[Pmeidstc]

To those with hormonal belly fat and bat wings (aka upper arm fat),
Are you (or did you) see significant loss of fat in these two problem areas? Do you get back to a flat stomach and decent looking arms? I have been low-carbing for 6 months and been in ketosis the whole time. I have lost weight but still have the problem areas. My weight loss has also slowed. This is why I am planning to go the HCG route soon. Anyone who did low carb then HCG with great results in said areas? I am so looking forward to losing my middle-age middle!

[NKUDirectory]

I have always had a flat stomach then this year...at age 44 I got a belly. All of a sudden. The hcg has definitly taken that down and now if I toned up my abs I think I would be flat again. Also, I was disgusted by how big my arms looked and I am beginning to see muscle definition there again as well. Just finished a 34 day round and Im 5 days into P3. Hope that helps a bit.

[iqxdvjgmat]

I don't know if my belly will ever be flat flat again but it is definitely flatter so I have hope! It needs toning too...
My arms look good. I think the advantage of hcg is the reshaping above just loosing weight, even if it is with keto. You'll love the changes!

[bely832new]

I actually think that my bat wings are worse, but my arms in general are smaller. I have been doing free weights, resistance training, and boot camp, and they are looking better, but my triceps are coming along slower than my biceps!

I think that your tummies can be problematic. IF you had a flat stomach when you were younger, and if you weren't significantly overweight for a long period of time, then you can get a flat stomach again. But I have a feeling that if your skin stretched a lot to accomodate a whole bunch of belly fat, then you may have a flat-tish belly with a pooch left over. And if you never had a flat stomach, then I suspect you never will, once you get past a certain age.

I will say that my H keeps telling me I have a "smoking hot" body. I showered this morning, and was standing naked in the bathroom working on my hair, and I looked at myself in the mirror and thought "Wowza I DO look good! I DO have a smoking hot body for a 48 year old!" I was at the pool at the condo in Miami last weekend (land of beautiful fit people and small thong bottoms!), and I was nowhere near a couple of the 20-somethings, but I looked better than a few of the 20-somethings, half the 30-somethings, and ALL the other 40-somethings. I probably look as good as I have looked in years. The HCG certainly helped me get off the weight that had slowly crept up; I love that stuff!

[Henldyhl]

Well, there sure are some encouraging words here! I was always fit and had a flat stomach. So, I guess I have a fighting chance. I am 52 so I know age and skin elasticity will play a part. I have had hormone weight for 6 years-gaining more each year. But, it sure sounds like HCG does some amazing reshaping! Coupled with some weight work, I just may be able to wear a bathing suit in public...next year of course!!! I am now looking forward to starting the HCG diet after my July vacation. Thanx.

[77Dinaartickire]

I am in way worse shape than most of you, and have been obese most of my life.

But I just started a new regiment. Hot and cold showers while scrubbing, silica and some additional Schuessler salts from the inside. Anything to help skin elasticity... I am prepared to get a tummy tuck if I ever hit my dream weight... But obviously, just having some improvement while getting there would already help.

[Z2sc8gEz]

Hey sweetipie: I am not familiar with the salts-what do they do? I was going to look into strivectin. I agree, having some improvement along the way will help! I hope I do not need a tummy tuck. If I were younger I would go for it but at my age, nah! Thank God for one piece bathing suits!

[Mowselelew]

Hey, I am 37... which means I still consider myself too young to feel weird being naked in a shower. But - a tummy tuck is only feasible when you are actually at goal weight, so not worrying about that yet... who knows if I ever get there?

Schuessler salts are a tad voodoo. Well, they are homeopathic, and they work. There are more than 20 salts, each addressing different body functions/ party. I have Nr. 1 Calcium fluoratum, Nr. 9 Natrium phosphoricum, Nr. 11 Silicea, and Nr. 5 Kalium phosphoricum. Two are for connective tissue (i.e. tight skin), one is for metabolism, and one for the psyche - that one I only take when having trouble with depression, which I haven't in a couple of months.

In addition, I have straight silica powder. You can either take it with water, and there are also creams for external use. Silica is again supposed to tighten skin and help it with regeneration.

Anything to help battle the flab.

[xT0U3UGh]

Sweetiepie: Got it-you take the cell salts. I misunderstood, thought you were rubbing your skin with the salts! LOL! I also take silicon and collagen. I use Biosil for silicon and Neocell collagen-both work well. I hope it is okay to post the brand name...
I am sure you will get the weight off with HCG. You have age on your side too-not contending with hormone changes.

[TessUnsonia]

Yeah - Schuessler cell salts. Though I cannot wait to finally talk to my sister-in-law again, who is a complete homeopathy whiz... I settled on globule in D6/ D12 respectively, and am curious to see if she suggests going with tablets instead. She is incommunicado till tomorrow though... no help when I ordered and started taking them.

Silica you can also rub, apparently. But since I can also not be bothered to take any lotion, I doubt I will remember.

[Jadykeery]

Peryn, I am 50 and in your exact situation, particularly hormonal belly fat. I am finishing my 4th round of HCG (1st was wildly successful and stabilized well, 2nd a total failure, 3rd was wildly successful and stabilized for almost a year until I added more dairy and starch than is good for me). HCG is the ONLY thing that takes off that kind of fat on me. the ONLY thing. Doing P90x, Yoga, 2hrs a day cardio, etc--that reduces regular fat but never touched my hormonal fat. My dr was thrilled with all my numbers, including weight, but said I could do nothing about the ring of belly fat above my naval. Even with all the exercise and watching my food intake in terms of steady calories and specific foods, my belly fat just increased. SO frustrating! HCG takes it off me, and I have almost none left as I finish my 4th round with little change anywhere except in my "hormonal" fat--down 6 inches in my waistline. I know now which "healthy" foods to avoid when I stabilize this time to help keep it off and keep hormones balanced. Oh, BTW, when you measure initially, measure your waistline, around your belly and your naval, and around just under your naval. Even if your waist stays the same, you'll be shocked at what happens below.

[JohnTruels]

Thank you BarefootQueen-very helpful information. In your 4th round when you lost mostly hormonal fat, how much weight had you lost and how close to goal are you? Which HCG drops are you using? Why was rd 2 a failure? I am really excited to hear how only HCG helped- I have been told by many that the belly fat was there to stay....and I understand just how easily belly fat continues to increase.

[Elaltergephah]

Peryn, I'm wrapping up my 4th round...down around 13 pound in 25 days (I'm going to 30 days). I'm having an unexpected TOM right now so I'm up 2 pounds and will probably end the round at 15 down. Ironically, I'm wearing the same size now that I wore 40 pounds lighter many years ago--same dimensions. So I'm trying not to think of pounds and think instead of health and body definition. When I eat dairy, wheat, and starch (I've figured it out), the resulting fat goes to ONE specific place. I think I've broken the code so I don't do this again! Pound-wise, I'd thought i was another 10-15 pounds to goal but looking in the mirror, I see that physically, I am looking good! There's not another 10-15 pounds of fat on me--I've gained a lot of muscle working out like crazy to lose the belly fat. BUT the weight/fat I've lost is primarily around my mid-section. Some in thighs and arms, but belly has been the problem area. I lose differently each time but in all rounds, I've lost belly fat. In some rounds, it was like the focus shifted to a different body part and my shoulders got sleeker or my legs thinner. But belly fat had lessened every time.

I use HHCG from a local nutritionist. All 4 rounds over the past 18+ months.

Round 2 was just miserable. I lost well but couldn't stabilize. I had unsupportive and sabotaging family/friends around me. People will LIE about what they put in your food, so I now cook it myself and no one else gets to feed me while I'm on hcg! Rd 1, I was sorta on vacation for 3 weeks so no one knew until the last week I was on protocol. With Rd 2, I decided to share my good fortune with overweight friends desperate to lose weight but not disciplined enough to stick to protocol, and they drove me crazy with their input/unresearched advice. I learned my lesson and then started keeping it more to myself.

The greatest thing hcg has done for me is to help me understand how my body reacts to certain foods--and some just go straight to belly fat. Even "healthy" foods. I know exactly how to eat now to keep my belly fat at a minimum. As I go into P3, I'll apply those lessons to stabilize, and I know that I really do have to eat a certain way the rest of my life if I don't want my middle to look like an apple. To help manage my insulin, I'll also start the leptin reset (jackkruse.com) in a few weeks so I can manage not just the foods I eat but the timing of them for max efficiency of my body.

My body didn't come with a how-to manual, so it's funny that at 50, I am writing it myself. Don't know if what works for me will work for you, but I do believe that self-knowledge and self-experimentation to get the regimen just right will work for most people. I'm not the one-size-fits-all that my doc thinks I am when she says, "That's hormonal fat--nothing you can do."

[bWxNFI3c]

Thanks so much BarefootQueen! I did the leptin reset when I started to low carb...it kept me from being hungry. I know the leptin/insulin issue contributes to belly fat. I hope to learn as well as you have how to keep the belly fat off once the hcg gets it off of me. Wishing us both continued success!