*TMI Warning* Need to get rid of the ....

Peach · October 29th, 2008, 08:14 PM

Belly fat that just hangs like a skirt off my stomach ... its gross how do I get rid of it ??? I need to lose about 30 kilos and am on my way to losing it .. but I dont want to be left with this gross stomach .. has anyone had this and now has a flat stomach ???

**XRMummy** · October 29th, 2008, 08:33 PM

I havent had one and gotten rid of it....... but i will be keen to find out how to get rid of it as i have just lost 21kilos and still got another 15-20 i want to lose and i too have that awful belly fat.......

Good luck with your weightlose... and getting you flat tummy..

Sarah

**C~Q** · October 30th, 2008, 07:29 AM

Hey hon! Congrats on starting to lose all that weight

You will lose it as the weight comes off, just bear in mind where you put on and lose and in what order depends on your genetics amongst other things. So when you lose the weight it might come off your tummy first but it might also be the last thing that comes off.

Is it loose skin or is it fat? I ask because I now have a (reasonably) flat stomach as in all the excess fat is gone but I do have loose skin - not enough to show when i'm standing but when I sit and bend over it's there. I don't think there is much anyone can do about that short of surgery.

It's also important to tone your "core" muscles mainly your transverse abdominals. These are really important for posture and for core strength and stability which makes a big difference in how you look. They're also involved in your pelvic floor exercises (which i'm sure you're doing!)

Good luck hon, if you have any questions then let me know

Peach · October 30th, 2008, 08:29 AM

Oh its fat .. bascially I have the upper tummy fat bit that is going down slowly ... bit it dosent "hang" like the bottom belly bit .. its probably from having 2 kids and the stretched skin from my huge tummy. Can I rub cream into my skin as im losing weight to help the skin contract ??

What exercises can I do to help build my "core" i am a bit lost .. i am just running my butt off on the treadmill 3 times a day and sticking to fruits and veges with a little bit of meat.

Thanks combat queen!

**Cricket** · October 30th, 2008, 09:55 AM

I'm working on losing some weight too, and I think the skin thing might improve for you gradually, but there will always probably be some "looser" skin on your tummy. There is no cream that will fix that. (DON'T fall for the ad's that say so.) A tummy tuck would, but that's pretty drastic. My own tummy is stretched to bits from pregnancy.

I have more stretch marks than normal skin, I think, and no matter how thin I may someday be, that won't change.
Some of the sagginess, as the PP mentioned, can be helped by toning up those muscles. I think running helps a bit for that, but the really great ones for core body strength, to the best of my knowledge, are exercise ball routines, and pilates. (perhaps someone with expertise here can add/correct me.)
Your diet sounds pretty healthy - make sure you keep up some low-fat protein intake, and drink plenty of water.

All the best!

**Cricket** · October 30th, 2008, 10:02 AM

double post - oops!

**sushee** · October 30th, 2008, 10:14 AM

Theoretically, if your skin has been overstretched, the likelihood that that 'apron' will always be there is quite high. Of course it depends also on the elasticity of your skin (which depends on how young you are), how much weight you have to lose and some people say that the more slowly you lose weight, the less likely it is that you will have heaps of loose skin (but unfortunately in many cases it doesn't matter how slowly or quickly you lose the weight).

Once you get to your goal weight and stabilise, leave it 6 to 12 months. By the end of that time, any skin that will 'bounce back' would have bounced back already, and whatever's left is what you're stuck with. And yes, in that case, a tummy tuck is probably the only way you'll get rid of it.

**C~Q** · October 30th, 2008, 02:32 PM

Can I rub cream into my skin as im losing weight to help the skin contract ??

What exercises can I do to help build my "core" i am a bit lost .. i am just running my butt off on the treadmill 3 times a day and sticking to fruits and veges with a little bit of meat.

Thanks combat queen!

Yep like the others said there isn't any fix it cream - alot of places say to use hemmoroid (sp?) cream but I think it's a load of bull...but it's cheap so worth a go!

As Cricket said anything that encourages you to stabilise your self so fit balls are fantastic for core strength and stability. Use one around the house when you eat dinner, sit at a desk, watch tv etc.... And Pilates is fantastic for core work. My trainer was very anti exercises like the plank/hover to work your core as the TA muscles are very underworked and can probably only contract for around 10 seconds for most people - after that you're using other muscles so not really getting what you think you're getting out of it. As long as you "switch on" your core muscles (the ones you use for PF exercises and the ones above) all the time, they will get stronger. So when you're walking, when you're running, when you're sitting - all the time. They also help you stand up straight and correct your posture by supporting your lumbar spine.

If you want to do some exercises a good one is lying on your back with your knees in the air at 90* angle. Slowly lower and straighten one leg to the floor then bring it up again and repeat with the other leg. It's really important that your back stays GLUED to the floor. If you feel it coming up or arching, or if you have lower back pain then don't straighten your leg as you bring it down - keep it bent.

How long are you running for? You don't need to go flat out! You're better off working at around a 5-7 on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the maximum you could go. Are you doing it at home or in a gym?

As for food, just make sure you are getting enough KJ to fuel running 3 times a day - that is quite a lot lol!