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i cant seem to shake this weight around my midsection. i IF a couple times a week and feel good about, go LC for a while, CF 4 or 5 times a week. been eating paleo for 8 months. i just dont think i have visible abs like most people claim to have. i sometimes feel like im carrying around extra bloat. when my body comes out of ketosis that's when i notice my midsection looking bigger. i cant seem to look slimmed down for a long period of time. is that normal?

it could be stressed. started a new job recently. probably not enough sleep, but i try to take it easy during the day. its my personality.

how do you guys hack the stress?

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Visible abs are tough for anyone, especially females. Being able to see one's abs is purely a bodyfat percentage issue. It has less to do with strength of the ab muscles. You don't have a low enough bodyfat percentage. If you're CFing 4-5 times per week I would say ditch all the LCing outright. Eat more carbs. Track what you eat and establish your caloric intake. You already know you need more sleep. Address it. – ben61820 Sep 22 2011 at 13:27
Are you suggesting to eat more barbs because CF demands a lot of glycogen? – dubpluris Sep 22 2011 at 15:26
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 I'm suggesting that doing CF 4-5 times a week at a presumed high intensity level is very demanding. Doing that in a state of, or near, ketosis is I believe overly stressful to the body and might prevent losing bodyfat. I think eating more carb than might be associated with the OP's LC would be less stressful on the body, allow better performance in the actual workout, and allow the body to shed more bodyfat. Overall cals come into play here of course but there isn't that much info to go on. – ben61820 Sep 22 2011 at 16:09
is it a diet hack or a stress hack? should i be focusing on VLC and IF or is cutting down CF and getting more sleep going to be more beneficial? – Lauren Sep 23 2011 at 1:32

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If you really want visible abs, then you may have to recalibrate to get them, but you may also have to deal with the fact that your body may not "want" you to have them. You may also have a bit of loose skin that needs time to tighten up, so you'd have to spend a bit of time with what may be an unnaturally low level of subcutaneous fat.

You sound rightfully skeptical of the idea that everyone is (or should be) walking around year-round with visible abs and their board shorts pulled down to their pubes to show off their sweet dicklines. If you really want this, then by all means do what needs to be done to achieve it, but don't do it just to live up to some visual ideal of greatly exaggerated ubiquity. Girls look just fine without visible abs and always have. Don't be too rough on yourself.

You enjoy CF, so keep doing it, but realize that as prescribed, it's not the most recovery-friendly regimen. I personally think that "overtraining" is tossed around too often, but some of the CF programming strikes me as specifically designed to turn certain people's bodies into cortisol distilleries. Just dial it back if you need to, it's not a sign of weakness or sloth.

I'm not saying don't take steps to improve yourself or work hard, just make sure you're doing things because you want to, not because you think you should want to. I'm sure you're intelligent enough to make that determination, so please don't think I'm being patronizing - I wrestle with the same sorts of issues. The world is a rough enough place without us beating ourselves up. :)

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some people eat paleo and do CF and have visible abs. that most problematic midsection area for most women just doesnt want to tighten up. – Lauren Sep 23 2011 at 1:27
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 A significant number of CFers have visible abs compared to the general "fitness" population. I don't know if that's the case compared to the "athletic" population, i.e., CFers are no more likely to have low bodyfat than other amateur athletes who train for specific sports. I obviously think Paleo is a workable dietary protocol for athletics and body comp but I also think individual trainees should aim for optimal body comps for their own individual athletic or aesthetic goals, rather than chasing the ideal CF body type. Some goals are not ideally met as a wasp-waisted metcon machine. :) – coldhandinmine Sep 23 2011 at 2:54
2 
 Sorry to run on, but I just wanted to add that I know many girls, athletic or not, who have flat stomachs or even a small "pooch" but not visible abs, who are both functional and gorgeous. If you don't have a sport that specifically demands low bodyfat and developed ab muscles, I'd be happy with a reasonably lean bodycomp. The Internet Hype Machine fosters unrealistic expectations for most people. – coldhandinmine Sep 23 2011 at 2:58
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I don't want to minimize your concern in any way but...seeing abs on a woman is unusual for one and typically temporary unless genetic. Even some fitness competitors during cutting phase don't show their abs and they are often taking steroids. I would re-evaluate where you are and see if you are just fine where you are.

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I would ditch the CF 4-5 times a week. If you already have stress in your life, you do not need anymore cortisol release via CF. Instead I'd find a lifting plan and lift 2x/week. Go to CF 1-2x/week, only if you've slept really well the previous night and feel really good.

Also, are you getting enough vitamin D?

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1000 I.U. on the vitamin D. – Lauren Sep 23 2011 at 1:28
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I do what I call "assisted" meditation to reduce stress. I view it as basically a way of cultivating the ability to switch to parasympathetic mode. I've graduated to different ways of doing this, but when I started, I would sit, listen to some classical music, and watch a Flickr slide show of some pleasing images (like nature), just taking slow, deep breaths. I started with just a few minutes in the AM and PM, and now do about 20 minutes each.

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Sleep is essential. Staying up late and lights being on after dark keeps cortisol high, which inhibits fat burning. Try to go to bed earlier and keep the bedroom as dark as possible. And yes, I agree with others that too much cardio also raises cortisol. You may like the exercise, but your body thinks you are in trouble.

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i don't think its necessary or necessarily normal to have abs show through for women. i have them now, but have been without them showing too. personally, i don't do CF - at least not regularly. what works for me is lifting 2-3x a week, sleeping, yoga, moderate carb, running. i embrace my looks because i feel strong, but i have been told my abs are either "hot" or "too severe". i'm also personally dealing with trying to find a solution to a chronic bloating issue that seemed to start out of the blue - and try not to let that get to me when peeps have also told me (as fit as i like to think i am) i look "pregnant". vit D, magnesium seems to help. that's my anecdote-- and my advice is keep tweaking and experimenting, keep getting strong, treat yourself well, and try to find something to relieve stress.

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This may be a weird question, but have you encountered amenorrhea as a result of your low body fat levels? – Travis Culp♦ Sep 22 2011 at 18:15
Hey Travis. It's not a weird question, but I have never skipped a period. Although, in terms of actual weight on the scale, I have stayed the same or gone up a few pounds. – smartcookie Sep 22 2011 at 18:41
fwiw - i'm happy to report this because i hope it is an example of good health. in any case, i'm differentiating from losing weight/dieting down versus other kinds of tweaks to get there (~14%). – smartcookie Sep 22 2011 at 18:49
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 Sounds like you're working on your own four hour body book – ben61820 Sep 22 2011 at 20:53
That's interesting that you are not subject to the low leptin-induced hypothalamic amenorrhea that other females report. Perhaps it has to do with your particular fat deposition pattern that allows you to have sufficient bodyfat in general to produce enough leptin, but it just so happens that it isn't on your midsection. – Travis Culp♦ Sep 23 2011 at 1:46
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it wont allow me to answer you directly so i have to answer my own question! LOL

out of those 4/5 times a week, 2 of them are endurance without the wod. so i feel like i take it light and easy on those days. i enjoy CF. it actually releases my stress. i feel more stressed without it. does that make sense?

i do supplement with vitamin 6 daily. i dont have the I.U. number with me but its pretty high.

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sorry that was supposed to read vitamin D* – stacey Sep 22 2011 at 11:22
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I have the same problem! Today I have decided I have to eat less, I will continue with paleo food but something is just not right . I am 5'5 and weigh 125 and still see no abs! I have been eating this way for almost 2 years and I have not had any sugar or bad food in all this time. I mean I have never even tasted a forbidden food. I feel I'm pretty tough but am ready to have a hissy fit! I am hypothyroid and have been trying to fix it naturally,all other blood work is fine. I IF everyday until 1pm and I just don't like this feeling. I am 46 if that matters but I know how you feel.

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