women who had babies

It is true though. A calorie deficit and contrary to popular belief,strength training are the way to go. I also had a c section,but I find scar massage really helps the "puckering" as well!

Personally, plenty of males can give helpful information without having been pregnant themselves, just like a trainer doesn't have to be obese to know what you have to do to lose a ton of weight, he is just trying to be helpful..knowledge is key, but ANYWAYS. I have had 5 pregnancies, 3 which were c-sections, I would not do a ton of sit-ups if I were you because you dont want to 'bulk' up the muscles on top of your scar tissue (if you have any), keep it different but reverse crunches, flutterkicks, I do some 'donkey kicks', and 'bicycle moves' (lay on my back and alternate arm to knee while moving legs back and forth) and focus on lower ab exercises. I am still working on flattening mine as much as possible, Ive lost some (had our last baby in Dec 11, 25 lbs down, still have a good 40 til Im happy again), but I would make sure what ever you do, you use cocoa butter lotion or something like that every day to help firm your skin, any bit helps! Zumba is my helper right now Good luck!

1. I have terrible genetics in terms of skin elasticity. I thought I was doomed to pooch forever. 2. I have diastisis recti as mentioned and made it worse with certain core workouts. 2. I was skinny fat (thin, healthy, great endurance) but hadn't retrained the muscles post pregnancy for strength/density, just for weight loss. 3. I started intermittent fasting, it worked amazingly. But after I read more into it I realized, it came down to a calorie balance, building muscle back up while slowly losing body fat. Now I'm deadlifting 205 lbs for reps, benching 145 for reps and squating 150 for reps instead of rinky dink circuit workouts and this is me. http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/ebbsies/more.php?section=progresspics Before I started IF and focusing on strength rather than weight loss. Body recomposition ftw.

All I was told was cardio, cardio, cardio, core, cardio. I'm interested to hear any good tips as well.

Actually fat lose comes from creating a deficit, no cardio needed. You can do this by diet only, Cardio only, strength training only, or a combination of all of them. Essentially eat at a small caloric deficit and exercise (mostly strength training with a little cardio)

If you are at the same deficit you will get faster results doing more strength training then cardio.

Interesting, coming from someone who never has been or never will be pregnant.

I dont see the problem, fat is fat, stretched skin is stretched skin whether it be from pregnancy or a beer gut. His point is valid too, and as for the prostate comment, if my husband had prostate problems and I came across a thread on it, and had something to offer I would post it, better to help than keep it to yourself

I think it completely depends how elastic your skin is and how bad your stretch marks are. I had one giant baby and a caesarean, and one normal sized baby and a natural birth. Unfortunately the bad one came first so I have a million and one stretch marks, the skin is paper thin, literally transparent in places, and I have a badly sewn caesarean scar which is set at an angle which give me a shelf. Attractive, huh?

My body fat is 20%, I weigh 123 lbs, and I exercise 4 or 5 times a week, and I will always have the saggy skin and stretch marks, because it's not attached to anything, so there's nowhere for it to go.

All I was told was cardio, cardio, cardio, core, cardio. I'm interested to hear any good tips as well.

Actually fat lose comes from creating a deficit, no cardio needed. You can do this by diet only, Cardio only, strength training only, or a combination of all of them. Essentially eat at a small caloric deficit and exercise (mostly strength training with a little cardio)

If you are at the same deficit you will get faster results doing more strength training then cardio.

Interesting, coming from someone who never has been or never will be pregnant.

Regardless if he has never/will never be pregnant, what he is saying is true. If you are looking to lose "weight" (that can include water, muscle, little bit of actual fat) then kill yourself with cardio. If you are looking to lose fat, then creating caloric deficit by watching your diet (and your macros), doing some cardio (not spending hours on the treadmill) and strength training will get you there so much faster. Trust me, I used to be all about the cardio, and it got me no where. Its only since cutting back, watching my macros and adding in strength that I have seen real results. And yes, I have been pregnant, and gained almost 100 lbs while preggo.

I think i have accepted my pooch!!

My tummy itself is flat, but its all the loose skin that gives me a pooch! And no amount of cardio or eating clean is going to make my skin spring back into place!! If there was a miracle non surgical solution i would take it on!

I also have separated abs and will now need an op to bring them back together. My youngest child is 9 months old.

I will keep a watch to see what others suggest

I am the same as you on the loose skin, but it's not true about the surgery. I was told the same, but I have managed to close the gap in mine doing a lot of the right abdominal work. Leg raises, v-sits (brilliant for this) and planks. I do an ab routine 3 times a week, and in the last year it has made such a difference. I had a 2 cm gap before, now they feel closed.

I go tmy tummy back quickly with my first but after the triplets I still look 8 months pregnant with 1! The girls are 3 now.......I guess I need many many tips! x

I bounced back with 3 kids-clean eating and good ole jillian helped. Then upped my workouts from to p90x.

I bounced back with 3 kids-clean eating and good ole jillian helped. Then upped my workouts from to p90x.

Based on your pictures, your genetics were a huge part of this as well as the caloric deficit, good for you for committing and getting it done! You look great.