Can someone explain this to me?!

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N4monsters
N4monsters Posts: 44 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm not sure I'm in the right topic, but this has bugged me for a long time. Why can I do this:

I can stand up straight and don't have a belly, but if I relax and not focus on my stomach, I look like I am 5+ months pregnant. I have been able to do this before I had children. My youngest child is 7months now and I have been working on my abs. Is it the way I eat or is this purely the need to build ab muscles?

<a href="http://s798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/nomieecoware/?action=view&current=0522020841.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/nomieecoware/0522020841.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/nomieecoware/?action=view&current=0522020841a.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy269/nomieecoware/0522020841a.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Replies

  • N4monsters
    N4monsters Posts: 44 Member
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    How do I post photos? Lol
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
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    I'm not sure I'm in the right topic, but this has bugged me for a long time. Why can I do this:

    I can stand up straight and don't have a belly, but if I relax and not focus on my stomach, I look like I am 5+ months pregnant. I have been able to do this before I had children. My youngest child is 7months now and I have been working on my abs. Is it the way I eat or is this purely the need to build ab muscles?

    0522020841.jpg

    0522020841a.jpg
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
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    Tone up the muscle! By toning up abs, you'll strengthen the built in "corset" that your body already has, and it will hold things in a little tighter. EVERYONE has a little pooch when they relax, but it can be lessened by strengthening those core muscles!
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Yo have to strengthen your transverse abdominal muscles. They are the deepest layer of abdominal muscle. If they are strong, they will be tighter, which will keep your belly flatter. You can strengthen them with Pilates (go to a class, don't do videos at home until you know how to do it correctly), or you can do a Google search for exercises.
  • whitneysaenz
    whitneysaenz Posts: 125 Member
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    I'm no expert by any means, but I'd just say try some core strengthening work outs. Not just abs because those aren't your only core muscles. Also, try focusing on your posture and keeping your core tight at times throughout the day. I've been working on improving my posture and I'm finding this helps me a bit.
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
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    Part of it is likely a body image thing. It takes time to get used to your new weight. Even the skinniest of people can let a gut pop out if they push it out. I think you look great the way you are. however, If you want a tighter stomach... there are only really two ways to do it... Add muscle or lose fat. Adding muscle while on a diet is kind of difficult (though beginner gains are possible if you are untrained). Though crunches may make you stronger, they wont get rid of any abdominal fat. If you want it gone, you will just have to continue losing weight. The common expression among weight lifters is "a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Options
    Part of it is likely a body image thing. It takes time to get used to your new weight. Even the skinniest of people can let a gut pop out if they push it out. I think you look great the way you are. however, If you want a tighter stomach... there are only really two ways to do it... Add muscle or lose fat. Adding muscle while on a diet is kind of difficult (though beginner gains are possible if you are untrained). Though crunches may make you stronger, they wont get rid of any abdominal fat. If you want it gone, you will just have to continue losing weight. The common expression among weight lifters is "a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".

    She's not complaining about fat. She's saying that her muscles are loose and that she has to consciously has to tighten her abs to keep her belly flat.
  • N4monsters
    N4monsters Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    Part of it is likely a body image thing. It takes time to get used to your new weight. Even the skinniest of people can let a gut pop out if they push it out. I think you look great the way you are. however, If you want a tighter stomach... there are only really two ways to do it... Add muscle or lose fat. Adding muscle while on a diet is kind of difficult (though beginner gains are possible if you are untrained). Though crunches may make you stronger, they wont get rid of any abdominal fat. If you want it gone, you will just have to continue losing weight. The common expression among weight lifters is "a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".

    She's not complaining about fat. She's saying that her muscles are loose and that she has to consciously has to tighten her abs to keep her belly flat.

    Thank you :) I know I have a little fat and I'm okay with that, (well, not really, but I'm working on that eating cleaner!) I just want to have tighter muscles so it's not my whole stomach that sticks out!
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
    Options
    Part of it is likely a body image thing. It takes time to get used to your new weight. Even the skinniest of people can let a gut pop out if they push it out. I think you look great the way you are. however, If you want a tighter stomach... there are only really two ways to do it... Add muscle or lose fat. Adding muscle while on a diet is kind of difficult (though beginner gains are possible if you are untrained). Though crunches may make you stronger, they wont get rid of any abdominal fat. If you want it gone, you will just have to continue losing weight. The common expression among weight lifters is "a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".

    She's not complaining about fat. She's saying that her muscles are loose and that she has to consciously has to tighten her abs to keep her belly flat.

    There really isn't such a thing as loose muscles. There is visceral fat (inter organ fat) that is below the muscle that can push out. There are cases such as distended stomachs (where nutrition is so poor that the muscle in the abdominal wall is completely depleted - you see this in pictures of areas in famine) this is highly unlikely, however. Getting a completely flat stomach without engaging the muscles, unfortunately, requires a low body fat percentage. (for a woman, that starts happening around 18-20% body fat) and becomes prominent below that (though many men might not like women below that 18-20% range). There's just no exercise that gets around this... theres a really cool blog post kind of about this at: http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Options
    Part of it is likely a body image thing. It takes time to get used to your new weight. Even the skinniest of people can let a gut pop out if they push it out. I think you look great the way you are. however, If you want a tighter stomach... there are only really two ways to do it... Add muscle or lose fat. Adding muscle while on a diet is kind of difficult (though beginner gains are possible if you are untrained). Though crunches may make you stronger, they wont get rid of any abdominal fat. If you want it gone, you will just have to continue losing weight. The common expression among weight lifters is "a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".

    She's not complaining about fat. She's saying that her muscles are loose and that she has to consciously has to tighten her abs to keep her belly flat.

    There really isn't such a thing as loose muscles. There is visceral fat (inter organ fat) that is below the muscle that can push out. There are cases such as distended stomachs (where nutrition is so poor that the muscle in the abdominal wall is completely depleted - you see this in pictures of areas in famine) this is highly unlikely, however. Getting a completely flat stomach without engaging the muscles, unfortunately, requires a low body fat percentage. (for a woman, that starts happening around 18-20% body fat) and becomes prominent below that (though many men might not like women below that 18-20% range). There's just no exercise that gets around this... theres a really cool blog post kind of about this at: http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages

    Obviously, you have never had children. Pregnancy stretches the muscles. Sometimes it even separates them. After pregnancy those muscles are not as tight as they were before.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Options
    Part of it is likely a body image thing. It takes time to get used to your new weight. Even the skinniest of people can let a gut pop out if they push it out. I think you look great the way you are. however, If you want a tighter stomach... there are only really two ways to do it... Add muscle or lose fat. Adding muscle while on a diet is kind of difficult (though beginner gains are possible if you are untrained). Though crunches may make you stronger, they wont get rid of any abdominal fat. If you want it gone, you will just have to continue losing weight. The common expression among weight lifters is "a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym".

    She's not complaining about fat. She's saying that her muscles are loose and that she has to consciously has to tighten her abs to keep her belly flat.

    Thank you :) I know I have a little fat and I'm okay with that, (well, not really, but I'm working on that eating cleaner!) I just want to have tighter muscles so it's not my whole stomach that sticks out!

    Core exercises and exercises that work your transverse abs will help.
  • JenAiMarres
    JenAiMarres Posts: 767 Member
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    I trained trained for years in ballet...we were old to basically suck our stomachs in (more like hold them in, abs always engaged)...All the time, never stop. Best body advice I ever received. To this day I cannot "let my stomach out" it feels unnatural and strange. But yes my stomach looks flabby un toned and pregnant if I just let it be normal... Never to late to work on engaging your core every minute of the day.

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