My Fat Belly And Me...Hope For The Future

After so many years of seeing this same old body, I just became used to all those wrinkles, rolls, stretch marks, sagging skin, saddle bags and my very old and very familar belly. My ample abdomen has seen me through a life time of everything from pregancy to abdominal surgeries. It bears the stretch marks and scars of my life like a road map, though it's shape was more like a beat up globe.

I am quite sure that I have lost and gained more than 1,000 pounds over my 68 years; and this fine, old belly was always been there...protruding, deflating briefly, inflating and stretching into some new volumous object that went before me, wherever I went. As I aged, the old tummy began dropping lower and lower, until it hung so low that it touched my thighs.

Oh, it still stuck way out in front, along with it companion, my spare tire. They came together to form some kind of wrinkled waist band of sorts. Of course, my belly button was a tunnel at the top of the long, decending surgical scar which disappeared into a place I haven't seen in years. That thick scar divided my abdomen into 2 perfect halves, laced with shiny stretch marks and other less obvious scars

My belly has helped to define much of my life. It kept me in roomy, A-Line dresses throughout much of my youth, when other girls wore tight mini skirts. That belly also kept me out of jeans completely. I never could imagine buttoning up denim pants over that fat belly. I was sure that there wasn't even a pair of jeans that would fit my ovoid shape...not so much a pear but a well-filled water balloon profile.

As I started losing weight, during the past 6 months, I was amazed that I was losing pant sizes almost from the beginning...but my belly was still there, holding on to it's prominent position. That belly still demanded stretchy pants with an elastic waist band. That stomach was still the first thing that I noticed in the mirror, in or out of clothes.

Then...only a few short weeks ago, I started swimming. I thought that doing laps would help my fat upper arms and maybe even take up some slack in those saddle bags on my hips and the sagging flesh between my inner thighs.

However, I had no delusions about my belly. I knew that even deflated, it would still be a fat apron in front of me, maybe even dangling to the mid-thigh or (God forbid!) my knees. Perhaps, a miracle like some large sum of money from out of nowhere would fall on me to pay for surgery to remove about 40 pounds of hanging belly. Unfortunately, I knew better. That wasn't going to happen. Even if I were blessed with a bunch of money, Ed and I had better things to do with that kind of gift than put it into reconstructive surgery for this old girl. I was prepared to live with my belly, no matter where it ended up. It was my responsibility. Afterall, I made it that way.

Oh, sorry for getting sidetracked. Let's get back to the subject of swimming.

I have been doing ever increasing number of laps each day for the past 3 weeks. I have even stopped counting laps and simply swim for one hour at a time. That is non-stop swimming, breast stroking with a frog kick down one length of pool and changing to a modified back stroke and flutter kick for the rest of each lap. This required real effort from both my arms and legs; but my belly just went along for the ride. At least, that what I thought. What I didn't realize was something remarkable was happening under all of that belly fat.

At first, I thought it was a mistake. This couldn't really be happening. MY STOMACH...MY BIG, FAT BELLY WAS SHRINKING?!!! It wasn't just getting deflated and hanging further down. IT WAS LIFTING UP AND IN!!! Sure, it was wrinkled, but it was NOT HANGING...at least, not like it used to hang. Hallelujah!!! :happy:

When I got out of the shower, I could see the area between my belly and my thighs for the first time in years. Today...as I was toweling off from my shower, I suddenly realized that I could still see my spare tire; but my belly wasn't sticking out well beyond that old familar roll under my drooping breasts.

My first thought was, "This is weird. This isn't my body. Where did my tummy go?" I stood in front of the mirror for while, just trying to get used to what I was seeing. This was so different from what I expected. I can really see the changes in my shape.

Yeah, my breasts have certainly deflated. They look like those pancake breasts of the older native women in the National Geographic Magazine photos from Africa and the Pacific Islands. Well, that's to be expected. Serves me right for going braless so often back in the 60's and 70's. There's no plans for a boob job in my future either. As my hubbie Ed put it, "You're not so fluffy anymore, Mama." Oh, well. :ohwell:

As for the thighs and arms, I can't really tell yet. I do know that my swimming is now so effortless. That has got to be a sign of better muscle strength in those areas. Maybe, future photos will show me those less noticeable improvements; or I might just be able to get into a smaller size blouse without puffy sleeves. That would be nice.

However...there is no doubt about one thing. I can see it clearly in the mirror. MY BELLY IS SHRINKING and happily LIFTING UP from it's position over my thighs. Thank you, God. It is not too late to make a change in that part of my body. There is hope for my belly and me.