Lower Abdominal and Love Handle Fat Storage

Diet and Nutrition
1

Hey Guys-

So I was reading and writing on another thread (Poliquin Bio-signature) about my specific fat storage situation. I hold most of my bf on my lower ab and love handle region. I’ve read around and to me this indicates a lack of insulin sensitivity. I want to increase my insulin sensitivity. I’d like to find out the right supplements to aid me with this specifically. Let me give you all some specifics so you know what I lift/eat/supplement.

24 years old
6’3
220lbs, approx 13% bf (bio impedance has me between 11%-14%)

Goals:
Get rid of this damned “spare tire” bf storage

Training:
I just finished a pretty routine split (Chest/Bis, Legs/Delts, Back/Tris)

I am currently switching things up and doing Waterbury’s Body of Fire. For those who don’t know what that is (paid program), its a lot of plyometric work, db work, circuits, etc. The progression from week to week is almost always a reduction in rest time. I’ve never trained like this before, night and day from what I normally do. I think the program will help me toward my goal of bf reduction.

Nutrition:
I try to maintain the “earn your carbs” mentality. With that in mind, my carbs come almost always PWO, and in the AM (or, at least before 2-3pm). The thing is, I think given my lack of insulin sensitivity I might need to cut these back even further. I’m finishing up day 1 of a 14 day period where I will do my best to take in zero carbs. Basically the idea behind this is to gauge how I feel after this period, I suspect it will be a really good thing for me. If so, I will stick to this style of eating, and refeed when I feel depleted. I will have vegetables which will of course have some carbs in them, but my daily intake will be < 30grams. Between chicken, steaks, turkey, ground beef (and protein shakes) I get around 300 grams of protein a day. The rest of my cals will come from fat.

I think I am lactose intolerant to some degree. Whenever I have a big glass of milk, I get gastric distress within an hour or two. Cheese in smaller portions doesn’t seem to bother me, and protein shakes are no problem at all. So with that in mind, during this 14 strict phase when I’m eliminating the carbs, I am also dropping the dairy. Whey shakes will stay on the menu because as I said I never feel any negative effect from tham.

Supplements:
I take Flameout (2 per day) and generic fish oil (I just swallow as many as I can fit in my mouth, usually 7 or 8 at 1gram a pop, the epa/dha ratio is not indicated on the bottle). In addition to the fish oil, I take a multi and vit D. This concludes my supplementation.

Alright folks, that’s pretty much it. My diet is good (but can always be better, which is what I’m working on right now). I’ve changed my training protocols to something new and different which I think will be conducive to my goals. I just want your opinion on what I can do to get rid of this fat storage.

2

Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.

3

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.[/quote]

Tmuscle, you may not get a real answer but you WILL get a snarky remark.

I understand caloric deficit will result in my losing mass (and if done right, most of that mass will be bf)… but my problem is that I store most of my fat in my lower abdomen. Thus, if I want fully visable lower abs I have 2 options:

  1. Accept that I store a major % of my bf there, and compensate accordingly by getting REALLY lean (i.e. most people start to see lower abs somewhere around 10%… I would need probably need like 7%)

  2. Increase my insulin sensitivity so that my bf storage is less localized to my lower abdomen. Thus, I don’t need to get to such low bf% to look how I want to look.

Regardless, I appreciate you responding Austin. Jokes aside.

4

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.[/quote]
x2.

I’m not saying that managing insulin sensitivityis bad, but you’re not in unique snowflake territory here, re-evaluate when you get around 10%.

For the lactose thing, try drinking a glass of lactaid milk and seeing if you get all bloaty and nasty, just as a scientific test.

5

[quote]EasyRhino wrote:

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.[/quote]
x2.

I’m not saying that managing insulin sensitivityis bad, but you’re not in unique snowflake territory here, re-evaluate when you get around 10%.

For the lactose thing, try drinking a glass of lactaid milk and seeing if you get all bloaty and nasty, just as a scientific test.[/quote]

Good idea, after my 2 week complete carb/dairy freeze, I’ll reintroduce milk with lactaid to see how I respond.

6

holding lower abdominal fat is most likely due to the proportion of Alpha-2 Adrenergic receptors in that area…They inhibit lipolysis(stop fat burning)

men have a higher concentration in the lower abdominals, and women have more in the thighs…

yohimbine or Rauwolscine inhibits a2 receptors…

the usplabs people think Rauwolscine is better…i’ve never tried it, so i can’t comment…

7

also if you have thin/flat abs, then you will need to get very lean regardless…

just how things are…

8

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:

  1. Accept that I store a major % of my bf there, and compensate accordingly by getting REALLY lean (i.e. most people start to see lower abs somewhere around 10%… I would need probably need like 7%)

  2. Increase my insulin sensitivity so that my bf storage is less localized to my lower abdomen. Thus, I don’t need to get to such low bf% to look how I want to look.
    [/quote]

I am all for managing insulin sensitivity; however IMO very few natural lifters show lower ab above 8%. In twenty-five years of training I can count them on one hand. Most successful lifters ‘make peace’ with genetics at some point, it gets simpler after that.

9

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:

  1. Accept that I store a major % of my bf there, and compensate accordingly by getting REALLY lean (i.e. most people start to see lower abs somewhere around 10%… I would need probably need like 7%)

  2. Increase my insulin sensitivity so that my bf storage is less localized to my lower abdomen. Thus, I don’t need to get to such low bf% to look how I want to look.
    [/quote]

I am all for managing insulin sensitivity; however IMO very few natural lifters show lower ab above 8%. In twenty-five years of training I can count them on one hand. Most successful lifters ‘make peace’ with genetics at some point, it gets simpler after that. [/quote]

The % I gave was an aproximation, the point I was trying to make was if I can get change the distribution a bit and make my body less pre-disposed to storage in the lower ab area… I wouldn’t have to diet down so far to see what I want to see. I know what you mean though. Regardless of my current distribution… losing bf is the bottom line. I’d just like to do everything I can correctly, and alerting the distribution is one of those things I can improve.

10

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.[/quote]

Tmuscle, you may not get a real answer but you WILL get a snarky remark.

I understand caloric deficit will result in my losing mass (and if done right, most of that mass will be bf)… but my problem is that I store most of my fat in my lower abdomen. Thus, if I want fully visable lower abs I have 2 options:

  1. Accept that I store a major % of my bf there, and compensate accordingly by getting REALLY lean (i.e. most people start to see lower abs somewhere around 10%… I would need probably need like 7%)

  2. Increase my insulin sensitivity so that my bf storage is less localized to my lower abdomen. Thus, I don’t need to get to such low bf% to look how I want to look.

Regardless, I appreciate you responding Austin. Jokes aside.[/quote]

Snarky remark? I don’t get it, I said nothing snarky.

11

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:
Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.[/quote]

Tmuscle, you may not get a real answer but you WILL get a snarky remark.

I understand caloric deficit will result in my losing mass (and if done right, most of that mass will be bf)… but my problem is that I store most of my fat in my lower abdomen. Thus, if I want fully visable lower abs I have 2 options:

  1. Accept that I store a major % of my bf there, and compensate accordingly by getting REALLY lean (i.e. most people start to see lower abs somewhere around 10%… I would need probably need like 7%)

  2. Increase my insulin sensitivity so that my bf storage is less localized to my lower abdomen. Thus, I don’t need to get to such low bf% to look how I want to look.

Regardless, I appreciate you responding Austin. Jokes aside.[/quote]

Snarky remark? I don’t get it, I said nothing snarky.[/quote]

“Most normal people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting.”

If at this point (4 years on Tmuscle) I don’t know that “most people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting” then I need to turn in my login and stop coming back haha. I know that’s usually the last site (for men at least) to go. My whole thread isn’t so much about my fat there as it is about the (what I believe to be) uneven and disproportionate fat storage in those areas as opposed to the rest of my body… and more specifically what can I do from a supplement standpoint (and nutrition) to change this.

Regardless Austin, if you were actually offering your 2cents and not ribbing me than apologies. Do you have any specific advice or ideas with this?

12

learn how to control your stress(cortisol caused by food sensitivities, dehydration, kids driving you fucking nuts) and stop eating refined carbs like breads, bagels, etc. get lean then you can eat things like rice, sweet potatoes etc. gluten is also a stresser in about 80% off ppl. they are sensitive to it thus it raises cortisol which contributes to belly fat.

13

…and you told me to post less often…psssssshhhh

14

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:
If at this point (4 years on Tmuscle) I don’t know that “most people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting” then I need to turn in my login and stop coming back haha. I know that’s usually the last site (for men at least) to go. My whole thread isn’t so much about my fat there as it is about the (what I believe to be) uneven and disproportionate fat storage in those areas as opposed to the rest of my body… and more specifically what can I do from a supplement standpoint (and nutrition) to change this.

[/quote]

Do you have any idea how stupid a lot of the people whose logins have been active for four years can be? There’s no reason to suppose that you know anything because of how old your handle is.

Fact is, you’re probably wrong about your body storing more fat proportionately in that area than most people. If that is the case, then there’s just not a whole lot you can do about it besides getting your bf% to much lower levels to compensate. I know that’s not very helpful from a practical perspective, but it will help you to stop from wasting a ton of time going forward trying to make something happen that won’t.

15

[quote]The3Commandments wrote:

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:
If at this point (4 years on Tmuscle) I don’t know that “most people lose love handle and lower ab fat last when dieting” then I need to turn in my login and stop coming back haha. I know that’s usually the last site (for men at least) to go. My whole thread isn’t so much about my fat there as it is about the (what I believe to be) uneven and disproportionate fat storage in those areas as opposed to the rest of my body… and more specifically what can I do from a supplement standpoint (and nutrition) to change this.

[/quote]

Do you have any idea how stupid a lot of the people whose logins have been active for four years can be? There’s no reason to suppose that you know anything because of how old your handle is.

Fact is, you’re probably wrong about your body storing more fat proportionately in that area than most people. If that is the case, then there’s just not a whole lot you can do about it besides getting your bf% to much lower levels to compensate. I know that’s not very helpful from a practical perspective, but it will help you to stop from wasting a ton of time going forward trying to make something happen that won’t.[/quote]

How could I possibly be wrong, when all I need to do is look in the mirror? I’m 5 days into carb and dairy free, and already am noticeably leaner in that region. I’m getting about 400 grams of protein a day, with the rest coming from fats (getting fats when NOT eating nuts, or from dairy is actually been the hardest part… I took a few shots of olive oil yesterday). This is a two week bootcamp-type period, then I may re-introduce carbs (pwo only). Not sure yet though, everyone’s body is different and given my insulin insensitivity… I really feel good carb-free. Could be a lifestyle change. I will probably still re-feed because my performance in the gym is important to me (not just looking good naked). I took a front and back pic on day 2, so at day 14 I’ll take another and I think it will show an improvement in overall bf% with a larger improvement (proportionately) in the lower abdomen and love handle region.

16

[quote]plutusplutus wrote:
…My whole thread isn’t so much about my fat there as it is about the (what I believe to be) uneven and disproportionate fat storage in those areas as opposed to the rest of my body… and more specifically what can I do from a supplement standpoint (and nutrition) to change this.
[/quote]

This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Do you think you can move the fat from one area to another? It’s already there, and it ain’t moving. At best you can make it leave altogether by getting leaner overall. That’s the point, right? And you don’t plan on allowing it to come back do you? So where it gets laid down in the future isn’t much of a problem then.

I guess that’s a snarky comment for you.

17

I dont know much about insulin sensitivity(that shit confuses the hell out of me) but I feel like regardless of your insulin sensitivity, you cant relocate fat. The fat cells will still be there no matter what, just empty or full depending on how lean you are. The only way to remove fat from a specific area would be lipo… But I think controlling insulin sensitivity is key to weight control. I have the same problem area.

18

I feel like most of this stuff is probably in your head, man. Spot reduction just doesn’t work, and that’s what it sounds like you’re after. You’re probably just leaning out from taking carbs out of your diet.

19

I’m certainly not advocating that I’m going for spot reduction, or that it’s even possible.

A correlation between hormone levels and predispositions towards fat storage in certain areas has been demonstrated… I’m simply attempting to use a tool that’s in the toolbox. General caloric deficit is still the name of the game to lose fat. I just want to use this tool as well.

MJ was the best offensive swingman in that ever lived. He also played great defense. He didn’t need to play defense to be considered the best, but he did. He was competitive, he had D in his arsenal and he used it. I just want to use what I’ve got in my potential arsenal.

20

I know this is not really related to your original question about insulin sensitivity…however, I hope it is still useful. Spot Reduction is Real