annoying "belly pooch"

lizc0616

Okay to make a long story short I had my second child in Aug of 2012. He is now 18 months. Right before i had him i was in the best shape of my life after having my first, but whenever i got pregnant (unplanned by my husband and I but so happy we did) I got so discouraged with my health and fitness I just gave up, i felt like ALL that hard work for NOTHING, I was at 112 and could not be happier. During pregnancy i got up to 168, and it showed EVERYwhere. After having Jacob I ate...and ate....and ate. Now i am paying for it. I got down to 135 after giving birth birth but was eating so unhealthy and not exercising period that i gained back up to 142. Back in November of last year I finally had enough, being heavier than i ever wanted to be and having this disgusting belly that hung over any pair of pants i wear & when i sat down only got worse. Beginning of dec i started a new fitness Journey, i currently go to the gym 5 days a week, do at least 20-30 mins cardio then do different exercises daily. As of today i weigh 128 and have lost 5% body fat, My goal is to weigh 115 by summer, but even thought I would love to see that number that is Not what im concerned about..... its still the annoying flab of my belly. It has got smaller with time, i can actually wear smaller jeans with out overflowing them, but i still feel like it should be a little more tone than it is. Can anyone please give me insight? Trying not to get discouraged!!!!

jencroki

I'm the same way as you and it's been a long battle but I'm getting there...no I don't have washboard abs but the pooch is going down every day. What I did was to modify my eating habits. Eating clean, healthier and using portion control....6 small meals a day (3 main meals and 3 snacks). Abs are made in the kitchen that's true...to work belly fat is not a matter of how much exercise we do and/or how many abs workout we do...the ab muscle might be strong but it wont be visible due to the fat we still have, so try changing the eating part (they said the 80/20 rule... 80% eating 20% exercise). If you need any help let me know feel free to send me a message

marshrowan

Okay to make a long story short I had my second child in Aug of 2012. He is now 18 months. Right before i had him i was in the best shape of my life after having my first, but whenever i got pregnant (unplanned by my husband and I but so happy we did) I got so discouraged with my health and fitness I just gave up, i felt like ALL that hard work for NOTHING, I was at 112 and could not be happier. During pregnancy i got up to 168, and it showed EVERYwhere. After having Jacob I ate...and ate....and ate. Now i am paying for it. I got down to 135 after giving birth birth but was eating so unhealthy and not exercising period that i gained back up to 142. Back in November of last year I finally had enough, being heavier than i ever wanted to be and having this disgusting belly that hung over any pair of pants i wear & when i sat down only got worse. Beginning of dec i started a new fitness Journey, i currently go to the gym 5 days a week, do at least 20-30 mins cardio then do different exercises daily. As of today i weigh 128 and have lost 5% body fat, My goal is to weigh 115 by summer, but even thought I would love to see that number that is Not what im concerned about..... its still the annoying flab of my belly. It has got smaller with time, i can actually wear smaller jeans with out overflowing them, but i still feel like it should be a little more tone than it is. Can anyone please give me insight? Trying not to get discouraged!!!!

I'm with you before my second child I got super fit and when I got pregnant with my second I got huge !! she is 2 .5 now and I weigh less then I did before I had her but my body is for sure not the same, lol I'm just focusing on weight training lifting heavy and it is working so don't give up it just takes time . Remember we brought these beautiful children into the world so it kinda worth it!!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

It could be partially extra skin, and that will also improve as you get fitter and with time.

If it IS fat you can't really spot reduce. Continue eating at a deficit and it'll eventually improve.

I'd also advise you to add strength training to your routine. Tightening and maintaining the muscles underneath the fat will produce a much better result when you get to your goal weight. I personally recommend Stronglifts 5x5 for beginners. There's a group here for women.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary


Also, no one's stomach looks good when they sit down.

cafeaulait7

It hasn't been long. I've never had kids, but I have a genetic lower tummy pooch (just like mom's and her mom's!) that is shrinking and tightening up. A lot of it is just time, I think.

I started wearing these leggings that are tight over the area of loser skin instead of pajamas recently, and I think that helps it tighten better, honestly. My plastic surgeon had me wearing a tight (but not too tight) garment when I got a breast lift, so that's where I got the idea. They are still very comfortable, but they hold the skin tighter and I think it helps -- it has visually helped. My tummy has been a little loose like it's skin-related while losing weight there, but I'm sure it wouldn't work for just fat, just to get that out there, lol.

Edensienna

I've had two babies too and gone from a start weight of 142lbs to 120lbs and my tummy is still a pouch. I workout four times per week, cardio 30mins followed by resistance training. It hasn't really targeted my tummy. I feel slimmer, energetic and in better shape than I was six months ago so I continue...

don't hold up much hope of losing the pouch really. I didn't get stretch marks or have loose skin after the pregnancies but my lower tummy is more prominent..

lizc0616

Thanks ladies for the replies! I am doing i guess what you could consider strength training also with my normal routine, and I have a trainer once a week just for the extra push, i feel like i am making good progress just the belly is so annoying, i know it will take time, just want it to majically disappear!! I have worked harder toward getting in shape lately than i ever have and im not on a very strict diet just MODERATION!

lizc0616

Okay to make a long story short I had my second child in Aug of 2012. He is now 18 months. Right before i had him i was in the best shape of my life after having my first, but whenever i got pregnant (unplanned by my husband and I but so happy we did) I got so discouraged with my health and fitness I just gave up, i felt like ALL that hard work for NOTHING, I was at 112 and could not be happier. During pregnancy i got up to 168, and it showed EVERYwhere. After having Jacob I ate...and ate....and ate. Now i am paying for it. I got down to 135 after giving birth birth but was eating so unhealthy and not exercising period that i gained back up to 142. Back in November of last year I finally had enough, being heavier than i ever wanted to be and having this disgusting belly that hung over any pair of pants i wear & when i sat down only got worse. Beginning of dec i started a new fitness Journey, i currently go to the gym 5 days a week, do at least 20-30 mins cardio then do different exercises daily. As of today i weigh 128 and have lost 5% body fat, My goal is to weigh 115 by summer, but even thought I would love to see that number that is Not what im concerned about..... its still the annoying flab of my belly. It has got smaller with time, i can actually wear smaller jeans with out overflowing them, but i still feel like it should be a little more tone than it is. Can anyone please give me insight? Trying not to get discouraged!!!!

I'm with you before my second child I got super fit and when I got pregnant with my second I got huge !! she is 2 .5 now and I weigh less then I did before I had her but my body is for sure not the same, lol I'm just focusing on weight training lifting heavy and it is working so don't give up it just takes time . Remember we brought these beautiful children into the world so it kinda worth it!!

You are so right about that!!! Deff worth it!!!! Thanks

mrsgoochy

I'm never home to watch day time television but I did catch this- I never remember to do it but I'll try it out tonight.- Sorry about the length

Dr. Oz explains to viewers that the medical term for having a pregnancy pooch is “Diastasis recti”—a condition where the two halves of the rectus abdominis (your 6-pack muscles) are stretched apart during a pregnancy that often will not bounce back to their original pre-pregnancy condition.

While stretching of the rectus abdominis is a natural and normal function that aids a woman during her pregnancy, it can lead to serious health consequences such as making delivery during additional pregnancies difficult and can cause back pain problems because it weakens the support of the back.

Dr. Oz tells viewers that the biggest mistake women make in trying to get rid of their pregnancy pooch is that they start doing abdominal exercises like sit-ups and crunches that only worsen the pregnancy pooch problem. The reason for this is because the 6-pack muscles become stimulated from the exercise and then bulges out the overlying tummy.

“The problem with a lot of those poses is that…you actually bulge the muscles apart,” says Dr. Oz.

The solution Dr. Oz offers to women is that rather than building up the 6-pack muscles, they should be strengthening their deepest abdominal muscles called the “transverse abdominis” that lie below the 6-pack muscles.

To do this, Dr. Oz shows one exercise called “The Split Ab Towel Move” where you lie down on the floor on your back with a towel folded lengthwise and placed under the shoulder blades just below the arms. You then reach crosswise with both arms under the breasts and above the stomach, and grab the ends of the towel—a crisscross hug type of position. Next, you will then bend your legs at the knees and then use your abdominal muscles to pull your navel in while lifting only your head and neck and look toward your knees.

“You are going to do this 20 times in a row and you are going to repeat it 3 times daily,” says Dr. Oz. “As you do this you will feel your transverse abdominis muscle—the deep muscle under your rib cage―tighten up.”

By strengthening the muscles below your 6-pack, you should eventually see that pregnancy pooch become less pronounced while at the same time enjoy the benefits of having a strong core.

kgeyser

Diastasis recti is a completely separate condition from belly pooch. DR may cause a pooch but you can have a belly pooch without having DR. My post-pregnancy pooch is all fat and skin, my abdominal muscles are fine. If a woman does have DR, she needs to see a doctor to determine the width of the gap and the best way to proceed, not just start doing exercises because Dr. Oz said it might help. Depending on the severity, sometimes a supportive girdle-type garment is needed to help pull the muscles together.

lizc0616

I have also heard that too much core and not enough cardio can also cause the pooch to push out further....... hmmm....

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Diastasis recti is a completely separate condition from belly pooch. DR may cause a pooch but you can have a belly pooch without having DR. My post-pregnancy pooch is all fat and skin, my abdominal muscles are fine. If a woman does have DR, she needs to see a doctor to determine the width of the gap and the best way to proceed, not just start doing exercises because Dr. Oz said it might help. Depending on the severity, sometimes a supportive girdle-type garment is needed to help pull the muscles together.

This. And you should never ever listen to anything Dr. Oz says. Just on principle. He might even be right like 10% of the time but it's just not worth the chance.

Seriously. Heavy lifting. Calorie deficit. You do NOT have to do much in the way of direct ab work.

<- Has had 3 babies.

Amber08

I know how you feel. I'm not too concerned anymore about my goal weight as much as I am about losing my belly and toning the tush and things. We can go this!!! :happy:

mfi9436

Abs are made in the kitchen!! I have a good friend that competes in fitness competitions and I went to her for advice when I started my fitness journey. No matter how much cardio I did, or crunches etc I could not get rid of the annoying layer of fat on my stomach. I completely changed up my diet and I have seen a significant difference. Everyone raves about "eating clean", and it really is the best thing you can do. I cut out all processed foods, and stuck with tons of green veggies, lean protein and small amounts of low fat dairy and complex carbs (oats, brown rice, sweet potato).

lizc0616

I know how you feel. I'm not too concerned anymore about my goal weight as much as I am about losing my belly and toning the tush and things. We can go this!!! :happy:

Yes ma'am we do !!!! The only number im really concerned about now is body fat %, seeing below 120 on a scale would be nice, but not as nice as a flat tummy a firm tooshie :drinker: