Your stomach, after having a child.......

I havent had kids so I cant speak from personal experience but I've seen plenty of 'Yummy Mummy' types on here sporting flat tummy's... Don't panic yet - they're out there and it does happen! I think the Naysayers are actually just trying to discourage you from doing something they couldn't be bothered to try!

From a medical standpoint only the only way this can be true is from scar tissue from a poorly done c section. Outside of that and I don't mean this in a mean way a lot of people use it as an excuse. A woman's body is incredible in that it is able to heal from the very demanding task of having a child. The big thing to start to do is core strengthening. Yoga, Pilates, and trx are all great low impact ways to do this. Planks, and Swiss ball balance workout work as well. This will start to pull those muscles back into place. Outside of that rebuilding the muscles of your body through strength training and cardio will take the fat off to show those abs once again. Good luck!

It just depends on heredity, your age etc.
That being said..
3yrs ago (and after having 4 children and gaining TONS of weight) I got down to my smallest I had been since H.S. I went from 180lbs to 125lbs and wore a teeny bikini that summer. Flat stomache, no pouch, and luckily for me no stretch marks on my tummy. I unexpectedly got pregnant again at 34 and my son is now 2.5yrs old and I am working on getting there again. I suggest Yoga and Pilates for definition, strength and toning. I didn't use any weights and was in the shape of my life. It IS possible!

i have seen mothers with flat stomachs that dont even look like they have had children. so it is possible. im 5'3' 121lbs its a work in progress for sure. i think the lower your body fat the flatter it will be. i notice the more i lose the better that area looks, toning isnt coming very easy. i also hear diet is a big part of it. good luck mama

I'm not trying to make excuses, but no matter what my weight was, I've always had that little "poochy" belly. I had my kids at 25 and 32 and have always make it a point to work out regularly. It may be something I've failed to do, but I've been at my skinny weight and still hated my belly.

Hi Nickysmom126, for the most part, yes it is! I had 2 c-sections, not to mention the fact that I gained a lot during each pregnancy, lost most of it afterwards, and was about 20 pounds overweight until my kids were about 16 and 18 respectively.

2 years ago, I was referred to mfp by one of my friends who had just prior started using it. I joined too and we were diet buddies. We were both the same weight when we started, and we both lost the 20 pounds we were looking to, and are both exactly where we want to be and have maintained it for over a year and a half. We both will probably use mfp for life. She has two kids also.

How we did it was by simply eating right and excerising. We both do strength training and cardio every day. Myself, I do 20 minutes on weekdays (in the morning before work. I know my friend does her in the morning before work as well) and usually like 4 minutes on weekends. Every workout consists of about 150 crunches (alternating straight up and then to each side), 20 situps, 20 pushups, various arm excerises with free weights, and 10 minutes of running in pace followed by 100 jumping jacks. For my weekend workouts, I increase reps and add additional excericses. I changed the way I ate by replacing ingrediants when I am cooking with Fat Free or Low Fat alternatives or egg beaters instead of eggs and things like that. All I drink is water with the zero calorie vitamin packs added or green tea with splenda. I replaced sugar with splenda and salt with sea salt.

Now, I will say this, I have stretch marks. My friend says she does too. I'm come to the conclusion that there's nothing to do about that.

My stomach is pretty flat... I've only been pregnant once though and that was 5 years ago. I'm just working on toning it up so it looks better.

It takes time.

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my profile pic. My tummy is flat, but it does snag a little when I bend down. I think skin is definitely tightening up over time. I hope it continues to since I am done having kids.

I had a super flat tummy after #1, and almost now after #2, still early though!! It can be done!

I never had a flat stomach even before I had 3 children. I hate it. It can never go flat no matter how I diet or exercise. I will lose weigh and inches on my thigh, hip and boobs. When I gain weigh, the stomach is the first place that the fat goes. I wish there is an answer.

This is encouraging, though I won't be holding my breath - my gut is hammered!! still better than it being bigger!!

I've never had a super flat stomach, even before kids, but it is flatter now than it was before kids. I had 2 kids, 15 months apart, and my yougest is 17 months. I have done several Jillian Michaels dvds (30 day shred, ripped in30, killer buns and thighs, and just started 6 week 6 pack), and have recently gotten addicted to Body Pump. It is possible to flatten out that stomach, just make sure you're doing strength type workouts not just cardio.

This is my MFP start pic, i tried to hide the pooch...


I literally just took this to post here

I've never had a super flat stomach, even before kids, but it is flatter now than it was before kids. I had 2 kids, 15 months apart, and my yougest is 17 months. I have done several Jillian Michaels dvds (30 day shred, ripped in30, killer buns and thighs, and just started 6 week 6 pack), and have recently gotten addicted to Body Pump. It is possible to flatten out that stomach, just make sure you're doing strength type workouts not just cardio.

This is my MFP start pic, i tried to hide the pooch...


I literally just took this to post here

That is amazing! How long did it take you to do it?

Is it possible to ever have a flat tummy, if you have the "pooch" ? Everyone I have talked to says, oh theres now way you can lose that. I mean Im 5'6 154.2lbs and I want to get down to 125-130. So according to everyone I've talked to, I'll never have a flat stomach.... Im not going to lie its very upsetting to have someone say that to you. My son is 8 years old now, and this is the first time that I have tried to lose weight, but Im already discouraged already, just from what people are saying. So if theres anyone that has before and after pictures of your tummy, or advice or anything, I would greatly appreciate it.


Thanks so much,

Ashley

My daughter's aunt as three children. She blew up like a blimp with every pregnancy and she has the flattest tummy I have ever seen. And she achieved it without even dieting or exercising. So, yes, it's possible. Some of us just have to work harder for it.