Does This Uterus Make My Stomach Look Fat?

@gradchica utmost props to you. You are truly working that bikini! Flaunt it! I wish I could wear one, but it’s swim shorts for me, since (TMI, gentlemen, please look away....) one bikini line shave and I’m out of commission with crazy painful razor rash for weeks.

I bought a couple of sweet yoga ensembles that have crop tops. My belly had not seen daylight in 42 years, since the Great Band Camp Bikini Fail.

I have slowly built up enough confidence to wear them to class- and the mile round trip walk to the studio, directly down the busiest road in town, through the popular town square and restaurant outdoor seating areas.

I was incredibly self conscious at first, and super tense, but it got easier as people at traffic lights would holler out their windows “I love your outfit!” and I finally came to realize that not a single person had yelled “Hey, fat *kitten*!” or “Who you trying to fool!” I felt like I had pulled it off and was mostly over the hump.

But I have to giggle every time I do a plank or something similar, because my belly, which is comparatively taut when I’m standing up, leaks and oozes out of every available gap between that crop and those leggings, and hangs down like that blob fish pictured earlier.

I swear the thing has a life of its own. I was horribly embarrassed at first, but have come to terms with it. Most the other people in class know where I’ve come from and if they don’t, *shrug*.

It’s skin. We all have skin. Some of us just have an extra suitcase full, at least for the time being. Hopefully it will shrink.

Anyway, I just bought the shorts version of my fave yoga crop ensemble to wear to the pool. No planking there and what the neighbors don’t know won’t hurt them. Gonna need some major SPF on that poor chalk white belly though.

@stargirlhorse I wish I could give you a major hug. You are me, forty years ago. Wish I had some magical advice for you, but as @AnnPT77 says, with age comes wisdom. I’m think I’m getting smarter, if not actually wise yet. I think you are modest, as was I. Modesty, while a PITA, has its own charm. You just gotta learn to roll with it. It’s awful hard to unlearn.

stargirlhorse wrote: »

I’m not trying to troll here, I’m genuinely curious but WHERE do you find the confidence to show off like this?? In real life, in public, I’m literally terrified of first impressions because I don’t want people to think either “ew she’s got a big stomach” or “is she a pregnant teenager?”

18, Asian, female (ofc), 5’5.5, and 122lbs. (But it’s apparently a scientifically proven thing that Asians tend to gain belly fat, so in my opinion, I have too much for my liking.)

Unfortunately, society generally hates fat people, or even people with fat in the “wrong” places, and will judge them because they are fat.

This reminds me so much of me at 18. I remember thinking "god, I'd kill myself if I looked like that!" when I saw people out who didn't meet my own personal ideal. Ironically, I also thought I was hideously overweight.....at 5'4" and 110lbs. I was constantly agonising over the extra 5lbs I thought I was carrying.
But with age comes wisdom. At 42, I'll happily rock a bikini to the beach and won't think twice, because in general - no one gives a crap what I look like, they are all far more concerned with themselves. And while I;m sure there are 18 year old girls who look at me and think they'd rather die than be saggy, baggy, lumpy whatever like I am - meh. They'll learn none of us are perfect (at least not forever) and it really doesn't matter. My husband still thinks I'm a babe, and my body has grown 2 awesome kids, so I'd way rather spend my time enjoying my life than worrying about what people think of my lumps and bumps.

This is one big gigantic thread of TOTAL rock stars!!! BEAUTIFUL!

Agree this thread is fantastic. I think I posted some pics of my belly upstream.i might take a few more and post later just to keep this thread visible.

I’m very happy strolling around in batty rider shorts and a bikini top at 47. IDGAF what anyone thinks. I place little value on how my body looks anyway. My values as a person are more important.

Also forgot to put in that I mostly lift weights and did for 2 years then broke my spine but have been back at it for about 8 months

SERmom3 wrote: »

@gradchica27 - Thanks for posting! It’s encouraging to see that level of success after 4 babies! I’ve had 3 (two of which were 9-10lbs and c-sections). I’ve also had laparoscopic surgery, so my stomach area has been through a lot.

I’m close to your height and hit my initial goal of 140. Hoping to get down to 130 eventually, but it’s been slow and I’ve been focused on strength training. I’m beginning to see results, but I know it will take more time and patience. I’m inspired by your progress! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks 😊 I had a 8lb, 11lb, and 2 9lb babies and got up to 195-200 with 3 of those pregnancies, and had my gallbladder out last Labor Day. My youngest will be 5 in Aug. I stayed around 130-135 for the past few years, mostly strength training. With gyms closed, I decided now was the time to try and cut a little more. I’m going to focus on recomp again.

Going to PT for a second round of pelvic floor therapy this month, my therapist told me I needed to fix my diastasis, and that would help my hip issues and pelvic floor issues. Not one of my previous PTs or drs have mentioned diastasis to me in the 4.5 years since my last baby! Ugh. So I’m working on that right now. I do about zero direct ab work bc it tends to aggravate my pf issues. Hoping this will help! My ribs are already noticeably less flared out.

I wore that bathing suit for 5 hours today and felt pretty darn good 😄

Can I just reiterate how important posture is? I had terrible posture as a teen and most of my adult life due to a number of factors, Shoulders always hunched over and pelvis tilted forwards, making my tummy bulge out more than necessary. 6+ years ago when I started exercising regularly for the first time in my sedentary life I found my posture automatically improving and I noticed how different I looked in photos, I was standing so straight without even trying to. Posture really helps with the tummy pudge! I have always had a pudgy tumm even as a skinny teen and I don’t mind having a round soft belly but it definitely looks better when I’m standing straight! I have multiple large fibroids and about a year and a half ago I had a successful UAE procedure to kill the fibroids but keep my uterus so I am happy to put up with a little belly as long as I can keep my uterus and be free of the fibroid symptoms, it’s been life changing! Our womanly bodies are beautiful ladies, embrace yours! And we can all benefit from better posture!

This is so awesome. This whole thing. I was raised by an incredibly conservative parent so I can’t join in the bikini photos as I’ll get an incredible attack of religious guilt 😂🤣 but I just have to say thank you to all these women who are sharing this as years ago I was very ill with an inflammatory condition and one of the ongoing side effects still today is abdomen boosting randomly. I can go up two pant sizes in a day and it’s really depressing. To see that I’m far from alone and that we all have our individual body struggles and successes is so motivating and cathartic for me. Maybe one day I’ll post up here but until then I will lurk and be in awe of all of you. 💓💓

I so needed this post, I have been frustrated for a while obsessing over a flat tummy !!!

Age : 37
Pregnancies : 1
BMI : 21.6
Currently 13 months postpartum. .

Activity before pregnancy (for roughly 5 yrs) :
Yoga, body weight training, running, trekking...

Post delivery my only workout is slow walking and restoration yoga(gentle and slow) as am yet to get clearance for heavy workout (recovering pelvic floor) ..

Health Condition :
Suspect DR, yet to meet a physiotherapist for confirmation but I see a dome when I bend!!!
My tummy is even bigger on the days am Bloated(read 5 months pregnant look !!!)