Is it possible to tone my abs after years of flab?

gaveruz
gaveruz Posts: 47 Member
edited December 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I yet have to see before and after pictures of women that used to have a flabby, pouchy stomach gained from motherhood; who kept them for years and then decided to make changes.
My abs are horrendous and full of stretch marks. It is getting better and my goal is to eliminate the pouch, then tone my core and make it look good and with muscles. However, I am not sure if i will be able to ever achieve this goal. Is it even possible? What will happen with the strech marks and extra skin?
(P.S - new to this; all other times I tried to lose weight was to just get "thin". Now at my age I want to be FIT and want muscles. Long road to go...)
Thanks for any insight you can give me.

Replies

  • mrseelmerfudd
    mrseelmerfudd Posts: 506 Member
    i would love to get rid of my pouch. i have the worst stretchmarks, but im aiming for at least decreasing the pouch, i guess ill not be able to get of it completely, but at least if i can decrease it somewhat ill be happy :)
  • sir1ush
    sir1ush Posts: 5
    I believe it is possible. I had terrible stretch marks (not just marks, they are indented) and a pot belly that poured over my belt and rested on my thighs when I was finished having children. I was in the military and they ran me to death afterwards. The stretch marks stayed, but my skin got much tighter over time, so it didn't look that bad. You could even see my "four pack". However, it was still a little bunchy around my belly button- but it still looked good.

    Once I had a guy comment on how he could see the ridges of my abs with a tight shirt on. Moral of the story- cardio, cardio, CARDIO!! And lots of good lotion to aid the tightening of the skin while you lose weight.

    I have since gained weight, after leaving the military, and I am trying to get it back... good luck (and hard work)!!
  • Swanson83
    Swanson83 Posts: 226 Member
    I believe it will happen! I have three children that have left a lasting legacy on my body. (totally worth all of it) I have a pooch. I have stretch marks. I never get the 'red' stretch marks but the white ones I did. It didn't look like I had stretch marks when I was pregnant then after I had my kids it was like a party of stretch marks on my body! So now after seven months my body is starting to look better than it has in about 8 years. My biggest complaint about my body is my love handles. That is where I store my fat. I have a pooch and it is slowly going away but I don't know if my lovely love handles will ever leave.

    Just keep at it! I didn't think it would happen either...but it is! Good luck!
  • marymickaela
    marymickaela Posts: 190 Member
    Every time I ask my personal trainer that question he repeats the same thing. Cardio/diet, cardio/diet, cardio/diet. I keep thinking there should be an exercise to help, that's his input. I think crunches help and he did show me an exercise to do with a resistance band.
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