The oh so awesome....

AmberJslimsAWAY
AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,339 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
MOM BELLY!!!!!

I was looking at my stomach in the mirror last night, sucking it in etc. and I noticed. If I lose fat in my belly, I will have a saggy skin stomach because of my WONDERFUL stretch marks.

So, question, people with children (and stretchmarks) Do you have the "mom belly?" I don't want that, and honestly I'd rather be the weight I am, and not have that, then be my goal weight and have it.

What to do, what to do!

Replies

  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,339 Member
    No one has a mom belly?
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    I have a mom belly. I've always had a bit of a pouch, even in HS, well before kids. Both of my kids were 10 pounders, which did not help at all!

    My weight loss has made it smaller, but it's a bit like a deflated balloon.
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,339 Member
    I have a mom belly. I've always had a bit of a pouch, even in HS, well before kids. Both of my kids were 10 pounders, which did not help at all!

    My weight loss has made it smaller, but it's a bit like a deflated balloon.

    That is what I want to avoid, but I'm afraid that if I lose the weight I want to, that's exactly what it will look like :(
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I am a guy, so I don't have a mom belly but I do have some stretch marks. The best way to tighten up, is to lose body fat all over. And adding strength training and improving lean muscle mass will provide you the best results. And since you are young, there is a greater chance of the marks disappearing. I noticed my marks started to go away as I decrease my body fat even though my wife is practically unchanged.
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    What's worse..... The deflated balloons above the mom belly! Why do we have to lose weight THERE?!? I could think of a few other places I'd rather lose it from - leave the boobs alone!
  • ready2beme
    ready2beme Posts: 151 Member
    I have it. A nice little skin flap that hangs down. When I lose weight it shrinks quite a bit. I know it will probably never be perfect (without surgery.) For now my focus is to lose all my excess weight ( and tone as much as possible) If its so bad it bothers me at my goal weight, then I'll look into surgical options to remove it.
  • DeenieWeenie
    DeenieWeenie Posts: 149 Member
    I have a mom belly! It actually shrinks a lot when I get small! I had 2 c-sections, so it will never actually be flat. To be honest though, I haven't been at my goal weight since I was a teenager, so I have no idea if it will flatten or not! LOL
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    MOM BELLY!!!!!

    I was looking at my stomach in the mirror last night, sucking it in etc. and I noticed. If I lose fat in my belly, I will have a saggy skin stomach because of my WONDERFUL stretch marks.

    So, question, people with children (and stretchmarks) Do you have the "mom belly?" I don't want that, and honestly I'd rather be the weight I am, and not have that, then be my goal weight and have it.

    What to do, what to do!

    Don't worry about it. You cannot accurately guess how your skin will respond until you lose the weight. I once had a waist of over 60" and while I have a little lose skin, I can see most of my six pack around 11% body fat. The point is I never thought it would look as good as it does.
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,339 Member
    Thanks everyone. I am young, but I've had these marks for 7.5 years since my first was born. I've tried to make them go away and nothing works, that said, it's not the marks I'm worried about. More or less the extra skin.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    I got it after having 2 babies in 2 years, but I'm learned to accept it and just workout and eat healthy and pray it gets better. :smile:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Thanks everyone. I am young, but I've had these marks for 7.5 years since my first was born. I've tried to make them go away and nothing works, that said, it's not the marks I'm worried about. More or less the extra skin.

    Have you tried getting a body fat % lower than 20%? I have had my stretch marks for 7 or 8 years now but until now, did I start to get close to single digit body fat ( I am guy so single digits is acceptable while women need more). You would be surprised what increasing lean muscle mass and low body fat would do. I have personally seen women, in their 40's, that have had 5 children rocking tight and defined abs. At some point though, you have to stop worrying about weight and care more about changing body composition.
  • Bikini_Bound150
    Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
    Toning will get rid of it quite a bit. It's muscle tone that you need to get that pooch to shrink. However, I don't think stretch marks EVER go away.
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