Never heard of this complain before, but I think I can’t be the only one with this problem...
Before I started lift weight, my belly was flat.
Now that I’ve been working out with weights I got some muscles in my legs and arms even on my upper abb, but I also realized that I got a bit of stomach and completely lost my waist.
I started then pay attention to the other women who also lift weight at my gym and I see that ALL of them have no waist either...
I do sit ups and I am thinking that I am building muscle under my belly fat, which is pushing the fat out.
I do tons of cardio, so I guess it is just a stubborn region.

I think my point here is that I used to have a body shaped like Shakira and now I am losing that shape and becoming more like this woman from the pic. And I don’t want that (nothing against the women who opt for this body shape, just not for me).
All I want is toned arms and legs, but still have a girly shape (kind like Jillian Michaels-she is one of the very few fit women that I notice that got toned without losing all her waist).
What do I have to do to get that?
Should I stop working out my stomach?
I want my flat belly and waist back

Your post made me look at some pics of Jillian Michaels and I just realized that she almost always poses with one hip "cocked". I really do like her, but it does look like she is aiding the illusion that she is curvier than she really is.

Here is a picture of her that is more front on.



I know that wasn't in answer to your question, but I JUST noticed how she poses.

I did some search for her pics too... and do realize she also don’t have that much of a waist, but at least she got a flat stomach, while the woman in the pic I posted has her arms up, so her stomach also look flat. But it seems that if she puts her arms down and untuck her stomach we will see a bit of her belly sticking out.

I dont have a waist really - pretty straight up and down. I would love to have her abs but alas unless I have surgery it's not in the cards for me lol

I was looking in some women's magazines- Shape & Self and I realized most of the models don't have that hourglass waist thing at all. Basically, their waists are straight and their bellies are flat.

That gave me comfort because I don't have a waist at all- it's the fat on the sides of my belly that gives anything of a resemblance of having curves.

That probably doesn't answer your question or make you feel better. But maybe that's what happens when we lose the fat, we lose the curvy shape.

I'm barrel chested like my dad, so I think that I'll never look like that. I also think that genetics (small ribcage, good hips) have something to do with this.

I am opting to accept my figure for what it is. I mean, it's definitely been worse, and my body can do good things.