ok,, so need motivation about bellies,,,,

lucieluss
lucieluss Posts: 34
edited September 23 in Success Stories
hi all, i am doing this for about 2 weeks now, i really wanna loose weight, and mostly, i really know its possible, but 1 thing that scares me like hell is... i have a discusting belly due to pregnancy,
( 2), and i have how to explain without growssing you out, like a poach? like a discusting hanging belly flapping, yark,,,, please tell me, if you are one of the people from MFP that had a flappy hanging belly, and can tell me YES, with work out, it can be shaped better, i am never expecting a flat belly, but a part of me keep telling that other part to shut up, and yes, its possible!!! help me find faith as my belly discourage me,,,,
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Replies

  • mamayoga
    mamayoga Posts: 43
    LOL. flappy hanging... I have one too. It remains to be seen if it'll disappear, although it IS a tiny bit smaller after losing 8 lbs. So I still hold out hope. :)
  • 311Phil
    311Phil Posts: 397
    that tummy will tighten as you loss fat and tone muscle!

    Drink water, watch your calorie intake and do lots of cardio!
  • angelmuss
    angelmuss Posts: 45
    Yep...I have one! LOL I hope it goes down some!! LOL
  • wyze
    wyze Posts: 248
    ehm, what i will say is first and foremost love your body, its the only one you have. Secondly i do have a big belly and i am working at losing as much of it as i can. i dont know if it will ever be rock hard flat, but i do know i am losing weight and it is shrinking. Dearest believe in yourself, it is reallly possible to lose the weight and look beautiful. Please try to develop a positive image about your body, the more you get to love it, the better you will want to take care of it. Welcome and wishing u great success.

    IT CAN BE DONE:flowerforyou:
  • helenamonks
    helenamonks Posts: 176
    My belly is super disgusting too but its not bc i had kids its because of a hormone inbalance that caused really ugly stretchmarks. Unfortunately all of the weight that i carry is mostly on my belly, so of course it hangs quite a bit, but my aunts was shaped the exact same way and it will eventually shrink where it should be, just dont try to lose the weight too quickly, otherwise you will end up with a skin flap.
  • Candiceg13
    Candiceg13 Posts: 218
    I have 4 kids (10,6,4 and 18mos) and the last 3 were C-Sections! My tummy is horrible, and my doc agreed that the damage is bad enough that I will need surgical intervention to get a flat tummy, so that is my goal!!!!!

    It has gone down, and will keep going, but I know I will need to get some, ummmm, nip/tucking soon!

    Sorry, probably not the most optimistic answer.....
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I'm still better clothed than un, but my belly is inline with my hip bones now...and I had twins (one via C)..... I'm feeling pretty fortunate, however, and my kids are 8.
  • bbb84
    bbb84 Posts: 418 Member
    Cardio and core work are necessary evils. Your results may not turn out perfect but burning off the fat and working to tone and tighten will go a long way! You can do it!
  • kuechletwins
    kuechletwins Posts: 88 Member
    So there with you on the flappy tummy. I have 4 kids - 11, 9, 9 and 4. The twins REALLY did me in!!! I'm on a mission though and hope I start to see a notice soon! Friend me if you want and we can lose the flappy stuff together!
  • bbotero
    bbotero Posts: 1
    Hi, I also have a loose belly from my pregnancy, but good news....IT GETS SMALLER and TIGHTER. I have lost 49 pounds and there is a difference. I know that it will never be the same as "before" baby, but at least it won't make me feel bad about my appearance. Keep it up and good luck!

    SW 295
    CW 244
    GW 180
  • LisaZaugg1976
    LisaZaugg1976 Posts: 1,144 Member
    it will go down mine is pretty much flat now which I am totally loving right now :)
  • laurajean43
    laurajean43 Posts: 3
    Have you tried drinking green tea? It's great and is supposed to help with belly fat (among other things! )
  • mariasheehan
    mariasheehan Posts: 335
    hi there, I had a baby 14 months ago and my tummy was one of my motivators for losing weight, I was very very unhappy. I've lost 25lbs in total (22 on MFP) and it's made a considerable difference to my tummy. The more I lose, even a half a pound at this stage I can notice the difference. My arms and legs are very slim, but I still have some baby weight on my tummy, so it really seems to be coming off there a lot now. I was 190 after having her and I started my actual weight loss journey at 172, I'm 148 now and fit into size 8 jeans minus any overhang or muffin top!!! it's taken 5 months so far to notice a big difference in my stomach. I hope this helps :-)
  • megan_mp
    megan_mp Posts: 77
    I know, personally, I've had this big belly for MANY years. And I've been miserable for those years. I think when I get to my goal, I will be proud of that SMALLER flappy belly because it will be a reminder to me that I spent a lot of years loathing that part of me.

    I faced up to the fact early in my teen years (even at 160 pounds!) that I would never be one in a bikini. I'm more of a Speedo kind of girl!
  • svgaedtke
    svgaedtke Posts: 69 Member
    4 c-sections here... So I am in the same boat... I know the belly you speak of... Here's to see how much it can shrink...
  • Athena76
    Athena76 Posts: 18 Member
    I'm with you all on this one and I will throw in my "batman signals" on my arms haha I'm praying they also tighten up or go away I'd love to wear sleeveless shirts this summer.
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,375 Member
    LOL! There are a lot of us out there who understand. Three kids and my muscle tone is gone. Cardio burns the fat but I've not yet gotten to the point of a strong core and flat belly. Working on it right along with you!:flowerforyou:
  • Chr1st1ine
    Chr1st1ine Posts: 11 Member
    I have the same problem. I have two sets of twins ages 10 and 6, both were delivered by c-section and my stomach is HORRIBLE!! What worries me a bit more than the muscle tone is all the stretch marks!! :o( I'll take whatever I get when I've lost all my weight though, it has to be better than what's there now!!
  • momma85
    momma85 Posts: 17
    aww i don't even know... i lost ALL of my baby weight in about a week (very awful things i did in my younger days) and i've been dealing with this horrible wrinkly, loose belly for over 4 years now. the only thing i can say about it, is that it has gotten better... but it's still not completely gone.... the worst thing i ever did was lose that much weight in such a short period of time. slowly work on it and work on your abs while losing the weight. and if you find out any other things that help, let me know! :)
  • Ashrack85
    Ashrack85 Posts: 7 Member
    I am also fighting this "flabby belly". My first child left me with it 3 years ago and my newest baby (4 months) made it even worse! I am hoping that cardio will help lose the fat but I will need to find something to help tone it.

    Here's to losing the "flabby" bellies!
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,375 Member
    If anyone likes to walk, the Leslie Sansone Walk It Off and Tone It Up 1-5 mile DVD program is a pretty good workout that emphasizes all muscles along with strengthening core abdominals to reduce the belly fat. I started doing it this past week and I feel like I've worked hard on my entire body when I'm done. It's cardio and toning at the same time. You can choose how far you walk and she also has extra workouts for slimming and toning in addition to the walking/toning workouts. So depending on time and your goals you can choose how much or little you do. Was about $12.99 at Target. :bigsmile:
  • KittyCathy
    KittyCathy Posts: 36 Member
    I have the same thing!! Just had a son and it the hanging fat on my stomach seems to be the last thing that wants to go down!! It will probably always sag but probably not that bad once you lose all your weight! Im hoping mine starts to look better to : [
  • emilillymom
    emilillymom Posts: 61
    I have been doing cardio and just start 30 day shred to help with some toning. I took a Zumba class this fall and notice that it helped with the tummy area. I have also notice that drinking more water daily has helped me. I have two girls 41/2 and 21/2 and its been a long journey getting my body back but I celebrate the little success.
  • jrbanta
    jrbanta Posts: 4,375 Member
    Has anyone else noticed? I read somewhere that when you lose weight it happens from the top-down. I notice on my own body that my face and neck slim down, then my shoulder and chest, then my legs and butt. My belly is last! I've read that the belly is the last to go and unfortunately in the past I have given up and gone off my eating plan before I see success in losing my belly. How does it work for the rest of you? Lots of cardio really does help but I HATE abdominal exercises because they are so hard for me due to weak muscles in that area. The very area I need to work on and I avoid it because it is so hard. Any good exercises that can be done quickly that give quick results??:ohwell:
  • BrownEyedG1rl
    BrownEyedG1rl Posts: 625 Member
    Ughhh...I can totally relate! I have 2 children. My last one will be 2 in Feb. I have a wrinkled, stretched, flabby belly too. It's gross and I hate it. I'm also hoping it will mostly go away. I already know that I will never be one to wear a bikini and I'm fine with that, I just want a flat belly. It's frustrating because I started working out on a regular basis about 4 weeks ago and the end of the first week I pulled a stomach muscle and it HURT bad to do any abdominal exercises. So I've had to stop doing them for the past couple of weeks until it healed. It is finally feeling better and I'm going to try to do some abs tomorrow. But most of my work is getting the fat off....lots of cardio!!!
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    that tummy will tighten as you loss fat and tone muscle!

    Drink water, watch your calorie intake and do lots of cardio!

    Don't listen to this guy. Cardio is not what you need to work on this. If it's just skin, you need to do yoga, pilates, and do a search for c-section belly help 'cause there are exercises specifically for that that will help. But yes, watch your diet, exercise, drink lots of water, also try lotion to tighten it. The younger you are, the easier it will be to tighten up.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    Has anyone else noticed? I read somewhere that when you lose weight it happens from the top-down. I notice on my own body that my face and neck slim down, then my shoulder and chest, then my legs and butt. My belly is last! I've read that the belly is the last to go and unfortunately in the past I have given up and gone off my eating plan before I see success in losing my belly. How does it work for the rest of you? Lots of cardio really does help but I HATE abdominal exercises because they are so hard for me due to weak muscles in that area. The very area I need to work on and I avoid it because it is so hard. Any good exercises that can be done quickly that give quick results??:ohwell:

    I was doing running for a while at home but I don't run very fast. Still it makes me lose bra cup sizes first.

    I did this dvd - I think she's the best & it's the best one
    http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Abs-Meghan-White/dp/B000B5XPFG/ref=sr_1_9?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1296018234&sr=1-9

    In fact with this new program I'm doing (see below) the stomach exercises are NOT killing me - I can do V ups, etc due to all the work I did before with that dvd. Planks, jumps, jumping - that's what kills me, oh and push ups.

    Really interesting about how we lose weight - my face is good, but I'm a TRIANGLE, and my stomach, oh dear, you just don't want to know. I did take pix of myself today front and side, and omg, I'm DISGUSTED at what I see. Hopefully one day through hard work, tears, being killed in exercise & watching cals, I'll be able to post those pix HERE, and say this was me before.....
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    I have tremendous sympathy. There are days when I say nasty things about my belly, too. But then I remember how sad those words make me feel. And how much better I feel when I show gratitude toward my body, for the gentle way it carried my child, and for the hard work it has done to carry me for 35 years—even when I did a poor job taking care of it.

    I hemorrhaged after my daughter was born and had emergency surgery to save my life. I was cut vertically, from navel to pelvis. My scar is bad and my lower belly (which was already covered in stretch marks from the pregnancy) hangs like hound dog jowls on both sides of my scar. It’s not a pretty description, but it is the honest truth.

    In the month that I have been exercising and focusing on my health I can say that I have already noticed a huge difference in the shape of my belly and the skin. I do yoga three to four times a week. And I take a body pump class once a week. My lower abs are EXTREMELY weak due to the surgery and inactivity (I cannot lift my feet off the ground even 1/4 of an inch in boat pose). But I swear to you that the yoga is making a major difference.

    But just remember, when we use words like “hate, ugly, and disgusting” to talk about ourselves, it won’t matter how small or how flat our bellies are, we’ll still feel shame when we look at. So be kind to yourself.
  • caitlinsmum
    caitlinsmum Posts: 55 Member
    I have tremendous sympathy. There are days when I say nasty things about my belly, too. But then I remember how sad those words make me feel. And how much better I feel when I show gratitude toward my body, for the gentle way it carried my child, and for the hard work it has done to carry me for 35 years—even when I did a poor job taking care of it.

    I hemorrhaged after my daughter was born and had emergency surgery to save my life. I was cut vertically, from navel to pelvis. My scar is bad and my lower belly (which was already covered in stretch marks from the pregnancy) hangs like hound dog jowls on both sides of my scar. It’s not a pretty description, but it is the honest truth.

    In the month that I have been exercising and focusing on my health I can say that I have already noticed a huge difference in the shape of my belly and the skin. I do yoga three to four times a week. And I take a body pump class once a week. My lower abs are EXTREMELY weak due to the surgery and inactivity (I cannot lift my feet off the ground even 1/4 of an inch in boat pose). But I swear to you that the yoga is making a major difference.

    But just remember, when we use words like “hate, ugly, and disgusting” to talk about ourselves, it won’t matter how small or how flat our bellies are, we’ll still feel shame when we look at. So be kind to yourself.

    Wow - thanks for sharing. Your words and experience have really inspired me ! (I am another one with a pouchy/flappy belly after baby & c-section. I've heard someone call it a 'mothers apron' and I think it is quite an accurate description if you can picture a padded apron.)

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  • curleesam
    curleesam Posts: 462 Member
    that tummy will tighten as you loss fat and tone muscle!

    Drink water, watch your calorie intake and do lots of cardio!

    I totally echo this post although I think it also has a lot to do with your pre pregnancy body shape. I have always had a rather flat and toned stomach. Not washboard but flat enough. After I gave birth my belly WOBBLED when I walked which was a first for me and it gave me the motivation to do something about it as I was not comfortable that way. So far I have lost 28lbs and my tummy has lost nearly all of the weight but could still do with a bit more toning. The things that worked for me was a VAST amount of cardio (I do 1 hour each session and 4 sessions per week. My heart rate between 130-160 bpm) and drinking lots and lots of water. I am now at the stage where I need to tone it a bit and I will be happy so I am focussing on pilates exercises using ankle and wrist weights.

    Feel free to add me if you want to see my food and exercise diary. I still have 21lb of baby weight to lose.

    Good luck!
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