I weight 140lbs and Im a pretty tall girl! If you saw my body, you'd say I have max 5 lbs more to lose. Well thats what everyones saying! but if you see my stomach, youd be confused. Its not HUGE, but its definitely not just a slight "pudge." When I sit, theres atleast a good 2 rolls. I dont get how i look so skinny everywhere else except this dang stomach! Ive been trying to get rid of it by eating smaller portions, counting calories and exercise but still NOTHING!

The only thing I HAVENT done is a lot of muscle work or ab work. The reason for this is I just dont have any classes at my gym targetting that, and dont even know where to start. Not to mention my gym is tiny, and theres no room to run around on mats or do any of those things Ive seen on pinterest/health blogs.

Same here. I'm pretty thin everywhere but when I sit down my stomach looks a wreck. I still have a few more pounds to lose but I think we're going to have to do some serious ab/weight work. Jillian put out a new DVD specifically for abs a few months back (Killer Abs) I think that's where I will start once I meet goal. Right now I just want to hit goal weight then maintain while fixing the pooch.

I recall saying this to you on another thread - YES, muscle makes a massive difference. It won't specifically remove fat deposits, but it will absolutely make the area appear much tighter and firmer, even if the skin on top of it is still a little loose.

Planks, pullups, lunges, squats - there are DOZENS of unweighted body resistance exercises that can build a fair bit of muscle. Adding in basic dumbells and lifting to failure, with low to moderate reps (the recommendations vary but I'd say if you can still do the lift nine times with proper form the weight is simply too low), will do your body worlds of good.

The answer remains the same - fat loss doesn't do much for your appearance except emaciated adipocytes. To get the look most women desire when they see an actress or beach body, weights or other basic strength training is the way to go. Simple, cheap, highly effective.

This might help explain things Good luck!

I agree. Some toning and strength training is really important if you want that athletic appearance.

You mentioned pinterst- so I pulled this page, it has many ideas that don't require much space- http://pinterest.com/maddier88/ab-workouts/

My husband lost weight when we changed our eating habits (without trying) and ended up at the bottom of his weight range. His doctor told him not to lose any more weight but he still had a small but noticeable belly. Fat is protective when it is not in excess and the stomach area is one of the prime storage areas.

Anyway, he started running and started doing body weight exercises. He didn't do any specific abdominal exercises but body weight exercises tend to require a strong core area. Anyway, he actually gained weight, didn't change his clothing size (still a tiny guy) but there was a noticeable difference in his composition and the stomach roll he had disappeared.

yeah I upped my muscle in general but still no difference. I think I need to go insane on this. Im just getting frustrated! I dont see why my body wouldnt just burn the fat easier, im so young!

Yes, it makes a big difference. I'm a size 4 at 110lbs before weight training and a size 4 at 129lbs after weight training for several years (and well, I've had 2 kids since then bah... but working on it). HUGE difference, actually

See I didnt do direct ab work outs but I have been doing some machine weights and i dont even see a difference in the slightest. I've been doing it for 2-3 weeks now and not even an inch.. my stomach still looks as big as ever. How long would this take? I think Im going to have to seriously start some ab work outs but if it doesnt work after that, i quit!

Wow. All I can say.

thank you. Ill try some of these out.. im desperate at this point!

It can take years to build quality muscle... this is not measured in weeks, but months and years. Which is why so few women benefit from it, because they are impatient.

well then Im sorry if I sound so naive but how is it some women start off really heavy and in a year manage to have an amazing flat belly and bikini bod?

Well you still have fat so you'll need to burn some of it off as well as build muscle. Also, machines tend to isolate and not work your core. I'd look into doing some body weight exercises, especially pushups, pullups (or modified, some gyms have a machine to help modify) and squats. Planks are a good core exercise to add into the mix as well.

I was always a cardio girl. I would run and run and run. That's how I lost most of my weight (along with calorie counting and a healthier diet). But even at goal, I wasn't happy with the way my body looked. My stomach wasn't my problem area, but I had noticeable pockets of fat in my thighs and butt that just wouldn't. Every body is different, but many of us have those "trouble areas."

I just started p90x a little less than 3 weeks ago. Having never followed a strength program, I didn't know what I was in for. I can tell you - muscle changes everything. In just the short time of doing it, I can already see changes in my body that didn't even know were possible. I honestly can't wait to see what my body will look like at 90 days. My measurements haven't changed. And the scale is actually UP. But, I look better than I ever have in my life.

But, to build that kind of muscle, I am realizing that you really have to work at it. You don't necessarily need anything like p90x, but you have to lift heavy and really push your muscles. You should be failing around your 8th rep.

There are a lot of really great ab exercises out there. I highly recommend planking. Do a youtube search for "Fifer Scissors" - those are a killer!

Good luck!