Belly after child warning picture

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Hi everyone I've just joined up and Im nearly at my goal weight of around 8 st 3 ( prepregnancy weight) I have 6lbs to lose. Im 5ft2.
I hold all my weight on my thighs and stomach. Before I was pregnant I never had a flat stomach but I was never big...here is a picture of my stomach now after my child. He was nearly 9lbs and I held alot of weight when I was pregnant, that was a year and a half ago.

I'm really scared about putting this picture up but I need help with losing the weight around my belly and would like to know if I'd ever be able to achieve a flat stomach ever again. It really depresses me when I see my stomach, I'm 24 and want to be able to be confident in my clothes.

Can someone give me some advise on what exercises to do or how to go about this as I don't have much weight to lose now.

351etg1.jpg
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Replies

  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
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    Unfortunately you can't control where your body loses weight. I would suggest doing cardio/more cardio to burn fat and also focus on strengthening your core muscles with ab workouts, cruches and reverse crunches.
  • fight_for_fitness
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    Thanks hun, Im definately going to up the cardio!
  • TinaDay1114
    TinaDay1114 Posts: 1,328 Member
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    I had two 9-lb. boys, and had them relatively late (33 and 37), so I've always had the SAME Issue (you can see how pot-bellied I always looked in my profile pics).

    It's true that you can't "spot reduce" -- but you're young, you're getting fit, and the less body fat you have, the more your stomach will appear flatter (my "after" profile pics show the difference I've noticed after 8 months of hard work). Watching the diet, working out hard (cardio AND strength) AND eating back all your exercise calories will get you there. Your body needs fuel, so don't starve it to get abs -- it doesn't work.

    A challenging circuit training class I've been taking has also helped a lot b/c we do weight work and ab/core work that hits the whole body and ups your heart rate. It's brutal, but you can feel your body getting stronger by the week.

    Hope this helps, and hang in there -- you're photo looks good, actually!! :flowerforyou: I think we're too hyper-critical of our bodies after children. Don't beat yourself up for the changes. You're a different woman now (a Mom) and your body will be different. But you can still be fit and feel sexy. And you're young -- I will never lose the wrinkly stretched skin I have from my kids, but you may even lose that b/c you're in your 20's.

    Hang in there!!
  • Sydney0710
    Sydney0710 Posts: 61 Member
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    Compared to mine, your belly looks great. :)
  • SinIsIn
    SinIsIn Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Compared to mine, your belly looks great. :)


    THIS! ^^
  • Vermilla
    Vermilla Posts: 348
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    You're actually not that bad off. I know it may be hard to see when you're paranoid about your stomach. I had a child just under 12 pounds when she was born. It's 5 years later and my stomach looks really bad still. Your body pretty much chooses for you where you will take the weight away from, but if you keep going, it will eventually get to all the areas. You can tone your ab area as well so as it falls off, the muscle underneath will come to show and give you that flat-stomach appearance. Also remember that even if you lose weight at a decent pace, it takes a little more time for the skin to tighten up.
  • melruiz5
    melruiz5 Posts: 134 Member
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    I do Jillian Micheals 30 day shred and we do crunches and reverse crunches. She mentions during the workout that the reverse crunches work that "pooch" that we can't get rid of. I also do Turbo Jam Ab workout, that will REALLY help with abs, obliques, ans strenghting those muscles. Hope that helps:happy:
  • FatFreeLea
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    I had a 10 1/2 pound baby, I have that EXACT same pouch type thing. (I'm bigger than you are overall, though) It is so annoying. While I know cardio will help get rid of the fat, I think some of mine is loose skin too. =/
  • kwehkweh
    kwehkweh Posts: 70 Member
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    I just noticed the shape in the middle. If you bend over and see an obvious line down the middle of your belly you may have diastasis recti. I'm not going to post the article I look at for exercises because it's from a different weight loss website but I would google "exercises for diastasis recti" or "exercises for separated ab muscle"
  • kwehkweh
    kwehkweh Posts: 70 Member
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    OH and diastasis recti is where your ab muscles separate during pregnancy. It's pretty common. It doesn't hurt so you don't know you have it until after the baby usually.
  • ShannanRenae
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    Your belly isnt bad at ALL! I c sum ladies that havent had children & look up 2 9 months preggo! o_O
  • GouletB
    GouletB Posts: 50 Member
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    This + running. Running took my baby pooch way down!
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
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    I suggest the 30 day shred by Jillian Michael's I've seen a drastic change in my belly.
  • jenniet04
    jenniet04 Posts: 1,054 Member
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    OH and diastasis recti is where your ab muscles separate during pregnancy. It's pretty common. It doesn't hurt so you don't know you have it until after the baby usually.

    This is definitely a possiblity, but it also just takes time. Lots of cardio to lose the fat and lots of ab exercises to strengthen the muscles. I've had 4 babies - all 9 and 10 lbs - the last one just turned one year and i'm still working on it.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    you can get post pregnancy workout DVD on Amazon the trainer was shakira's and gwyneth paltrow and none of them look like they've ever been pregnant so it must work!

    Even few people who wasn't pregnant left reviews that it helped them tone their tummies, it got really good reviews, the trainer is called Tracy Anderson.
  • plushkitten
    plushkitten Posts: 547 Member
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    Cardio + working your oblique muscles will tighten up those areas. Good luck! :)
  • fight_for_fitness
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    Hi girls thanks for all your comments its made me feel better about it. I just got scared thinking that I would never be able to get rid of it by exercise but only say a tummy tuck. Ive done the check and there wasn't a line and I googled it just to check but I don't think I have that.

    I'm gonna get my bum into gear and do this 30 Day Shread! xx
  • celestelr
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    I have the same issue. I'm 5 months postpartum from my second baby and it's been a lot harder for me to loose weight there also. It seems I loose weight everywhere else BUT my stomach. I really starting seeing good results after doing a core strengthening and aerobic weight lifting class at the gym twice a week, then swim laps freestyle on Saturdays. I'm not sure what's been working, but I've noticed a dramatic loss in my stomach area since I started this regimine along with sticking to my calorie goals. We do a lot of crunches in the classes and the swimming always makes my stomach muscles sore so I know that's working too. Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself, you'll get your belly back it just takes time. :)
  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
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    Hi everyone I've just joined up and Im nearly at my goal weight of around 8 st 3 ( prepregnancy weight) I have 6lbs to lose. Im 5ft2.
    I hold all my weight on my thighs and stomach. Before I was pregnant I never had a flat stomach but I was never big...here is a picture of my stomach now after my child. He was nearly 9lbs and I held alot of weight when I was pregnant, that was a year and a half ago.

    I'm really scared about putting this picture up but I need help with losing the weight around my belly and would like to know if I'd ever be able to achieve a flat stomach ever again. It really depresses me when I see my stomach, I'm 24 and want to be able to be confident in my clothes.

    Can someone give me some advise on what exercises to do or how to go about this as I don't have much weight to lose now.

    351etg1.jpg

    You should do the 30 day shred!
  • AllyDelair
    AllyDelair Posts: 91 Member
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    http://allwomenstalk.com/12-best-ways-to-lose-stomach-fat/37/

    this is a very good website! it has lots of helpful hints! :)