When does the belly goooo?

[CLAIREA]

Hiii

I have almost lost two stone now and have noticed a difference to my legs, bum and face but my belly is still horrible Its only been 3 months since I gave birth but surely my belly should have changed a little after 2 stone?

 

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[alwyn]

Doing any exercise?

Remember that your stomach muscles have been stretched (if you gave birth naturally) but maybe even cut (if you had a Caesarean). Your stomach will always look bigger if your stomach muscles are loose. Get some normal, reverse and bicycle crunches done (assuming you've had the all clear from your doctor)

 

[CLAIREA]

Ok thanks - I have no idea what a bicycle crunch is lol but ill find out. Only excercise ive been doing is walking and wii fit really - thinking of joining gym when i stop breastfeeding

 

[*honey]

I havent had a baby, but its my tummy that just wont go, even though i lost 2st 4lbs, that last little bit wont budge.
I work with horses and ride daily, so my tummy muscles are strong, but still my tummy wont be flat *sigh*

 

[alwyn]

Clairea, no probs

*honey, which muscles do you feel like you're using when you're riding? Is it the upper abs, the lower abs or both? If it's one or the other, then try and do an ab exercise that engages the other type, eg. normal crunches engage the upper abs, reverse crunches engage the lower abs (so tackling the "pooch") and bicycle crunches work the transverse abs, giving you a killer waist!

 

[*honey]

Thanks, i do try to do those sorts of exercises, they just play havoc with my back. the core muscles ( under the wobble.lol) are all strong and firm, but think there is still some fat too lose over the tum. Although according to the height weight chart i am near the low end of weight, i think i need to go under to lose the last actual fat and then put back on muscle tone to build back to normal weight, but not with fat!

 

[alwyn]

As you build up the muscle then it will help to burn the extra fat - remember that muscle is a denser tissue than fat so will weigh the same as fat but look smaller!

 

[*honey]

reverse crunch, being lying on your tummy and lifting torso up? that right????

I am doing a riders pilates workshop in a couple of weeks, so will try to keep that up too

 

[alwyn]

Reverse crunch: lie on your back, raise your legs in the air and use your stomach muscles to raise your hips off the floor.

 

[AJB]

I'm so fed up of people saying "have you lost weight? I can really see it in your face" aaarrggghh! I don't want it off my face - I want my tum to go! So know how you feel - although I've not had kids

I already do Body Pump and Spinning at the gym so adding Legs Bums and Tums classes next week and hope to see a difference soon!

 

[gobolino]

Mmmmm I was wondering when my tummy will go too ! I do quite a bit of walking and a body balance class between 3 and 5 times a week which really works my tummy. Although my tummy feels firmer, its like there's a layer of fat over the top of the firmer underneath. I dont know what more to do..... lose the fat I guess!

Keep with it, perhaps others would notice a difference before you do

 

[MargyParker]

I was at the gym yesterday thinking I was doing marvellously on the rowing machine when I was stupid enough to look down at myself.

All ok till I crunch up and then a significant roll of fat being squashed between thighs and abs. Bleurgh! Keep at it - keep at it.

 

[gobolino]

I do also think that whatever I look like now has got to be better than when I was heavier too, so that keeps me happy

 

[CLAIREA]

It really gets you down when you dont suddenly get the belly you want , i should be happy that im healthy and stuff, i guess im just impatient but this belly WILL go!! I read that it doesnt matter how much belly exercises u do if fat is there it needs to go ? I would hate to do tons of sit ups n still not see any results

 

[Snozzberry]

My tummy is always the last to shrink. When I was doing WW 4 years ago in the run up to my wedding I started doing spin classes. My legs and bum had never been so toned but the jelly belly remained. I looked like a lollipop with my skinny legs and big tum. A very wobbly lollipop at that

 

[CLAIREA]

So did the belly go down eventually then? Or am I doomed ? lol

 

[AJB]

Yes I want to know too! My legs look fabulous (if I do say so myself LOL) thanks to all that spinning - nowt doing on the tum front tho

 

[TeresaTT]

This is a big problem for me. I reckon that the lower third and upper third of my body is at target weight but the bit in the middle is still very overweight. In reality I have lost about seven inches off my waist but my tummy still looks huge. I think that the rest of me being slim makes my tummy look much bigger in proportion. I do a lot of exercise and now find tummy crunches easy to do so my tummy muscles are toned up but there is a very thick layer of fat on top of them.

I've looked into this and the information I've found is that where you keep your weight is genetically determined and for many women that means the tummy. No amount of exercise can target a specific area of fat. All it can do it tone up the muscle there and help you lose fat from all over your body which will improve it's appearance. Therefore I'm resigned to the fact that I'll never have a flat tummy and will eventually have to settle on a compromise between a big tummy and the rest of me looking anorexic.

I do remember in my slim, youthful days that I always hated my tummy as I thought it was too big. It's never been flat and I've always had a bit of a bulge. My sister has lost a lot of weight and is now about 7 1/2 stone and is 5' tall. She looks beautifully slim but still has a bit of a tummy despite being extremely fit. However she does look pretty good in clothes although she'll never have the perfectly flat tummy that you see models with.

I think we have to just accept that we have a natural body shape and all we can do is make the best of it.

 

[Snozzberry]

Well my rum never went down, but that's because I couldn't afford my gym membership any more, sacked off WW and got lazy again lol.

I am hoping to buy a bike in the spring and start cycling to work so I shall monitor my tum to bum ratio then