Stretch Marks & Pouch Before & Afters

wow, tearful and beautiful!!

I love my babies!!

Im sorry but this is wrong if you do nothing but or mostly cardio you will end up with hanging extra skin and I dont think that is what you are looking for lifting weights is very important for toning.

according to Jillian Michaels & some others the only way to get that harmful belly fat gone is CARDIO..... yes, imprtant to do the weights too, but CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO.... so maybe try to even up your %'s a bit more like 60-40 or even 50-50... and as far as stretch marks from pregnancy goes... I call them my war wounds some women who are unable to have children would love to have had the ability to have gotten stretch marks.... who cares, be fit & healthy, not some image we see airbrushed on magazine covers :happy:

My MFP start pic, my youngest was 11mo when I took this pic. You can't see the pooch super well, I was trying to hide it with my shorts.


I literally just took this pic. This is 4, almost 5, months into my journey. I am 22lbs down and about 6 from my goal. As you can see, the pooch is still there a bit on the bottom, and I still have stretch marks but as far as my stomach has come, I can live with the stretch marks.

Amazing! Thank you for posting!! My stomach is v similar to yours but not as small, hopefully soon mine will shrink as much as yours has! What did you do in terms of excersise and diet?

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this is my belly now after giving birth to 6 kids in about 11 years. What you do not see are the strech marks up to over my belly button, my excess skin, my 6 inches scare just under my right ribs. Unless i have a tummy tuck, this is the belly i have for the rest of my life and i intend to do the best i can do with what i got.

I feel your pain Dexy, my stomach looks like a deflated balloon and I am really insecure about it (also had two c-sections which also left an unsightly mess). I lost the weight after my first child and did notice the belly bulge was much smaller. BUT I gained all the weight back and was much heavier with my second. SO I've decided that I am going to focus on losing some weight first and then consider some laser treatments once I have reached my goal weight. Seems like a nicer option than a tummy tuck and much more affordable.

WOW! Thank you for the inspiration - I was feeling pretty sh*tty a minute ago!

There are a lot of things to help fix these. May not go away completely, but I have found that these skin tightening wraps and the defining gel have helped AMAZING amounts. Tighter skin, less marks, etc. I use them EVERY 2 weeks and will until I'm done with my journey.

MADERMA!!!! It worked wonders for me. The summer after having my daughter (about 6 months post partum) I laid out in the sun to tan and was horrified when I looked in the mirror and saw that they were bright pink/purple and stayed that way for days. I used Maderma for weeks before going to the beach last year and they were hardly noticeable and I rocked a bikini! They didn't get all bright red or anything in the sun. They have lightened up A LOT and I don't feel as self concious now.

Tosca Reno has three kids.... I think she's sufficient proof that it can be done. But she's also proof that it takes a TON of work.

You should see a therapist about the body image stuff. Honestly, if you hate your body and don't see the point in being healthy, that is an issue that cannot be repaired with plastic surgery, lotions or weight loss. Losing weight and/or looking good will not make you happy.

What is the point in being healthy? Find something in your life that you love and be there for it. Whether that's a person, or a hobby or just getting out of bed in the morning, you can find something that you love and that you need to be present for. I know when I'm not healthy, I am too tired to enjoy all the fun things in my life, like spending time with my husband, my friends and just showing up to work. I hate feeling sluggish all the time.

Anyway, I'm not a mom, but I can tell you that the stretch marks on my thighs have faded. They are white now and they are not noticeable unless you look for them. My husband used to have bad stretch marks on his belly and those are gone now that he's lost a lot of weight. I don't run around inspecting mom bellies, but everyone is different and you don't know how your body will respond until you lose the weight and see for yourself.

As far as getting pregnant at 14 goes, it sucks that you didn't get to finish puberty (a big change in your body) before getting pregnant (another big change) and see what your body would have looked like without becoming a mother. However, I can tell you as a childfree person that my body has gone through a million changes anyway. I will never be the same shape and size that I was at 14, or 19, or 22, but hey, I'm still gorgeous.

You need to find a way to love yourself for who you are. Let me tell you that weight loss is a lot easier when you love and respect the body that you already have, just as it is.

I have 4 kiddos and last year started using Palmer's Cocoa Butter Oil (not the lotion, the oil). I apply it twice a day usually morning and evening. I also use it around my eyes for tightness due to dry skin. The oil is very lightweight and it has helped fade the stretch marks quite a bit. I do wear a bikini in the summer. The marks are still there, but less noticeable. Anyone who sees me with my tribe of boys is pretty certain where I got my stripes from!

Ain't had no kids but did lose 85lbs and have kept it off for over 3 years. I know that I have fat and maybe some of it is loose skin. From my understanding is that if I am able to drop my body fat percentage I can elimanate all most all of my my "loose" skin. Prolly wont look like I have any @ all. As far as the stretch marks don't stress over them!

I have alot of extra skin due to gaining alot of weight during pregnancy, I dont think ill ever have a flat stomach and im ok with that. It's a part of me. I do know that no matter what you try there is nothing you can do about stretch marks. Once our skin rips there is no unripping it. It will fade over time and ive even learned that tanning helps make them less notcable. Ive had stretch marks most of my life due to growing so quickly and there are less noticable but will always be there. Im open to all advice on how to get rid of the pouch!