Not everyone can get a flat stomach - True or False?

135

Replies

  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    Love my Tummy Tuck results!! Jus sayin'...

    BUT.

    The trick is KEEPING IT THAT WAY. That's much harder than the surgery. Believe me. Lots of hard work. Proper diet.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    So is it true that not everyone can achieve a flat stomach unless they restrict their diet extremely, by extreme I mean only steamed veggies, low GI fruits, steamed chicken etc?

    No. Not true in that sense. Calorie deficit and training over time will reduce fat and develop one's physique. Some people may have a hard or impossible time achieving visible abs. But that is due to genetics; not due to extremely stupid dieting.
  • BazAbroad
    BazAbroad Posts: 248
    Lifetime of training, boy and man, not yet, but I am trying still... ask me another 10 years, :wink:
  • Lab2809
    Lab2809 Posts: 58
    false.
    i have an iron.
    be right over.

    ^^ Yes!
    Bring it over here lol.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Regardless If you answer true or false guys please dont let genetics be your excuse!!
    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.
  • Microfiber_wechange
    Microfiber_wechange Posts: 640

    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.

    So I've just wasted my money buying a weighted medicine ball for my tummy workouts. Pah!!! My mother's got a big belly lol
  • Axels91
    Axels91 Posts: 213
    what if you have belly fat and still have a flat stomach?

    let me rephrase...what if you have a "soft" belly but its still flat?

    are people who are genetically "supposed" to have flat stomachs always going to have them, even when they don't work on it?
  • Ripken818836701
    Ripken818836701 Posts: 607 Member
    Regardless If you answer true or false guys please dont let genetics be your excuse!!
    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.
    No its not! I had a pouch in grade school even though I was skinny as a rail. And because of that I didnt believe I could have a flat stomach but decided to give it a try anyway. And If I let genetics be an excuse I wouldnt have gotten one.
    In my experience people always believe that they have worse genetics than they actually do, but never put in the work or the time to find out what their true genetic potential really is.
  • strawberrie_milk
    strawberrie_milk Posts: 381 Member
    I think it may be true for some people, such as those with apple-shaped bodies. They tend to carry their fat in their stomach, so it'd be harder for them to achieve a flat stomach compared to, say, an hourglass body. I'm not an expert on things like this though so don't take my word for it :p
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Regardless If you answer true or false guys please dont let genetics be your excuse!!
    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.
    No its not! I had a pouch in grade school even though I was skinny as a rail. And because of that I didnt believe I could have a flat stomach but decided to give it a try anyway. And If I let genetics be an excuse I wouldnt have gotten one.
    In my experience people always believe that they have worse genetics than they actually do, but never put in the work or the time to find out what their true genetic potential really is.
    Just because you aren't part of that 10%, doesn't mean they don't exist. n=1 does not equal reality, it only equals your personal experience.
  • Ripken818836701
    Ripken818836701 Posts: 607 Member
    Regardless If you answer true or false guys please dont let genetics be your excuse!!
    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.
    No its not! I had a pouch in grade school even though I was skinny as a rail. And because of that I didnt believe I could have a flat stomach but decided to give it a try anyway. And If I let genetics be an excuse I wouldnt have gotten one.
    In my experience people always believe that they have worse genetics than they actually do, but never put in the work or the time to find out what their true genetic potential really is.
    Just because you aren't part of that 10%, doesn't mean they don't exist. n=1 does not equal reality, it only equals your personal experience.
    Yes but alot more than 10% of the people that commented on this thread answered true ( thats why I said dont let genetics be an excuse). If 9 out of 10 people can acheive a flat stomach its defiantely worth the effort, after all no one knows what their genetic potential is until they actually try to acheive it.
  • hanna6774
    hanna6774 Posts: 225
    Ahh thank you everyone for the replies. I think I'll just live with it and try to keep eating clean (a little fun once or twice a month) and strength train. Maybe one day I'll get my dream stomach.

    When I weighed 110 pounds @ 5'6, I still had a belly. It was soooo discouraging. I was literally depressed about it. I guess I have to take things slowly and hope for the best.

    Thanks again guys.

    hpsnickers1 what do you generally eat on everyday basis?

    Okay, did everyone miss this? You are 5'6" and when you weighed "only" 110 lbs you were discouraged. How much do you weigh now? Maybe I misunderstood - are you trying to lose weight or gain weight? Not trying to be rude but at 5'7" for myself an average weight range at your age would be about 135 pounds. Your height, your age, small frame would be about 118 lbs, or 130 on a med frame.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    My response:

    You'll NEVER know unless you commit. Most people don't really commit to trying to get it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Let's try not to demotivate people by telling them what they cannot achieve without even having seen them before. If we were talking about attempting to fly by jumping off the empire state building, that would be one thing.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Regardless If you answer true or false guys please dont let genetics be your excuse!!
    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.
    No its not! I had a pouch in grade school even though I was skinny as a rail. And because of that I didnt believe I could have a flat stomach but decided to give it a try anyway. And If I let genetics be an excuse I wouldnt have gotten one.
    In my experience people always believe that they have worse genetics than they actually do, but never put in the work or the time to find out what their true genetic potential really is.
    Just because you aren't part of that 10%, doesn't mean they don't exist. n=1 does not equal reality, it only equals your personal experience.
    Yes but alot more than 10% of the people that commented on this thread answered true ( thats why I said dont let genetics be an excuse). If 9 out of 10 people can acheive a flat stomach its defiantely worth the effort, after all no one knows what their genetic potential is until they actually try to acheive it.
    I have a flat stomach. That doesn't change the fact that the answer is actually true.
  • cassie2467
    cassie2467 Posts: 8 Member
    With everyone's comments, i think we just proved that everyone is different. But let me tell you my pet peeve, and my hubby falls into this category: Don't exercise, eats whatever, and has a six pack. A lot of African american men fall into this category.

    ....that goes away after they grow up...you guys must be under 40
  • fit_fitter_fittest
    fit_fitter_fittest Posts: 23
    Ahh thank you everyone for the replies. I think I'll just live with it and try to keep eating clean (a little fun once or twice a month) and strength train. Maybe one day I'll get my dream stomach.

    When I weighed 110 pounds @ 5'6, I still had a belly. It was soooo discouraging. I was literally depressed about it. I guess I have to take things slowly and hope for the best.

    Thanks again guys.

    hpsnickers1 what do you generally eat on everyday basis?

    Okay, did everyone miss this? You are 5'6" and when you weighed "only" 110 lbs you were discouraged. How much do you weigh now? Maybe I misunderstood - are you trying to lose weight or gain weight? Not trying to be rude but at 5'7" for myself an average weight range at your age would be about 135 pounds. Your height, your age, small frame would be about 118 lbs, or 130 on a med frame.

    I know I had a ridiculously low weight. That was 2 years back. I weigh 125 lbs now and believe me, I feel so much better. I don't mind gaining weight as long as I lose the inches. But all the inches I have to lose is around my midsection. It won't BUDGE!
  • hanna6774
    hanna6774 Posts: 225
    Ahh thank you everyone for the replies. I think I'll just live with it and try to keep eating clean (a little fun once or twice a month) and strength train. Maybe one day I'll get my dream stomach.

    When I weighed 110 pounds @ 5'6, I still had a belly. It was soooo discouraging. I was literally depressed about it. I guess I have to take things slowly and hope for the best.

    Thanks again guys.

    hpsnickers1 what do you generally eat on everyday basis?

    Okay, did everyone miss this? You are 5'6" and when you weighed "only" 110 lbs you were discouraged. How much do you weigh now? Maybe I misunderstood - are you trying to lose weight or gain weight? Not trying to be rude but at 5'7" for myself an average weight range at your age would be about 135 pounds. Your height, your age, small frame would be about 118 lbs, or 130 on a med frame.

    I know I had a ridiculously low weight. That was 2 years back. I weigh 125 lbs now and believe me, I feel so much better. I don't mind gaining weight as long as I lose the inches. But all the inches I have to lose is around my midsection. It won't BUDGE!

    WHEW! Thank Goodness! Sorry, just the mama bear in me rearing it's head! Good for you - don't worry, and don't be too critical of your pooch - we are generally our worst critics - probably not as bad as you think - I couldn't pull up your pic. :flowerforyou:
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
    So is it true that not everyone can achieve a flat stomach unless they restrict their diet extremely, by extreme I mean only steamed veggies, low GI fruits, steamed chicken etc? I've been trying to achieve a flat stomach for over an year but to no avail. I still have a belly. Could it be something else? I eat relatively clean and have junk food once every 2-3 weeks. Currently doing P90x in hopes of getting a flat tummy - not four or six pack, just a nice flat stomach.

    Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I've heard that stress is a huge factor in maintaining the belly fat. Just something to think about if you have a lot of stress in your life.
  • healthbunny
    healthbunny Posts: 86
    Hope this helps. Courtney Prather (fitness model) posted this on her facebook page last night:

    Most common question I get: 'What do you do for your abs?' Honestly I think the most underrated core muscle is the TVA (transverse abdominis). It acts as the corset by pulling in what would otherwise be a protruding abdomen. Sure, crunches are great for the 6-pack, but if you want a flat, strong core, don't forget about the TVA. Best move- the vacuum exercise: pulling the navel into the spine and hold. This can be done alone (while sitting at a desk) or during exercise to help stabilize the spine in more complex movements (like the squat).

    Found this picture, might help explain >>> http://www.floota.com/images/TVA-floota.com.jpg
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    You can get a flat belly (no exercise involved). I got my belly flat not by exercise but by ditching grains/flour/legume/sugars/processed food. Exercise just helped my shape a bit. And moderate exercise is just good for the body. The human body is designed for movement. But body composition is mostly about your diet. Genetics and exercise cover the rest.

    If you are skinny but have a "pot belly" - that is called "skinny fat". That's what happens when you lose weight my losing lean muscle mass. And huge amounts of cardio will do more for eating into muslce mass than fat mass. Especially when you aren't that overweight to start with.

    The belly is from grains/flours/sugars/high PUFA vegetable-seed oils and processed edible food-like substances. (i.e. about 90% of the grocery store).


    "If it takes multiple layers of brightly-colored packaging and a $multi-million, multi-media ad campaign to sell it, it’s not food. No one has to put meat or eggs in a brightly colored box with a cartoon character on it.

    "Eat what you can pick, dig or spear. Mostly spear. LIve in Freedom, live in beauty."
    ---http://www.gnolls.org/2074/why-snack-food-is-addictive-the-grand-unified-theory-of-snack-appeal/

    EDIT: I eat lots of fat. Mainly saturated fats. I get my fat through pastured butter, coconut oil, olive/avocado oil, eggs (have four today!!) meat - mostly red meat but I buy lean and add fat (all the bad crap they are fed ends up in their fat). I love Hormel's All Natural Uncured bacon!! Hoping to one day get my hands on some pastured meats. All veggies are cooked in butter and/or bacon fat. My occasional berries have either coconut cream (unshaken can of coconut milk) or full fat greek yogurt on them. Fat is the main part of what I eat each day. This is what got my stomach flat.

    Oh good, glad we cleared this up, because I've been wondering why Olympic athletes, runners, swimmers, and fitness competitors who eat a lot of carbs and do cardio are such disgusting fat@$$es with big pot bellies....mystery solved!

    Could it be that there is MORE THAN ONE WAY to get fit, lean and reach your goals?...Nah, that's too reasonable. Well, glad you found THE answer. Cheers.:drinker:

    I second the BS factor. Some women will never have a "flat" stomach. That would be me. Even when I was young and in total good shape I always had a little "tummy roll" right below my belly button. It has come close to going away, but I was never going for 5% body fat; it's not my style or goal. Now I would be happy with a reasonably normal tummy.

    I think it takes more than controlling one's diet to obtain a flat tummy for some people. Like, weights, protein supps, etc.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    My $.02. Every person on the planet CAN get a flat stomach and/or a 6 pack. Some people will see it early and some people won't see it until they hit 5% body fat, but that doesn't mean they CAN'T do it. Saying that it's genetically impossible is flat out wrong.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    My response:

    You'll NEVER know unless you commit. Most people don't really commit to trying to get it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I agree with this.

    I wanted a flat stomach. and now I have a relativity flat stomach depending on the day. I eat what I want, when I want(including junk food type items) and I still have a flat stomach.

    As long as you put the work in, I def. think it's possible.
  • millyjasminee
    millyjasminee Posts: 10 Member
    I bloody well hope it's false!
  • ncthomas09
    ncthomas09 Posts: 322 Member
    every trainer, phys ed teacher and nutrionist I have spoken with all say that the tummy is the hardest place to lose weight and make it noticeable. But here's the thing....diet alone or exercise alone is not going to make it happen. You have to do both! It will be much more difficult for some than others so don't get discouraged. Also some exercise will work better for some than others also.

    When I was taking yoga in college we would do anywhere between 60-140 crunches per class and we met twice a week so I had a killer stomach then. But we wouldn't do all the same kind of crunches either. We would do about 20 of one kind, 15 of another, and so on. But we would also rotate the kinds we did from class to class. Just like today you may ride a bike and tomorrow you may walk. It would help give certain muscles a break. By doing several different kinds that also tackles several different muscle areas.

    Try several types of exercise to find which works best for you. Believe it or not yoga can help alot with toning and stretching musles...especially if you add to yoga like we did with our crunches!

    So just keep in mind a balanced diet, exercise and patience. You may not always have the outcome of a bikini model but something is better than nothing!!!
  • Nigerianebony
    Nigerianebony Posts: 182 Member

    ....that goes away after they grow up...you guys must be under 40

    Ok, that is good to know because my husband irks me with this....lol
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Regardless If you answer true or false guys please dont let genetics be your excuse!!
    Genetics isn't an excuse, it's reality. People who are genetically disposed to carry their essential fat on their stomach will never have a truly flat stomach, or visible abs. That's roughly 10% of the population. Seeing as essential fat is essential for a reason, those people are genetically unable to get there, without causing severe health issues.
    No its not! I had a pouch in grade school even though I was skinny as a rail. And because of that I didnt believe I could have a flat stomach but decided to give it a try anyway. And If I let genetics be an excuse I wouldnt have gotten one.
    In my experience people always believe that they have worse genetics than they actually do, but never put in the work or the time to find out what their true genetic potential really is.
    Just because you aren't part of that 10%, doesn't mean they don't exist. n=1 does not equal reality, it only equals your personal experience.
    Yes but alot more than 10% of the people that commented on this thread answered true ( thats why I said dont let genetics be an excuse). If 9 out of 10 people can acheive a flat stomach its defiantely worth the effort, after all no one knows what their genetic potential is until they actually try to acheive it.
    I have a flat stomach. That doesn't change the fact that the answer is actually true.

    Do you have any scientific information to back this claim. Because if you have low body fat, a diet to support and muscle to show, then it shouldn't be an issue to have a defined stomach. The biggest issue I have seen is too many people do LCD and kill their muscle mass so when they want abs, they don't have enough muscle to protrude out of their skin. IMO, muscle is the key.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    You can get a flat belly (no exercise involved). I got my belly flat not by exercise but by ditching grains/flour/legume/sugars/processed food. Exercise just helped my shape a bit. And moderate exercise is just good for the body. The human body is designed for movement. But body composition is mostly about your diet. Genetics and exercise cover the rest.

    If you are skinny but have a "pot belly" - that is called "skinny fat". That's what happens when you lose weight my losing lean muscle mass. And huge amounts of cardio will do more for eating into muslce mass than fat mass. Especially when you aren't that overweight to start with.

    The belly is from grains/flours/sugars/high PUFA vegetable-seed oils and processed edible food-like substances. (i.e. about 90% of the grocery store).


    "If it takes multiple layers of brightly-colored packaging and a $multi-million, multi-media ad campaign to sell it, it’s not food. No one has to put meat or eggs in a brightly colored box with a cartoon character on it.

    "Eat what you can pick, dig or spear. Mostly spear. LIve in Freedom, live in beauty."
    ---http://www.gnolls.org/2074/why-snack-food-is-addictive-the-grand-unified-theory-of-snack-appeal/

    EDIT: I eat lots of fat. Mainly saturated fats. I get my fat through pastured butter, coconut oil, olive/avocado oil, eggs (have four today!!) meat - mostly red meat but I buy lean and add fat (all the bad crap they are fed ends up in their fat). I love Hormel's All Natural Uncured bacon!! Hoping to one day get my hands on some pastured meats. All veggies are cooked in butter and/or bacon fat. My occasional berries have either coconut cream (unshaken can of coconut milk) or full fat greek yogurt on them. Fat is the main part of what I eat each day. This is what got my stomach flat.

    ^This is not true.

    Not everyone can get a flat stomach. It's a matter of genetics. While you can remove most of the fat and get muscle tone, that lower belly will always be a part of some people's lives.
  • VirginiaWoof
    VirginiaWoof Posts: 147
    If your body is in starvation mode you will be more likely to store fat in the abdominal area.
    When I was at my lowest weight (84lbs at 5ft6- anorexia), I had an extremely flat stomach. Admittedly it was just skin and bone but it was still flat. However, when I started 're-feeding' all of my weight went straight to my belly and I had quite a considerable little pot belly. When I reached my healthy weight of 115lbs my weight distributed itself evenly and I was left with a pretty stomach. Sadly that's gone because I've developed a non purging type of bulimia.

    I digress- maybe some people have 'pot bellies' because they are not eating enough? Change of diet + cardio and crunches should do the trick. No matter how many crunches you do you'll still need to burn the top layer of fat off though and I'm not sure about women who have had children.

    I think some people also need to change their definition of a 'flat belly'...
  • mspoopoo
    mspoopoo Posts: 500 Member
    For men, yes they can get a flat belly

    For women, no. Women were never meant to have perfectly flat stomachs.We have something called a uterus that men don't have and that is usually what that little pooch is all about. We are supposed to have a little fat on our tummys.

    I have huge fibroids. I will never ever have a flat stomach no matter what I do and that is just the way it is.

    Some women can but many can't. It is just another way society encourages women to hate their bodies.
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