What will my stomach look like?

SmileyAmy1977
SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
So, some of you may have the same type of belly as I do. I have a lower roll and an upper roll, that is right below my breasts. I've been big for a long time, and even at my smallest, in high school, I had that type of belly.

I'm finally on my way to losing. 35lbs so far! Yay me! And I'm going to they gym usually 4 days a week. Doing Couch to 5K, weights, etc.

So my question is...what is my stomach going to look like after all this? I'm gonna have a loose flabby stomach aren't I?? I have people telling me that since I'm losing slow, it should not be bad...but I'm 34 and my stomach has been like this for so long, I tend to think its gonna be like that forever.

I was 267 and 5'7 tall. Anyone have any experience with this? What are you left with?

Replies

  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    BUMP!
  • fitness_superstar
    fitness_superstar Posts: 47
    bump
  • LeeLynnP
    LeeLynnP Posts: 116 Member
    At least you havent had 2 c sections AND been heavy... i think there is no hope for me.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    There's really no way to know. But does it really matter? Wouldn't you rather be healthy with some loose skin? I would. :) I'm going to have a lot of loose skin due to pregnancy stretch marks, but I figure nobody's going to see my bare stomach except my husband anyway, and he doesn't care. But dang it, I'm going to have abs underneath all that loose skin! :)
  • IamJustSanie
    IamJustSanie Posts: 93 Member
    At least you havent had 2 c sections AND been heavy... i think there is no hope for me.
    My thoughts exactly, I had 3 c-sections so my tummy will probably hang forever!
  • zml_mom
    zml_mom Posts: 270 Member
    if I knew how to post a pic on here I would post pics of my belly, I have flab that I HATE I have also had 2 kids via c-section in the last 2 years so that made it worse.

    I have lost about 95 lbs so far (haven't weighed in officially on here yet so it shows 93) and I have noticed that it's gone down some but no where near what I would like it to look

    not sure if that helps at all but I pretty much know the chanced of mine going away on its own is pretty small


    once I hit my goal weight I will start working harder to get rid of it the best I can
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    There's really no way to know. But does it really matter? Wouldn't you rather be healthy with some loose skin? I would. :) I'm going to have a lot of loose skin due to pregnancy stretch marks, but I figure nobody's going to see my bare stomach except my husband anyway, and he doesn't care. But dang it, I'm going to have abs underneath all that loose skin! :)

    Well, I'm a single mom...so I have dating to worry about. :laugh:

    But I agree...the important thing, and my ultimate goal is to be healthy for my little girl. She's my inspiration.

    I guess I just wonder how much loose skin I will have. A lot? A little? Its it going to be repulsive, or "ok"? Just a concern I have. I really don't want to wear Spanx for the rest of my natural life. LOL
  • Melisa25
    Melisa25 Posts: 16
    My trainer said the stomach area is the last to loss. You start in your arms and legs and move in. I have the same issue but it is slowly going away. You have come a long way don't give up!
  • Melis25Fit
    Melis25Fit Posts: 811 Member
    Starting weight: 284.
    Current weight: 160.

    My stomach looks awful: Still rollage goin' on, and after I have kids, I'm getting a Tummy Tuck. I've worked sOOO hard, and I know I have a flat tummy under all this skin.

    Some people can live with it, but I want to look as good with my clothes off as I look with clothes on.

    Unfortunately any amount of toning I do, doesn't do much for my tummy! Good luck!
  • boilermakerblaw
    boilermakerblaw Posts: 78
    I'm your height (5'7") and even when I was 18 and 115 lbs I always had a little "pouch" of fat around my abdomen (lower part of my stomach)

    I'm at about ~123-124 now after dieting and doing P90x (heaviest ~141 lbs) and that pesky little fat is still there even though my body fat % is like...16.5% (according to skin calipers)

    What I've gathered on here is that depending on your shape fat tends to want to stay in certain places, especially with women! Some women only gain in there hips & thighs and always have flat stomachs, while others gain more in their belly region.

    I think its possible for anyone to have a nice flat tummy but for some people they might have to get to smaller body fat percentages to get there!

    Just keep working out and watching your diet on MyFitPal and your body is guaranteed to respond although it might take some time! I'm glad to see you've been doing weights b/c I've seen a lot of women on here complain that while they lose weight during cardio they become flabby and lose definition unless they weight train too!

    Good luck!
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
    I have had two C-sections too... so mine is a lost cause.

    BUT

    In highschool I lost a considerable amount of weight much like what you are coming down from and my stomach had a few stretch marks but was otherwise getting smaller. Since I had lost weight slowly it wasn't that bad.. but I never tried developing my abs so I'm sure they could have attained the definition. You should be fine.
  • ItsMeLori
    ItsMeLori Posts: 346
    If you are consistent and eating healthy foods it will get a lot flatter. I have only lost 9 pounds but my bottom roll is tiny now. I still have loose skin but it is toning up slow. Doing planks really works. Making sure you are doing cardio for sure!! That C25K really helped me tone up a lot along with 30 day shred with Jillian Michaels and Planks.

    I don't have a before pic but here is my tummy now

    2dhs3li.jpg
  • Crazydog98
    Crazydog98 Posts: 3 Member
    At 34 you are young enough that your skin probably has a fair amount of elasticity. Have you ever watched the Biggest Loser? Those people start out even heavier than you (or I) and after losing huge amounts of weight fairly quickly, they look pretty good with minimal sagging. That's because for the most part they are young enough to have a lot of elasticity left in their skin. So there is hope for you.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    You're young, so the chances are your skin will bounce back well.

    I lost more than a hundred pounds a couple of years ago. (Gained some back when I injured myself and couldn't exercise - I have to exercise to lose! ). wasn't at goal when I had to stop, but I had lost quite a bit off my belly. I'm a fair bit older than you, but my tummy was ok looking. It wasn't absolutely smooth and perfect, but it was nice enough looking. If you pinched the skin it was a little loose, but it wasn't terrible.

    Moisturise, hydrate and exercise. It helps.

    I think most women, no matter what size, have a small pouch post-pregnancy. Most of the supertoned celebs we see in the mags 'bounce back' after pregnancy by having a tummy tuck at the same time as their child is delivered. A small pouch is normal, healthy femaleness, for most of us.

    Whatever is left, the chances are it's going to look a WHOLE lot better than it does now, right? :-)
  • kfitz10103
    kfitz10103 Posts: 354
    I had 2 babies within the last 2 years and the last was a c section. I do have lower abdominal pooching, but it is getting better. My top roll under my boobs is gone though. My stretch marks are all white now and I am pretty happy with the results. You won't have to wear spanx the rest of your life. It will get better.
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    My trainer said the stomach area is the last to loss. You start in your arms and legs and move in. I have the same issue but it is slowly going away. You have come a long way don't give up!

    No giving up here! I've finally, after starts and restarts and fail, for years...I finally feel good about this. All of my friends and family are amazed that I'm doing so good. It took me hitting a wall and going "WTH am I doing!?" to do it...but I'm doing it and I don't plan to stop!
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    Wow! You guys are awesome! I never expected to get so many responses! I haven't really posted on here much.

    I guess only time will tell what happens. If I could lose the top roll (I call my belly a "B" belly, cuz thats what it looks like) then I would be ok. I hate that it sticks out farther than my boobs. I have DDD's - that is NOT ok. Although I notice its going down.
  • Zen_Master_B
    Zen_Master_B Posts: 78
    If I had any advice to offer you it would be do more full body toning exercises. I started out at 260 and am now down to about 173(with a goal of 165) and I have loose skin nagging me. I know that my problem was I lost the majority of the weight playing basketball, and I didn't weight train enough early on. I have been doing this for like 3 years and my loose skin is just now becoming less of a problem, but I am still self conscious because of it.
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    If I had any advice to offer you it would be do more full body toning exercises. I started out at 260 and am now down to about 173(with a goal of 165) and I have loose skin nagging me. I know that my problem was I lost the majority of the weight playing basketball, and I didn't weight train enough early on. I have been doing this for like 3 years and my loose skin is just now becoming less of a problem, but I am still self conscious because of it.

    I have been doing weights since I started. Three leg machines, an ab machine, shoulders, arms and I do about 150 various crunches each day.

    I know cardio won't get me where I want, alone. I know I need to tone as well.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Do some core building and body weight exercises: Ie Planks, squats, lunges, tri-cep dips. All well force you to engage your core to do the exercise right and help build the muscles that will make the stomach flatter.
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    Do some core building and body weight exercises: Ie Planks, squats, lunges, tri-cep dips. All well force you to engage your core to do the exercise right and help build the muscles that will make the stomach flatter.

    I don't know what any of these are. :laugh: Can you tell me or give me a website that tells me about how to do these?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Do some core building and body weight exercises: Ie Planks, squats, lunges, tri-cep dips. All well force you to engage your core to do the exercise right and help build the muscles that will make the stomach flatter.

    I don't know what any of these are. :laugh: Can you tell me or give me a website that tells me about how to do these?

    For a plank it's basically a pushup position except you hold it.. you can either have your arms straight like the start of a pushup, or have your arms bent so your on your forearms. You want to have your butt in line with your legs and back, but don't let your hips sag towards the floor. I do 3 planks for 30 seconds each with about a 30 second rest break.

    Lunges are just like what they sound like. Step forward with either the right or left leg, and bend both legs till they are at a 90 degree angle with the knee not extending past your toes. Make sure to keep your upperbody upright and don't bend or sag. I do 3 sets of 10 each leg and I generally have a 12.5 pound dumbbell in each hand.

    Squats are kinda hard to explain.. but its like your squatting down to pick something up. Instead of bending at the waist though to pick something up, keep your back straight a lean forward a bit... you want to make your thighs parallel to the floor. You'll also feel this one in your rear, so don't be surprised if your butt hurts the next day. I generally do 3 sets of 15.

    Tricep dips what you are going to need is a bench or two chairs that you can space about 5 inches apart. Your going to grip on to the bench or chairs with your fingers facing front and walk your legs out until they are straight out infront of you and cross at the ankle. Then lower yourself towards the ground until your elbows are bent 90 degrees, and then push yourself back up, and thats 1 dip. I generally do about 3 sets of 10-12.

    You could also hop on youtube or bodybuilding.com. They have plenty of videos that show you how to squat, lunge, and do planks/tri-cep dips.
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    Do some core building and body weight exercises: Ie Planks, squats, lunges, tri-cep dips. All well force you to engage your core to do the exercise right and help build the muscles that will make the stomach flatter.

    I don't know what any of these are. :laugh: Can you tell me or give me a website that tells me about how to do these?

    For a plank it's basically a pushup position except you hold it.. you can either have your arms straight like the start of a pushup, or have your arms bent so your on your forearms. You want to have your butt in line with your legs and back, but don't let your hips sag towards the floor. I do 3 planks for 30 seconds each with about a 30 second rest break.

    Lunges are just like what they sound like. Step forward with either the right or left leg, and bend both legs till they are at a 90 degree angle with the knee not extending past your toes. Make sure to keep your upperbody upright and don't bend or sag. I do 3 sets of 10 each leg and I generally have a 12.5 pound dumbbell in each hand.

    Squats are kinda hard to explain.. but its like your squatting down to pick something up. Instead of bending at the waist though to pick something up, keep your back straight a lean forward a bit... you want to make your thighs parallel to the floor. You'll also feel this one in your rear, so don't be surprised if your butt hurts the next day. I generally do 3 sets of 15.

    Tricep dips what you are going to need is a bench or two chairs that you can space about 5 inches apart. Your going to grip on to the bench or chairs with your fingers facing front and walk your legs out until they are straight out infront of you and cross at the ankle. Then lower yourself towards the ground until your elbows are bent 90 degrees, and then push yourself back up, and thats 1 dip. I generally do about 3 sets of 10-12.

    You could also hop on youtube or bodybuilding.com. They have plenty of videos that show you how to squat, lunge, and do planks/tri-cep dips.

    Cool! Thanks!! And I can do these at home it seems!
  • Hodar
    Hodar Posts: 338 Member
    This question is often asked. Pinch the back of your hand. That is what loose skin looks like.

    The fatty 'apron' or 'belly' you describe and we all fear, is a mixture of loose skin, saturated with subcutaneous fat, and a lack of connective tissue (hence it just hanging there). So, how do you avoid and/or fix this?

    Simple. Your body NEEDS fuel, if you lose weight too fast - you are burning muscle and connective tissue (both are excellent sources of protein). So, how do you prevent this? Well, exercise, exercise, exercise - and lose the weight slowly. The exercise will cause your body to build more muscle, and more connective tissue. The slow weight loss will allow your skin to shrink as you drop.

    If you already have the apron, fear not. Keep losing weight. The reason it 's hanging out there, is because you have more fat to lose; and that fat is clinging to that flab. As the fat goes - the connective tissue you have will gradually pull that tummy back where you want it. Yes, it will take time - think on the scale of a year. But, surgery is usually not necessary - just patience, exercise and a healthy diet.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Do some core building and body weight exercises: Ie Planks, squats, lunges, tri-cep dips. All well force you to engage your core to do the exercise right and help build the muscles that will make the stomach flatter.

    I don't know what any of these are. :laugh: Can you tell me or give me a website that tells me about how to do these?

    For a plank it's basically a pushup position except you hold it.. you can either have your arms straight like the start of a pushup, or have your arms bent so your on your forearms. You want to have your butt in line with your legs and back, but don't let your hips sag towards the floor. I do 3 planks for 30 seconds each with about a 30 second rest break.

    Lunges are just like what they sound like. Step forward with either the right or left leg, and bend both legs till they are at a 90 degree angle with the knee not extending past your toes. Make sure to keep your upperbody upright and don't bend or sag. I do 3 sets of 10 each leg and I generally have a 12.5 pound dumbbell in each hand.

    Squats are kinda hard to explain.. but its like your squatting down to pick something up. Instead of bending at the waist though to pick something up, keep your back straight a lean forward a bit... you want to make your thighs parallel to the floor. You'll also feel this one in your rear, so don't be surprised if your butt hurts the next day. I generally do 3 sets of 15.

    Tricep dips what you are going to need is a bench or two chairs that you can space about 5 inches apart. Your going to grip on to the bench or chairs with your fingers facing front and walk your legs out until they are straight out infront of you and cross at the ankle. Then lower yourself towards the ground until your elbows are bent 90 degrees, and then push yourself back up, and thats 1 dip. I generally do about 3 sets of 10-12.

    You could also hop on youtube or bodybuilding.com. They have plenty of videos that show you how to squat, lunge, and do planks/tri-cep dips.

    Cool! Thanks!! And I can do these at home it seems!

    Yup, you def. can do these at home. These are what my trainer has me do, and they are also good for toning up the legs, butt, and arms.

    You can also do an oblique twist where you sit on your butt and if you can put your feet up, but if not just lean back a bit and twist side to side letting your hands touch the floor. I do about 30 of those before my abs are screaming at me.
  • PrairieRoseNE
    PrairieRoseNE Posts: 265 Member
    Very informative post - Thanks everyone that contributed - I have the same issues - the "B" belly fat the OP described. My waist is becoming more hour glass shaped, but I still have an upper and lower "roll". Having a C-Section definitely contributed to the problem. But after losing 57 lbs, I'm not complaining too much - I just have more work to do.

    Again, Thanks for all the helpful advice on ways to reduce the "B" belly :)
  • brinsy
    brinsy Posts: 226 Member
    wow 35pounds is amazing well done!
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    Very informative post - Thanks everyone that contributed - I have the same issues - the "B" belly fat the OP described. My waist is becoming more hour glass shaped, but I still have an upper and lower "roll". Having a C-Section definitely contributed to the problem. But after losing 57 lbs, I'm not complaining too much - I just have more work to do.

    Again, Thanks for all the helpful advice on ways to reduce the "B" belly :)

    We should start a "B" Belly Support Group! LMAO!
  • SmileyAmy1977
    SmileyAmy1977 Posts: 53 Member
    wow 35pounds is amazing well done!

    Thank you! :flowerforyou:
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