearethechristiangems I totally get your frustration with the "stomach shelf"! Focusing on a balanced diet, consistent exercise (including cardio and core work), and staying hydrated can help. If you're still not seeing results, it might be worth talking to a healthcare professional. Everyone's body is different, so be patient with yourself. Good luck!

 

[sicleeffect]

@wearethechristiangems I have this too and I swear it’s because my underwear elastic trained my belly to fall over. I wear higher waisted undies now.

 

[wearethechristiangems]

@sicleeffect I’ve been wearing higher waisted pants/undies for at least a decade now, I don’t think that’s what it is, but it is awfully suspicious because that’s the exact spot where most undies hit lol

 

[truthrises]

@wearethechristiangems it's a matter of losing body fat. you need to weight train + eat at a deficit + LISS cardio (walking) to change your body composition.

 

[arvindprasad]

@wearethechristiangems Just curious. Have you looked into the difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat? I don't see your picture anymore so it's difficult to give you any more perspective.

 

[wearethechristiangems]

@arvindprasad Links updated! Imgur took my pics down

 

[sorryforthis]

@wearethechristiangems I have the exact same thing! I’m 5’6” and the lowest I’ve ever weighed as an adult was 102lb (I had a wild case of COVID and couldn’t keep anything down, it was NOT intentional!)

Even at 102lb I STILL had that shelf and the rest of my stomach was totally flat. That little blob of skin/fat/whatever it is was still just there! It sucks but in some ways it helped me cause I knew even if I got to a lower weight it wouldn’t matter.

So I’m focusing on building muscle and getting toned. It doesn’t go away but it looks less abrupt when I have more abs showing

 

[aplolgeticfreak]

@sorryforthis

Even at 102lb I STILL had that shelf and the rest of my stomach was totally flat. That little blob of skin/fat/whatever it is was still just there!

You just triggered a memory of an old show about plastic surgery. I don't remember what the show was called, if it was just an episode of True Life on MTV, or what, but it was back in the early 00s.

A woman got that little blob of fat removed, and I recall she was pretty skinny. I remember the plastic surgeon saying it was common for women to collect fat there, and it could be hard to remove naturally. It was the first time I heard someone say how normal it was to not have a completely flat stomach.

 

[allblessedup]

@wearethechristiangems I think you can try doing true high intensity interval training. Like a RPE of 11! 30 seconds or less of work followed by 2-3 min of rest. The work could be on a bike or running up the stairs etc. The intensity is key!

 

[wearethechristiangems]

@allblessedup Do you think this would have any more effect on the shape of the stomach than weight loss through other means? I’ve been losing so far through diet and regular lifting/cardio.

 

[allblessedup]

@wearethechristiangems I was more so recommending adding sprint intervals to supplement your regular lifting and cardio sessions! From what I've read sprint intervals will improve fat burning (especially deep visceral fat).

 

[wearethechristiangems]

@allblessedup Ok will try!

 

[allblessedup]

@wearethechristiangems All the best!!

 

[vitamvas]

@wearethechristiangems Try Pilates. It focuses much on your core.

 

[vluvski]

@wearethechristiangems I'm not able to see your picture. Is it just for me?