Lower belly - is it just fat or something more? page

[Sora]

I've been primal/paleo for over a year now. I have Celiac Disease, and have been gluten free for over 2 years. I do not eat dairy except for Kerrygold butter. I rarely eat nuts. I take a multivitamin plus supplement with vits a, k2, d3, calc/mag/zinc, and fish oil daily. My exercise varies between walking, yoga, elliptical, and crazy dancing in my living room (when I'm alone..).

What I'm wondering is, what is UP with my lower abdomen? Is it just fat that will go away with general fat loss? I weigh around 135lbs and am 5'5". It just seems so out of proportion. Do I need a leptin reset, though when researching the symptoms I don't really have any. I have tried IFing (the 16hr one, skipping bfast) and didn't notice a difference. Normally my carbs are under 100g a day, half the time they are below 50. I eat around 1200-1400 cals a day. I don't snack much, if I do it's normally a small apple with some sunbutter. I rarely eat processed foods and keep sugar intake low (the apple is about the sweetest food I can handle, everything else tastes tooo sweet!)

Stress? Maybe. It's been stressful lately but I meditate and do Qigong. Hormones? Not sure. Only thing I've noticed in that area is possibly a short luteal phase (11 days). Any ideas?

Here are some pictures that might help:

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Side view, bad posture, relaxed belly.

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Side view, slightly better posture, sucked in belly.

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Front view for comparison.

I did eat some rice today, so it's possible that contributed to something. Otherwise I'm at a loss.

[MissJecka]

You're going to need to host your photos on a website like imageshack.us

[namelesswonder]

I'm not sure if you're worried or something, but you look great to me, just keep that good posture going! If you're concerned about hormones, get your levels tested. A shorter luteal phase might indicate low progesterone.

[ashley.thepie.rat]

My body pretty much does the same..but I have more of a spare tire...it's awful & hard to lose. I was told by my Dr. The best way to lose the spare tire is to up protein...well...I probably eat too much protein & still have it :l hope someone can give us some insight.

[peril]

Male, 54. Lost weight on primal over three years ago but have been carrying some flab around my waist ever since. Recently, some of it went away. Maybe you just need more time to heal

[DinoHunter]

It could simply be normal fat but just something you may want to check into to rule out.
I have a similar bulge that is caused by a large fibroid. They are non-malignant growth on or around the Uterus (some drs estimate as much as 70% of women have them) & vary quite a bit in size so some are un-noticable while others cause visible bulges.
Large ones usually start messing with your TOM (Pain, bleeding) but in my case it dident.
If you think thats a possibility then I think a Gyno appointment would be the place to start.

[Damiana]

It's fat, unless you have a tumor/cyst/fetus down there. It takes forever to lose. Be patient. Stand up straight.

[notlupus]

Are you 110% sure that you aren't being cross contaminated with gluten? Do you have heartburn or any other stomach issues?

That is exactly what I look like after I've been glutened, or I eat something with yeast in it (other food allergy). Unfortunately I'm like this about 75% of the time because I'm still trying to figure out where the yeast/mold in my diet is coming from.

[honeybuns]

I second the ob-gyn appt. That is what my belly looked like before the fibroid tumors were found and before I had the hysterectomy to deal with them.

[Sora]

I'm quite positive there's no gluten contamination. My apartment is gluten-free and I cook all my own foods, and I don't have any of the symptoms I usually get when I have been cc'd.

I have yearly gyn checkups and haven't had any issues. I can always bring it up at my next appt, though.