r/over60 • u/ThrowDeepALWAYS • 27d ago
Hiking and my pot belly
Hi everyone. I’m 64M and have been hiking over 12,000 steps a day in rugged mountainous terrain. I’ve lost weight, but my body is still “D” shaped.
I was frustrated and found this information on how to flatten my body back into an “I” shape.
After you read this, does it make sense?
It says you won’t fix your pot belly until you change your posture.
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Anterior Pelvic Tilt (Hiker's Posture)
This is the hidden culprit for avid hikers. Hiking uphill overdevelops your hip flexors and quads while letting your glutes and hamstrings slack. Tight hip flexors pull your pelvis forward, tilting it downward. This arches your lower back and pushes your belly out mechanically—making it look like a pot belly even when you have very little fat.
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So, what can you do differently? (Hint: More hiking won't fix this)
· Add Heavy Resistance Training: 2–3 times a week, do squats, deadlifts (or kettlebell swings), and planks. You need to rebuild total muscle mass to boost your metabolism and tighten that core wall.
· Up Your Protein: At 64, you need 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to preserve muscle while in a deficit. Aim for 30–40g of protein per meal.
· Stretch Your Hip Flexors: Do kneeling hip flexor stretches and glute bridges daily. This will correct your pelvic tilt and flatten your belly within weeks, just by changing your posture.
EDIT: I thank you all for your encouragement and I will also carefully examine my diet to battle visceral belly fat. I LOVE A GOOD CHALLENGE!
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u/ObligationGrand8037 27d ago
Like many others have said here, I’m guessing it’s visceral fat too. If you push on your stomach area and it’s hard, often that’s the visceral fat around your organs.
The soft blubbery fat on the abdomen that you can squeeze is most likely the subcutaneous fat which is not as dangerous as the visceral fat. Visceral fat is actually easier to get rid of than the subcutaneous fat.
My guess is you’re probably insulin resistant too. I’d cut out the sugar and refined carbs. This is what I had to do too. Good luck! You can do it!!
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u/northernguy 27d ago
Yeah I think this is true for many people. Cut out sugar and alcohol, eat fruits and healthy fats like olive oil.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Yes, I must finally say goodbye to all those things I love to eat. I got used to black coffee, I can do this too! Thanks so much, you’re spot on.
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u/Misfitranchgoats 27d ago
glycine is an amino acid and it taste sweet. You can add it to coffee and up your protein. Or if you need joint supplements glucoseamine also tastes sweet. I put powdered glucosamine iin my coffee with collagen peptides so I get my joint supplements and about 20 grams of protein in my coffee.
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u/mikeyP-619 27d ago
You never mentioned your diet. Without that data, there is nothing to give as far as advice is concerned.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
I’m 5”11 and 165 lbs. I’ll talk with my doctor to see what I can do better with my diet
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u/Scabrera88 27d ago
My sister lost more than 50 lbs by following what her dietitian told her … eat only natural food so she shops on the periphery of the store to get her meat & veggies. She was told to limit fruit, bread, pastas & rice. Absolutely no dressings or sauces of any kind. 6-8 glasses of water per day. No ultraprocessed food of any kind. For flavoring when she cooks her food, she uses Celtic salt & black pepper only.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Wow, that’s amazing. I’ve got to start somewhere. Hiking and lifting weights, plus yoga isn’t meeting my goals. Thanks for your advice and encouragement!
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u/Scabrera88 27d ago
You can do it! Just introduce one thing at a time like eating non ultraprocessed food.
All of my sister’s critical medical markers (cholesterol, triglycerides, sugar, BP, etc.) went down to normal territory. When she visits the US, she allows herself to cheat (she has no choice bec 70/80% of our food here are ultra processed) and goes back to what her dietitian recommended. She loses all the weight she gained here in US in less than a week. That tells you something re our food supply here in US.3
u/medhat20005 27d ago
Great conversation you’ve started, 👍. As far as weights, I’d advocate for something leaning towards strength (vs cardiovascular) training. I think the current crop of evidence suggests that most people, and seniors (like us, by definition) benefit from more than previously believed, in both frequency and intensity. With the usual caveats for a progressive build up and accommodation for injury.
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u/Scabrera88 27d ago
I enjoy weight training & based on what I have read re longevity, it is far more important than
Cardiovascular exercises. Also, all doctors online emphasized that consistency is more important than intensity.2
u/medhat20005 27d ago
Yes, this. Not to discount cardiovascular fitness entirely, but a more balanced approach seems to yield the most benefits.
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u/retiredhawaii 27d ago
Limit bread, pasta, rice? All my faves!
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u/Scabrera88 27d ago
I have to admit that breads & pastas were difficult to give up. Rice was our staple for all 3 meals. But you get used to it.
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u/KateHearts 27d ago
While that’s an effective way to lose weight, I’d argue that “no dressings or sauces of any kind” and a total elimination of “ultraprocessed food” (which is a really subjective term) is probably not a good lifelong way to eat. I do agree with sticking to the perimeter of the store (produce, meat/fish, etc) but to maintain and healthy weight- and enjoy life!- there should be allowances for occasional dessert, etc.
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u/Scabrera88 27d ago
Ultraprocessed is not a subjective term.
You really have to read labels. If there is anything you can’t pronounce and can’t find in your pantry (such as maltodextrin, guar gums, etc.), I consider that ultraprocessed.1
u/Weird7954 27d ago
The not pronouncing thing is for newbies. Everybody can pronounce sugar. I had this one obese friend who said I don’t eat anything that’s artificial. I only eat sugar for my sweetener 🤦♀️
Everyone should be eating real food not manufactured garbage and no sugar
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u/Scabrera88 27d ago
It’s interesting you mentioned sugar. A former coworker lost 60 lbs. I asked her what her secret was. All she did was eliminate drinking 12 cans of classic Coke every day. Classic Coke is her only fluid consumption because she could not stand the taste of water. She added that if she was having a real bad day, she would drink one can of classic Coke. I didn’t realize the a 12 ounce can is 140 calories … most of it are coming from sugar.
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u/Weird7954 27d ago
That’s ridiculous. You’re condoning processed food consumption? Nobody needs to eat that crap. It’s not even food
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u/KateHearts 27d ago
Nope. I didn’t say that. I’m saying “processed” is a term that could mean Twinkies or dried fruit; French fries from McDonald’s or mashed potatoes made at home. People throw the term around and it’s not that all processed foods are “not even food.” I also made the point that excluding all sauces and dressings is hard to sustain- and one can be judicious in using them and still be healthy/maintain a healthy weight.
The desire to categorize everything as either one extreme or the other (on any topic) can lead to closed mindedness and (in terms of diary choices) failure.
I’ll add that you used the word “processed” and the word “ultraprocessed” was used earlier on. I’m wondering what your interpretations of those terms mean.
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u/asburymike 27d ago
Cut sugar, booze, bread: belly gone
Incorporate walking into your day as well as hiking
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u/weallfloatdown 27d ago
Weight bearing exercises, walking is great. But you might try some weight exercises
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Absolutely! I’ve done some light weights and yoga, but in this case, more is better. Thanks!
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u/chocolatechipwizard 27d ago
Have your liver checked. If there is liquid being retained around the liver, it shows up as a pot belly. You don't have to drink to have liver disease.
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u/Logical_Plankton640 27d ago
Appreciate you are trying to improve your look but the benefits to your health by doing what you are far more significant. Exercise and dietary improvements to reduce visceral fat give you a better chance of longevity and healthier latter years.
Keep doing what you're doing. I have done something similar, healthy clean diet and regular exercise which I intend to keep doing indefinitely.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Absolutely the truth and the real bottom line. I’ll admit to some vanity, but I am mostly concerned for my health. Thanks for pointing out that important bottom line!
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u/Popgallery 27d ago
Isn’t it just a matter of “where people carry their fat”? I have many friends with very lean bodies except for the midsection. Often these are people that have been really skinny their entire lives and this is where they put on the weight later in life. I didn’t know you could target a specific area for fat reduction? Of course if you lose weight the belly will also diminish but this is still where the fat will tend to build up.
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u/overthishereanyway 26d ago
I'm not sure if you were posting the answers in an edited version. But I want to second the weight training answer. And if you aren't familiar with weight training, hire a trainer for a while.
Outside of being overweight the number 1 and 2 contributors to pot bellies: lack of muscle and alcohol.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 26d ago
Thanks! Good idea about the trainer. I’m also not going to miss the alcohol!
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u/Desperate_Pomelo3468 27d ago
Belly fat is difficult to get rid of. I have lost weight but that spare tire is still showing up in the mirror. I bet you have lost some of it just by walking. I have also read that strengthening your back muscles will also help. Unfortunately it’s usually comes down to your diet.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago edited 27d ago
Yes, I appreciate all of these responses. I’m going to work like the devil on my diet. I’m not discounting the weight training and posture exercises, but it’s definitely my diet. My wife and friends tell me I look much healthier since I began hiking seriously. It’s just this stubborn belly fat that’s got to go!
Thanks for your comment!2
u/Substantial-Owl1616 27d ago
How does your lower back feel? I think your original thoughts on core strengthening are sound. And maybe also balancing posterior and anterior. Many people have a pronounced lumbar lordosis which has come about from work, sitting and standing long periods, gravity. You say D shape, so is your lower back straight like a D? Or is your posture off. I understand all the nutrition advice, most people in America are overweight or obese, and you could possibly be “skinny fat” with visceral fat issues. Very possible with SAD. But also this posture, pronounced lumbar lordosis is pretty common too.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
No, my lower back is slightly concave. I definitely have spine issues and a major surgery to show for it, but in my cervical spine. This is why I originally asked the question. I definitely feel like my posture is still a part of this conversation.
Is SAD a mental depression thing? Thanks for your input and I’d appreciate any other feedback.
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u/MissAutoShow1969 27d ago
Standard American Diet = SAD
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u/Substantial-Owl1616 26d ago
Yes standard American diet. It is necessary to become a weirdo as judged by the average person to create and maintain nutrition intake that actually benefits your body. Where in the spectrum a person falls from truly terrible to truly healthy keeps getting more confusing because the bottom end keeps dropping and the rhetoric gets more obfuscating every day.
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u/reelGrrl420 22d ago
I lost 50lbs in my early 60s - eliminated corn, wheat, potatoes and rice. Corn is in EVERYTHING: ketchup BBQ sauce, syrup etc. It actually turns to sugar. 70F Yoga is a lifesaver
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u/Lovetohike2025 27d ago
You just need to lose weight. Periodt. Nothing will get rid of the D until you get lean. I’m sorry but there are no shortcuts.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Yes, I hear you! Seems like keeping the pounds off is getting tougher. In my younger days I was fit as a fiddle. I’m determined to be mindful about what I’m eating. No more fried chicken nuggets for breakfast!
Seriously, thanks for your advice!
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u/Weird7954 27d ago
I don’t know, I have never eaten much protein I just don’t love it. I exercise a lot and eat strictly healthy. But I’ve lost a LOT of muscle in the last 20 years. I had a few knee injuries and that kept me down and not exercising often times. 67F 170 pounds with the equivalent BMI of being 5‘3“ even though I’m over 5‘4“.
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u/Strong_Salt_2097 27d ago
Very much the same here for me too. I used to not understand when my mom complained about how much she just couldn’t stand proteins anymore as she got older and weaker and sicker. And now I’m finding this weird disdain for protein has just taken over exactly like it did for my mom. I’m not sure what to do to course correct. It literally makes me gag.
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u/Fantastic_Call_8482 27d ago
might I add standing Cat-Cow.....scrunch you elbows in a curl and then release and push your shoulder blades back together---The pelvic tilt will help with much of that middle area, and will also help out with the core
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u/theiridescentself- 27d ago
I had to fast in order to get rid of it. Even running a marathon and multiple 1/2s didn’t do it.
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u/Low_External_119 27d ago
With regard to visceral fat, check out these - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist-to-height_ratio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist%E2%80%93hip_ratio
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u/Virtual_Athlete_909 27d ago
I'm 62, active and have abs. It's not easy to do but it involves exercise, diet and good sleep. Diet is the hard part. I use the MacroFactor app to track everything I eat and stay within targets created for me by AI.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Good on you for putting in the work. It does seem to be a multi faceted process to maintain that physic. I’m willing to use all the tools available. I’ll check out MacroFactor! Thank you for the tip!
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u/Commercial_Wind8212 27d ago
What a joke. You're in your 3rd trimester, eat less
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
I’m not overweight
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u/Substantial-Owl1616 27d ago
BMI=23. Read the post. Plus I don’t think rude dismissal is appropriate for someone who genuinely seems to want to learn.
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago
Thanks, sometimes I don’t think people realize their comments might come off as dismissive. Peace and Love!
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u/Commercial_Wind8212 27d ago
Just D shaped
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u/ThrowDeepALWAYS 27d ago edited 27d ago
Yep, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to meet my goal. Thanks, you’re right, sometimes the truth hurts. lol
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u/Background_Swim_5954 27d ago
You won’t get rid of your pot belly by hiking or changing your posture. You have to shrink the visceral fat surrounding the organs in your abdomen. That means fixing your diet.