Dear Donovan,

I am five feet 11 inches tall and I have always been slim. In the past few years, though, I have developed a belly. The problem is, I haven’t really gained weight anywhere else. I have been researching this problem and finally found a name for it, skinny fat. Can you advise me if it is possible to lose weight in the belly region alone? Other workouts have led to drastic weight loss everywhere else. I love the rest of my body, I just want the belly gone.

I’m so sorry to hear about your belly-fat situation. You must also be frustrated with the fact that every time you try to lose your belly fat the rest of your body also loses weight. Anyway, it is only one step in the process of being healthy and losing your belly fat.

A concern for me would be why your fat is concentrated in the stomach region and the rest of your body is fine. There could be a number of underlying issues, which could cause this large belly. Are you eating late at nights? Are you constipated? Do you have diabetes running in your family? Do you eat lots of carbs and pastries?

Anyway, the large belly has to go ASAP. A large belly is associated with many disorders, for example, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, hypertension and stroke. It is not only about the look of the large belly, but also the health risks it poses.

As you have found out, when you try to lose weight from your belly, the rest of the body loses as well. This is usually the case and it is usually difficult to get specific weight loss, but weight loss is usually faster in areas where you gain weight first. My suggestion to you is to lose weight first, sacrifice a few pounds, and then put back on the weight in a healthy way without the belly. That is the plan.

I would suggest you do a short weight loss and detox programme. This will help the stomach and the rest of the body to some extent to go down. The detox programme will help to flush your intestines just in case you are backing up and you are constipated.

You will need to continue with your weight loss programme until your belly is mainly skin and really soft. Your weight loss programme should incorporate calorie reduction and exercise. When the tummy is flat, it will be time to put on back some weight overall. This you will have to do by increasing your food and/or calorie intake and exercise, but it must be done in a healthy way or the belly will come back.

Make sure you eat a good amount of fruits, vegetables and fruit and vegetable juices. Also make sure that you are not eating too late at nights. Weight gain could be faster with incorporation of thick soups, porridges and shakes. Calories must be increased in order to gain weight. In addition, muscle-building type exercises can also be incorporated into your programme. This will help you to increase your weight.

Good luck.

We will answer your weight-related questions

Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, Suite 16, 39 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 5. Send your questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.