Horrible weird belly shape anyone?

sassysmom35

Ok so I have a B belly. I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns. For anyone with this shape...does it ever truly get better? I have gone from 235 to 166 (I'm 5'3", age 42) and it definitely is loads smaller but the shape is still exactly the same with the top half of the "B" larger than the bottom.
(Yes I know my pants are too big...time to get some 10s.) With about 35 lbs left to goal range I'm getting worried that it will look just as bad at goal.
I tried searching for my answer but thos seems to be a fairly rare shape. I have never worn tight pants or belts...this is just my natural body composition.
Help! I need hope 😢

sassysmom35

It didn't attach pic sorry

MaltedTea

"I need hope 😢"

Hopefully, you'll come to love your bod even more and all it does for you. It's gotten you down almost 70 lbs already!! 😱

tbh, I had to stare at the pic and then read your post twice to understand your qualm. Not to invalidate your feelings, of course. But I just didn't see "the problem" you see.

There are threads, apparently long-running, on this topic. I'm sure others will provide links.

All the best of health to you, both physical and mental!

Hanibanani2020

You can’t spot reduce but the more your body fat goes down the smaller it will become. We can’t help genetics but we can help ourselves love ourselves regardless of the things we perceive as imperfect on ourselves. Search for Does this uterus make me look fat thread. It’s very revealing in terms of body shape and the changes your stomach will go through. You’re not alone when it comes to hating one particular area of your body but I echo what @maltedtea said. Fantastic work btw! Huge achievement!

Terytha

I have it too, and from what I read it doesn't seem like it really goes away, though you can reduce it so it becomes a lot more subtle.

I wonder if corset training would smooth it out. I might try if mine doesn't go away enough.

harper16

I don't see anything horrible or weird about having a B shaped belly, and I see nothing weird or horrible about your belly. It may or may not change as you get closer to your goal weight.
Congrats on your weight loss so far that's amazing.

middlehaitch

Yes, I have a B belly, always have, always will. My whole family have one. Nothing at all wrong with having one.

In fact that to me is how a belly looks. I was amazed when I found there were other shapes. (An innocent I know.)

Weight loss, being within the normal BMI range will help, as will doing some type of strengthening, weight lifting exercise.

It won’t go away, this is just your shape, but the above, and using and engaging the core really helps, once the fat is lost.

What ever you do will not be a quick fix. It takes time (think years) and consistency. If you have excess skin that alone can take a couple of years to retract and, depending on age, genetics, and how long you have been overweight, it may never fully retract.

Learn to accept your body shape and dress to accommodate and suit you. I avoid leather belts, but use soft cloth that doesn’t dig in, and tend not to tuck clothing in trousers or skirts.

As you will see in the spoiler I am quite slim, but can still hide my belly button when sitting, and swallow a belt around my waist.

Cheers, h.

Sorry the pics in the spoiler didn’t work out.
Here is a link to the thread I’m half way down pg2, but there are tones of good examples in the thread.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat/p1


Oops forgot to say, posture, learn and practice good posture. It can make a world of difference. h

claireychn074

I have a b shaped belly and actually when relaxed it’s definitely a lower case b shape! I can look pregnant at the end of the day if I’ve eaten a lot or when I’m slouching. But it’s just the way I’m built. Would I like a totally flat tummy? Yes. But I’d also like to be quite a few inches taller, with long lithe legs and the ability to get a decent sun tan... 🤷‍♂️ Not going to happen!

springlering62

SW 222, CW131, 5’7”.

I have dropped down to a size 2 pants. I have a small waist, but can pinch n’pull my belly out six inches or more- in opposite directions. It’s not fat. It’s extra skin, and the only cure that is surgery (yuck, no thanks), or time (hoping the body will generously rearrange some molecules into a more flattering profile, lol).

There’s a few things you can do.

Posture. Goes without saying but often overlooked. I have terrible posture I can go from making myself look pregnant to flatbelly in seconds, by simply standing up straight.

High waisted pants. Holds it in and eliminates muffin tops.

“Firm” leggings. I live in workout gear. I’ve found a couple of legging manufacturers that make leggings with a lot of give for flexibility and room for those big calves and thighs some of us sport, but that also have an almost Spanx-like ability to hold the belly in comfortably and attractively. I loves me some Yoga Democracy and K-Deer.

Ditto for tight tops that can be pulled down over lower waisted pants. Lululemon’s “cool” series tanks and 90 Degrees by Reflex (half the price) are both terrific for this.

I wore a loose linen shift dress today. Big mistake. Nothing holding anything in. Beautiful dress but not a good look post weight loss. Be aware of stuff like that.

I’m still relearning to dress myself. It takes a new eye to go from hiding behind bulky, covering clothes to learn what flatters you now but it can make a huge difference in how you see yourself.

Just remember not to spend too much if you’re still losing. I gave away many sets of clothes because I kept thinking “I can’t possibly lose any more than this”, and this linen dress is regrettably going in the newest pile, along with some leopard print jeans I mourn I never got to know as well as I liked. One minute too tight, the next, falling down.

brittneyalley

If it doesn’t get better, you could always get a tummy tuck. 😊

psychod787

sassysmom35 wrote: »

It didn't attach pic sorry

Nothing wrong with your "belly". It's probably loose skin and fat cell hyperplasia. You could get a tummy tuck or, get clothing that helps hide it. I chose the last one. best wishes...

gothchiq

Have you had abdominal surgery? I have. It changes the shape especially when you lose weight. In time the skin will probably tighten up somewhat. The doctor told me to expect it to take 2 years to tighten as much as it is going to.

sassysmom35

gothchiq wrote: »

Have you had abdominal surgery? I have. It changes the shape especially when you lose weight. In time the skin will probably tighten up somewhat. The doctor told me to expect it to take 2 years to tighten as much as it is going to.

No surgery. Except for gallbladder removal but that was not super invasive and my tummy has always looked like this even before the surgery. Only it was loads bigger.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions, especially the tips on how to camouflage it with clothes. I don't expect to ever have a flat stomach and that's ok. I think I just thought it would look a little better than it does. Or maybe the shape would magically change lol. I'm still a good 35 lbs from goal so hopefully it will get less noticeable.
I think what bothers me more than anything else is that no matter what I wear or how loose my clothes are i always look like i have a chonky muffin top.
But as the pp said I need to learn to love my body for what it is because for better ir worse it's the one I've got. I'm thrilled with getting this far...its been a journey of self discovery that's for sure. This is just another part of the journey.
I'll come back and update when I get to goal for anyone else who has this issue.
I'm on day 596 so trust me I really will update. Thank you all so much.

And MaltedTea....you have no idea how much better it made me feel that you didnt notice what I meant right away. I think we are so hypercritical of ourselves that we obsess over things that others would barely even take note of...if they even see it at all. So thank you.

moogie_fit

Women have a uterus. I have a b shaped body as well, and I'm thin and lean and muscular and have abs, always have been. There are really important organs down there.

AnnPT77

I have a B belly, too, but mine tends to have a larger lower bump, smaller upper, and the upper depleted quite a bit in the later stages of loss to goal. (That pattern won't be true for everyone, though it's fairly common for belly fat in general to hang around until later in the loss process.)

I think you look fine and normal, as others have said, and with 35 pounds to go and that tendency in many people for belly fat to be a late departure, I think it would be reasonable to expect further changes in that area. Sometimes part way to goal, areas of fat deposit get kind of squishy (where previously more firm) and the appearance is a little worrisome temporarily, but the fat cells deplete further, the skin shrinks (taking its own sweet time to do so, even after fat loss, often, sadly ), and the long-run result is quite positive.

I do think that in the photo, some postural issues are adding to the effect that you mention. It's hard for me to say exactly what the postural issues are, as your arms, clothing, and the photo angles are making it difficult to see the lines of your body clearly.

A couple of common ones that emphasize the belly are a head-forward/rounded shoulders thing (the "electronic devices slouch"), and anterior pelvic tilt (a shift in hip angle that pushes the belly forward and the booty out to the back). There are exercises for those.

But I'm not sure that's it, in your case. It looks (?) like your upper torso is canted backwards a bit with respect to the angle of your hips, maybe the lower front edge of the ribs dropped downward a bit? Can't tell. If I do what I'm trying to describe there, I do get some extra pooching of the upper part of my B, though.

Can you stand sideways to a mirror and experiment with your hip and ribcage angles a bit, raising to your full height from the crown of your head and keeping shoulders back as you do? If you can find a natural straight position that de-emphasize the appearance that concerns you, you may be able to identify muscle groups to strengthen that would help.

I hope this doesn't come across as harsh or mean: I don't intend it that way. I'm hearing you as having an appearance concern that affects your self-confidence or contentment a tad bit, so I just wanted to try to be a little bit more specific about the postural possibility, and ways to assess.

Congrats on your impressive weight loss so far, and best wishes for continued good progress!

TwistedSassette

I did not know this was a thing, but I have it too! Especially after pregnancy - and, worse, looking down from the top, the right side of my belly sticks out more than my left. I'm assuming the baby must have moved some organ over there and it didn't come back
But, looking at your picture, I think you ought to be proud of your efforts! A lot of it seems to be loose skin which hopefully will tighten over time.

MichelleMcKeeRN

I have to start by saying I don’t think your belly is dreadful. I understand your feelings though. Doing ab exercises should help the fat to have a smoother platform to rest on.

springlering62

My husband and I renovated an old house together. When I would start to cry because some effort didn’t look like HGTV, he would tell me to cheer up,”Its better than it was before”.

That really put a lot in perspective.

I’ve tried to keep that in mind with the weight loss.

I put on a cute new Lululemon short skort today. It fits great, but emphasizes that unstuffed, wrinkled, severe weight loss look on thighs and knees. I started to take it off but then thought,”aw screw it. It’s better than it was before.”

We owe ourselves that grace more often.