Where are my big stomached ladies at?!

I had double hernia repair above and in my navel. That part of my stomach will not come down. So I have 2 ab muscles, a round mid /upper abdomen, a protruding navel, and a flat lower abdomen. The whole deal makes my butt look flatter than it actually is. Thankfully my obliques are pretty defined and I have those lines from my side abs down to my hipbones like the 8 pack. My only hope is low rise jeans and loose tops.

chnphillips wrote: »

I had double hernia repair above and in my navel. That part of my stomach will not come down. So I have 2 ab muscles, a round mid /upper abdomen, a protruding navel, and a flat lower abdomen. The whole deal makes my butt look flatter than it actually is. Thankfully my obliques are pretty defined and I have those lines from my side abs down to my hipbones like the 8 pack. My only hope is low rise jeans and loose tops.

I have almost the same thing! I think I may have diastasi recti (DR). When I started doing sit ups, I realized I had a huge bulge in my stomach! I came across DR and Im assuming thats what I have. Weightloss is great but does nothing for my upper stomach.

magicpickles wrote: »

@JessicaMcB You look much taller in the second photo, did you have a growth spurt or something? your calves look about the same length.

LOL probably the result of the photos being taken at different locations, at different angles and me trying to line them up as much as possible @magicpickles

Add me to this list!

I can see now that my stomach area will the the last to leave (the dreaded apron. ), but thankfully the boobs haven't gone down that much. Seems like my thighs are the winner here. I have a long way to go (170-130ish). I'm currently doing strong curves (bb) to see where that takes me!

Add me to the belly frustration group! After 63 lbs lost, my belly fat is still hanging on! I'm down to my last 5 lbs and should get to my maintenance weight range by mid August. I'll be starting recomp at that point and I'm really really hoping that as I build muscle, it will burn off the excess belly fat. If not, there's not much more I can do because after these last 5 lbs, I'll be at the bottom end of the healthy weight range for my height so I don't want to go down any further in weight.

I've lost 52 pounds so far, but that stomach just doesn't want to go away. I've always had a stomach that sticks out, even when I was thin in college, so I have a feeling it will never completely go away. On the other hand, my butt has gone completely, LOL.

Christine_72 wrote: »

middlehaitch wrote: »

@erinsot, not an impossible goal but certainly one that is more challenging for us apple shaped folk than it is for a person who genetically stores fat in the thighs and hips - pear shaped. We see posts all the time on how to lose in those particular spots too.

Visceral fat, the 'dangerous' stomach fat is relatively easy to lose through a calorie deficit and cardio.
Subcutaneous fat in the stomach area is not as 'dangerous' (doesn't have the same effect on hormones etc), though unattractive to many, relies on a calorie deficit aiming at all over fat loss.

It is more a case of deciding how far you want to lose to get those last pounds off.

Here is me, I can love my stomach at this size. It is large compared to the rest of me, but it is subcutaneous fat, with decent muscle underneath so it gives me no health concerns.

Cheers, h.

Where's this belly you speak of @middlehaitch ? You look perfectly wonderful, you should be very proud of yourself, and you look great in a bikini

Middlehaitch's photos do look marvelous and could walk proudly in a bikini anywhere and feel confident. Many ladies who are thin have a little bit of tummy. Most people in general don't scrutinize and rarely notice, in fact. They are too busy worrying about their own bellies.

I used to be. The link posted earlier (so you want a nice stomach) is one I wrote.



It can be a long and frustrating process. I lost my boobs along the way, but that's a small price for being able to sit down and not try to hide my belly or tuck my fat in. I had two babies while obese, so I understand a lot of the frustrations.

DebSozo wrote: »

JessicaMcB wrote: »

Still working on the toning up part and still unsure re: if I need to cut a bit more first, but I went from apple to significantly less apples . Started February 1st and I have three kids under 4. You can do it OP, just keep chipping away at it and eventually you'll have no belly left to worry about

Jessica, you transformed your shape into hourglass and look fantastic! You look like a teenager. I thought that you were until I saw your post about 3 kids under 4 years old. What a great accomplishment!

Thanks Deb, definitely not a teen though I'm sure the fine lines around my eyes wish I was lol .

@usmcmp boobs are totally overrated, you look killer!

Me. My stomach is the worst. Jeans/pants don't fit me right, because if they fit me in the belly, they are too baggy in the legs/butt. I feel like I need to wear a larger size than I should.

lauraesh0384 wrote: »

I'm 5'6" 157 lbs (down from 240) which is only a few lbs from the high end of normal weight for me and I definitely still have a fat stomach. I have less fat on my stomach in comparison to my lower body, but I am your typical pear shape. I've started strength training to try and change my body composition. I don't even care about seeing muscles in my core. I just want a flat and toned stomach. Unfortunately I'm not sure what weight I need to get down to for that to happen.

This is where I'm at too. I'm 5 foot 6 and 153 currently. I thought I would be happy at 155 - nope. I thought maybe 150? --probably not...so I'm going with 140 now...but I highly doubt 13 pounds is going to take away the amount of tummy I'm hoping to lose. Arrghhh.

The struggle is real, especially if you are older than 40. My awesome doctor suggested two things: 1) Belly weight suggests an excess of cortisol (stress hormone). She helped me work on reducing stress and maki g sure to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night. So far, the most helpful advice I've had. Second, she advised that belly weight in menopause can be a sign of estrogen dominance; she suggested an over-the counter progesterone cream applied 3 weeks on/2 weeks off; this vastly improved my insomnia, mood, and brain fog. Best to you, Bonnie

P.S. Not sure if you are just talking abput excess skin after large weight loss. I have some, but actively resist worrying about because 1) my biggest issue is the weight and 2) I am losing slowly enough that some of it may adjust back. I'm considering it a problem to embrace and to only address after I am one year at goal weight.

Lordy, me and the belly. I always had a little curve of belly even when I was "naturally thin" as a child and teenager. I'd just gotten my stomach perfectly flat with visible muscle when I got PG with my first son. After he was born (perfect and wonderful child), I got very depressed and gained a lot, which came right off when I got divorced (heh). After that I didn't really have any problems, even with my second boy (another perfect and wonderful child) until I was about 35, and then I just started gaining and gaining, my husband died, more gaining, just gain gain gain and then I weighed almost 200 lbs on my 5'4" frame (maybe 5'3", I might have lost an inch), and now my belly sticks out further than my bosom (oh geez I am so painfully proper). I've lost about 13 lb now and the belly has lessened bit by bit. I know it can be lost, because my dad had a big old belly until he was diagnosed with diabetes, at which point he began walking and lost it - now he is in great shape for an old man, as I tease him. I'm doing low carb and trying to recognize non-scale victories, but I suspect the belly is going to hang on until the end. Bleccch. I feel like literally ALL of the fat is there. Patience, patience. Slow and steady wins the race. These are the things I tell myself. Heh. Don't think this is very helpful but I felt compelled to share.