The Double Belly Syndrome.

firstnamekaren

Also, I am going to buy Jillian Michael's 6 week 6 pack to see if it helps!

Im_NotPerfect

Yep...have the same thing. I always thought when I was PG with my kids that I had the ugliest pregnancy belly because of the double belly thing. I just figured it's my shape, and it's just how I am.

hazev74

thats me too! obkenzie mine is identical!! as i lose the weight it seems more and more jelly like! so annoying!! ...

hazev74

Can I just say how happy I am knowing I am not the only one out there looking like this? I NEVER had this problem until I had my kid....and I did NOT have a c-section.

i hear you. ive had 2 kids and no c-section yet there is mr jelly belly!!

mommy2two07

Yes I suffer from this too. Do the spanx type garments at least help it look better in clothes ?

Sharonks

When I hit puberty I got this too. Even at 90 lbs I still had it a little. One of my daughters was a super skinny little kid and didn't get it til a little after puberty when she really started filling out. My beanpole is now very curvy. She is also very athletic and slender but has that little roll there. Sigh, I guess it is genetic and I'm not sure anything will erase it. I have to say she looks fine in a bikini because she is extremely toned but I don't think she'll ever have that super flat tummy.

We can only do what we can do. Lose the extra weight and tone up, at least it won't look too awful. And I see many large women wearing revealing clothes so I wouldn't worry too much about how the bikini looks with that bit of roll.

jdevrich

I have this too :grumble: I have been pregnant once and had a c-section. I've had the double belly since puberty too but once I had a c-section I have a little overhang right above the incision site :frown: With the next c-section I was thinking of asking the doc if he could accidentally take a little extra skin off :ohwell: Probably won't work though!

sassylilmama

I have had it for as long as I remember too. Now that I am getting smaller it is not as noticeable but still there

ebaymommy

Don't blame c-sections! I've had 2 and my tummy is in my profile pic and I know tons of ladies who have had them who now have nicer and flatter tummies than me (I'm still working on mine!). Belly fat is stubborn and about the last thing to go....but it will go with a clean diet, lower body fat and exercise. Now whether after all that you are left with loose skin probably depends on your age, how overweight you were for how long and genetics.

StrongGwen

I have it too and have for a long time, only now it's my "Meno-Pot" and it was the main motivator to get me moving again. Clean eating and regular workouts are helping--it has shrunk 3 full inches since Jan 3! But it's about the same size as my hip measurement so I poke out in 2 directions. And what I hate the most, and I mean HATE is not the Double Belly, it's the extra split that runs from my belly button to the bottom of it, making two separate hanging pouches on either side of the dividing line. I think it's totally gross.

Now I will share a True Confession that is highly embarrasing but may give you a smile. About 4 years ago I was 40 lbs heavier and very out of shape, and lazy too (kind of goes together). So in the shower, using one of those scrubby shower puffs and shaving my legs. Too lazy to lay the shower puff down and pick it back up, and I had actually developed the habit of tucking it under my belly roll to keep it in place while I shaved one leg, then I could use it again and shave the other leg. This had just become a routine in the shower. Then I started working out and eating better, and one day...one miraculous day...I was doing the same thing, tucked the shower puff in below my jelly belly....and it FELL OUT! It wouldn't stay because there was not enough belly hanging over to keep it in place! I laughed out loud and did the happy dance right there in the shower! (OK, ummm, don't picture that, not a pretty sight to be sure!)

So have a chuckle at my expense, but keep it to yourself. I never told anybody about it before!

creative1981

Now I will share a True Confession that is highly embarrasing but may give you a smile. About 4 years ago I was 40 lbs heavier and very out of shape, and lazy too (kind of goes together). So in the shower, using one of those scrubby shower puffs and shaving my legs. Too lazy to lay the shower puff down and pick it back up, and I had actually developed the habit of tucking it under my belly roll to keep it in place while I shaved one leg, then I could use it again and shave the other leg. This had just become a routine in the shower. Then I started working out and eating better, and one day...one miraculous day...I was doing the same thing, tucked the shower puff in below my jelly belly....and it FELL OUT! It wouldn't stay because there was not enough belly hanging over to keep it in place! I laughed out loud and did the happy dance right there in the shower! (OK, ummm, don't picture that, not a pretty sight to be sure!)

So have a chuckle at my expense, but keep it to yourself. I never told anybody about it before!

I must admit. I did chuckle. I bet you feel great without your shower puff holder though! Well done!

I have the same. No C-sections here either - I did think it was down to having kids though. The bottom also loses weight faster than the top which is really frustrating!

davidandrewwillis

It's good to know that none of us are alone. The only thing I can say is that I do still have it, but nowhere near what I used to. The first chunk of my weight loss was VERY slow, which helped I do believe (and from what I've reasearched) as a lot of that second belly (as someone else said) is excess skin. When you lose slow, your skin has the opportunity to "keep up." Now I've switched my focus to exercise so I've been loosing faster, and I notice it a bit more, but as I keep up with the heavy core exercises I've also noticed it VERY slowly drifting away.

All in all I'd guess this is a person-by-person thing. My recommendation? Make sure you're not loosing un-health-ily fast and keep your core working. And most importantly, believe it can go away and be happy even if it doesn't. The two are an un-stoppable force and can do miraculous things.

choirgirl1130

you may try "mat" pilates to help increase your core strength and conditioning...it may not completely solve the issue, but it will make it better. remember your abs are like a girdle or corset, running up& down, horizontal and diagonal. incorporating them all together pull your torso in and supports your posture. pregnancy blows them out and they need to be retrained, especially if you have had c-sections. traditional ab work (situps & crunches) does not do this. i have two kids and when i started incorporating pilates into my workouts i saw a HUGE difference after a month or 2...it's like physical therapy for you abs :0)

Resalyn

Ditto to all y'all! I had this with pregnancy 16 years ago, from gaining 70 pounds during the pregancy. I lost it pretty quickly after with hard work and regular workouts. Then 10 years ago I hurt my back pretty bad and couldn't work out for a long time - I mean like a decade.... And gained 100 pounds during that time and the double-belly is back. Now that I'm almost 42 and back to working out again, it's not disappearing as fast as I would like, but nothing ever does in your 40s, right? I'm pretty sure that I will require a tummy tuck to get rid of excess skin once I reach my goal weight.....

DoubleE615312

I have had mine since puberty as well and it has gotten smaller with weight loss. I wear something similar to spanx every day and it does help with the appearance. I will warn you though in the summer if you are wearing spanx or something similar it will get hot. I also wear a tank (by Danskin) under my t-shirts when I work out and that seems to help as well. I know I will never get rid of it and I am ok with that. There are so many products out there that can help with the appearance of it, that I don't worry about it.

After I had my last c-section I did have quite a few rashes underneath, but since losing haven't really had a problem with it since.

Just wanted to add, wearing spanx seems to help with back support. I have been wearing them for about 2 years now and it's become a part of me and if I go without it, it's like going without a bra....

MILFaspirations

ahhhhh the infamous double belly.

and i don't appreciate ebaymom thinking she knows whats going on with every single person's body.

i think SOME of us have had it since puberty, even when we were not overweight, and i think it definitely could be in our genes!

JLA1121

Unfortunately, I've got it too. I have 2 kids, no c-sections thank g-d, but since I carried all in the front, I seem to have totally lost the elasticity in my stomach. I don't have very much weight to lose, but I'm hoping to lose it in the belly and chest. I never seem to lose it where I want to though.

jch623421

lol right @MILFaspirations