Seeking flat stomach success stories (and pics)!!!

DeniseGdz

back when i had a super flat stomach that felt hard when you touched it.

Eating Habits:
*Limited Alcohol,
*Ate several small portions through out the day, including greek yogurt, salads loaded with veggies and grilled chicken, stayed away from carbs for the most part.

Exercise:
Tu/Th - Spinning for 1 hour and Insanity workouts
Wed/Sat - Boot Camp Style work outs and Ran 6 miles
Monday/Friday - Personal Training mixed with Lifting and Cardio Intervals

As you can see I used to work out A LOT. So I think its about eating clean and working really hard! I wouldn't go so extreme now just because it's so hard to maintain that lifestyle. I didn't have that much time for anything else.

Back when I was a size 6 and had my 6 pk abs this is exactly what I was doing. I was at the gym 6 days a week for about 3-4 hours a day...Sometiems I would spend ALL day Saturday there too..VERY difficult lifestyle to maintain... Miss the body but don't miss the workout/eating routine!

ernurse77

A previous poster hit the nail on the head. You have to do a combination of cardio and weight training. Yes, you still need to do ab work, but in reality, you should only be doing them 3 days a week. When you work them, work them hard. By adding weight training, your body will build lean muscle, and what does lean muscle do? It burns fat. So, even if you are squating with 30lbs, your are not only toning your legs, but helping to burn fat all over you body.

I had a flat stomach up until my 9lb 8oz baby girl and my 11lb 1 oz baby boy. Yes, I had HUGE babies. My lower stomach looks like a map of a large city from all of the stretch marks, but, minus the excess skin from the giant boy and 2 c-sections, my stomach is flat. My hip bones poke out. Now, with that being said....MY THIGHS look like a ski hill filled with moguls...grrrr :mad:

Your body will loose fat in reverse of how your body put it on. So if you put the fat on your belly first and last on your thighs, it is going to loose the thigh fat first, then the belly fat.

Bottom line, keep up the good work and you will get the results you deserve!

shreddingit

I think I kinda got good results with what I did...always a fatty now a flatty!!!
first get rid of too much sugar and sodium in diet, then run your butt off hard!! and then shred with jillian michaels!!
my before and afters are in my pro if you care to see!!...

aimelee

I think I kinda got good results with what I did...always a fatty now a flatty!!!
first get rid of too much sugar and sodium in diet, then run your butt off hard!! and then shred with jillian michaels!!
my before and afters are in my pro if you care to see!!...

holy smokes, way to go!!!!

Happyoceangirl

back when i had a super flat stomach that felt hard when you touched it.

Eating Habits:
*Limited Alcohol,
*Ate several small portions through out the day, including greek yogurt, salads loaded with veggies and grilled chicken, stayed away from carbs for the most part.

Exercise:
Tu/Th - Spinning for 1 hour and Insanity workouts
Wed/Sat - Boot Camp Style work outs and Ran 6 miles
Monday/Friday - Personal Training mixed with Lifting and Cardio Intervals

As you can see I used to work out A LOT. So I think its about eating clean and working really hard! I wouldn't go so extreme now just because it's so hard to maintain that lifestyle. I didn't have that much time for anything else.

Thanks for this... I'm starting to accept that it will take major determination. How's your stomach now? Since you're not going so hard core??

Also, I was just wondering about greek yogurt because I discovered some that is SOOOOOOOOOOOO good, and yet it has sugar, and someone else on here mentioned cutting out dairy. I am a sugar-a-holic and that's the biggest challenge for me. I also like me some fast food (gotta be real here), but I think I could cut that out if I get fixated on a goal.

Happyoceangirl

I'm interested too. I have that same column of fat problem. I thought once I was in the 120s it would go away. Obviously not.

Sorry you suffer from it, but on the other hand, I'm relieved to know it's not just me! I'm like "WTF"?"" Hard to know how to describe it exactly.

Alright you MFP'ers with toned tummies - we need help! Pronto!

Lol, I have never heard it called a column of fat but it makes perfect sense!! I love it :P

I, too, suffer from this COF disorder... Glad I'm not the only one!! Hopefully someone hear can hook us up with the answers..

"COF Disorder" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: It's never been amusing to me before now. Thanks for the laugh.

Happyoceangirl

I'm interested too. I have that same column of fat problem. I thought once I was in the 120s it would go away. Obviously not.

Sorry you suffer from it, but on the other hand, I'm relieved to know it's not just me! I'm like "WTF"?"" Hard to know how to describe it exactly.

Alright you MFP'ers with toned tummies - we need help! Pronto!

Lol, I have never heard it called a column of fat but it makes perfect sense!! I love it :P

I, too, suffer from this COF disorder... Glad I'm not the only one!! Hopefully someone hear can hook us up with the answers..

Just wishful thinking but, maybe we should do a plank in front of a mirror. Maybe it just looks worse cause we are looking down at it...

Going to do this now - will report back. I am not optimistic. Maybe we should start a thread "Correcting COF Disorder"

TyrellRichard

Personally i think that the obvious solution for your rippeling stomach flabs are more chocolate cake!!! Trust me im a doctor..

Happyoceangirl

I can tell you from past & present experience that DIET is a huge factor! :flowerforyou:

When I exercise like crazy and eat only very healthy small portions, BELLY FAT can still be an issue. :sad: :brokenheart:

At least for me & my body type, the foods to AVOID are:

** DAIRY (NO milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice cream), eggs OK
** WHEAT/GRAINS (NO pasta, bread, muffins etc.) except small amounts of brown rice, quinoa, amaranth)
** SUGAR (NO candy, soda, pastries, cakes etc.) small amounts of good chocolate OK
** PROCESSED FOODS (anything in a package, can or bag... except veggies!)
** FRIED/FAST FOODS (fries, burgers, hot dogs etc.)
** ALCOHOL (wine, beer, mixed drinks)

So what's left??? :laugh:

Meats, veggies, fruit, nuts & seeds, healthy oils. Works for me boys & girls!
SUGAR & ALCOHOL are probably the biggest belly fat makers.

Best of luck all!!! :flowerforyou: :drinker:

Thank you for this honest but un-inviting report. Question for you: say you have a cheat meal or decide on ice cream for dessert after you have achieved this toned tummy through blood, sweat and tears. What happens then? Does a COF instantly appear? Do you get bloated for a day or two but then get your hot bod back? I guess I'm curious how much you can let the diet slide once you "get there".

Zelsawaf

Just my two cents, but I've been doing a lot of research into this cause I'm in the same boat. Apparently, it's not so much a question of your weight, but your body fat percentage. So you may be perfectly within your normal weight (which for a lot of us around here is great!), but you aren't at the appropriate weight to get that rock hard stomach.

My understanding is that to get great stomach/abs, you need to be at at least 15% body fat, possibly closer to 10%. Now that's coming from a guy, but I'm sure there are similar translations to women as well.

forever28

You should talk to my friend - she looks & IS quite amazing!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/mrscates

CharlieJuliette

I can tell you from past & present experience that DIET is a huge factor! :flowerforyou:

When I exercise like crazy and eat only very healthy small portions, BELLY FAT can still be an issue. :sad: :brokenheart:

At least for me & my body type, the foods to AVOID are:

** DAIRY (NO milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice cream), eggs OK
** WHEAT/GRAINS (NO pasta, bread, muffins etc.) except small amounts of brown rice, quinoa, amaranth)
** SUGAR (NO candy, soda, pastries, cakes etc.) small amounts of good chocolate OK
** PROCESSED FOODS (anything in a package, can or bag... except veggies!)
** FRIED/FAST FOODS (fries, burgers, hot dogs etc.)
** ALCOHOL (wine, beer, mixed drinks)

So what's left??? :laugh:

Meats, veggies, fruit, nuts & seeds, healthy oils. Works for me boys & girls!
SUGAR & ALCOHOL are probably the biggest belly fat makers.

Best of luck all!!! :flowerforyou: :drinker:

I too am a COF sufferer!

Thanks for posting this info. An extremely toned MFP friend of mine summarises it as cutting out the CRAP:

Caffeine
Refined sugars
Alcohol
Processed foods

Apparently its the ONLY way to a flat tummy. I haven't been brave enough to go for it yet!

bekahjk

Loving this thread. I am a cof sufferer! Ha ha. My biggest problem is caffeine and sugar. Well there you go. I guess that will do it. I guess I need to determine how bad I really want it. Thanks for the post guys.

Kaye8395BTS

I am chiming in to "bump" I love this thread and also suffer from COF and skin :grumble:

ka_42

Bumping for later! Thanks for posting.... I have the same issue! I'm finally down to a "normal" weight but still struggling with my midsection. I'm sick of chalking it up to the fact that I'm an "apple" shape!

erisfreenici

Yep, you have to cut your body fat percentage down enough that your muscle tone will show through. It's very difficult to do especially for women, good luck Show us pics when you get there!

bltmgray

bump

chuisle

First, I am SO not there with the flat stomach. But I am working on it

For me, this hits the nail on the head so to speak: http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/The_Final_Nail_in_the_Cardio_Coffin.cfm

Hint: NOT cardio

Second, 10-15% BF is way too low for women. 14-17% is essential fat. and 17-20% is athletic. I am hoping that once I can get sub 20 that I will like my tummy.

Third, I refuse to believe that in order to have a nice stomach I can't eat sugar, carbs or drink alcohol. Plenty of people achieve it while being moderate with things they love (what's the point in being skinny if I can't drink?). MAYBE I'm not one of those people. In that case, I will settle for a closer to perfect stomach and enjoy my life in moderation.

ANewton401

This is a wonderful thread, I am suffering from this as well!! Im currently doing no more trouble zones and I feel my core getting tighter but I believe I need to incorporate more cardio...

chuisle

This is a wonderful thread, I am suffering from this as well!! Im currently doing no more trouble zones and I feel my core getting tighter but I believe I need to incorporate more cardio...

As long as its intervals