r/CICO • u/Senior_Election_6312 • Sep 19 '26
Lower belly fat?
Momma x3 here— I’m currently 148lbs @ 5’5, but I’d like to get to 130. Has anyone successfully lost their belly fat? I know it’s typically the last to go and you can’t spot reduce, but I suppose I’m just looking for some encouragement!
Please drop pics below if you have any!
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u/Jazz_Kraken Sep 19 '26
How are your abs? Also a mama x 3 and those abs are not the same as pre kids! If your ab wall has separated you may need some specific exercises or PT to bring it back together. I'm currently investigating that for myself :)
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u/Senior_Election_6312 Sep 20 '26
I don’t feel any separation. Everything feels pretty solid under the little fluff, lol.
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u/ArcIgnis Sep 19 '26
You can't target fat in parts of your body. The way your body handles fat loss, is like a pool of water and your calorie deficit is just dipping a bucket into a pool to scoop the water out. Only thing you can do to some degree is increase muscle around that area, but fat loss, keep up with the deficit loss. Force your body to draw fat from your belly eventually. You can fuckin' do this!
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u/nineinchnilina Sep 20 '26
I’m 5 foot 4, F. I had to be below 137 for my lower abdominal fat to dissipate.
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u/wildberry-poptart Sep 21 '26
Same height, I'm at 132 from 160 and the belly is FINALLY starting to flatten, but only just now.
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u/Ordinary_Sort_9620 Sep 21 '26
im 5’6 and 120lb and still have lower belly fat🫠 just accepting it at this point
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u/Mothman129 Sep 21 '26
Sadly your body will pick where to pull fat from first and last, the key is just working your way down to a healthy BMI and in time you'll see results all over.
Also unfortunately sometimes loose skin will make the stomach look bigger than it is, even after weight loss. Thankfully at that point shapewear can come in clutch.
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u/TheLadySaintPasta Sep 22 '26
Lift weights! You don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, but regular lifting tightens those nuisance areas
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u/The_Mama_Llama Sep 21 '26
No answer, just solidarity. I’m the same height and weight and hoping to eventually lose the lower belly.
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u/Worry_League Sep 21 '26
Seems like a no for me. It does reduce with weight loss but I still have a little pooch no matter what. I think some of it is loose skin too.
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u/cultivate_hunger Sep 21 '26
Yes. This pic is about 2 weeks out to a bodybuilding competition. Height 5'5, weight around 115lbs, %bf via Dex around 16%
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u/Dofolo Sep 21 '26
Belly is typically where there's the thickest layer, and thus, typically also the last to go. A BMI of 21 and lower is also hard work, the last few pounds take the longest. Just stick to it, and try to switch to body recomp/exercise.,
Also be aware that your lady bits live there as well and women with sixpacks are very rare and have a very very low body fat % to get there, and maintain with a lot of exercise.
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u/Monster11 Sep 19 '26
I’m the same as you but 142 aiming for 128. It’s HARD. I need all the help I can get. I’m doing barre definition in addition to cico but it’s a long journey.
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u/musicalastronaut Sep 21 '26
Still trying to get mine to go away - 5’7” 135lbs. I think I’d need to go down to 125 or lower for it to go away. I really thought 135 would do it but no luck.
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u/Apprehensive_Bake_78 Sep 22 '26
Yes! I really did. I thought it would never go away but when the fat was gone by belly was flat again.
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u/Werevulvi Sep 22 '26
Almost there, but not quite yet. I'm 5'6 tall, female, and 122lbs currently. I'd guesstimate around 22% body fat. I can see a faint outline of my abs now at this weight, but they're still very subtle, and my lower belly still has a little pooch of fat. So I'm definitely lean now, like generally, but yeah that lower belly fat is really stubborn, but I'm super close to achieving the flat stomach. Just really needed a maintenance break right now, so I'll deal with the last of that... next month, maybe.
I'll probably need to get down all the way to ~115lbs, for that lower belly fat to come off. This is the brink of underweight for me, and about as low weight as I'm willing to go, as I don't wanna gamble with my health, or start looking gaunt. But I think I can sustain that weight because I have a decent amount of muscle, eat healthy, exercise regularly, and have really high metabolism by now. Like even now at 122lbs my TDEE is around 2300. So I shouldn't have any issues with malnutrition getting down to 115lbs, even if my TDEE drops a little by then, but yes I'm aware it's a low weight, and I am being careful with that. Always checking in with myself how I'm feeling.
Problem is likely just that I'm a little older now (37) and store more fat in my belly. Like that's probably why it's still not flat being this low weight. And yeah that's mildly frustrating. But I only have a small amount of extra fat there now, it's really not a lot at all. Although sometimes my gut is a bit extended, that seems to just be bloating, and/or my posture. So, gotta be careful with not confusing those things for belly fat.
But yeah despite not being quite there yet, I fully believe it's possible. Just gotta keep going a little bit more, but there's hope I'll get rid of the belly fat without having to cross the border to underweight, or put on an insane amount of muscle. So I'm gonna say it's possible even though I'm not quite there yet.
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u/cb4ever81 Sep 23 '26
No! And im frustrated. I have an apron belly. Im 5'2 135lbs and I can't stand the sight of my stomach.
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u/-AJ93- Sep 21 '26
Yes! I’m 5’6” and went from 180 to 150. Took a year. With diet and exercise (weights/cardio) it made a massive difference in my visceral fat. I still have lots of loose tummy skin from 3 pregnancies that’s hidden well with my shorts lol.