Question for other moms and women in general

ashmx250

I have been avidly working out and pretty strictly been watching my calorie intake since January and I've lost a lot of weight that I gained during pregnancy from last year! I am actually at a lower weight now than I was before I got pregnant so thats awesome, but while my arms, legs, shoulders etc all toned up.. my stomach is still fatty.. its definately smaller but it seems like my abs are no where to be found. Ive been doing Jillian Michaels workouts including: 30 Day Shred, 6 week 6 Pack, NMTZ, and BFBM. I feel I am getting a good variety of cardio as well as strength training. Have any of you struggled with a chubby midsection that just wont flatten? And what did you do to finally burn that annoying fat off? (I did have a c-section with my baby if that has anything to do with muscles not healing right?) Thanks!

Angela4Health

In my personal opinion, I don't think any of those JM videos are the best for cardio which is what you need to do if you want to lose the belly fat. Also, it's just as important to eat clean. If you're not eating clean, you're not going to get the tummy you want no matter what exercises you do.

Baker0821

Oh girl do I EVER feel your pain!!! I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first kid (I have 3) and my stomach still looks like dirt. I'm pretty sure pregnancy makes your ab muscles seperate (someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure) I think it depends a lot of genetics too. I have had 3 c-sections so I'm pretty convinced that the only thing that is going to help me at this point is a lot of money and a plastic surgeon. :laugh:

JennBurke

Would love to hear an answer to that too. I had 3 c-sections in total. When I started at 178 pounds and got down to 115 between our 2nd and 3rd child. Excercised thru entire 3rd pregnancy and have returned to 125 as my current weight. I do Turbo Jam/Fire/Chalene Extreme 7 days a week and have never gotten the abs. Even at my lowest weight I still have the mommy tummy pouch. Most answers I've heard say surgery is the only way. Look forward to new ideas.

damcool

I'm wondering the same thing. I've got pretty much everything toned, but my stomach. I can feel the muscle underneath, but that little layer of fat is still on top!

Airbear3

mine has been there 10 years(3 kids), andeven at goal weight never lost it! i too feel the muscle, so how do youkeep losing the fat while maintaing goal wait?

beclou17

Yeah, us moms are pretty much screwed as far as the tummy pooch goes...unless we have great genetics, that is. But it was totally worth it, am I right?

marathonmommy0205

I have had three kids, two of them in the last 18 months! They were normal deliveries but I read and have talked to many people who have had c sections and they have lost all of there weight except tfor their stomach, which has a flappy pouch near there c-section that never goes away. I would have to say that it will some what stay that way due to the scar tissue of the incision. I hope this helps you. Good luck and great job on losing the weight!

Zombielicious

Oh girl do I EVER feel your pain!!! I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first kid (I have 3) and my stomach still looks like dirt. I'm pretty sure pregnancy makes your ab muscles seperate (someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure) I think it depends a lot of genetics too. I have had 3 c-sections so I'm pretty convinced that the only thing that is going to help me at this point is a lot of money and a plastic surgeon. :laugh:

It's funny you mention ab muscles separating...I've thought that forever (okay, not forever...for like three years now)
Is it possible the "flabby" part could actually be loose skin?

natskedat

Oh girl do I EVER feel your pain!!! I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first kid (I have 3) and my stomach still looks like dirt. I'm pretty sure pregnancy makes your ab muscles seperate (someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure) I think it depends a lot of genetics too. I have had 3 c-sections so I'm pretty convinced that the only thing that is going to help me at this point is a lot of money and a plastic surgeon. :laugh:

Spot on, girl. It's called the diastasis. All the crunches in the world are useless if your abs are split! And, the split won't heal itself. Unless you fix it, it sticks.

Here are some great exercises to help mend the gap.

http://mutusystem.com/diastasis-recti-test-what-works-and-what-to-avoid.html

Also, high intensity cardio is great for building a strong cardiovascular system. I love it! However, lower intensity work does something special. It burns fat.

Keeping your heart in the range of 55-70% of your maximum heart rate (220-your age) for 30-45 minutes 2-4 times a week will target fat loss. You can't target fat loss in your belly, so burning fat will burn it all over.

I'd recommend a combination of the above exercises (which can heal the split in a matter of weeks) and increased fat-burning activites to reduce your belly fat. It's not easy and it's terribly frustrating, but it's absolutely possible.

Best of luck ladies!

CassieLEO

Oh girl do I EVER feel your pain!!! I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first kid (I have 3) and my stomach still looks like dirt. I'm pretty sure pregnancy makes your ab muscles seperate (someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure) I think it depends a lot of genetics too. I have had 3 c-sections so I'm pretty convinced that the only thing that is going to help me at this point is a lot of money and a plastic surgeon. :laugh:

Spot on, girl. It's called the diastasis. All the crunches in the world are useless if your abs are split! And, the split won't heal itself. Unless you fix it, it sticks.

Here are some great exercises to help mend the gap.

http://mutusystem.com/diastasis-recti-test-what-works-and-what-to-avoid.html

Also, high intensity cardio is great for building a strong cardiovascular system. I love it! However, lower intensity work does something special. It burns fat.

Keeping your heart in the range of 55-70% of your maximum heart rate (220-your age) for 30-45 minutes 2-4 times a week will target fat loss. You can't target fat loss in your belly, so burning fat will burn it all over.

I'd recommend a combination of the above exercises (which can heal the split in a matter of weeks) and increased fat-burning activites to reduce your belly fat. It's not easy and it's terribly frustrating, but it's absolutely possible.

Best of luck ladies!

So will this work if I had a baby 14 years ago and havent done anything about it until now?

natskedat

Oh girl do I EVER feel your pain!!! I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant with my first kid (I have 3) and my stomach still looks like dirt. I'm pretty sure pregnancy makes your ab muscles seperate (someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure) I think it depends a lot of genetics too. I have had 3 c-sections so I'm pretty convinced that the only thing that is going to help me at this point is a lot of money and a plastic surgeon. :laugh:

Spot on, girl. It's called the diastasis. All the crunches in the world are useless if your abs are split! And, the split won't heal itself. Unless you fix it, it sticks.

Here are some great exercises to help mend the gap.

http://mutusystem.com/diastasis-recti-test-what-works-and-what-to-avoid.html

Also, high intensity cardio is great for building a strong cardiovascular system. I love it! However, lower intensity work does something special. It burns fat.

Keeping your heart in the range of 55-70% of your maximum heart rate (220-your age) for 30-45 minutes 2-4 times a week will target fat loss. You can't target fat loss in your belly, so burning fat will burn it all over.

I'd recommend a combination of the above exercises (which can heal the split in a matter of weeks) and increased fat-burning activites to reduce your belly fat. It's not easy and it's terribly frustrating, but it's absolutely possible.

Best of luck ladies!

So will this work if I had a baby 14 years ago and havent done anything about it until now?

Mending the diastasis is possible long after the baby is born.

Noonoo757

i found out about 5 years after having my son that no matter how hard i dieted or lost weight my ab muscles were done for they had separated so i had to have a surgical procedure to have them sewn back together/tightened so to speak sound awful i know im sure there is a better term for it. But i had it done when i had the extra skin removed with a partial abdominalplasty. By no means am i advocating surgery ladies im just saying what i had to do for me because i had way to much extra skin, stretch marks and my abs were done fore. Now they are tight and the first things to slim down is my tummy.

patssarah

I am not sure if there is a huge difference for women who have had c-sections, but I have had 3 vaginal deliveries and I am finally making some progress with my stomach. And my stomach looked pretty bad after each baby. My youngest will be 2 soon, but I really only started working out and taking care of myself this past February.
I think increased cardio (not just Jillian Michaels, since those are only like 2 min cardio increments) I would do atleast 30minute cardio sessions a day on top of Jillian's workouts, and try to eat as wholesome and clean as you can.
I never thought I would be happy with my stomach, but I am getting there! and I am confident that in a few more months I will be sporting a 6pack/ or maybe just a 4pack
Good luck!!!
And I already told my husband if I tried and tried and tried and still couldnt get the tummy I wanted I totally want surgery!

art4fun69

I have been told that any type of core training will help the abs even after babies. I like pilates and since I have started focusing on making myself over, I have noticed changes in my abdomen-- had 2 c-sections and my youngest child is 22. I prefer the pilates reformer machine to the mat work cause it adds a little strength training to my workout. There is a website called ultimate pilates where you can view workouts by signing up for a free membership.

ashmx250

Thanks ladies for all your input. I was starting to get a little down on myself about it until I realized so many moms have the same problem. I guess I have heard before about c-sections causing your muscles to split. Does anyone know if that effects "fat loss" on the sides as well? Like right above the hip in the "muffin top area"? I have lost a little over 5 inches in that area since I started getting back into shape but I still have some flab right there that I wish I could get rid of! I used to love wearing hip hugging pants and I'm not confident enough to wear them anymore if I have any chance of a muffin top poking out! And as for my workouts... I think Jillian has done me well considering I lost all 26lbs so far by using her dvds. However, I have been adding in additional cardio on the treadmill especially after I do her strength workout (No More Trouble Zones) in hopes that will speed things up a bit! So far I have been consistently loosing at least a pound a week for a while now

sweetNsassy2584

I've seen mixed responses to this questions. Yes, there are moms that have had CS and got there stomach area flat and defined. Yes, there are women that still have that little bottom pooch. I think it all really depends on the severity of the CS and how much your stomach was stretched out. I have learned that you can do a billion crunches everyday but you will never see your abs until you burn off the fat. So LOTS of cardio and some strength. I have seen a huge difference in my belly but I'm still working on the little pooch I have left. I know that it has taken some women a very long time to get rid of it. Eat clean and stick with it.

Airbear3

my sister had c-section and her dr. hooked her up! he cut the extra skin and tightened it for her. she and i are working together to lose the weight her stomach always goes flat. i on the other hand see the line at the top of my belly forming but the botton is the prob!

suzycreamcheese

. If you're not eating clean, you're not going to get the tummy you want no matter what exercises you do.

not strictly true. My diet isnt clean and my tummy is flat

id say the C section probably has a fair bit to do with it, but even without a c section, its often a problem for mothers that simply because the belly has stretched so much, it can be very hard or sometimes impossible to get it completely flat again

JennLifts

I think it depends on the person a lot. Genetics play a big role in it. Some can eat crap and be flat, some can eat great and not be flat. But there's no selective fat loss. Your best bet is strength training and cardio, just like with everything else!

kdiamond

I had 2 kids in less than 2 years gaining nearly 50 pounds with each and losing even more the second time. It took a good 3 years after the last one to really see my stomach back to normal, as normal as it is gonna get. There is still a little bit of loose skin there - minor - but the best thing to do is keep the diet good and do a lot of compound exercises as opposed to strict ab exercises - things like squats, lunges with twist (try the medicine ball), step ups, deadlifts, with heavy weights, that made my stomach look way better. Before when I just got skinny by not eating and doing cardio (was down to 102 pounds at 5'4") my stomach looked way flabbier and looser than now at 110 pounds and less body fat.

It may never be perfect but you can get close! Check out Buff Mother's blog, she is very inspirational and had 4 kids very close together and check out her abs!!

http://www.buffmother.com/