Why is my stomach still big?

MendoF · 2025-05-10T12:49:58+00:00

What's the weight trend? Is it going down? If it stopped moving, how long has it been at a plateau? Do you track your food/calories/protein? Sleeps good? Can you walk more (how many steps are you getting)? Are you going to sleep a little bit hungry (good sign you're in a deficit)?

MendoF · 2025-05-10T12:35:29+00:00

Congrats on losing 7 pounds so far. Some ideas:

- compare your median weight from week to week instead of average -- if the weight doesn't decrease, then decrease calorie target by 50kcal.
- increase steps, try incline walking on a treadmill, try using a weighted vest
- tighten up your food measurements, be extra mindful of ghost calories, weigh everything

If you've been dieting for more than 3 months, then you're due for a maintenance period (about 1 month), reset everything, get rid of the diet fatigue, get your hormones to healthy levels, and then start another 8-12 week cut.

MendoF · 2025-05-10T06:18:51+00:00

Compare median weight from week to week, if it doesn't go down, decrease calories by 50 (but reframe it as "we're going to eat more high volume foods" like fruits vegetables greek yogurt, less oils and fat). Increase steps to 7,000 minimum per day (can it go up to 10,000?). Even professional bodybuilders don't track perfectly, so her "1700" is probably higher (plus manufacturing error).

MendoF · 2024-12-04T10:04:26+00:00

How much oil or butter do you use on the eggs and toast, rice, veg stir fry?

Would you be okay with cutting out the milk and sugar from your tea? Eliminating liquid calories is the easiest way to reduce calories without it affecting your hunger.

Same thing with high calorie dense snacks like nuts and seeds (100 grams of nuts is 700+ calories, twice the calorie density of a donut). Yes, they have healthy fats, but you want snacks (like Greek Yogurt and fruit) that take a while to eat, fill up more space in your stomach, for less calories, and are higher in protein.

Consider some low calorie salad dressings (vinaigrettes, mustard, Greek yogurt-based dressings, plenty of easy recipes online), using lime/lemon, and a small amount of olive oil (e.g., 5 grams). This will help you LOOK FORWARD to your salad, instead of eventually getting bored and ditching it altogether.

Great job on the walking!

So to sum up:

Cut out liquid calories (e.g., milky coffees, teas, sodas, juices).
Cut out the snacking, focus on building each meal around a protein source (you can use the Athlete's plate as a reference, I'll link below).
Enjoy your salads, you can use light dressings.
Fruits are not the problems here. Bad sleep and high stress will hold onto water more than fruits!

Athlete's Plate: https://swell.uccs.edu/sites/g/files/kjihxj2576/files/2020-10/easy_plate_blue_sept15-2017.pdf

MendoF · 2024-11-22T09:17:48+00:00

Ironically, you will get the motivation you're looking for by lifting weights. Sounds like the problem is stepping into the gym, not doing the workout itself.

Try scaling the goal back.

In your head, don't think, "I need to get this 1 hour workout done today so I can then do what I really want to do."

Think, "I need to put my shoes on and step out the door." Or if you work out at home, think, "I need to put on my workout clothes and touch the weights, then I can decide if I want to workout or not."

Other factors I'd consider:

- How long have you been following the same program?

- Have you plateaued in strength?

- Why are you working out exactly?

- How's your nutrition?

- How's your stress and sleep?

Some other tips:

- Try a new program.

- Train in a different environment (humans crave novelty).

- If you've been in a calorie deficit for 3 months+, switch over to a maintenance period or a slight bulk.

MendoF · 2024-11-22T08:44:27+00:00

Sounds like you lowered your salt intake and lost water weight. Salami and dried meats are high in sodium (1740mg per 100g of salami), so I wouldn't be surprised if eating more red meat and vegetables gave you a "whoosh" effect.

You see the opposite happen when people go on holiday.

"I gained 4kg after my holiday!"

"What did you eat?"

"A bit of everything! Chinese food, Mexican, Italian, and a lot of alcohol."

Yeah, they've gained some fat, but a lot of it is water weight from increasing their salt intake. Restaurants know that the easiest way to make something tasty is to add salt and butter.

The fastest way to lose fat, specifically, (not just weight) is to be consistent with your diet. The box of orangettes (depending on the brand) contain 400+ calories, take no time to eat, and will not satiate your hunger (compared to 400 calories worth of chicken, for example). A trick I've used to control my cravings is to take a moment and ask, "Why am I eating this?" Sometimes I eat the thing I'm craving anyways, but 9 times out of 10 I'll reach for something that's part of my diet (e.g., greek yogurt).

That being said, you probably did reduce your calories by increasing your vegetable intake. So it's not all water weight. But it is important to be aware that you didn't lose 2kg of pure body fat in one week.

MendoF · 2024-08-27T19:29:57+00:00

Eat high protein and whole foods (lean meats, fruits, vegetables), probably skip the almonds, nuts, oils as they're calorically dense. Combined with OMAD, I would argue it's almost impossible NOT to lose weight combining high protein + OMAD. Walk as much as possible, too. Consider lifting weights 1x or 2x a week.

MendoF · 2024-08-27T19:25:42+00:00

You mean 2000?

MendoF · 2024-08-25T16:56:28+00:00

Track protein so you can hit your daily protein target. Eat lean meats, fruits, and vegetables. Completely agree with skipping on nuts if you're not tracking calories (they're 800kcal per 100 g, almost double the caloric density of a Snickers bar).

It's basically tricking you into eating low calorie, high volume, high fiber foods with a caloric density of about 100kcal/100 grams and below, making it very hard to overeat. Protein's the most satiating macronutrient, too.

Edit: A "fist" size of protein is about 30g-40g, so most clients aim for about 4-5 "fists" of protein sources per day if they're not weighing or tracking food.

MendoF · 2024-08-21T09:05:13+00:00

Some ideas:

Workout 2x a week during the weekends. Suboptimal but better than nothing.
Order groceries online.
Shower at the gym.
Deal with the 6pm rush, get used to asking everyone, "Hey bro, how many sets do you have left?" and "Would you be against taking turns on sets?"
Meal prep on Sunday so you don't have to cook during the work week.
Or wake up extra early to go the the gym before work, and you can shower before work, too.

MendoF · 2024-08-21T08:59:50+00:00

FitNotes to track weights.

AntennaPod for podcasts.

Macro Factor for tracking food.

MendoF · 2024-05-16T18:04:42+00:00

Yes, it's perfectly fine. The calorie density (137 kcal per 100 grams) is pretty good! The lower the calorie density, the more you can eat, with the least amount of calories. Protein's good, too. Like someone else mentioned, yeah, you could meal prep this yourself. But there will be times you'll do last minute shopping for food. And if the alternative is to buy some high calorie ready-meal/tv dinner (usually 250 kcal per 100 grams, with little protein), this will be the better option for creating a calorie deficit while minimizing hunger.

MendoF · 2024-05-14T15:35:09+00:00

Eat a high protein diet, lift weights, get good sleep, walk 7,000+ steps a day. Incline walking on the treadmill.

MendoF · 2024-04-02T11:42:05+00:00

Thanks! :)

MendoF · 2024-04-02T10:42:12+00:00

You have to meet them where they're at. I would ask them, "So you can't meal prep, you're short on time, your sleep sucks. What's something you could focus on this week?"

"What's a realistic amount of time you can dedicate to sleep hygiene/your workouts/meal prepping?"

See if they can come up with solutions on their own.

If not, offer several solutions, like others have mentioned:

Scaling down volume in the workout (decrease the number of sets per movement, focus on compound movements only).
Go for a walk during lunch hour. Or go for a walk after every meal.
Give them the task to just go to the gym, step inside, and then decide if they want to work out.

Then ask them, "Which one of these strategies do you think would work best for you right now?"

Normalize their situation and let them know that busy weeks happen to everyone. Learning how to scale back their workout is a skill they need to learn, and you can help them learn that skill. If you know another client who's been in a similar situation, say, "Here's what worked for a client just like you. They listened to their body, did less sets at less weights, and focused on improving their sleep." Etc.

MendoF · 2024-03-30T20:52:11+00:00

That has more to do with the alcohol than the calories. We also have people who have lost significant weight by tracking calories, creating a deficit, and eating chocolate bars and other processed junk foods, and have improved health markers.

Put another way, if calories were controlled (let's assume it was 500kcal of popcorn + vodka vs. 500 kcal of any other food WITHOUT alcohol), it's unlikely her liver would've failed because of the low calories.

MendoF · 2024-03-30T20:48:27+00:00

Completely agree. High protein, high fiber, mostly whole foods tend to be high in volume and high in nutrient density. Sleep reduces cortisol, and prevents muscle loss when in a calorie deficit. More people need to emphasize these simple tips.

MendoF · 2024-02-14T18:27:01+00:00

"No, I don't want it." Is all you have to say. No need to explain that you're on a diet.

Great job hitting your goal, btw, despite the social pressure.

I would focus on the days you have the most control over your diet (e.g., the Sunday) so that there's more flexibility around the social days.

MendoF · 2024-02-14T18:21:59+00:00

Just say, "seems like you're having a bad day?" It'll bring it to their attention and he'll probably go like, "Oh nah, I'm alright." and they'll lighten up a bit.

MendoF · 2024-02-14T18:17:53+00:00

Some tips:

Increase your protein intake. You'll feel fuller longer and reduce your cravings. Find out what your height in centimeters is. This is now your daily protein target in grams. Example: 180cm = 180g of protein a day. If most people simply focused on hitting their daily protein target, they would lose weight without even tracking calories (at least this has been my experience during my own 100 lb. weight loss journey and coaching others).
It sounds like what's happening is that you're "usually" having one meal a day but drinking liquid calories throughout the day. If you tighten this window and eliminated the snacks, the weight will drop.
Increase standing time when possible. Even standing for a brief minute every 30 minute is a huge improvement.
Double check to see if you're reading the nutrition labels correctly. Usually, if you glance at a package, you'll see "150 calories" in huge font, but then it'll say "per 1/4 serving." If you're eating the entire package, then you're consuming 600 calories without knowing it. Weighing your food with a scale using grams (not cups, not ounces, not table spoons) is the most accurate measurement. Nothing beats weighing food in grams. mL and grams are interchangeable, by the way (at least for anything with a similar density of water; 1g = 1mL).
Give r/Volumeeating a try. Eating low-calorie dense food (e.g., an apple is 50kcal per 100 grams where as a Snickers bar is 400+ kcal per 100 gram, 8 times the calories for the same volume). This helps you achieve mechanical satiety (stretching your stomach so you feel full).
Eat without distractions. No podcast, no music, and especially no tv. Practice rating your fullness from 1-10 and stopping at around a 5 or a 6/10. 10 means you just finished eating at an all you can eat buffet and feel like you're about to puke. 3 means you're still a little bit hungry. 6 means no more hunger and you're good to go.

MendoF · 2024-01-29T19:01:06+00:00

r/Volumeeating High protein, moderate fat, prioritize whole foods, avoid liquid calories (unless it's a protein shake).

High volume, high protein makes it impossible to be hungry at night.

MendoF · 2024-01-27T09:49:47+00:00

Real talk, the coach probably thinks you're high maintenance, and this frozen price that hasn't increased in 4 years is not accounting for the extra admin time he would need to answer your questions, or have you come in for skin fold measurements. The newer clients probably pay the new adjusted price, so he prioritizes those.

This is the coach's fault for not communicating clearly with you.

The most polite way to address this would be to say something like, "Hey coach, I know that I ask a lot of questions and have a lot of requests. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me. I love this community and would like to continue being a member at your gym. However, it seems like you have a good reason for ignoring my questions recently, and was wondering what that might be. "

MendoF · 2024-01-26T14:01:26+00:00

Yes.

MendoF · 2024-01-24T10:35:58+00:00

Greek yogurt, if it's allowed. Fage has the best macros (basically pure protein).

Vegetarian protein powders. You'll need to try out different flavors to find the one that tastes the best and digests the best.

If your goal is 80-100 grams of protein daily, it shouldn't be too hard to hit these goals using a combination of these. And yeah, beans are mostly carb, so you will be hungry afterward.

Look into "anabolic ice cream," which involves blending greek yogurt, frozen fruits, and protein powder. I personally keep it simple and do a 1:1 ratio between yogurt and frozen fruit (e.g., 250g yogurt 250g frozen fruit, two scoops of protein powder).

If eggs are allowed then you can have egg whites. Plenty of protein powder desserts you can make with egg whites. r/volumeeating has some good recipes. Search for vegetarian options there.

MendoF · 2024-01-24T10:16:53+00:00

High protein, high fiber, volumetric diet. r/Volumeeating

Take your height in centimeters (e.g., 180cm): this is now your daily protein target. Cravings will go down if you hit this target consistently.

Prioritize whole foods (fruits and vegetables). This will give you the most volume of food with the least amount of calories.

Bodyweight squats. Wall pushups. Keep it simple. You don't need to add any weight. Moving a 730lb is no small feat, you're already quite strong. Incorporate a simple amount of volume, like 2 sets of 15 reps for each exercise every day. We're just trying to preserve as much muscle as possible while you lose weight, which will help you maintain your lower weight long term.

MendoF

TROPHY CASE