Is it possible to lose ALL subcutaneous fat after pregnancy?

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amiwills
amiwills Posts: 46 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing a lot of reading about diet, weight loss, muscle strengthening etc over this last few weeks since starting my journey to a better body. Before becoming a mum I had a flat-ish tummy. I gained some weight during pregnancy, and afterwards I assumed I would look that way forever so instead of working on it I just let myself go. I gained even more weight and became extremely unhappy as a result

Here I am 18 months later finally doing something about it! In February I changed my diet completely, and I have been going to the gym at least 6 times a week for the past 3 weeks doing cardio for 45-60 mins. I will start strength training properly soon, for now I am working on getting the forms correct with small/no added weight.

I have so far lost 6.4kg (current weight 62.3kg, last weighed 8 days ago) and feeling very good about this new lifestyle, I have never felt happier or healthier! The changes I have made including exercise I intend to keep for life, and I am expecting to have to work hard for a long time before seeing the results I dream of.

My question is: This morning while reading about wether we can get rid of all the subcutaneous fat from the belly/sides, I read that women who gained a lot of this fat during pregnancy will often never be able to shift it all, and many decide to have liposuction. Is that true?

I have always been under the impression that the only thing we truly cannot get rid of through exercise and diet is loose skin. I'm pretty sure the flabby bit on my belly and sides must be fat because I can pinch it, it isn't thin like loose skin, but it is very very soft. The small bit of belly fat I had before pregnancy wasn't soft like this, but then again there was no way near as much as there is now.

Also, can subcutaneous belly fat hang? If so, is it possible to get rid of?

Sorry loads of questions, hope it makes sense!

Thank you

Replies

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    I say don't worry about it, because just getting down to a good 20% body fat will work wonders. Find out for yourself.

    I got rid of my 5 stone weight gain after pregnancy and am back to a 25" waist. i'm about 17-19% Body fat and 45.
  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
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    Um, if you got rid of ALL your subcutaneous fat, you'd be dead. Seriously.
  • kazminchu
    kazminchu Posts: 250 Member
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    What the poster above said. Also you'd look AWFUL.
  • amiwills
    amiwills Posts: 46 Member
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    @misskarne @kazminchu
    Sorry, I should have worded that better! I mean all of the excess fat, I hope that makes sense, the fat that is very soft and flabby to pinch!
  • kazminchu
    kazminchu Posts: 250 Member
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    I can't tell you definitively, but I have an overhang of belly fat (never been pregnant, just morbidly obese), which does get significantly smaller when I actually put effort into eating right and working out. I wouldn't know if you can get rid of it entirely, but like the first person to reply said - don't worry too much about it.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Look at these threads:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10368316/before-and-after-belly-pics
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/935033/mom-of-2-insanity-results
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10229988/from-fluffy-mom-at-35-to-ifbb-physique-pro-at-38-w-pics

    ~And I know there is more in the Success area, but MFP's search function isn't the greatest.
  • leahkathleen13
    leahkathleen13 Posts: 272 Member
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    Hi! I've had three kids and it is possible to have your abdomen look the way it was again. I did it after child number two and have a way to go after child number three. Some kinda of wide stretch marks leave wrinkles but some fade and blend in. The longer you work at it the better it gets! All that belly fluff and skin will tighten up as you lose weight and work with weights. Honestly you will be amazed at what you can do. Just be sure to use lotion daily preferably cocoa butter or Shea butter, all over! Granted, it's been three years but it's almost gone! No magic bullet, just calories weights and cardio. Sounds like you are on the right track!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    Look at these threads:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10368316/before-and-after-belly-pics
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/935033/mom-of-2-insanity-results
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10229988/from-fluffy-mom-at-35-to-ifbb-physique-pro-at-38-w-pics

    ~And I know there is more in the Success area, but MFP's search function isn't the greatest.

    These ladies all look fabulous and have done great.

    I have wondered the same thing, though. While the ladies above look absolutely wonderful and have clearly done a lot of work, I haven't seen any "after" pictures from a person who had a stomach that hung more than it jutted out. I'm talking more about what would be called a panniculus, even just a level 1 panniculus. From what I've read, the choices are either to have it surgically removed or to get to a very low body fat level in order to see it go and then have to stay there for fear it will fill again with fat. I'd love to be wrong and hear that I can just aim at a comfortable level of body fat (getting down to 20% is not an attractive prospect for me.)
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,086 Member
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    Take a look at my profile. I am in the middle of it. My girl is 6 months old. I have pregnancy pics up, and then pictures since then. I also have some comparisons of me lifting heavy pre pregnancy and same weight as that post comparison. It can be done. Yes you might have some looser skin there due to pregnancy but you can get rid of the fat, it just takes time and getting your body fat low enough.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    Look at these threads:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10368316/before-and-after-belly-pics
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/935033/mom-of-2-insanity-results
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10229988/from-fluffy-mom-at-35-to-ifbb-physique-pro-at-38-w-pics

    ~And I know there is more in the Success area, but MFP's search function isn't the greatest.

    These ladies all look fabulous and have done great.

    I have wondered the same thing, though. While the ladies above look absolutely wonderful and have clearly done a lot of work, I haven't seen any "after" pictures from a person who had a stomach that hung more than it jutted out. I'm talking more about what would be called a panniculus, even just a level 1 panniculus. From what I've read, the choices are either to have it surgically removed or to get to a very low body fat level in order to see it go and then have to stay there for fear it will fill again with fat. I'd love to be wrong and hear that I can just aim at a comfortable level of body fat (getting down to 20% is not an attractive prospect for me.)

    Mine hung over my csection scar which is at the top of my pubic hairline (grade 1 panniculus is barely over the pubic hairline but doesn't extend to genitalia from what I read online). When I was heavier it hung over the scar (not sure if enough to be considered grade 1 but thete was a definite hang...it looked like my stomach was eating my underwear) and was wider than my hips (when I get home I'll have to see if I have any pics). Now it doesn't really hang anymore and is no longer wider than my hips but does look like a wrinkled mess. If my scale is to believed, I'm around 21-22% BF.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I think it will depend on genetics a lot. But with a lot of determination, it's probably doable.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    This is pretty much impossible to answer. For some, it may be difficult if not next to impossible to get very lean, especially in the belly area. For others they might have relatively easy time. For now, just focus on staying the course and what you can control.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    Mine returned completely after #1, #2, and #3, but some loose skin remained after #4. I think it's mostly genetics and whether you gain too much weight, also how much you rest after giving birth. With the first 3 I hemorrhaged and had to lay down for 2 weeks, belly healed during that time; with the last I did not overbleed, felt great so popped right up and went back to normal life, the "split" did not heal completely so shape won't completely return without surgery but it looks plenty good enough that I am comfortable in a bikini, especially if all my kids are with me.

    Mind you, I was never curvy in the waist to begin with, so back to normal for me is just back to straight up and down, not curved in, but lean.

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