iL0VEMYBABiES

I have 2 kids under 2 so I'm in the process of trying to lose some weight. My biggest problem is the extra skin I have around my abdomen/pelvic region. Any tips on how to target that area specifically?

guttergirl78

Hate to burst your bubble, but there is nothing you can do. Its possible that within aobut 6 months of losing weight the elasticity can change, but if it's loose now its going to stay loose most likely. You can build your abdominal muscles to make it look better. If you aren't one for plastic surgery I suggest shape wear. I wear a shape wear tank top daily to "smooth" out the extra skin. They have some really comfortable optionss

blackrhino2

oh no, you burst my bubble too! how do you explain the women that have amazing stomachs and have 4 kids? did they just lost the weight within the first few months of having the baby?

guttergirl78

I mean if you have loose skin now you probably always will. Some women are geneticly blessed with skin that bounces back. I read recently that there are a lot of factors (age, amount of time at the higher weight, lifestyle and if you were a smoker) that come into play. Unfortunately for me I do not have that skin elasticity. I have 4 kids and have the battle scars to prove it! I'm not happy with it, but it is what it is and no lotion is going to fix that. I do intend to do abdominal exercises to "improve" the look, but unless I get a tummy tuck I'll always have excess skin there.

I post on another forum (not sure if I can mention it here) and this topic is such a hot one there is a sticky for it.

blackrhino2

thanks guttergirl. i can't imagine that we would be breaking a rule by putting a link to another site on this site. if they cared they would just delete the post, but I dont think the admin people really check these discussions.

zaldabus

Hey guys, long time reader first time poster.

So I guess I'll start with a quick self-intro.
Found this site sometime late last summer through a reference from the book The Primal Blueprint (which is how I did my diet in the earlier stages of training but have since modified somewhat for my own fitness purposes). Since then, through my own training circuit, I've lost slightly under 60 pounds. It's been enjoyable watching the weight bar on the webpage go from obese to healthy weight. I literally can not remember a point in my life when I was in this good shape.

Anyway, here's the thing. At this point I'm starting to actually see some definition to my abs. I'm quite happy as I've been working towards this goal for quite some time. However, I still have the tiniest bit of loose flab hanging off my lower abs section. Now, maybe it's just me, but I would think all flab would be gone from your stomach area before you start to see ab definition.

I'm just curious what other people's thoughts/comments/etc. are on this subject?

StaceyKF

I don't really have an answer for you since I am far from my goal weight. I have an extra question for you and this is because I know one person who lost a large amount of weight (100 lbs)....and still has jiggly in the lower belly....it really appears to be skin. Could this be the case for you? If not, sure you are aware that toning the lower belly is hard for everyone.

Lizzycritter

I've been going through a rough patch and haven't been able to exercise much, so I'm losing the hard fought definition I was getting to my abs. But, even after losing over 40 lbs, I still had flab in the lower ab area, below the belly button. The muscle under it was starting to firm up, but still soft pudge a good inch thick over that. My obliques were rockin' though, and they still look pretty good. As long as I wear pants that cut across the pudge (waist about an inch below the navel), I look fine. Anything "low rise" cuts right under the pudge, and it looks like I'm spilling out of my pants, not attractive. It's the first place I gain weight and the last place I lose it, and I think that's something a lot of us have in common.

tandoorichicken

The body operates on a continuum, so it's likely it will hang on to a little fat in all your stubborn areas even if your abs are starting to show. Remember that even during competition, figure competitors are still around 5-6% body fat, so you can never eliminate it completely (and you'd be dead if you tried/did). That little bit of fat has to sit somewhere. From an aesthetic perspective, if you just concentrate on your abs, as well as the rest of your muscles to increase their size by just a little bit, you will appear slimmer and no one will be the wiser.

zaldabus

Thanks guys, I appreciate all your responses!

Stacey, I'm not sure if I'd call it loose skin. There is substance to it, although there's very little to hold onto anymore. I also lost the weight gradually over several months and I'm only 25 so I wouldn't expect to have that kind of problem.

Hang in there by the way, you've already gotten past the first month, so from here on out it should just be running down the path!

Lizzy, you pretty much hit it dead on the nail. I've got solid abs underneath with some nice obliques forming up, but that last little bit of pudge is keeping them from shining through. Why, oh why can't we spot burn fat!

Tandoorichicken, that seems like pretty solid advice. Right now my main circuit is the Beachbody Insanity program, but after that I want to shift focus from fat burning to muscle building. Any advice you can give? I'm especially curious about the dietary aspect, as up until now I've had it oriented more towards burning fat than anything else.