Belly flab

[[ge...]]

Hey guys. I am really frustrated with my flabby belly, I am 28 and have always been small framed, fit, and thin. I am gaining all this flabby fat in my mid section and have no idea how to stop it. I am trying to cut down on carbs but I feel starving when I do that. I also exercise everyday... What am I doing wrong? I've never had to deal with this before... Thanks

[[ge...]]

Also, I used to have a ton of muscle but now it appears to have diminished into flab. Is that possible?

[[er...]]

Hi Getting

Welcome to belly  club .

Is not  that benzo belly = water retention .

I have this from  around  year off still now  23 months off .

No belly 120 lbs  , next day belly 140 -150 lbs .  Good day back to 120 lbs .

Is water retention for me . Like you I was always  fit , and this just killing me .

Disgusting what happen  to us .

Will go away  .

[[ge...]]

How do you know it's water retention? It feels like pure blubber.

[[er...]]

I can feel it . I did for 3 days veggi soup diet , and all water was gone after day . I was back on 120lbs  .

[[ge...]]

What does water retention feel like?  Does it feel like fat?

[[er...]]

What does water retention feel like?  Does it feel like fat?

 

 

Look like fat all over  belly  , but feel like water . I can move with hands  from front belly to back . Is most disgusting thing I ever have .

[[ge...]]

Hm... I wonder which one I have...I found this it has some 'cures' for water retention

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/water.htm

[[er...]]

Hm... I wonder which one I have...I found this it has some 'cures' for water retention

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/water.htm

 

 

 

Yes  , I think this is . My shake when I move . When I drink lots water and eat only soup , all water was gone . Also exercise and you sweat lots , then water come out ,

I love this  article  .

[[ge...]]

Yea mine is jiggly too... I guess I should start drinking more water and see what happens. I'm glad you like the article. 

[[er...]]

Yea mine is jiggly too... I guess I should start drinking more water and see what happens. I'm glad you like the article. 

 

 

You are jiggly too  :laugh:, I have that all over ,  most  abdominal; .

[[mi...]]

Wow do I ever have this.. I exercise also. While on benzos my stomach protruded. I looked pregnant, then when I first came off I lost a ton of weight- probably too much. My belly wasn't protruding any longer nor was it flabby. Now my belly is just flabby. Jiggly and flabby.

[[sp...]]

Hi gettingthere,

 

I undoubtedly retain water, my fingers and ankles swell, but despite weighing only 50kg I have also grown a spare tyre of pure flab round my middle, mostly at the front. I needed badly to put on weight but it could be better distibuted

 

These are cortisol effects. It's an antidiuretic so it causes water retention, and it's a catabolic steroid. Its the opposite of an anabolic steroid, it burns up tissue to make glucose and glycogen to ensure the brain can be well fed with instant energy as needed. 

 

The tissue it breaks down most noticeably is muscle...hence the muscle wasting. If you eat lots of carbs it chooses to store extra supplies around your middle as rather lovely lumpy flab. Given enough cortisol and time you can get a nice fat lump, or hump, across your shoulders as well.

 

As a sideline it thins your skin by degrading collagen, makes your hair fall out and thins your bones. Briefly, in withdrawal and recovery, we all have the physiology of a post-menopausal woman. It's striking how many of the symptoms of the menopause are reflected in withdrawal(insomnia, anxiety/depression, osteoporosis, muscle loss, fatigue, irritability, hair loss, water retention etc).

 

This will all reverse(unless you are a post menopausal woman)when your body and brain stop feeling stressed out because you've taken away all their cuddly benzos.

 

Take care,

 

spartacus

[[ge...]]

Good god, that sounds terrible. Does the shoulder hump go away too?

[[er...]]

:laugh: :laugh:

I am sorry Getting , but is funny . I had that too . Even my boobs , every body ask me if had boob job done ,. Is horrible

Spartacus  I still get back to you 

[[er...]]

Hi gettingthere,

 

I undoubtedly retain water, my fingers and ankles swell, but despite weighing only 50kg I have also grown a spare tyre of pure flab round my middle, mostly at the front. I needed badly to put on weight but it could be better distibuted

 

These are cortisol effects. It's an antidiuretic so it causes water retention, and it's a catabolic steroid. Its the opposite of an anabolic steroid, it burns up tissue to make glucose and glycogen to ensure the brain can be well fed with instant energy as needed. 

 

The tissue it breaks down most noticeably is muscle...hence the muscle wasting. If you eat lots of carbs it chooses to store extra supplies around your middle as rather lovely lumpy flab. Given enough cortisol and time you can get a nice fat lump, or hump, across your shoulders as well.

 

As a sideline it thins your skin by degrading collagen, makes your hair fall out and thins your bones.

 

This will all reverse when your body and brain stop feeling stressed out because you've taken away their cuddly benzos.

 

Take care,

 

spartacus

 

 

 

Spartacus

I love this , all make sense . I am  between 120 to 150 in minute . 

[[ru...]]

this has been bugging me for the past few months since summer started and my belly is no longer hidden by more clothing. i'm skinny as all heck all over but my gut is out there its really not fun i was wondering how could i ever get it back to normal.

 

now i read this here article and OMG this so applies to me and the worst part of it is that i LOVE salt i eat so much salt its crazy! oh man i'm gonna have to cut this out cause this waterbelly is so annoying. well i guess i'l start this diet change on sunday for a while till the belly goes down and then i'l go back to moderate amounts of salt not as wacky as i have been doing. really salt is the only thing that is out of wack with me from reading this article how could i of never known. dang!

 

this forum is a lot more helpful then i thought. maybe i'l start tomarrow

[[ru...]]

so anybody know how long it takes to get rid of a water-belly? i don't think id go in a sauna right now cause of the benzo withdrawal but i'l spend more time out side sweating my tummy off and peeing on bushes everywhere.

[[sp...]]

Hello gettingthere and Erika,

 

I edited my post to add the bit about the menopause. Sort of puts the tin lid on this fiasco...especially for those of us who've already been there, done that and thrown away the t-shirt because it doesn't cover the flab any more.

 

More seriously, on a site where the active members are numbered in the hundreds, there are a striking number of reports of soft-tissue and muscle injuries and at least three fractures, including my own broken rib. We are fragile if flabby beings.

 

Again, to reassure those who really don't want to look like their mothers...guys, all this reverses(unless you really are a post menopausal woman)when cortisol stops being produced in excess. And you can't say fairer than that.

 

Live long and prosper

 

spartacus

[[Iw...]]

Thankful for this post, so much information. Makes me feel a lot better and think it will do the same for many others.

Spartacus, great helpful information! I wonder how long it takes to reverse? I'm about ready to shave my head so much hair loss. 

[[ge...]]

Benzo belly less now that I am on lower doses.  I don't look pregnant anymore - yay!  Look a little younger also, not like an old woman all the time.  Hope to look even younger once off the dreaded Valium!

 

It does get better...

 

love gts

[[er...]]

Hi Getting

I hope you never have benzo belly and look always beautiful .

I don't; have this problem when I taper , not even when quit .  Benzo belly come maybe around  year, and  muscles  collapse  also over maybe 14 months off  over night , like most people here .

Is because of stress . Some days is gone , next day back . Face look one day like before , next day I don't know who  I am . 

All this will go away with time , I see this happened people  under  lots of stress .

 

[[Pr...]]

Just wanted to add my two cents as I am around the same age as you (29). In all, during my taper and in the months following, I gained 35 pounds without eating more than usual

 

The good news is that in last 12 months, I have lost 29. I only have 6 more pounds to go. Most of the weight dropped off slowly on its own, though I did join a gym in the past 3 months.

 

-P-

[[ge...]]

Thanks Erika and princezz 

It's a slow turn around, but it happens!

[[Iw...]]

Gettingthere, great to know  And glad you're doing well 

Princezz, I like your signature, the Scottish proverb.