Successful moms: belly/ab shaping? lose skin fixes?

IveLanded
IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm approaching my goal weight and now focussing more toning . I'm wondering if it's even going to be possible for me to have toned abs/stomach. I've had 3 kids and have been told that after my pregnancies I had that thing where the stomach muscles separate down the middle.

Are there any moms out there who've be able to successfully lose weight AND get their stomach and abs into decent shape? In particular, I'm wondering about moms who weren't especially athletic prior to kids.

And what about the lose skin issue? My thighs and stomach have gotten tons smaller but have a bit of puckered/deflated looking skin. I wasn't ever grossly overweight, but ultimately I'll be down probably around 40lbs....am I ever going to be able to tone that up?
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Replies

  • sweetNsassy2584
    sweetNsassy2584 Posts: 515 Member
    I had a c-section and have that problem but its slowly but surely getting better. There are a lot of moms on here that have awesome stomachs. Search the forums for it there are a lot of posts.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    Thanks. :)
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    anyone have any specific links or users to check out?
  • wookiemouse
    wookiemouse Posts: 290 Member
    You will be able to get toned, that's no problem. You have to loose any fat that's on top of the muscles to see it though. And traditional crunches make it worse - look up exercises specifically for diastasis recti, that will help.

    As for the skin - it's a combination of age and genetics. If you're still young (20s, 30s) then there's a good chance the skin will re-tighten after time. But it will take a while. The older you get, the longer it takes. Otherwise - plastic surgery is the only other option.

    I feel your pain, tho. My abs are super hard right now, but I'm still working on the skin issue. Last baby was over 10 lbs, I don't know if my abs will ever recover!!
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Gained over 40 pounds with each kid, then lost 60 total after having my 2nd. A little loose skin but not horrible.

    Also had diastasis, but it went away almost totally with TIME.

    As the OP said, don't do crunches. I hardly do any traditional abs except for planks and medicine ball twists a couple times a week. My abs come from diet and compound movements like squats, lunges, and deadlifts.

    Went from this

    39wks.jpg

    To this

    belly.jpg
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    You look incredible!!!
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    I still have loose skin when I bent over, but it looks fine standing up. Agreed that you don't need to be crunches, unless you like doing them.

    me at 39 weeks for 2nd pregnancy... kind of dark
    avk77d.jpg

    now... my son is 2.25 years old
    2ypafx4.png
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    I had diastasis recti but it was severe. I had a 4 inch gap and no matter how hard I worked I couldnt fix it. My bf% was at 14.7% but because of the diastasis it protruded. I also had a hernia so I had surgery 5 weeks ago to fix both. But in my profile pic that was before surgery so you can see it didnt look too horrible. If I kept my muscles tight I had a nice looking tummy but I was walking around always holding my muscles tight which wasnt good for my back either!
  • SweetNaughtyLips
    SweetNaughtyLips Posts: 374 Member
    I love the before-and-after pictures, you all look fantastic!
  • bsinno
    bsinno Posts: 344 Member
    THERE IS HOPE THEN?!?!

    LOL

    SO, just regular diet & exercise got your tummies back to "normal"? there is no big secret?!?!
  • luzmidd
    luzmidd Posts: 154 Member
    Wow... You ladies look great... Just a question though for qtiekiki, normal or cesarean? Because with the latter, your muscles are cut as apposed to normal where there are stretched?
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    Two vaginal births.
  • BaDaSsBrUnEtTe
    BaDaSsBrUnEtTe Posts: 518 Member
    I still have loose skin when I bent over, but it looks fine standing up. Agreed that you don't need to be crunches, unless you like doing them.

    me at 39 weeks for 2nd pregnancy... kind of dark
    avk77d.jpg

    now... my son is 2.25 years old
    2ypafx4.png
    wow!!!! you look amazing! what do you do for exercise?
  • jeanschweiger
    jeanschweiger Posts: 9 Member
    I had diastasis too!! I only had my son 5 1/2 weeks ago, but its getting better a tiny bit. I am hoping it continues to repair itself. These before and afters are really inspiring :)
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    I do the bodyrock.tv workouts, and some days I make up my own circuit of full body exercises and plyometrics with weights. I add weight training, doing the Stronglift 5x5 moves with the limited weights I have at home, but I am not following the schedule. I also ride the stationary bike on days when I want extra calories to eat. And then sometimes walks during breaks and lunch.
  • cutethang1
    cutethang1 Posts: 239 Member
    bump! Looking GREAT ladies
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I'm still working on mine. It looks ok... it's flat... I still have a little pooch but it's mostly flat. But I don't just want a flat tummy I want it to be hard and toned. The top of it has gotten "tighter" (if that's the right word to describe it) so hopefully the bottom half will follow soon enough. I have pictures of it in my profile.

    By the way it's been 5 years since I was pregnant. So it's definitely been a while. I think the main thing that the pregnancy screwed up is my belly button :( It will never look the same.
  • just4u_cara
    just4u_cara Posts: 100 Member
    3 abdominal surgeries here (c/s with twins, gall bladder & hysterectomy) 6 1/2 years from first to last. While I *want* and *desire* the flat ab stomach, I'm not sure it's a realistic goal for me. Always been obese during my adult life, never athletic or fit, will my body know what to do when I drop the 100+lbs to get to my goal weight?

    I'm down 36lbs now, and can already see the saggy pooch developing. I do crunches to develop even a bit of ab strength.

    <sigh>
  • kadins_momma07
    kadins_momma07 Posts: 328 Member
    You ladies look amazing!! I need to lose the fat/skin in my midsection too...I can tell there are abs underneath the big blanket of fluff, I just need to uncover them!! lol. My son is almost 4 and a half now and I looked great right after I had him! BUT at my 6 week checkup I got on Mirena and had it for 4 years (got it out this April) and while on it I apparently developed PCOS and now I'm bigger than I was at 9 months pregnant!!!! And it's mostly all in my midseciton. So this year I have finally been seariouly trying to get this weight off since Mirena is out, and hopefully I can get my PCOS under control so I can have another healthy pregnancy and bounce back afterwards!
  • OpenHeaven
    OpenHeaven Posts: 275 Member
    bump
  • Jugie12
    Jugie12 Posts: 282 Member
    super bump!
  • Kia148
    Kia148 Posts: 192 Member
    Bump!
  • mostein
    mostein Posts: 200 Member
    I was in recovery from anorexia the year before I got pregnant so other than walking I didn't exercise at all. When I got pregnant I was advised to just continue walking and nothing else. I gained 45 pounds during my pregnancy and had Diastasis Recti. I ended up having an emergency c-section and figured there was no way I would ever have a flat stomach again as that was what "everyone" said. However, 6 weeks post partum I slowly got back into exercising with my daughter. We started with once a week stroller classes and by the time she was a year we were taking 3 stroller classes and a salsa babies class a week plus daily walks. Now she is almost 4 and I have continued to workout almost daily on my own. I have found that doing core exercises like planks, burpees and mountain climbers are far more beneficial then the traditional crunches although I do still do those. Try not to put a time limit on yourself i.e. 6 pack by summer. Our bodies go through so much with pregnancy so be patient with your transition back. And good luck!
  • jallen1955
    jallen1955 Posts: 121
    There is no magic bullet, it is all diet and regular exercise. All 3 of my babies were over 8lbs and I got huge with each of them. Six months after number 3 I was winning "hot tan" contests and the tummy was flat.

    My acupuncturist says that wearing a belly belt or other abdominal support garment after birth will help with the skin issue....and she also recommends one if you are more than 30lbs overweight and getting back inbto shape.
  • Mel_roe
    Mel_roe Posts: 7
    Bump!
  • EmilyMarieMo
    EmilyMarieMo Posts: 67 Member
    3 abdominal surgeries here (c/s with twins, gall bladder & hysterectomy) 6 1/2 years from first to last. While I *want* and *desire* the flat ab stomach, I'm not sure it's a realistic goal for me. Always been obese during my adult life, never athletic or fit, will my body know what to do when I drop the 100+lbs to get to my goal weight?

    I'm down 36lbs now, and can already see the saggy pooch developing. I do crunches to develop even a bit of ab strength.

    <sigh>

    you tube and google core exercises instead of crunches. It will help tone you up. No idea how flat your body will let you go... but you can tone up! It all starts with the core though.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I don't have any stretch marks or very much lose skin. I consider myself very lucky. I don't do any specific ab exercises. I find the big compound lifts such as squats work my core enough to produce the level of muscles I want. Revealing those muscles has merely been a matter of fat loss and muscle maintenance.
  • Syderelli
    Syderelli Posts: 439 Member
    bump! not a mom, but this post is great :)
  • SaishaLea
    SaishaLea Posts: 333 Member
    Bump! 2 section in the past 2 years. I have lost over 50 pounds, and have more to lose... I just want my old belly back!
  • piebird79
    piebird79 Posts: 201 Member
    Bump to read later.
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