The Double Belly...UGH

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  • steflbrown
    steflbrown Posts: 168
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    I thought I was the only one!! It's horrible!! It's just slowly starting to get better... but slowly.
  • iLinduh
    iLinduh Posts: 50 Member
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    So relieved to hear that I'm not the only one. This gives me more hope! :flowerforyou:
  • Linbo93
    Linbo93 Posts: 229 Member
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    hello All!:flowerforyou:

    IDK if this will totally help but here are some of the things I let my members at the gym know. The belly is the last place anyone will ecer see change (don't slump in dispair), someone mentioned strength training, YES! building muscle will creat a day long burn rather than your average 1 to 1 1/2 hour burn straight after cardio. Also you have to really hit thye ab excercises hard, giving yourself a 24-48 hour rest in between strength training so that muscle heals (thus builds) rather than just going into shock and not build at all.
    my favorite ab exercises....
    core ball sit ups for central mass of abs as well as the upper
    core ball elbow cross for obliques
    hanging leg raises (hang by hands and lift legs by bending at knee) for the ever persistant lower abs (ladies we all know that one)
    and side bends with the roman chair ( love the way this tones and tightens the side muscles)

    Hope that helps and don't forget to calculate this into the daily diary under exercise!

    I totally have this issue myself, so thanks for the advice! I wlll certianly do this! :OD
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Here too. When measuring your waist, you measure the "smallest part". Well, for me, that's right at the belly button, which some random stranger and a sales person told me was bizarre :-( They kept telling me to pull this skirt up to the smallest part of me and I kept telling them that's where it was! They thought I was wearing it too low.
    Haha! The other day I was filling out some body fat calculator online, not reading ahead, just measuring as I went down the list...

    Neck... ok
    Waist (below ribcage)... Huh? Ok, if you... say so?
    Abdomen (at belly button)... WTF? Isn't that my waist? What kind of crazy IS this?

    Seriously, our waist is just below our ribcage? I have been so wrong all my life...

    That explains why my "waist" measurements are so much bigger than other people who wear my size. Reading online reviews of clothing where people post their measurements and the size they order always baffles me because I think there is no way we wear the same size. I just assumed if the pants hit me at the belly button I should be measuring there. I'm an hourglass, and I have a 5"difference between my smallest part below my ribs and where my belly button is. I would never consider that my waist. So weird...

    Yes! Look at the models on pinupgirlclothing.com and you'll see the TINY waists they have - RIGHT under their rib cage and nowhere near their belly button LOL.
  • DoloresStanley
    DoloresStanley Posts: 2
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    I just started this site today....and yes I have 2 bellies too.....we can do this!!!
  • Chameleone
    Chameleone Posts: 281 Member
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    I have 3! I've always had 3. I even remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old and reeaally skinny my cousin telling me it almost looked like I was gonna have a six pack because or the folds.
    Since losing some weight all 3 have gotten significantly smaller though. Still very much there, especially when sitting.

    In my life time I've honestly only ever seen 2 other people with this. Just 2.

    So now I'm gonna go creep some of your pics haha
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    I have 3! I've always had 3. I even remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old and reeaally skinny my cousin telling me it almost looked like I was gonna have a six pack because or the folds.
    Since losing some weight all 3 have gotten significantly smaller though. Still very much there, especially when sitting.

    In my life time I've honestly only ever seen 2 other people with this. Just 2.

    So now I'm gonna go creep some of your pics haha

    Sorry, no WAY I'll be posting pictures of my belly! LOL...
  • PinkLinda
    PinkLinda Posts: 16 Member
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    I got it too....and that wonderful little belly flap. had c-section with first...2nd two normal....weight gain wasn't from kids but stress eating going back to school. so as i lose, the belly reduces...little lumpy now and that flap.

    no tummy tuck until the weight is lost, then at least i can get rid of the flap.

    tired of when i laugh it looks like a bowlful of jelly !!

    in time, with strength training and overall changes
  • IamKendall
    IamKendall Posts: 21
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    Oh! I'm so happy to hear that I am not the only one! My top belly is shrinking, I'm sure... so is the bottom one, but a lot slower... I had twins and I'm short waisted so the belly-overhang is pretty gross. I don't know if I can make it go away without surgery... I'm not sure how much is skin and how much is fat... I am just beginning to add resistance though so hopefully it will be flat enough to wear a bathing suit without a T-shirt in public one day.....
  • frootcat
    frootcat Posts: 194 Member
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    Yes! Look at the models on pinupgirlclothing.com and you'll see the TINY waists they have - RIGHT under their rib cage and nowhere near their belly button LOL.
    I know where I'm shopping when I'm slender and curvy and awesome!
  • Serenstar75
    Serenstar75 Posts: 258 Member
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    I find myself so frustrated by looking at these pictures of women with a single belly, that is they have one large belly rather than it being split at the belly button like mine. It is like I have two bellies, one above and one below. The one above is much smaller but I really hate it. I can never imagine being able to wear a two piece or anything like that. Does anyone else have this body type? Please help, I need to know what I can do that might help smooth it into one. :(

    xoxo
    Mom on a Mission

    I have the same issue. I see other women overweight and even though they are overweight they have that gorgeous smooth tone to their belly and thighs and all that stuff. No, I have the belly button split and loathe it. It's so frustrating. All we can do is keep working out, eating better, and eventually the weight will come off and start to smooth down along our tummies. My small waist bit is at my rib cage. That's where I've seen it on most small women too.

    Awesome site btw. Clothing for big and little ladies.
  • lesita75
    lesita75 Posts: 379 Member
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    Same problem here. A third one started to form so I got off of my butt. I'm 4'11" and it seems every thing is stored in my pouch. I camouflage it the best I can, but I always see it hanging no form fitting clothes for me without a girdle to lift, unify, and hold it in!!!
  • Serenstar75
    Serenstar75 Posts: 258 Member
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    yeah, the losing-it part is what sucks, though. i'm cool with keeping the division at navel-level, because that is where i wear my skirts and stuff (like another poster mentioned, i use that as my "waist"... in fact, i'm not sure where the REAL waist is... when i got measured when i started Curves, the Curves-lady used what seemed to me to be a completely arbitrary spot, but she assured me that that was my waist). i think doing lower-ab stuff would work. but i don't know how to do any of that, everything seems to focus on the upper-part.

    Along with stomach crunches, I love the one where I lie on my back, hands slightly below my hips or at the small of my back, then legs together and lift them. I don't let my legs touch the ground every time, about 5 inches above ground and lift smoothly again. I feel that in my lower belly.

    I do believe in working all muscles. I don't believe it melts the weight in those areas, but once we get the weight off we should have some nicer muscles under it. :)

    My measurements when I gauge them are waist (right around rib cage where I'm smallest) then abs for my middle at my navel. Then lower belly, as I want rid of that too. Then hips and onward.
  • forestfairie
    forestfairie Posts: 3 Member
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    I never post on these boards but I have to say this thread made me feel MUCH better! Ive had 3 children (15,13 and almost 2 yrs old) and this last baby killed my stomach. I have the double stomach too and the top one is not shrinking much at all. Its depressing! MIne is mostly skin at this point (which might be even worse lol) but I havent been exercising much either. Now I know I need to do it but Im so glad Im not alone with my double!
  • imsleepdeprived
    imsleepdeprived Posts: 82 Member
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    I find myself so frustrated by looking at these pictures of women with a single belly, that is they have one large belly rather than it being split at the belly button like mine. It is like I have two bellies, one above and one below. The one above is much smaller but I really hate it. I can never imagine being able to wear a two piece or anything like that. Does anyone else have this body type? Please help, I need to know what I can do that might help smooth it into one. :(

    xoxo
    Mom on a Mission

    Me too!
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
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    I never had it until after having my second baby. Now I just had my third, so of course it's even more err.. defined? BUT I've lost 9lbs, and I already see a little less division between top and bottom belly. I'm optimistic that as we all shrink, our double bellies will unite as one hot little tummy.
  • histora
    histora Posts: 287 Member
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    When I used to post on Mommyboards, we actually had a name for a double belly...B belly. Big round bellies were D bellies. And oh how I loathe being a B belly. My DH used to lecture me on wearing my pants too high and what not, until I showed him how horrible my pants make me look if they sit in that "crease". :(

    Mine hasn't shrunk too much yet, but I'm still working on it. I fully accept that I will most likely need a tummy tuck from my muscles separating during pregnancy. More inspiration for getting in shape so I can get it done!

    Adding to my B belly is a huge ribcage. I mean, gigantic. I'm a 42 C/D, and I don't have much fat on my ribs. :(
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
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    Holy cow. I really thought I was the only one with this problem.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Oh, and for the record, I have never been pregnant. My kids were all adopted!
  • U2Amie
    U2Amie Posts: 31 Member
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    I totally know what you mean. I've ALWAYS had a belly line, meaning, a pregnant looking belly that cuts off. I see people who wear the same size as me who seem to keep a somewhat flat stomach. But I carry my weight at my lower stomach. It seriously looks like I'm pregnant, and I know people have looked at me before wondering if I was. I know for a fact that I did a rigorous 3 months of ab exercises, but they really didn't do much. For me, it's all in the eating. I find that if I cut my eating, I cut my stomach.

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