swollen belly......

Raw07

I don’t know if this is the right spot to post this and I’m sorry if its not. I’m new at working out and eating right. My biggest thing that is bothering me is my stomach. I know you can not pin point weight loss, I just want to know how to help my stomach look normal?

I look like I’m any where from 6 - 9 months pregnant at any given time. I just want to know if there would be a certain exercise that would help that, foods to avoid or to eat? Any advice would be so grateful.

Thank you all!

megpiemac12

I'm no doctor or anything, but if the belly area is the main place you need to loose, maybe try exercising focusing on that? Do sit ups, and crunches, or exercises that use all the muscles like kettlebell workouts. Good Luck!

getfitdiva

I would like to hear some suggestions too - well I'm working on banishing my baby belly. I always read it's really your food for the belly and trying to get food lower in sodium (which I monitor closely) to lose that big bloat in the belly. I also avoid a whole lot of dairy. As far as exercises I have found that running and core exercises like (plank moves and kettle bell) have caused me to lose waist/pooch inches. Hope it helps a little.

shanolap

My trainer suggested I eliminate gluten from my diet. I have to say I have seen a good improvement since doing it.

trud72

lol i wish.....
measure yourself monthly i bet you are loosing there,i wish i could also target my tummy but it is going slowly...
not to worry it all has to come off right

LexyDawn

Hi there,

If you belly is actually swollen or bloated, maybe you have a food allergy... dairy, for one, can cause bloating.
If you just carry your weight in your tummy, stick with lots of cardio to lose the weight. Core Strengthening exercises can make your tummy look flatter as well by tightening the stomach muscles.

shulaw

totaly understand mine is the same sometimes it goes downa bit but then when i eat something it balloons up again , have noticed though since doing more cardio and some crunches its begining to tone up a bit

mhoe

Working your core is what works best. This has been a problem area for me forever. I have found these things to work: pilates, especially the plank, side plank, reverse sit ups (most situps will not help this area even though many people think they will) and then begin to do weight training. The more muscle you have the more fat you lost (muscle eats fat) and then reduce your fat intake -- cut out the cheese unless it's low fat, eat reduced and no fat things like yogurt, cottage cheese - eat 60 grams of protein each day. I hope you find this works.

trainguy917

I'm no doctor or anything, but if the belly area is the main place you need to loose, maybe try exercising focusing on that? Do sit ups, and crunches, or exercises that use all the muscles like kettlebell workouts. Good Luck!

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Doing crunches and sit-ups is good for you in that it builds your core muscles, but in terms of fat loss, that won't make any more difference than any other exercise. The good news is that, if your fat deposits are concentrated in your belly (just like mine too), that's where you'll lose most of your weight. But spot reducing through exercise simply doesn't exist.

susanaz

Hmmmmm, well first all, I would stay away from salt or switch to a low sodium salt and probably not eat processed food that is usually loaded with salt. The salt could be causing bloating in the belly and also if you drink alcohol. I may try this plus start a low carb diet (cut down on bread, potatoes and pasta, corn, peas) for a week and see if you feel a difference, also I am not sure of your age, but I feel like i am pre-menopause and that also contributes to weight gain/bloated belly.....have your hormones checked at you GYN office, and drink lots of water and cut out ALL soft drinks.....hope some of this helps

Sixsi

My trainer told me that it's wrong to focus only on that part of your body which you want to improve.
To get results you need to work with a few muscles around that point.
Usually Abs can be a though work. Personally I found good results doing jogging at least twice a week for 25 minutes.

Bootzey

This is going to be unpopular but..... Girdles work. they hold in your stomach and train the muscles. Also, wearing a good waist cincer will keep you from over-eating. It's a win/win to me.

callipygianchronicle

As others have said, make sure that what you are dealing with is belly fat, and not excess bloating due to poor diet or another problem. Belly fat is a common complaint for women. Nature really wants us to have extra warmth and protection for those reproductive organs, so it is a stubborn area for weight-loss. Yoga and pilates are making big changes for me, but here is the gist of what you need to know about that area:

1. Be patient, progress will be gradual.

2. Posture is critical. If you slouch, your abs distend (stick out) and look worse. Practicing good posture will improve the look of your belly almost instantly.

3. Crunches are okay, but you need exercise that challenges and strengthens your obliques and the deeper muscles. My choice for this is yoga and pilates, but a user yesterday recommended this workout DVD that looks really good: http://www.momsintofitness.com/dvds/lindsay-brin-cfs-method .

4. Strengthen your back. The stronger your back muscles are, the better your posture will be and the more stable your core will be. Plus your back muscles and abdominal muscles act like a girdle to pull everything in and up. If these muscles are weak, all of the tissue on top (fat, skin, etc) will look slouchy and mis-shapen.

5. No matter how strong your muscles are, you won’t be able to see them if they are covered by fat. So while you have to do resistance/strength training to improve the overall structure of your abdominals, you have to do cardio exercise in combination with a good diet to lower your body fat percentage overall. You cannot burn fat from your belly specifically, but as you lose body fat all over, you will be losing fat from your belly as well.

gameovergt

cardio & diet. spot reduction does not work. good luck. don't get frustrated.