Hi,
As you can see from my ticker I'm a big girl, and I also have a big poochy stomach.
I'm not really exercising much at the minute apart from walking, because my knees are shot.

Will doing crunches actually do anything that I can see for my stomach, even though I still have loads more to lose.

you cant spot lose fat, so doing crunches doesnt mean you will lose fat from just your stomach necessarily. Having said that, any exercise that reduces fat could make a difference to your stomach, doing crunches will mean that when your body fat is low enough you will have smoking abs to show off

Hey, we started about the same size...

I do full situps and crunches after most of my workouts and I cant really tell yet. My stomach has gotten smaller after losing 20 pounds but I think its pretty much from the cardio...not the ab work. Im a strong believer though that if you work your abs and muscles now as you lose fat your muscles will start shining through! =)

Good luck with your weight loss!

Thanks think I will start doing crunches from today!

At least I will feel like i'm doing some sort of exercise. All the exercises I like doing (Leslie sansome, EA Active, running, step aerobics) all involve pounding my knees, and that's why I think they've got so bad.

your doing a good job..keep up the work!

Starbuck,
I think that any exercise you can do will be beneficial to your overall health, but I have read that belly fat is most easily reduced by maintaing a healthy diet and cardio. Cardio is doing exercises which will get our heart rate up, I used to think this only meant like aerobics and running, but I have found that sit ups, push ups, and other exercises get my heart rate up as well. I have heard many people say that you cannot spot train your abs, but I love the way my stomach feels after I do my crunches.

I dont think any exercise is ever a waste of time. The crunches may not immediately whittle your waist but they will strengthen your core and make you stronger so that when your knees are feeling better, you will be ready to rock your workout with great strength and flexibility.

I too am in injury rehab and unable to do alot of bouncy cardio...non-impact is all I should be doing right now so I am taking a yoga class...and it is awesome! You wouldn't imagine the workout you get from moving so slow but I leave there not only feeling like I just did an hour of cardio but like I just had a massage and a therapy session to boot.

I urge you to try it if you can. It will not be wasted time and could even speed your recovery.

P.s....Starbucks rocks! Totally addicted to Sumatra!

I'm another big fan of working your core... not just the front of your abs, but also the sides (obliques), and your lower back! It makes every other exercise feel a little more comfortable/stable so you can do it more effectively... both cardio and strength training.

Also, while you won't SEE the effects now, you'll already have awesome strong muscles under there that you can see when you get closer to your goal.

I agree with everyone else!! Any exercise is GREAT! That said, i wasnt able to really "see" my abs and such until i got my Body fat really low, like below 20 %.

+1 for cardio and core...I was about the same size when I started and have major stomach/pouch issues. I will say that mine isn't totally gone yet, but it has gone down. Hang in there

ETA: I see you're in the UK, I'm assuming those are American pounds in your ticker.

I agree, go ahead and do your core exercises so that as the weight comes off those muscles will be ready to shine through. One very good exercise is called the Plank, it takes very little time each day but is very beneficial. I am not sure if I can post links but just Google it, I do it every day now and am working myself up to 1 1/2 mins doing it...doesn't sound like much but it is!