I have been a lurker here since January. I love all the good tips and advice. This is a rollickin' website. And thanks to it, I've lost 45 lbs. since the beginning of the year.

But riddle me this Batmen and Batgirls:

Mostly I wanted to lose my poofy belly right below my waist. Regardless the amount of belly exercises I do, I can't seem to lose the pudge. I keep thinking that if I just lose 10 more pounds the it will go away. But you see, I don't have a lot of 10-more-lbs. to lose as I've been 96 lbs. for the past month.

Is it a lost cause? Am I stuck with my belly bulge? Any suggestions? Have any of you seen those articles sold online about discovering the secret of belly bulge? They sure sound like a scam to me, but who knows, maybe there's really a "secret" or something. But I part with my weight easier than I part with $29 online for a sight-n-unseen "secret."

Thank you.

Sera

P.S. I don't drink carbonated drinks.

Talk to a doctor, and ask his opinion. There could be several things going on.

1. a medical condition causing a protruding stomache

2. maybe it's not an issue of fat, but of muscle tone. If you can afford a consultation (sometimes they're free, if you're considering membership) at
a gym that offers personal training services, they could tell you what improvement could be made through exercise)

3. your perception may not be reality or what others see (women are supposed to have curves. Even models with flat tummies often achieve that flatness with girdles or the photos are airbrushed).

If you're sure that you really do have a belly and that it's not just in your imagination (Colleen is right--women have curved bellies), you might want to think about taking up weight training. That will slowly result in the replacement of fat with muscle on your body--so you don't lose weight, but you do lose fat. Certainly you shouldn't lose anymore pounds--your BMI already has you underweight.

What types of foods are you eating? Whenever I eat things high in sugar and refined carbs my stomach bulges to double it's size. Even when I stay within my daily calorie limit and don't gain weight, my stomach will protrude a lot with those types of foods. When I go back to eating right, my stomach will go down within just a couple days. Perhaps that's what's happening, it's bloating?

I'm interested in the responses to this too. What I want to know is ... do fitness models in pictures hold their tummies in? I can hold mine in and have no qualms about wearing control top hose if I have to but ...

I do have some loose skin from three pregnancies. I also have a pronounced lumbar curve so I have to stand right or I look rounded out in front.

And I hear you on the 'lose a few more pounds' thing ... how low can you go -er- do you want to for that? We could soon disappear.

You are 5'3" and 96 pounds, you are underweight. Why would you want to do that?

OP I can understand your frustration. I think many women (IMO)can understand the frustration of losing the belly pudge. Especially so if you have had kids and are trying to get rid of the pudge. I know I have hit my goal weight and the pudge is still there. I know that I will try to get down to the lower end of my ideal weight (around 120 depending on what site you look at) if my body will allow it. Once there if its still there I will need to up my ab exercises for upper and lower abs. If after all that its still there I will have to come to an understanding that the pudge maybe there to stay. I have had 4 kids so I kinda can see why it maybe hard to get rid of that.

I know I don't want to become underweight trying to lose it. Being underweight is just as unhealthy IMO as being overweight.

Thanks for the helpful answers.

I realize now I failed to mention an important fact: Please know I have unusually petite bones so 96 lbs. isn't really underweight for a frame like mine - otherwise yes, it would be underweight, clearly. My doctor says I'm at my healthiest weight between 94 and 102.

GofortheGold: <<What types of foods are you eating?>>

I don't follow the Zone diet, or any formal diet for that matter, but my eating routine is similar: I eat up to 1000 calories a day proportioned thusly: 45 protein, 25 fat, 30 veg/fruit carbs. I eat zero white flour or sugar. The only grain I eat: oats. I eat so much fish, turkey, vegetables and fruit that I'm quite full and satisfied now on 1,000 a day. Too much bad carbs and sugar in my last eating habit.

Is it possible the fruit making my belly poofy? I eat citrus, apples and berries mostly. Could the sugar in this fruit puff my belly?

Klapods wrote: <<your perception may not be reality or what others see (women are supposed to have curves)>>

Baffled111 wrote: <<If you're sure that you really do have a belly and that it's not just in your imagination...>>

Ahhh, good points. You see, I'm not looking for rock hard abs. I love my frontal image in the mirror. I just want to see a profile in the mirror that doesn't make me cringe.

So, oh how I wish this pudge were my imagination. Then I'd just need a shrink. It's not though. I'm too old a girl to have model/actress fantasies. I adore my husband of 34 years so I'm not on the mating market.

I'll talk to my doctor. I'll also talk to a weight trainer and see if he has new exercises for me.

And I'll let you know my findings.

Appreciative nods to all for your suggestions/insights.

Sera

to me..if your dr's ideal wt says 94-100 lbs..than at 97...i think you should be fine. So if you are seeing a "pudge"...do you think its you...or do you think its some bloating. I would love to see a picture of you...because to me i bet you wouldn't have a pudge. Some ppl will have some fat gather is some areas that just won't ever be lost without surgery (and i'm not recommending that). I suggest trying multiple toning exercises that work all areas of the abs including obliques and lower. But more than likely i suspect the "pudge" you see is not existant..most of us will never have rock hard chisled abs. That doesn't work for most. I think it sounds like you can try some toning, but probably in reality...most of what is seen is not necessarily what others see.

I have a couple of thoughts. My first it that you may be fighting a losing battle. The fact is that women store fat in their abdomen; this is especially true as we get older. Also, the abdominal muscles are round, not flat--so even if you did eliminate all abdominal fat, your stomach would still likely look rounded. Finally, genetics plays a part here as well. Did your parents carry weight in their stomachs? If so, you probably will too and there may not be a lot you can do about it. The myth of the perfectly flat stomach is just that--a myth. Models, etc. that you see with perfectly flat stomachs have been airbrushed to look that way, are photographed from angles that make their stomachs look flat, or have had tummy tucks (or all three).

My second thought is that 1,000 calories a day is not very much and is lower than what is generally recommended. Are you sure you are getting enough nutrients? Not getting enough of the nutrients that you need can cause your stomach to appear distended.

Also, what you think is fat may just be extra skin. 45 lbs is not an insignificant amount of weight to lose (congratulations! ); the good news is that you lost it, but the bad news is that it has probably left you with some loose skin (you don't mention whether or not you've had kids, but pregnancy also leaves you with loose skin in your stomach). Other than surgery, there's not a lot you can do about the skin except give it time to tighten up. You really haven't been at your goal weight for that long; as you maintain your weight over the next few years, your body is going to continue to change and you may see your abs tighten up.

I have found that doing ab exercises with a ten-pound weight (on the incline bench set to the highest incline) has helped to bring out my ab muscles. It was my trainer's suggestion and it seems to be working (which is what I pay him for, after all). I also run sprints at least twice a week, which is supposed to more effective at eliminating belly fat than regular cardio (or at least that's what the latest round of studies say). I started both the sprints and the 10-lb weight thing at the same time, so it's hard to say which one is the most effective, but one, if not both, has made a difference.

At 5' 3" and 96 lbs, you must look fantastic and surely must be thinner than probably 95% of the population, if not more. My experience is that the stomach bulge is easily disguised with spanx or control top pantyhose and the right clothes that fit properly. Unless you are in a bikini (and really, how often are you wearing a bikini), probably no one even sees the bulge but you. I definitely have a bulge (even with the sprints and the 10-lb weight). I've had it all my life and being as I'm down to 20-22% body fat and am at the low end of my BMI, it's pretty clear it's not going anywhere. But once I put on clothes, it's really not noticeable.

Wow. Very cool. BlueToBlue, thank you for your comprehensive response. I appreciate it. Truly.

And thank you for believing that I actually have this bulge of a belly and it's not my imagination. Having said that, I certainly understand and respect why some folks would think that. This is unusual.

I will definitely try ab exercises with weights. That's a first rate idea. I have an appointment with an exercise coach next week.

That's interesting - your theory about distension due to low calorie intake. I would have never thought of that. I'll experiment with more calorie-rich (fat) food because I have a small appetite and get so full on veggies & fruits. I'm not living with hunger or deprivation, that's for sure.

My calorie intake previous to losing weight ranged between 1500-1800 a day. I was eating the bad carbs which I discover gave me a bigger appetite, not to mention a regrettable belly. Fruit & veggies now fill me up to the brim. A few spoonfuls of peanutbutter might just be the ticket. Is that along the lines of what you were suggesting? Or did you mean more bulk food?

<chuckling here> I make it sound like it's a manner of obsession with me. It's really not. I have it in perspective. I just wanted to put the "final touch" on my body improvement project - but of course, only if a reasonable solution exists. I certainly don't want to lose more weight. I'll try the weights with exercise and experiment with a calorie increase. My clothes are loose fitting - and it's not that noticeable to others. Like I say - polish on the project.

I'm well aware that a practical solution is to take down the full length mirror in my bathroom next to the shower.

Kind regards,

Sera

I hadn't really thought about what kinds of foods you should eat, I was just thinking that, wow, 1,000 calories sounds really low to me. It sounds low for someone that is trying to lose weight and you are trying to maintain your weight. I wonder if part of the reason you aren't hungry is that your metabolism is shutting down because you are eating so little. That would also explain why you are having trouble losing the belly fat--if you are going into starvation mode (which I'm always a little skeptical of, but if you've been at 1,000 calorie a day for an extended period, it might be true in your case), your body is going to hang onto to every last ounce of fat.

I am about your height and I weigh about 15 lbs more than you and I am losing at 1300 calories a day, so I would expect that your maintanence level would be at least that high, if not higher. So I was just thinking you should add some calories, no matter what they are (except not junk, of course ). Nuts or peanut butter would work. Another thought might be to add protein powder to your diet. That would increase your calories without adding a lot of bulk and would help you build muscle. Maybe you should talk to a nutritionist (which I most definitely am not!). Also, are you taking a multi-vitamin--on only 1,000 calories a day, I think this would probably be a good idea. I've found it to be a good idea on my diet of 1,300 calories per day (I had a lot of problems with illness earlier this year and I think it was partly due to not getting enough vitamins through my food).

Also, you might try some tight-fitting clothing. I find that I look better in clothes that are tight because they hold everything in.

I would like to offer my stance on things just a bit.

First of all, I would like to mention that I am a belly dancer. (Wait-this DOES have a point! )

We wear our skirts/pants low on the hips-so I see a ton of lower bellies. Almost every single dancer I know, and woman I know for that matter, has a rounder lower abdomen. I say this, because you specifically said lower abdomen-below the naval. There is a specific reason for this. We have a uterus.

Women, even with rock hard abs, don't get our lower abs quite as flat as a man-because we have extra organs there. At under 100 pounds, yours is actually going to be more pronounced. When you get thinner, you can see more bones sticking through the skin in your clavicle area, your ribs, and so on. The same is going to happen with your uterus area. When you lose everything around it, the roundness of the uterus can become more pronounced.

Also, have you had children? If you have, your skin in your abdomen area, especially the lower abdomen, is not going to be taut in most cases. This is because your skin was stretched out for months. It is like when you take a balloon, blow it up, and then let out the air. It goes back small again-but not exactly as it was before you blew it up.

At 97 pounds...there is very little chance that there is actually fat there, because you are actually on the side of being underweight, even if you are small framed. It is most likely your uterus making the lower belly rounded, or some extra skin as well, if you have had children.

Since you are now trying to maintain, I also agree that your calorie intake needs to increase. However, since you are used to eating 1,000 calories a day, you need to go about this slowly. Add 100 calories a day for the next couple of weeks for a total of 1,100. If that goes well, then up it to 1,200 for a few weeks after that. And so on, and so forth-until you find a place where you are maintaining well.

If you're 5'3" and 96 pounds, your stomach pudge could be malnourishment - especially if you're only eating 1000 calories a day

Just curious, if one no longer has a uterus, would that area then be flatter, and able to be more muscular? Discounting any extra skin from having children, of course.