WARNING: Gross tummy pictures inside.. I am looking for peop

silhouettes
silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I posted 2 pictures of myself below.. (if it works).. I have been wanting to ask this question since I joined her over 300 days ago, but I kept putting it off.. because words can't describe accurately what I look like and I was way to embarressed to take a picture of it!

But the day has come I can't take it anymore and becoming a bit down on my appearence I decided to make a post here and reach out and see if any of you had this same trouble.. have any tips or any success stories on this type of body structure.

What I want more than anything is a success story from ANYONE that had a stomach like mine that was able to get it in shape.. so I can see that it IS possible without surgery because even if I wanted to, we don't have the money for that kind of thing.

I started on here weight over 280 lbs and I am down to 203 lbs this morning, loosing a total of 77 lbs so far. I have 48 lbs left to go to be in my normal bracket according to BMI; so I am over halfway to my goal.

My problem is I barely see a difference! People keep saying to me that it's you, you won't be able to see the difference but we can... and the truth is I can see the difference in clothing somewhat, I wear smaller clothes, I am proud of that... and I look different and feel different

The problem though is I don't KNOW where the weight is coming off from! It must be coming off everyone and no one place in particular, because my legs are still pretty big as they always have been (you'll have to take my word for this.. only one gross picture today, lol) and my stomach has not went down much at all!

That's what I can to show you guys today and get support and ask if anyone else had this problem. I am worried about my stomach. I am less than 50 lbs to my goal and with the slight change in 77 lbs I am afraid it will never look like a normal stomach! You can see clearly in the pictures I'm not exaggerating. I have a smaller wasit around my belly button, with a buldge above it.. which doesn't bother me to much.. but below it it's a nightmare! All that skin you see is hanging over my pants. I usually tuck it in.. but I left it out to show you guys... it's alt least 5 inches out when I hold it out.. it hangs down a bit down.. and it's another 5 inches either way out from my wasit! I literally feel like a snowman somedays.

The skin is NOT flabby.. I mean it hangs down but I can feel stuff instead there.. it's not just skin. I have never had kids.. altlhough my stretch marks are terrible! I have been working with Bio Oil which made an improvement.. but the pictures make it look 10 times worse than it does in person for some reason.

Well without farther taking.. here are the pictures..

022.jpg

This is the front view of the flab... As you can see my poor belly button gets buried in my waist :(

0301.jpg

This is the side view of my flab.. showing you how it hangs over.. or me attempting to.. the description is better. I am sorta leaning back on this to take the picture.. my upper half of my tummy hangs out a bit more when standing up.. but it looks worse standing up so I decided to take these pictures laying down.
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Replies

  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    Change the uppercase IMG to a lower case img so the pictures show
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    ok thanks I was trying to figure it out.. give me a few minutes.

    well the second one didn't post right, let me try to figure out what went wrong.
  • nmoreland
    nmoreland Posts: 183 Member
    I would recommend to take measurements so that you can see the difference. If you are in smaller sizes, then you are getting smaller. I just looked at your pictures, and there is a totol difference in your body. Sometimes we get so hung up on the negative parts of ourselves that it is difficult to see the positive parts.
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
    I can't see your pictures, but from your description I suspect that only surgery is going to have a major effect on your skin. Loosing more weight and toning up your stomach and back muscles will help the way it sits and will reduce the appearance under clothes some what, but I'm sorry to say that (and I know that this isn't what you want to hear) cutting it off is the only way to get rid of it.

    Edited to add, Your pics are no where near as bad as you described! Loosing more weight and toning should make a huge difference. I second the poster who recommended taking measurements, they can be more heartening than the scale at times. You've done increadibly well so far, keep up the good work!
    P.S I'd kill to have your streatch marks, my somach is like a road map in comparison! I quite literally have more stretch marks than skin - not a good look!
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    I can't see your pictures, but from your description I suspect that only surgery is going to have a major effect on your skin. Loosing more weight and toning up your stomach and back muscles will help the way it sits and will reduce the appearance under clothes some what, but I'm sorry to say that (and I know that this isn't what you want to hear) cutting it off is the only way to get rid of it.

    I think I got the bottom one now... I don't know what's up with photobucket.. I don't upload pictures much so not sure why it was just posting on side of them.. you can see half me on the top one.. the other half looks the same haha.. i'll try to work on centering it but for now, this will work.

    And I'll repeat, I don't have the money for surgery, we are barely getting by the way it is... If I can't get it toned and get rid of it then what ist he point of even trying to loose weight? I don't want to think that it's not possible.
  • acknan
    acknan Posts: 261 Member
    Someone on here wrote about the paper towel theory and I really took it to heart. Not sure of the source, but I will do my best to share it as I remember it...

    When you have a brand new roll of paper towels and you take 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or even ten sheets off of the roll, it doesn't really make the roll look much smaller, Maybe a little bit, but since it is a long trip around the roll, those multiple sheet coming off don't look like a whole lot. BUT as you move closer to the cardboard roll in the center, even 1 or 2 sheet make a major difference in the look of the paper towel roll. We are the paper towel rolls and the cardboard tube is the skinny version of our selves. Even when we make dramatic changes in our bodies, it doesn't look like a whole lot. I have lost 23 of the 88 pounds I hope to lose and think I look pretty much exactly the same. However, I know that as I get closer and closer to my goal weight each pound will make a greater difference in how I look. I am sure that if you are wearing different sizes and other people notice, you have made major changes! 77 lbs is INCREDIBLE!!!!! As you keep going, losing pounds off of your now smaller frame will look more and more impressive! Don't give up, don't get discouraged, and listen to the people that have told you that you look great! Once you start to believe it, you will see the changes!

    Best of luck and keep fighting! You can do it!

    :)
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    You should take your measurements once a month, so you can see how much smaller you are getting. I think that you will lose alot of it as you get to your goal and tone up. It may take awhile after you get to your goal to tone up and get rid of hanging skin. We all gain differently lose differently.Just stick with it you will get there
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
    I can't see your pictures, but from your description I suspect that only surgery is going to have a major effect on your skin. Loosing more weight and toning up your stomach and back muscles will help the way it sits and will reduce the appearance under clothes some what, but I'm sorry to say that (and I know that this isn't what you want to hear) cutting it off is the only way to get rid of it.

    I think I got the bottom one now... I don't know what's up with photobucket.. I don't upload pictures much so not sure why it was just posting on side of them.. you can see half me on the top one.. the other half looks the same haha.. i'll try to work on centering it but for now, this will work.

    And I'll repeat, I don't have the money for surgery, we are barely getting by the way it is... If I can't get it toned and get rid of it then what ist he point of even trying to loose weight? I don't want to think that it's not possible.

    I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you feel bad. My mum has an apron like you described and she's been told that they only way to get rid of it for good is surgery. But what you have is nothing in comparison. I added to my original post when the pictures came up. (((hugs))) again
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    acknan thanks for the paper towel analogy. That is great and makes alot of sense
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    I just wanted to say that dropping 77 lbs is no small feat, so congratulations to you on the great accomplishment so far! The fat on our bodies is a stubborn thing, and in certain areas it likes to linger around longer than others. You are on a good track. Just keep up the excellent work and the belly fat will eventually burn away too. I'll second the advice about taking some measurements. I would bet that you are losing inches; it just may be hard to see now. Especially since we change so gradually.

    By the way, the post above that suggests surgery, without even seeing the photos, and apparently not even reading your post, is about the stupidest thing I've heard all day (and I hear a lot of stupid things every day). Please disregard it. Now, if once you've burned away all the fat and you have a bunch of flabby skin left over, then surgery would be a possible option. But if you're losing weight at a healthy pace, you are unlikely to end up in that situation.
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
    Pardon me for expressing an honest opinion given the information available.
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    I can't see your pictures, but from your description I suspect that only surgery is going to have a major effect on your skin. Loosing more weight and toning up your stomach and back muscles will help the way it sits and will reduce the appearance under clothes some what, but I'm sorry to say that (and I know that this isn't what you want to hear) cutting it off is the only way to get rid of it.

    I think I got the bottom one now... I don't know what's up with photobucket.. I don't upload pictures much so not sure why it was just posting on side of them.. you can see half me on the top one.. the other half looks the same haha.. i'll try to work on centering it but for now, this will work.

    And I'll repeat, I don't have the money for surgery, we are barely getting by the way it is... If I can't get it toned and get rid of it then what ist he point of even trying to loose weight? I don't want to think that it's not possible.

    I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you feel bad. My mum has an apron like you described and she's been told that they only way to get rid of it for good is surgery. But what you have is nothing in comparison. I added to my original post when the pictures came up. (((hugs))) again

    I reread what you said.. sorry for getting snappy! I haven't been in a good mood all day after looking at it in the mirror... my only cheer up note is hoping someday it will go away for good! I don't expect to have a completely flat body... not after all that it's been through.. but I want it to be.. presentable! I can't even wear a bathing suit right not out of embaressement.. last time I went swimming I went in men's shorts :(... I want it to be different next time...

    Thanks for your edit.. that cheers me up some.. I know it's not as bad as some womans I seen walking around (but mind you I never see their stomach's without clothing over it.. if you have this you hide it.. lol)... but since it's such an odd shape most people are to shy to show it.. and therefore I never seen any succes stories that resembled my own problems!

    It's real awkward having two stomach's.. but since I started loosing weight my top one has been slowly getting smaller to blend in with my bottom one.. I wish I could be a normal fat where all the fat stuck out in the middle haha.
  • Diannerv
    Diannerv Posts: 195
    The point of losing weight is not only how you look but mostly how you feel. Dont you feel better about that. Think of the health issues you can avoid by losing weight. Please dont give up. Are you gonna have rock hard abs when youre done? Maybe not but you WILL be smaller. I'm 40 and went from over 180 lbs to 130 lbs, I guarentee I wont be putting a bikini on this summer, a swim suit most definately.. Have I added years to my life? I am sure of it. You'll get to buy smaller clothes. Yes I can fit in a size 6 and has my tummy pooch gone down? I dont notice a whole lot but my husband says he does. Will I keep doing 250 situps every night before I go to bed? yes I will because I am healthy now and I feel so much better. I know its frustrating but take your goals one at time like you said. Get to that first goal, get to that second, get there because its good for you. Youre doing good things by getting this weight off. You will notice the changes, I promise. Just keep going. You have lost over 70lbs! Dont give up on that!! You can do it even if youre stomache takes longer and its the last thing youre trying to tone up. Hugs girl!
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member

    I reread what you said.. sorry for getting snappy! I haven't been in a good mood all day after looking at it in the mirror... my only cheer up note is hoping someday it will go away for good! I don't expect to have a completely flat body... not after all that it's been through.. but I want it to be.. presentable! I can't even wear a bathing suit right not out of embaressement.. last time I went swimming I went in men's shorts :(... I want it to be different next time...

    Thanks for your edit.. that cheers me up some.. I know it's not as bad as some womans I seen walking around (but mind you I never see their stomach's without clothing over it.. if you have this you hide it.. lol)... but since it's such an odd shape most people are to shy to show it.. and therefore I never seen any succes stories that resembled my own problems!

    It's real awkward having two stomach's.. but since I started loosing weight my top one has been slowly getting smaller to blend in with my bottom one.. I wish I could be a normal fat where all the fat stuck out in the middle haha.

    I know it must have taken a huge amount of courage to post pictures of a part of your body that your not happy with, your a braver girl than me! I Really didn't mean to come across as nasty. Friends?:flowerforyou:
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    Pardon me for expressing an honest opinion given the information available.

    This was some of the information that was available: "The skin is NOT flabby.. I mean it hangs down but I can feel stuff instead there.. it's not just skin." Also, the URLs to the pictures were available for copy & paste into your browser.

    I guess I was apparently typing my reply while you edited your post. Thank you for editing. If I had seen the final version I probably would not have have been so critical. As it stood though, someone had to say something. Surgery is a last resort and not something to be tossed around casually, like whether or not to eat cheesecake on one's free day.

    edit: darn typos
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    I know your looking success stories from someone in a similar situation, but I wanted to give you some feedback.

    1) If you can swing by a store and read this month’s issue of Fitness magazine, turn to the article on page 73. It is about women and stubborn belly fat and it talks about the various underlying causes and what to do.

    2) You have a defined waist, even with the additional fat tissue. That is a GREAT thing. You do not have loose, hanging skin, just an accumulation of fat in one area that will go away in time.

    3) You are young. That means there is a good chance that even as the fattier tissue dissolves, you will not develop hanging skin or a “skin apron. The younger you are when you lose weight, the more elastic that skin is and it returns more or less to its original shape.

    4) My lower abs were bisected due to an emergency abdominal surgery. I have extremely poor muscle tone below my belly button and the fat that has gathered in this area drooped and sagged. However, I have been doing yoga three times a week mixed in with some pilates and cardio since January 3rd. And I can tell you that the difference in my belly shape is 180-degrees of difference. There is still belly fat, but my abs and back have tightened and pulled up—even the weak lower abs.

    5) Your bely is not gross. It simply has fatty tissue. Nothing about our bodies is gross. They are simply waiting to be changed.

    Good luck! And keep up the fantastic work. 77 pounds is absolutely fantastic!
  • cuddlegrl
    cuddlegrl Posts: 101 Member
    Someone on here wrote about the paper towel theory and I really took it to heart. Not sure of the source, but I will do my best to share it as I remember it...

    When you have a brand new roll of paper towels and you take 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or even ten sheets off of the roll, it doesn't really make the roll look much smaller, Maybe a little bit, but since it is a long trip around the roll, those multiple sheet coming off don't look like a whole lot. BUT as you move closer to the cardboard roll in the center, even 1 or 2 sheet make a major difference in the look of the paper towel roll. We are the paper towel rolls and the cardboard tube is the skinny version of our selves. Even when we make dramatic changes in our bodies, it doesn't look like a whole lot. I have lost 23 of the 88 pounds I hope to lose and think I look pretty much exactly the same. However, I know that as I get closer and closer to my goal weight each pound will make a greater difference in how I look. I am sure that if you are wearing different sizes and other people notice, you have made major changes! 77 lbs is INCREDIBLE!!!!! As you keep going, losing pounds off of your now smaller frame will look more and more impressive! Don't give up, don't get discouraged, and listen to the people that have told you that you look great! Once you start to believe it, you will see the changes!

    Best of luck and keep fighting! You can do it!

    :)

    Oh I totally agree! I love this theory too!

    I agree with taking measurements since you dont feel like your losing inches and arent sure where from.

    You asked about why even bother if you arent able to lose the belly fat- You bother because its not just about your looks. Its about getting healthy. As you get more and more weight off your making yourself healthier. You will live a longer less physically difficult life.

    Since you say you "feel stuff in there" that means its not just skin which means its fat which means you can get rid of it. You'll acomplish this with exercise and diet just the same way you lost the other 77 lbs (which BTW that is absolutly amazing!!).

    I also suggest monitoring your body fat if you can. I know you said money was tight and I dont know if your scale measures body fat or not but its a great investment! I can lose NO weight but 2% of body fat. When I lose body fat I am losing inches. My dietician likes to see me lose body fat % while I of course prefer to see the number on the scale go down. Sometimes I am happy and sometimes she is happy. Either way I am getting healthier.

    You have done some seriously hard work up until now. Keep going. If once you reach your goal weight you still feel your not happy with your belly, its still not over! Work on core exercises. Try planks, crunches and a whole bunch of other exercies I dont know the name of :laugh: ! Google or YouTube core exercies and you'll find TONS of ideas. If thats the area you wish to improve you def can! You have the drive and determination it takes. I know that because you have already lost 77 pounds!!!

    Congrats on your successes thus far and your future success :) You will one day be happy with you! :wink:
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Okay, I'll start by saying I am not now, nor have I ever been over 210 pounds, that I recorded. But I have had 2 kids, 3 miscarriages, and 4 abdominal surgeries (for various female issues, not plastic surgery). The first picture I'm posting is at 205ish pounds after the last attempt of medical doctors to fix my female issues with drugs. I'd actually lost at least 5 pounds by that time, although I'm sure it was more because I had gotten on the scale 2 months earlier then this picture and when it rolled up to 210, I jumped off of it and kicked it under my bed before it stopped because I was so disgusted at myself for the weight gain. I don't have a side view at the time but it wasn't pretty either. I didn't even have a waist, just looked pregnant. It was all round in the front with little over hangs on the sides and in my back. The second picture was 12 weeks later after losing about 35 pounds on the scale. I turned slightly in the second picture because I was so glad that I didn't look like I'd swallowed a basketball anymore that I wanted to show off not being round in front.. I went from a size 16/18 to an 8. The pic in my avatar is after doing lots of training for several years and cutting fat even more and putting on lean mass (both muscle mass and extra glycogen storage to fuel those workouts) and I was actually 10 pounds heavier then in the second picture here. How did I get a flat stomach? Lots and lots of training. I lift heavy weights so the muscles act like a girdle and hold in what fat is there. I do ab work once a week and it is usually only a 30 minute abs class that I teach. Granted, we do around 1000 abdominal contractions of various forms in that 30 minutes, but that is all of the ab training I do. And I do cardio after every weight workout to cut the fat. If I can do it without plastic surgery, so can you! Just keep up with eating right and exercising and it will happen. :wink:

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  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    Of course I am going to keep going, I was just getting discouraged at the thought of surgery when I typed I wanted to give up.. 77 lbs was not small feat, it's been like 10 months... I will keep going no matter what.

    I am not mad at you Kate and yes friends.

    Tonya thanks so much for the pictures.. although my shape is a bit different than yours I can see similarities.

    Yolanda I will try to find that fitness magazine if we go to Walmart this week.. and is it really that great a thing that I have a defined waist? Because if I can say ANYTHING about me it is definitely that.. I do wish it wasn't right at my belly button though, lol!

    I will admit I have never taken measurements though I do have a cloth measuring tape I got with my new scales (which doesn't show body fat.. It was just the cheapest and most reliable I could find at my price range.. when/if we get more money I will check into a new one.)... I will start tomorrow and take my first measurement.. I don't plan on measuring as much as I weight.. but I'll try to measure once a week.. maybe I will get a surprise.. don't know why I never did until now.
  • SmartFunGorgeous
    SmartFunGorgeous Posts: 699 Member
    If I can't get it toned and get rid of it then what ist he point of even trying to loose weight? I don't want to think that it's not possible.

    I am in the same boat, and although I'd love to lose down to having a hot, very toned body, I'm doing this to be healthy. That's the point, for me. I know you've said a lot of other things, many of them positive, but this just really bothered me. Not because I'm judging you, but because I want you to be able to find the answer to this inside of yourself. There truly are many great reasons for losing the weight, even if the tummy/skin issue can only be resolved by turning to the last resort of surgery. It is way too soon to tell at this point. Keep it up. My little sister had a baby almost two years ago, and she has been a size four for about five months now, and her skin is finally beginning to catch up to her weight loss and it is starting to firm up, so know that it is totally possible, but it just takes time. Again, it is totally 100% worth it.
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
    77 pounds!!! WAY to go and congrats!!!

    I started MFP at 260lbs, and I weighed 227 this morning. I'm not a success story (yet!) but I feel the same way you do - I might wear a smaller size but I don't see any difference in my stomach when I look in the mirror. Well, I take that back, I DO see a difference, the sagging tummy is actually hanging slightly LOWER than it did 2 months ago. Arg! I was expecting it to start lifting as I lost weight, but instead it feels more loose. So frustrating. I do take my measurements and I have lost a couple inches around my "waist" (in quotes because I don't really have one, yet) and my hips, and that helps my self-esteem - I know it's coming off, I just can't see it yet.

    BUT - you know, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I am willing to bet that, even though you think your legs are still big, weight has disappeared very evenly all over your body. You and I are carrying a lot of extra weight in our bellies, so it's just going to take a little longer. I totally agree with the paper towel roll theory - I mean, 33lbs lost on me barely shows, but my sister went from a size 6 down to a size 2 when she lost 8 pounds because she's already so tiny. As you get closer and closer to your goal weight, you will start seeing major changes.

    Lastly - have you seen a doctor? Just as a precaution, sometimes large stomachs can be a sign of another medical issue. The last time I saw my doctor he ordered an adominal ultrasound just to be sure there wasn't a growth or something abnormal going on - everything was fine in my case, and I hope I'm not scaring you with this, I just believe in being on the safe side of things.

    And one more thing - your stomach is NOT gross! Really, truly, I'm not saying this just to be nice, your skin is in very nice condition!
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Definitely do the measurements! They will show you what you can't see from the scale. Also, if you want to do body fat analysis, there are some cheaper options then just the scales. GNC use to have a pair of calipers for like $15 that you can do skinfolds with to get a body fat. Or if you don't want to spend anything, I can look through my certification books and give you the formulas that use measurements to determine body fat. The measurements aren't as accurate, but you'll still see the changes as you keep losing.
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    77 pounds!!! WAY to go and congrats!!!

    I started MFP at 260lbs, and I weighed 227 this morning. I'm not a success story (yet!) but I feel the same way you do - I might wear a smaller size but I don't see any difference in my stomach when I look in the mirror. Well, I take that back, I DO see a difference, the sagging tummy is actually hanging slightly LOWER than it did 2 months ago. Arg! I was expecting it to start lifting as I lost weight, but instead it feels more loose. So frustrating. I do take my measurements and I have lost a couple inches around my "waist" (in quotes because I don't really have one, yet) and my hips, and that helps my self-esteem - I know it's coming off, I just can't see it yet.

    BUT - you know, we can't choose where the weight comes off. I am willing to bet that, even though you think your legs are still big, weight has disappeared very evenly all over your body. You and I are carrying a lot of extra weight in our bellies, so it's just going to take a little longer. I totally agree with the paper towel roll theory - I mean, 33lbs lost on me barely shows, but my sister went from a size 6 down to a size 2 when she lost 8 pounds because she's already so tiny. As you get closer and closer to your goal weight, you will start seeing major changes.

    Lastly - have you seen a doctor? Just as a precaution, sometimes large stomachs can be a sign of another medical issue. The last time I saw my doctor he ordered an adominal ultrasound just to be sure there wasn't a growth or something abnormal going on - everything was fine in my case, and I hope I'm not scaring you with this, I just believe in being on the safe side of things.

    And one more thing - your stomach is NOT gross! Really, truly, I'm not saying this just to be nice, your skin is in very nice condition!

    I have been to 2 doctors.. my ladies doctor who seen my body and my regular doctor whom I told I was loosing weight to and has seen my body form.. I never actually asked if there was anything wrong with me.. but neither said anything when I told them I was loosing weight and why... So I don't think anything is wrong.. but next time I go in for a check up, I will ask to be 100 percent sure.. but I doubt there is anything medically wrong... I am still young and the doctor even commented on noticing a different last time I was there.. she seemed proud :)

    I always get freaked out when I find bumps and stuff on my body (since I found a bump on my forehead which was nothing really) and ask what they are so I'm pretty sure if she was concerned she would have voiced it by now.. lol.
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    Definitely do the measurements! They will show you what you can't see from the scale. Also, if you want to do body fat analysis, there are some cheaper options then just the scales. GNC use to have a pair of calipers for like $15 that you can do skinfolds with to get a body fat. Or if you don't want to spend anything, I can look through my certification books and give you the formulas that use measurements to determine body fat. The measurements aren't as accurate, but you'll still see the changes as you keep losing.

    I won't have any extra money until the beginning of April as me and my husband's anniversary is coming up April 4th and we are going somewhere special, but I do know where a GNC is in town and I will check out those as soon as our anniversary is over... if you want to send me a message with formula's in the mean time you can... Hope I can understand them! I was good in math in high school and the bit of college I went to, but that seems so long ago... lol
  • Annie5859
    Annie5859 Posts: 280 Member
    Someone on here wrote about the paper towel theory and I really took it to heart. Not sure of the source, but I will do my best to share it as I remember it...

    When you have a brand new roll of paper towels and you take 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or even ten sheets off of the roll, it doesn't really make the roll look much smaller, Maybe a little bit, but since it is a long trip around the roll, those multiple sheet coming off don't look like a whole lot. BUT as you move closer to the cardboard roll in the center, even 1 or 2 sheet make a major difference in the look of the paper towel roll. We are the paper towel rolls and the cardboard tube is the skinny version of our selves. Even when we make dramatic changes in our bodies, it doesn't look like a whole lot. I have lost 23 of the 88 pounds I hope to lose and think I look pretty much exactly the same. However, I know that as I get closer and closer to my goal weight each pound will make a greater difference in how I look. I am sure that if you are wearing different sizes and other people notice, you have made major changes! 77 lbs is INCREDIBLE!!!!! As you keep going, losing pounds off of your now smaller frame will look more and more impressive! Don't give up, don't get discouraged, and listen to the people that have told you that you look great! Once you start to believe it, you will see the changes!

    Best of luck and keep fighting! You can do it!

    :)

    What a great description of weight loss! Love it! Thanks for sharing this.
  • jstalittlecrzy
    jstalittlecrzy Posts: 127 Member
    the organ "skin" has great ability to adjust at your age. Here is an old theory that has helped many women I know.

    As you lose weight wear a girdle! Remember to get smaller ones as you lose the weight.
    A good old fashoned girdle will give support to your stomach muscles while the weight comes off. And help you feel that
    "your tummy is gettng smaller"
    Many of my friends (and I'm 63 so there are a few) that had children used this method to help their tummys get back to normal
    after childbirth,
    Just remember to get one that is supportive and comfortable or you will not wear it - adjust downward as you lose the weight.
    Good luck - your doing a great joo!
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    the organ "skin" has great ability to adjust at your age. Here is an old theory that has helped many women I know.

    As you lose weight wear a girdle! Remember to get smaller ones as you lose the weight.
    A good old fashoned girdle will give support to your stomach muscles while the weight comes off. And help you feel that
    "your tummy is gettng smaller"
    Many of my friends (and I'm 63 so there are a few) that had children used this method to help their tummys get back to normal
    after childbirth,
    Just remember to get one that is supportive and comfortable or you will not wear it - adjust downward as you lose the weight.
    Good luck - your doing a great joo!

    Thanks for the tip! Unfortunally not sure it would work.. before I started loosing weight for my wedding I attempted to wear things under my dress.. I tried 2.

    I tried the shirt kind that you roll down over your tummy that's supposed to smooth it out. It wouldn't stop rolling back up due to my uneven shape!

    So I tried a girdle like your suggesting and the opposite happened.... it rolled right back down my stomach!

    Neither helped much considering they wouldn't stay put! I did consider a full body thing.. but wouldn't that defeat the purpose? It would make me look smaller... but it wouldn't really help weight loose and they look terribly uncomfortable.

    And btw this is another thing I hate about my body that I'm trying to change! The snowman shape makes shirts roll up if they are to tight on the waist (I have to wear a size bigger to get it over my hips or pull my pants up to my belly button.. which I hate doing) and the time I did try to wear tight(er) pants they did the same thing and rolled down... arg! Fusterating!
  • fullofhope
    fullofhope Posts: 78 Member
    Wow! Don't ever undermine yourself with a weight loss of 77#! That is fantastic! It is more difficult to see changes when we start out bigger. You have so many things going for you, you are YOUNG! That is a great thing because your skin still has great collegen and elastisity. There is a great possibility that your belly will look what we consider to be "normal". But you know what? Flat stomachs arn't all what they are cracked up to be. Believe it or not, men like us soft. Keep doing your ab and core exercises, a super strong core will improve your posture and that alone can take ten pounds of of what you look like, in addition to a strong back that will decrease the chances of injury. My education is physical therapy so this is what I have learned. If when you have taken the weight off and you still are not happy with your body, then you can decide if surgery is for you. Yes, a mini tummy tuck is expensive. Around $5000. My mom had one after she had lost 150#, BUT she was 67 and had been heavy for many years. Hers was not going to snap back into place. I have hope for myself, although I wonder what will happen. I have 2 bellies like you, but the one over my belly button is getting smaller, I don't notice much change in the lower region. I have lost a total of 26# with 75# more to go. I am 50 and praying that I haven't damaged my skin. KEEP ON WORKING HARD! It will pay off in the end! Your health will improve as will your self esteem and the lean muscle mass and bone density will benefit you greatly as you age. :flowerforyou:
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Okay, here's the womens formula from the ACE manual. There is a different formula for men, so if you want it too so you can figure your husbands too, let me know. Abdomen is the waist at the belly button and hips is the fullest part of the butt. All measurements, abdomen, hips, and height, are in centimeters.

    Body Density = 1.168297 - (0.002824 x abdomen) + (0.0000122098 x abdomen^2) - (0.000733128 x hips) + (0.000510477 x height) - (0.000216161 x age)

    Percent Body Fat = (495 / Body Density) - 450

    Here's an example with a 30 year old who is 5'5" and has a waist of 40 inches and hips of 45 inches, just to make the math clear. This is just a made up person since I don't have your info.

    5'5" = 65 inches
    65 inches x 2.54 = 165.1 centimeters

    40 inches x 2.54 = 101.6 centimeters
    101.6 centimeters x 101.6 centimeters (for the abdominal^2) = 10322.56

    45 inches x 2.54 = 114.3

    Body Density = 1.168297 - (0.002824 x 101.6) + (0.0000122098 x 10322.56) - (0.000733128 x 114.3) + (0.000510477 x 165.1) - (0.000216161 x 30)

    Body Density = 1.168297 - (0.2869184) + (0.1260363931) - (0.0837965304) + (0.0842797527) - (0.00648483)

    Body Density = 1.001413385

    Percent Fat = (495 / 1.001413385) - 450

    Percent Fat = (494.3013617) - 450

    Percent Fat = 44.30136167

    Or 44.3% body fat
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    Thank you Tonya! I don't need the men's for now.. my husbad is slightly overweight but has no where near the problems as me.. and he is very healthy.. he's only loosing weight to support me right now (I think he likes his tummy lol).. if he changes his mind and gets more focus'd I'll let you know.. one step at a time :)
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