Can't Lose My Belly.

Updated on February 03, 2016
N.G. asks from Toledo, OH
11 answers

I saw a similar request from someone, but before I could go through all the responses my hubby closed the window while I was at work! =( Anyways, I just had my 2nd child. Before I had either child I was quite thin. I am VERY petite and had trouble slimming down after the birth of my daughter, but now I weigh about as much NOW as I did when a week before my daughter's birth. I wouldn't mind if I gained weight everywhere, but it's just in my belly so my belly hangs over my jeans. And really I can't find any jeans that fit b/c their either time right under my belly or if I get them to fit there then they're really loose and baggy on my legs and behind. It really hurts when I know I'm trying my best by exercising and eating a little better and nothing still fits and the belly is still hanging over. HELP!!! Please!

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K.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

Amen sister. I am having the same exact problem. My daughter is 9 mos and I have this pouch STILL on my belly that just seems to want to hang around. If I was all over fat and it blended better it might not look as bad, but I literally look like they took the baby out and everything else just stayed teh same in my stomach. I have lost a little by exercising and eating better but I am losing hope fast. I am having the same issues with clothes as well. I dont know what to tell you to do bc I have been doing everything myself, but at least know you are not alone. Let me know if anyone provides you will any answers that seem like they will work.

Good luck!
K.

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S.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

I am having the exact same problem! My baby is 9 months old, and I wiegh as much now as I did the day I went in for delivery. I had lost alot of weight early, but it has come back on. I have tried pilates, and other excersices, and nothing has worked. I acutally usualy still wear maternity pants!! Although I am no help with helping you, I wanted to let you know there is someone else out there with the same problem, if you ever need support just send me a message. I am always willing to listen and help however I can!

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S.F.

answers from Springfield on

To lose belly fat and post pregnancy weight mummy magic tea is the perfect solution.

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J.J.

answers from Columbus on

The only way I know how is to do crunches, alternate the side crunches, and then more crunches. Also do side bend with weights and twists with a bar (you can use a broom handle). Abdominals are not like all the other muscles in the body. They need to be worked out daily. Really make sure you are using your ab's to do the work, not your back. Make sure you squeeze the muscles each time and hard. Another great excersice is to lie on your back and lift your legs and do kicks but not bringing up your legs more than 6 inches. This isolates the lower ab's. Do several of these together and do not rest more than 30 sec to 1 min in between. I do all the variations of crunches, twists, butterfly kicks, and side bends. You must do them every day and really push yourself. Now nothing is going to work well unless you are eating clean. Chicken, tuna, green veggies, potato not loaded,etc. You must eat clean. There are several web sites for body building that has tons of answers and you can post your own questions. These guys will answer and they are correct. They follow what they tell you to follow. Nicemuscle.com and bodybuilding.com

Good luck on your quest. You can do it.

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H.L.

answers from Cleveland on

I have had luck with 2 different exercises. The first one you lay on the floor and raise your legs slowly up then slowly back down, I start with 10 and work my way to 20 within a couple weeks. The second one if your partner is willing to help lay flat on your back raise your legs straight up and have your partner stand over your head and throw your legs to the floor stopping them before they hit the floor then raise them back up, about 10 to 20 of those a day gets your tummy back.

Good Luck
H.

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J.N.

answers from Mansfield on

Oh my gosh! I have this same problem and have just been so depressed about it! I have even tossed around the idea of a "tummy tuck". I am going to check out the links in the other response. THANKS!

www.marykay.com/jneuerer SUPER SALE!

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J.B.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi N.:
You may want to talk to your doctor to see if you have a slight separation in your ab muscles, which is common in petite women who have had more than one child. If this is the case, and depending on the extent of it, there's only so much you can do without surgery. In the meantime, I highly recommend Pilates. You can do a million crunches and they won't do you any good unless you incorporate the breathing and scooping techniques you can learn from a certified Pilates instructor. I'm an instructor and I've helped a bunch of women slim down their "pouch" and regain some definition around their midsections. Of course, diet and aerobic exercise certainly help that cause as well. If you can spare the time and money, go to a Pilates studio or check out your local rec center for Pilates classes. Good luck!

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S.Q.

answers from Youngstown on

i 100% agree with the woman who suggested maternalfitness.com and the book "lose your mummy tummy". the information in those 2 sources combined has been life altering. it honestly works. i too am suffering from this embarrassing and inconvenient problem...its going on 3 years. but just in a short amount of time by doing the ab strenghtening routine talked about in the book i look pretty normal now in the belly area. i also started doing spinning 3-5 times a week to burn the extra fat. when i started spinning 3 months ago i weighed the same as i weighed while 9 months pregnant. but almost immediately after doing spinning i noticed a difference in my body and i dropped 10 pounds right away. so my suggestion for some relief is to do the simple ab excersize mentioned in "lose your mummy tummy" (which does not include sit ups, crunches or pilates) adn incorporate some real sweaty cardio sessions into your week several times. there is no way you will not see pleasing results.

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H.P.

answers from Cleveland on

Pilates....It uses your ab muscles to make the moves and when I first started people saw differences and started complimenting me within 2 weeks. I am now down 65 lbs and feeling great..even got into a tankini this year and am 13 lbs away from the long term goal my doc gave me as a healthy weight for my height and structure. I have walked too but my abs are all thanks to pilates...hope this helps

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M.

answers from Cincinnati on

My 2 babies are 4 yrs and 1 yr old too! And I think we have a similar issue as well: diastasis.

Also known as a "mummy tummy" this is far, far more common among moms than we would imagine, as most OBs or midwives don't mention it at all. Be forewarned, a diastasis can be exacerbated by doing the wrong type of ab exercises (like the pilates 100 - bad for a diastasis, typical sit ups are also not good!). You need to get your transverse muscle engaged and strengthened before you can effectively work all of your other ab/core muscles. Here's an abbreviated explanation of the diastasis and some exercises you'll need to do to make your diastasis smaller (reduce the tummy):
http://www.maternalfitness.com/education/lose_tummy_semin...
http://www.maternalfitness.com/baks_basics.pdf

There's a book and a DVD with the title "Lose Your Mummy Tummy" that explains it all - here's one mom who sells it:
http://www.sobebabies.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&...

I'm still working on my diastasis, and it's now down to 2 fingers, but I've totally neglected my exercises for about 8 months now so if I put any sort of regular effort into doing my exercises, I could probably get it down to a 1 finger's width separation. I know it sucks, though, that hard-to-fit post-pregnancy belly with everything else being as it was before! Also, I've definitely noticed I get a sore back easier, and that I feel like the area where my diastasis is (bellybutton and surrounding areas) sensitive and I don't like when it is touched (like if my kids are trying to play-tickle me or something).

Hope this helps!

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K.B.

answers from Cincinnati on

I hear ya! I have the same problem and I've only had one. I'm only 5'1" and I'm now 3 lbs off what I weighed when I gave birth to my son 4 years ago!!! I am so bummed. I have tried stomch crunches and the "hold it in as often as you think about it" and nothing seems to work. My mom was really thin even after she had kids and she said it just "naturally fell off"...I feel like every time I think about losing weight I gain a pound instead of lose it! My once almost perfect stomach now hangs over everything! :(

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