Flat stomach - possible?

ElizabethRoad

I know I can't spot-reduce, and that's fine. I'm just wondering if I will ever have a flat stomach.

When I was a kid, I was shockingly thin. In high school I was 5'7" and under 100 pounds. But my lower stomach was always round and stuck out really far. It was pretty noticeable on such a skinny kid.

So do you think there is any way I could ever have a flat stomach? I'm not talking super flat, but just reasonable. Not sticking out and round. Will exercise help this?

Pepper2185

My guess is that it is definitely possible. A healthy diet and exercise will reduce belly fat.

You might also want to look into the types of foods you are eating. You may have a sensitivity to dairy or wheat, or another food which can result in a bloated tummy.

Keep up the exercising!

mag1c

Lower your body fat %. Its the only way.

ElizabethRoad

Even though I was such a skinny kid that people thought I was sick, and still had a big belly? You don't think that makes any difference?

Beezil

If I can do it, you can do it. Cardio + crunches + low fat diet = flat belly. Plenty of water too - always. I do a 10 minute crunch class 3x a week.

jamielise2

I think it totally depends on each person's body type, shape, etc. However, it is possible to strengthen and tighten specific muscles. For some people it just takes more effort in certain areas.

Beezil

Even though I was such a skinny kid that people thought I was sick, and still had a big belly? You don't think that makes any difference?

You might need to put on a little muscle weight in order to achieve the "flat" appearance in your abdomen. If you are very skinny, the puffing out of your stomach may simply be your lower intestines and other organs sticking out... I know that sounds gross, but it's possible if you're very skinny. It could also just be normal bloating from food digestion. Try adding more protein and healthy fats to your diet, as well as muscle strengthening exercises.

catshark209

I have a relatively flat belly and I used to have a GROSS beer belly on a small frame. I mean seriously puke nasty belly. I was at 34" and now I'm at 25.5".
Eat clean, lots of water and I swear by HIIT.

AZackery

I know I can't spot-reduce, and that's fine. I'm just wondering if I will ever have a flat stomach.

When I was a kid, I was shockingly thin. In high school I was 5'7" and under 100 pounds. But my lower stomach was always round and stuck out really far. It was pretty noticeable on such a skinny kid.

So do you think there is any way I could ever have a flat stomach? I'm not talking super flat, but just reasonable. Not sticking out and round. Will exercise help this?

No, you can't spot reduce, but you can spot tone. Abs starts in the kitchen. If I can suggest a workout to help you with your abs, I would suggest Tae Bo Insane Abs. You can view the workout on Youtube. Check Walmart, Target, Barnes and Nobles for the workout. KMart might have it. Amazon has this workout and many more by Billy Blanks. Tae Bo is my number one workout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUEYmBB8OBE&feature=related

ElizabethRoad

Yay thank you. I was looking through some old photos and thinking "wow if I didn't have it back then I will never have it!"

sleepytexan

flat - meh. I think a little curve is lovely. I'm a belly dancer and most of us have curvy tummies. I think it's feminine and attractive!

swimmchick87

I think on some people, thats just they're body type. Sorry, I know it's not what you want to hear, but I'm the same way- an "apple." Yes, when I was thin my stomach was much smaller, but it will be bigger than my hips no matter what size I am (I was a size 0 at one point and my stomach was bigger than my hips). My mom has a HUGE problem with this- she has PCOS though ( I do as well, but a much milder case). At one point, she'd lost a ton of weight but her stomach had barely shrank at all. She is 5'2 and was about 160 pounds at the time, but she looked to be over 250 at least by her stomach. I'm 152 right now and I look MUCH smaller than she ever did. She ended up having knee problems because there wasn't enough fat tisssue in her legs- irony of all irony. I feel so bad for her. Here she has this huge belly and is having health problems because there isn't enough fat in her legs. Her doctor told her the only think she could do would be surgery, and since there is so much fat built around her abdomen, most people won't consider doing the surgery on her (something like liposuction would be for people with a smaller amount of fat).

ElizabethRoad

flat - meh. I think a little curve is lovely. I'm a belly dancer and most of us have curvy tummies. I think it's feminine and attractive!

Oh I agree... I just want to get rid of the "pregnant and carrying low" look.