Insulin Resistance Hip Fat Experiment

So, I am starting an experiment to try and destroy the fat around my hips/lower back/belly once and for all. I am 5’9, male, about 190. I have spent the last few years building a solid foundation of muscle–my arms, chest, traps, shoulders and legs are all looking good, lean and solid.

My problem is that, no matter how much dieting/cardio I do, there is a mass of fat that refuses to leave my hips/lower back (and to a lesser extent my stomach). I have tried everything, including near-starvation diets, and literally nothing will work to get rid of this shit.

I know that things like this are largely determined by genetic factors, but I absolutely refuse to accept the fact that I can do nothing about it. I have done a lot of research on insulin resistance and have decided that it must be at least a factor in my body’s propensity to store fat around the waist and hips.

I already eat fairly low-carb, but have decided to start an experiment in which I will eat NO carbs other than trace amounts from nuts etc.–never more than 30 grams per day. I will also be mega-dosing fish oil, using Flameout in conjuction with a lesser-quality brand (4-6 caps of Flameout and about 10 of the other per day, maybe more). I know that apple cider vinegar and cinnamon are also widely regarded as beneficial for insulin resistance.

My question is, does any one have any experience with any other supplements that may help me in my particular situation? I should add that I will continue to train normally, focusing on big compound lifts and splitting between back, chest, arms and shoulders, and legs. I will also be getting plenty of protein and fat. Any advice will be appreciated.

I know Poliquin’s Fenuplex has worked well for me in the past, along with his Insulinomics. HOT-ROX is a good idea as well. I do agree with your line of thought in that if your insulin resistant, you need to take steps to recalibrate it. In theory I like your idea, not sure how it will turn out. Make sure to come back with feedback and results.

Hi there, you did not state how old you are but I guess your at least 35? You may have insulin resistance but I don’t think thats your problem. You would find out by your Dr. or by a glucometer/testing your blood sugar. You said that you built a foundation of arms, etc… As you know the bodies last place to shed fat are the stomach, around the hips. For females it’s the ass. I think you need to lose more weight. Your 5-9, 190. I would say the optimal weight for you is 160 or 170 max unless the 190 is mostly muscle. I’m not sure how solid you are.

I am a type 1 diabetic and when I first became a diabetic I went from 230 to 189 in a month and a half. It took what you called a starvation diet to lose my fat around my waist and my abs. That is the LAST area your body will shed fat!!! I now weigh around a solid 210 and have abs but now some fat around my waist again. I don’t think mega dosing is going to do anything but make you bigger. Two 1200mg fish oil gel caps have 25 calories. I think you need to keep a low carb diet and eat carbs only after very hard workout. I don’t want to discourage you but you need to lose 20 or 30 more lbs if your not 10 or 12% body fat now.

Try searching “fucoxanthin” on this site. I remember CaliforniaLaw experimented with it and it seems very interesting to say the least. Sorry I don’t have a link offhand…

Hey Guys,thanks for the quick responses. I will look into all of the supplements mentioned thus far.

Tiggersdesire, under normal circumstances, I would agree with you. However, as with many of the people on this site, my numbers are skewed by the amount of muscle I carry. I have 10 pounds of fat to lose at most–the vast majority of my body is muscular and fairly ripped. The problem is that those 10 pounds are all in the same area–the back part of my waist–and do not budge no matter how much weight I lose by conventional methods.

I have been as low as 160 pounds (this was a few years back, the result of a seriously dangerous and stupid 4 months of severe calorie restriction) and still had the same problem. It is for that reason that I believe this is something more than mere excess fat, and that I need something other than a simple calorie-restricted diet.

By the way, I am 21 years old, which is the worst part about this. I want to solve this problem now while I still can.

I’ve heard good things about yohimbine HCL for stubborn fat loss, in that its supposed to increase blood flow to stubborn fatty deposits allowing for greater fatty acid mobilization from those areas. you can take it in pill form, but I’ve also heard of people getting the crystallized form and literally rubbing it onto the stubborn fat patches after a warm shower. Not sure what the transdermal bioavailability is, but its worth checking out.

21 years old is even more evidence that it is not insulin resistance. The supp’s listed are only going to beat your liver. Why don’t you show us a picture of yourself.

[quote]tiggersdesire wrote:
21 years old is even more evidence that it is not insulin resistance. The supp’s listed are only going to beat your liver. Why don’t you show us a picture of yourself. [/quote]

Flameout, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar are going to “beat his liver”?

I think all 3 are a good idea.

My doc has me on PGX to regulate blood sugar. It is a new type of fiber you take in pill form (with water) that lowers the glycemic index and absorption of whatever you eat. Along with a low starchy carb diet (and other supps) it is helping me lose fat around my mid section. I’m down at least 2 inches in my waist in 2 months and need to go pants shopping…

Haven’t had my blood sugar checked since I started, but I don’t feel yo-yo energy anymore and can assume it has leveled out. You can get PGX at Whole Foods.

I’m the exact same way. I recently finished the V-Diet and went from 195 down to 178. My lower back fat didn’t budge at all. I even replaced the Surge with whey/glutamine/glycine (my only supplement substitution) to keep the carbs even lower, but still no loss.

Since then, I switched to CT’s Refined Physique Transformation using Receptormax, and results are slightly better. The next time I try to lose fat, I’m going to use the protocol described in CT’s Biosig thread (Forums - T Nation - The World's Trusted Community for Elite Fitness). I would suggest doing that, since it’s proven. You may need to adjust the dosage of Fenuplex and Insulinomics a bit since you’re lighter. Maybe do the 2 caps of each with large meals and 1 cap of each for smaller ones. Or use a little less Insulinomics; that shit is expensive.

One word of caution; be careful of using normal cinnamon. Too much of the store bought kind can be toxic, and when I was using it pre-meals for a while, I would get intense headaches. When I stopped using it, the headaches stopped. You’ll have to check online which is the type of non-toxic cinnamon.

Keep us updated.

[quote]eggers wrote:
I’m the exact same way. I recently finished the V-Diet and went from 195 down to 178. My lower back fat didn’t budge at all. I even replaced the Surge with whey/glutamine/glycine (my only supplement substitution) to keep the carbs even lower, but still no loss.

Since then, I switched to CT’s Refined Physique Transformation using Receptormax, and results are slightly better. The next time I try to lose fat, I’m going to use the protocol described in CT’s Biosig thread (Forums - T Nation - The World's Trusted Community for Elite Fitness). I would suggest doing that, since it’s proven. You may need to adjust the dosage of Fenuplex and Insulinomics a bit since you’re lighter. Maybe do the 2 caps of each with large meals and 1 cap of each for smaller ones. Or use a little less Insulinomics; that shit is expensive.

One word of caution; be careful of using normal cinnamon. Too much of the store bought kind can be toxic, and when I was using it pre-meals for a while, I would get intense headaches. When I stopped using it, the headaches stopped. You’ll have to check online which is the type of non-toxic cinnamon.

Keep us updated. [/quote]

I think I owe you a huge thank you. I recently started adding cinnamon to my supps list and I have had the WORST headaches. I will try reducing it and see if that helps. Insulinomics will certainly help the low back fat, it worked well for me.

Those were not listed earlier were they???

[quote]Nole wrote:
tiggersdesire wrote:
21 years old is even more evidence that it is not insulin resistance. The supp’s listed are only going to beat your liver. Why don’t you show us a picture of yourself.

Flameout, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar are going to “beat his liver”?

I think all 3 are a good idea.
[/quote]

[quote]MaximusB wrote:

I think I owe you a huge thank you. I recently started adding cinnamon to my supps list and I have had the WORST headaches. I will try reducing it and see if that helps. Insulinomics will certainly help the low back fat, it worked well for me. [/quote]

No problem. The only place I could find the “good” cinnamon (called ceylon, as opposed to cassia, which can cause problems) was online, and I never bothered to pick any up.

[quote]spadesofaces wrote:
I’ve heard good things about yohimbine HCL for stubborn fat loss, in that its supposed to increase blood flow to stubborn fatty deposits allowing for greater fatty acid mobilization from those areas. you can take it in pill form, but I’ve also heard of people getting the crystallized form and literally rubbing it onto the stubborn fat patches after a warm shower. Not sure what the transdermal bioavailability is, but its worth checking out.[/quote]

I’d love to hear some testimonials about directly rubbing in yohimbine. I’ve heard you can do it pre-cardio to zap stubborn fat but I haven’t seen/read any proven results.

OP: How long have you been dieting and what is your current calorie intake? What methods have you used in the past to drop fat?

[quote]phatkins187 wrote:
spadesofaces wrote:
I’ve heard good things about yohimbine HCL for stubborn fat loss, in that its supposed to increase blood flow to stubborn fatty deposits allowing for greater fatty acid mobilization from those areas. you can take it in pill form, but I’ve also heard of people getting the crystallized form and literally rubbing it onto the stubborn fat patches after a warm shower. Not sure what the transdermal bioavailability is, but its worth checking out.

I’d love to hear some testimonials about directly rubbing in yohimbine. I’ve heard you can do it pre-cardio to zap stubborn fat but I haven’t seen/read any proven results.

OP: How long have you been dieting and what is your current calorie intake? What methods have you used in the past to drop fat? [/quote]

I brought this issue up to CT in his lockerroom but he didn’t address it so I don’t know what to say. I do know that was an old school thing used to help bring out more vasularity, but you have to be LEAN to really see anything. If your body fat is too high it would be pointless. Again I am not fully sure but this is what I recall from years past.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Eggers, thank you for the link, that looks worth looking into. And holy shit, there was a period in there when I was using a lot of cinnamon too, and was getting pretty bad headaches as I recall–will definitely watch that one.

Phatkins–I have been calorie-restricted for about 2 months now. I dropped all of the weight I had gained during my last bulking cycle, bringing me to a pretty lean 185-190. I have used all sorts of methods in the past to lose fat, the most successful of which has always been a low-carb approach…about 30-70 grams carbs per day, with the rest of my calories coming from proteins and fats, all adding up to about bodyweight x 12 for my daily caloric intake. My ideal plan for the summer would be to neither bulk nor cut, but to eat around maintenance, lift hard, and try to screw around with body composition without having to over or under eat. However, I really need to get rid of this stubborn fat before I can do that.

I’m in a fat loss stage myself. It’s good that your fat is on your mid section because that indicates good levels of testosterone (higher) and estrogen (lower). From the information you’ve provided, it sounds like Hot-Rx Extreme would be your best bet. Also sprints and interval training would be a good idea as opposed to steady state cardio.

To get better advice, you need to provide some more information - pictures would be the best and a body fat % would be a good start. From what you’ve said, it sounds like you’re already at 13% to 16% and just working toward perfection.

I have a similar issue, been cutting since February on the Anabolic Diet, losing everywhere except lower back/love handles. If I pull my flab down on my stomach I have a well defined 4-pack, it’s so annoying to be so close and yet so far. I also believe I’m insulin resistant, based on my family history (I have various family members who are diabetic, and my dad has been diagnosed as pre-diabetic).

But, I’ve heard time and time again the fat in that area is the very last part you lose it from. So I’m going to be persistant, I’ve been losing weight steadily at about 1lbs/week but it may take me until September to be at the 8%BF level I would like to achieve.

I’m interested in following your progress with your plan and any supplements you find useful. I’m thinking about trying fucoxanthin.

I will keep everyone updated on my progress and will be sure to have before and after pics if anything actually happens. Unfortunately, however, I am going to have to wait a while on the supplements due to a lack of funding. I’m in college and broke as can be–got a job but it doesn’t start until late June so no supps until then other than fish oil and protein. I also may be able to score a bottle of Carbolin 19 from my brother…in my opinion it is one of Biotest’s most underrated supplements.