defined abs but bloated looking

sStephSs26
sStephSs26 Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
i'm happy to say that my abs have become more defined and i've been trying to tone up everywhere else, but even with almost a sixpack, my stomach looks distended! my belly looks bloated, and it looks different than fat from the subcutaneous layer. Is there maybe something I can do to make my stomach not just toned, but flat? I also know that sodium can cause bloating but I havent been going over 1500 mg. Thanks for any help!
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Replies

  • tasiamere
    tasiamere Posts: 233
    no advice. just bumping for when someone hopefully responds with some. :-)
  • susiebear29
    susiebear29 Posts: 266
    I have exactly the same problem!! no matter how much weight I lose my tummy is never flat!!! :sad:
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    23366514.jpg
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    can't see your diary so it's hard to give advice, but i bet you it's 98% diet at this point. you have to really clean it up to get your abs to show through- you should also watch your sugars, try to keep fat content in a moderate range, and avoid ANY processed foods. limit your grain intake also, and do not eat ANYTHING that has "enriched white flour" in the ingredients list. if you still want to eat some grains opt for things like whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, etc. alcohol can also hinder you in this area.
  • MustBeTheRows
    MustBeTheRows Posts: 377 Member
    work your obliques, they are the muscle that pulls your stomach in.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Does it always look/feel bloated or only after eating? Sometimes excess carbs, or wheat/gluten products bloat the stomach, so maybe you can try eliminating or reducing some staplers and see if you abdominal area feels and looks better.

    Just a suggestion, and based on my personal experience.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Got any photos to show what you mean?

    I ask because all women have differently shaped bodies, and some will never have perfectly flat stomachs. Even among fitness models and athletes with low body fat, not everyone is flat. I'd hate to give advice when there's absolutely nothing wrong with how you look and you're just hypercritical. :wink:

    That said, can't go wrong with adequate protein, a small (half pound a week) calorie deficit, and strength training.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Your stomach distention is either ACTUAL MUSCLE (if this is the case I want to punch you for complaining), or it's intestinal bloating from often-inflammatory foods such as gluten or lactose. It's not "fat" if you can see your muscle definition.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    If its not a diet or water issue I would look into doing planks and vacuum exercises.
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
    Try avoiding dairy products for a few days/weeks and see if that is causing the problem..
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    can't see your diary so it's hard to give advice, but i bet you it's 98% diet at this point. you have to really clean it up to get your abs to show through- you should also watch your sugars, try to keep fat content in a moderate range, and avoid ANY processed foods. limit your grain intake also, and do not eat ANYTHING that has "enriched white flour" in the ingredients list. if you still want to eat some grains opt for things like whole wheat bread and pasta, oatmeal, etc. alcohol can also hinder you in this area.

    I was about to say this. I'm not a nutritionalist or any kind of fitness expert. I've been reading about cleaner eating and reducing fat. The more I read the more I believe that, "abs are made in the kitchen." Lean meats and veggies are the way to go.
  • MissyMissy18
    MissyMissy18 Posts: 315 Member
    Well from your profile pic I'd say you have nothing to worry about!! Other than that, I'd agree with others that it's bloating from something in your diet (gluten or dairy most likely) or water retention.
  • sStephSs26
    sStephSs26 Posts: 40 Member
    i don't eat dairy, i switched to almond milk in the morning. As for carbs I only have kashi cereal once a day, which I was hoping would up my fiber. I def could cut down on the sugars though, thanks for the help! I would upload a pic to give a better idea but I'm not sure how?
  • MissyMissy18
    MissyMissy18 Posts: 315 Member
    Well from your profile pic I'd say you have nothing to worry about!! Other than that, I'd agree with others that it's bloating from something in your diet (gluten or dairy most likely) or water retention.

    ...upon rereading this I realize that bloating and water retention = same thing.

    but you catch my drift!
  • BeSophisticate
    BeSophisticate Posts: 132
    I hate to tell you this, but it may just be how you're built. Just like some women have large breasts and some have small, some women have a curved tummy and some don't. You can change the size of your tummy but, if you have a natural curve there, you may never get rid of it entirely. The bottom line is, not all women CAN have a flat stomach.
  • MissyMissy18
    MissyMissy18 Posts: 315 Member
    1 additional thought: my sister's stomach gets CRAZY bloated at seemingly random times. She finally said enough is enough and went to a GI doctor (sorry maybe TMI but it's relevant!) and is having some tests done to see if she has IBS or celiac's or anything of that sort. Just another option if other methods don't help!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Could be a food intolerance thing. A friend of mine has a dairy sensitivity. If she eats cheese or drinks milk (you get the point), she will bloat right up and will be up 5 pounds for the next day or two. I believe gluten intolerances will cause the same sort of reaction. You might not strictly be allergic, to the point where you'd be sick, but your body will still have trouble processing these certain foods.

    The one way I know of that you can find out for sure is by eliminating one thing from your diet at a time and see how you react In her case, she went on a "detox" diet for 30 days which was a full elimination of the typical trouble makers - no soy, gluten or dairy. After the 30 days, she started re-introducing these foods one at a time and would monitor how she felt for the next 24 hours and would also step on the scale a few times a day to see how it affected her weight. She has a mild reaction to gluten too but doesn't worry about it as much as dairy.

    Also, this may sound obvious to some but not everyone would consider it, if you're not "regular" you're bound (no pun intended) to be bloated.
  • sStephSs26
    sStephSs26 Posts: 40 Member
    I figured out how to add a pic that shows what i'm talking about, not sure if it's able to be viewed
  • LindaCWy
    LindaCWy Posts: 463 Member
    I figured out how to add a pic that shows what i'm talking about, not sure if it's able to be viewed

    Just make it your profile pic for now, or photobucket it and add it.
  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
    I used to have the same problem. I started drinking more water, eating less sodium and really watching my sugars. That seemed to help make them "pop" a bit more. Whereas prior to doing those things, they only really looked good in the morning because I was in a fasted state. Hope that helps.
  • sStephSs26
    sStephSs26 Posts: 40 Member
    k did that
  • SairahRose
    SairahRose Posts: 412 Member
    I had the same question a while back (although I'm nowhere near a flat stomach :P)... the best advice I got was to cut right back on the carbs from flour products (sticking to wholewheat if at all), eliminated a lot of the fats and sugars, and eat more veg.
    It's slowly started to go down for me.
  • MessyLittlePanda
    MessyLittlePanda Posts: 213 Member
    I'd suggest it would either be water retention, bloating from slight food intolerance (gluten, dairy, that sort of thing) or eating too many gas producing foods like beans, lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, peas etc. Raw veg can sometimes make you a bit gassy.

    For beating the bloat, herbal teas are good particularly fennel, peppermint or nettle, or warm water with lemon juice, and avoid the main gas producing culprits - some fruits can be bad for producing gas as well as the vegetables above, mainly the ones that are higher in fructose, like apples, pears and stone fruits.

    You could try adding a good quality probiotic to your diet as well and see if that helps.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    k did that

    whats the matter, you couldn't find a smaller picture to put up?
  • marchegt
    marchegt Posts: 156 Member
    When I had this problem, I began eating only chicken and fish, fruits and vegetables, brown rice, nuts and rye bread. I cut out processed foods, dairy (except for one serving of greek yogurt per day), red meat, starch... bah blah blah. Within a week the bloating was gone. I could eat until I was so full I felt about to throw up and my stomach was still flat as a board. This is pretty unbelievable, since even when I was little people would say I looked pregnant. Of course, when I went back to eating normally, the bloating came back. But it was nice for a few weeks!
  • B_Running
    B_Running Posts: 158
    When I had this problem, I began eating only chicken and fish, fruits and vegetables, brown rice, nuts and rye bread. I cut out processed foods, dairy (except for one serving of greek yogurt per day), red meat, starch... bah blah blah. Within a week the bloating was gone. I could eat until I was so full I felt about to throw up and my stomach was still flat as a board. This is pretty unbelievable, since even when I was little people would say I looked pregnant. Of course, when I went back to eating normally, the bloating came back. But it was nice for a few weeks!

    This is how I eat on a regular basis, with the exception of rice, bread, and yogurt, and I too have well-defined abs but a bloated lower abdomen. I started loading up on probiotics a couple days ago, but have yet to notice a difference. Oh, and I drink mass quantities of water... nothing seems to help.
  • go4itjoanna
    go4itjoanna Posts: 69 Member
    do you eat a lot of dairy (or even just a little)? you might be intolerant. give it up for a week and your tummy might be flat as can be.
  • go4itjoanna
    go4itjoanna Posts: 69 Member
    i don't eat dairy, i switched to almond milk in the morning. As for carbs I only have kashi cereal once a day, which I was hoping would up my fiber. I def could cut down on the sugars though, thanks for the help! I would upload a pic to give a better idea but I'm not sure how?

    sorry, just read your reply.
  • JJinWI
    JJinWI Posts: 197 Member
    Try an over the counter probiotic (not yogurt - pills) - any kind. That helped me with the bloat!
  • Picola1984
    Picola1984 Posts: 1,133
    I hate to tell you this, but it may just be how you're built. Just like some women have large breasts and some have small, some women have a curved tummy and some don't. You can change the size of your tummy but, if you have a natural curve there, you may never get rid of it entirely. The bottom line is, not all women CAN have a flat stomach.

    I'm going to agree with you here. My lower abdomen has always had a curved shape to it as you look side on. My mums is the same and she is very skinny

    Eating cleaner amd plenty of core exercise has really improved my abs but I think it will always have that rounded shape to it, despite it feeling quite solid

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