Stomach bloat/visceral fat

[specter]

So for the last like 7-8 years ive had issues with my stomach and never been able to completely resolve it, some of it is prob from years of pounding food and overdoing bulkin etc
Now im scared that i have a lot of visceral fat because my stomach sticks out quite a lot eventho my BF % is in the lower end, i have visible abs and if i flex it looks awesome but the second i relax bam i have a gut, when im in a t shirt you would have no idea that im not just a chubby guy, is there any way other then a dexa scan to know if you have a lot of visceral fat ?

 

[Reno911]

Just get a DEXA scan. It will tell you exactly your visceral fat.

I will say I still can look a little bloated sometimes even when my visceral fat on DEXA is under 1lb. At almost 52, I juts dont have that 32-33 inch waist anymore like when I was younger. Way too many years of pushing copious amounts of food combined with average white boy genetics.

 

[qbkilla]

Carnivore diet worth a try. Almost impossible to be distended, always flat and gut health feels totally different than when earing a normal diet.

 

[bbxtreme]

DEXA really is the only most accurate way to test visceral fat. Have you done CT imaging of the abdomen to rule out any organ issues as well?

 

[hogan87]

Maybe its just fluid from liver damage, ascites?

 

[ape1nope]

Can’t speak for anyone else, but my gut biome was wonky for years. Always overly bloated, always seemed to feel full, hard to eat, etc. Culminated in really bad ulcers.

Doc gave me a round of meds for the ulcers (caused by a proliferation of a certain bacteria) and i began a more “digestive/biotic” approach to diet. A little more raw veggies, probiotics, less sugar, less bad oils, probiotics, etc.

Not by any means saying this is your problem. But visceral fat and stomach bloating are two different things. Get a scan to dial in on the issue.

 

[Jefe]

I have the same. I think it’s storing fat primarily around the organs. It’s the first place fat stores and the last to leave. Only way for me is to get really lean then my stomach stays flat.

I can be veiny all over with a little fupa. Just need to keep dropping fat.

Posture helps. I try to not relax my gut when I’m driving too.

 

[juiceball44]

Retatrutide is a triple hormone receptor agonist that activates the receptors for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon. By activating these receptors, retatrutide stimulates the release of hormones that promote weight loss and reduce visceral fat.

Additional Benefits

In addition to reducing visceral fat, retatrutide has also been shown to:

Improve insulin sensitivity, Lower blood sugar levels, Reduce liver fat, and Lower cholesterol levels.

 

[buck]

I weigh less then i used and the waist line is bigger then it used to be. A CT scan i had a couple years ago mentioned they had a hard time viewing some things as i had no visceral fat. I don't remember ever having to contract my obliques when i was younger to bring in the waistline. I can only spend so many hours a day sucking in my abs and obliques. Haven't figured out how to concave the the love handles. My biome seems good as i eat whole foods, lots of veggies and fiber no processed food for the most part, no artificial sweeteners or even very little sugar. Even Schwarzenegger and Stallone are wide in the waist these days and it there was a miracle cure i am sure they would be trim looking. I blame it on age. But i am open to suggestions.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

The reality is is could be a lot of things.
Personally, i would get a DEXA and explore all other things, mostly digestion.

During this offseason i added a good amount of visceral fat BUT cut it down during prep. Even with that, i have distention.
Because of this i explored basically allll forms of digestion problems to see what was causing this. And lots of times, in my case, its a mixture of several.
I took a Dexa this week which said i had less than 1lb of visceral fat at 5.1% bf. But being this lean, i can also tell i have diastasis recti as well as some form of hernia. Annoying, but its visuallly apparent now. Not really sure what my plan is post show but getting this lean helped me identify the multiple causes.

 

[Samson250]

I’m so used to seeing abdominal distention on top athletes I don’t even care. How well does he hide it in poses and on stage but off stage or just in progress updates I expect to see it. Everyone has it at the top levels. Former pros not going hard anymore I see it and don’t care. It’s like hair loss to me at this point.
Part of the game.

I have asked a guy at my local gym the staff told me was an asshole if his gut came with a trophy in the locker room once. I asked if he thought it was biome related. He had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.

 

[liquid_c]

The reality is is could be a lot of things.
Personally, i would get a DEXA and explore all other things, mostly digestion.

During this offseason i added a good amount of visceral fat BUT cut it down during prep. Even with that, i have distention.
Because of this i explored basically allll forms of digestion problems to see what was causing this. And lots of times, in my case, its a mixture of several.
I took a Dexa this week which said i had less than 1lb of visceral fat at 5.1% bf. But being this lean, i can also tell i have diastasis recti as well as some form of hernia. Annoying, but its visuallly apparent now. Not really sure what my plan is post show but getting this lean helped me identify the multiple causes.

diastasis recti is a lot more common in older lifters who have been doing for a long time than people realize. Most people don't even know what it is. It is often the main reason for the distended bloated look. Unfortunately, the only absolute fix is pretty intense surgery and if that doesn't go well, you can end up worse. Just ask Noel Deyzel. Otherwise just get as lean as you can comfortably.

 

[Reno911]

The reality is is could be a lot of things.
Personally, i would get a DEXA and explore all other things, mostly digestion.

During this offseason i added a good amount of visceral fat BUT cut it down during prep. Even with that, i have distention.
Because of this i explored basically allll forms of digestion problems to see what was causing this. And lots of times, in my case, its a mixture of several.
I took a Dexa this week which said i had less than 1lb of visceral fat at 5.1% bf. But being this lean, i can also tell i have diastasis recti as well as some form of hernia. Annoying, but its visuallly apparent now. Not really sure what my plan is post show but getting this lean helped me identify the multiple causes.

I can add to this here.

Last November I had a double umbilical hernia repaired along with the diastases and they found a urachal nodule as well. I was back training 4 weeks post surgery but waited about 7-8 weeks and started doing vacuums post fasted cardio. Was only able to hold about 15 sec for a few rounds when I started and now I can easily do plenty of rounds of 25-30 seconds. If does seem to help give me better abdomen control.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

diastasis recti is a lot more common in older lifters who have been doing for a long time than people realize. Most people don't even know what it is. It is often the main reason for the distended bloated look. Unfortunately, the only absolute fix is pretty intense surgery and if that doesn't go well, you can end up worse. Just ask Noel Deyzel. Otherwise just get as lean as you can comfortably.

There’s an Australian trainer who went viral this year for some pretty insane distention. I’m almost positive everyone has seen him. But I actually reached out to him as I know he got surgery for diastasis and he was adamant that surgery was a mistake. Obviously, I think it’s necessary to fully heal and really regain full control but I know he had some serious problems and it didn’t fix a thing.

I’m very tempted to get the surgery done this year at some point.

 

[liquid_c]

There’s an Australian trainer who went viral this year for some pretty insane distention. I’m almost positive everyone has seen him. But I actually reached out to him as I know he got surgery for diastasis and he was adamant that surgery was a mistake. Obviously, I think it’s necessary to fully heal and really regain full control but I know he had some serious problems and it didn’t fix a thing.

I’m very tempted to get the surgery done this year at some point.

I think I know who you are talking about. He was posing in front a mirror and it was going around IG. Lean as hell, but a distended stomach. Yea, the surgery apprently is brutal, a long recovery, and could make things even worse.

 

[hawkmoon]

I went through this is several phases.

Some distension creeping in as I hit my late 40s, with a slight umbilical hernia.

Then I got food poisoning which gave me SIBO.

SIBO plus the heavy lifting and food gave me diastasis recti.

Attacked the SIBO and eventually recovered.

Now I'm dealing with rewiring my abdominal muscles as the TVA had given up to other muscles, causing a hard, bloated midsection.

Early CAT scans showed very low visceral fat.

 

[Siggy]

Do you practice doing vacuums?

 

[specter]

Damn guys, im blown away with all the answers, now i had an umbillical hernia fixed 2 years ago and that left a weird bump on my stomach on my right side, food wise i could be better but im eating pretty clean and only real "issue" is i drink alot of coffe, however no energy drinks, no real sugary things, i am on alot of meds that can mess with things stomach wise and water retention so im thinkin maybe they have something to do with it also maybe the way i store fat, but it looks like im gonna have to pay for a Dexa scan to get peace of mind, again thx so much for all your replyes means alot to and old nobody like me..