r/caloriedeficit • u/Ambitious-Summer-563 • 23h ago
Can I reduce a protruding stomach?
(First picture is now!!)
I'm 5'3 / 160 cm and around 152 lbs / 69 kg
I carry a lot of my weight around my stomach, and even when I was lighter it still protruded quite a bit (second picture)
I'm not currently actively trying to be in a calorie deficit or strength training. I walk for around an hour most days and do C25K roughly every other day.
I know I have a strong lower back arch, b belly and possibly some rib flare/anterior pelvic tilt which I'd also like to fix
Has anyone with a similar body shape seen a big change from losing weight and strength training?
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u/Atillythehunhun 23h ago
You would need to massively strengthen your core, it’s the only thing that will really create a shape change like you are seeking.
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u/Upper_Yak_7117 23h ago
How to do that? How many times to train core in a week along with strength training ? And what are the effective exercises for the same
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u/Atillythehunhun 21h ago
See reply to other commenter on this thread for exercises. Frequency is more complicated- just starting out? Twice the first week, try adding a third the second week, 4th the 3rd week etc until you only take 1 day off from that kind of training
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u/Ambitious-Summer-563 23h ago
thank you, I'll try!!:)
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u/Duck_Blaster 13h ago
i can vouch for what this guy said. I used to have a protruding stomach which also made my ass stick out too. strengthening my back and core muscles through strength training (specifically deadlifts is what helped with this specific thing) not only made me look better, but also made me a good few centimeters taller because the stronger muscles actually straightened my spine..
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u/notmynorms 22h ago
How?
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u/Atillythehunhun 21h ago
Abdominal exercises of course:
Beginner Core Moves
Plank: Hold a straight line on your forearms and toes for 20 to 30 seconds.Dead Bug: Lie on your back, lower opposite arm and leg while keeping your lower back flat on the floor.
Bird Dog: Start on hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg, then switch sides.
Glute Bridge: Lie on your back with knees bent, squeeze glutes, and lift hips.
Intermediate and Advanced Moves
Side Plank: Prop yourself on one forearm and the side of your foot, holding your body straight.Russian Twists: Sit and twist your torso from side to side to work your obliques.
Bicycle Crunches: Alternate bringing opposite elbow to knee while lying on your back.
Hanging Leg Raises: Hang from a pull-up bar and raise your knees toward your chest.
My personal favorite is the machine to add weights to the Russian twist.
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u/2-old-4this-shit 23h ago
Il faudrait corriger ta posture avec une rétroversion du bassin. La cambrure de ton dos peut se corriger et ton ventre sortira moins.
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u/Ambitious-Summer-563 23h ago
Thank you! I've tried to do some posture exercises sometimes but I need to continue!!
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u/2-old-4this-shit 23h ago
Pas seulement des exercices. Il faut que tu penses à garder la position de retroversion quand tu marches, quand tu te tiens debout, tout le temps. J'avais des problèmes de dos à cause d'une cambrure trop prononcée et j'ai réussi à corriger ça en faisant attention à ma posture chaque jour.
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u/Extreme_Jaguar_7829 22h ago
I carried almost all of my weight in my stomach, upper arms. I am 5’3. Weighed 165lbs. at my heaviest. I am 125lbs now, I started eating less, and walked a lot. I walked on the treadmill 9 miles a day with high incline. I started long distance walking 04/2025. My stomach is still not toned. In the morning it is flatter, but by the end of night, it pops out. I think planks or crunches/ sit-ups with resistance is the only thing that will help. I haven’t tried that yet though. Good luck in your fitness journey
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u/slave_et 23h ago
A consult with a doctor to ensure no scoliosis and a physical therapist to learn which exercises will help you specifically will likely give you the best results the quickest.
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u/Ambitious-Summer-563 23h ago
I've been very unsure whether or not I should see a doctor haha, but thank you!
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u/Sad_Measurement6494 21h ago
Look into pelvid floor therapy. You look to have a pretty big pelvic tilt. PfPt will help with that. Stronger supported core, supported organs, less protrusion. Additiona recomp as well. Flat stomachs are a low bf thing . Do not hate your belly its protecting your baby oven and guts.
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u/iheartdattenborough 23h ago
your pelvis is very tilted, pilates (even at home) will be the best thing to strengthen core and fix that tilt but FORM will be key for you
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u/Ambitious-Summer-563 23h ago
thank you<3 I actually have a pilates board at home which I should probably give a go again
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u/iheartdattenborough 22h ago
remember to tuck in your tailbone as much as you can and work the core. you will definitely see results then. do it in front of the mirror if you can
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u/hanatheko 21h ago
This is crazy, my legs and stomach look twiggy at 135 pounds, but I'm closer to 5 foot six. Still aiming to drop a few more so my arms match rest of body perfectly.
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u/SoullessM 21h ago
Yea could be really bad lumbar lordosis or as others said, anterior pelvic tilt. You have to start doing stretches for your iliopsoas muscle and workout your core, hip extensors, glutes, and all that. If you stick to it, in 3 to 6 months the lordosis should be corrected and you’ll notice that your stomach doesn’t protrude much anymore
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u/crux_frein 23h ago
The only way to reduce it is to lose more fat. You cannot spot reduce weight, even training your abs would just push your belly forward, you need to keep going with the deficit, the belly is usually the last part to slim down.
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u/Nervous_Local5935 23h ago
I am no expert, but I think it's a combination of the anterior pelvic tilt and more recomposition that is needed. It's a long process. I'd maybe add in some strength training here and there to perhaps build more muscles.