Even if I lose weight I'll still look fat
 

When I weighed 115 pounds, I still had belly rolls on my stomach. I also had love handles and a DDD cup size. I feel discouraged because I weigh
180 and I think back to my goal weight of 125 and I remember still not being able to have a flat stomach. Has anyone else had this issue? Will I ever have a flat stomach if I lose the weight? I'm 5'5 and when I was 115 I looked very tiny with clothes on but I looked out of shape naked. I remember my mom taking me to the doctor to get my stomach checked because she didn't understand why it was so big and I was so tiny. :(

I wouldn't worry. We can't all have flat tummies like they do in the fashion magazines. I still have a belly. So forget the belly and focus on how you feel and the other parts that look good.

Exercise is great for developing a nice physique too, so don't forget to do that. But even exercise may not get you that elusive flat stomach. It hasn't me.

A few things will make your belly look bigger though. I get a noticeably bigger belly if I eat foods that give me gas or if I have a big meal. I know these things pass so they do not bother me. But watch for foods that might make you gassy or bloated.

I agree with the above post from IanG. The priority should be your health. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to look like a video vixen, but just concentrate on how your body feels first and you never know, you might end up happy with how your body looks too. When all else fails if you really are concerned with the look you can always save up for surgery. I'm not a fan of plastic surgery but to each their own, right? Welcome and good luck on your journey. :)

The issue you're having is your body fat % not your weight.

My highest weight was 155. I'm 5'7" so that doesn't even qualify me as overweight medically but I had a gut and I looked much fatter than the size 8s I was mostly wearing at the time.

I got my body fat % checked and it was 32% - which is clinically obese even though I was a "healthy" weight for my height.

The only way to reduce your body fat is to work out and try to burn fat and build muscle. You can lose 50 lbs on diet alone and still have 30% body fat and look overweight, the only way to get that slim look you're thinking of is to get your body fat % down around 20%.

I know I'll always have a bit of a pooch even at my skinniest, like I did before. Especially now that I had a C-Section and it leaves you with a pooch. But as IanG said, focus on being healthy. Focus your work outs on your abs, on your waist, on strengthening your core. I don't know if it will change anything but at least you'll feel stronger and healthier.

Just embrace the weight loss! You've done great! Love yourself for it! :)

Off topic but haha, you just dated yourself sooooo much! :D

Nobody loses weight and ends up looking like Giselle Bunchen. Nobody. You're doing yourself a disservice by negating your progress based on what you think the final product will be. People work out to lose weight, eat well to be healthy, but they forget the most important component --> accepting your body and loving it for what it is. Without this last component it doesn't matter how much you weigh or what you look like, your mind will never allow you to be happy. Self acceptance and self love is the key.

The only question is this: do you want to be 180lbs with less than magazine-perfect body or 115 lbs with a less than magazine perfect body?

Does it really matter that much if you don't look perfect at a healthy weight?

If it does, then better living through surgery.

You won't know until you get there. Don't make this an excuse not to succeed.

I have to agree wig others on the body fat. Don't just lose weight. Eat healthy veggies, Lean proteins and weight lift. You might be surprised. A year from ow you'll be happy you did.

Start lifting weights. Gaining muscle will help your body look better and give something to balance out the fat. Fat always looks much better when it's covering some decent muscle mass.

Yes, I have had this issue. I am 5'4" and about 5 pounds away from my goal weight (146) top of my goal range. My waist is still 36" and I'm 39% body fat. I can barely fit into a 12. This is all due to body composition.

Years ago I got down to 117 and, yes, I still had a bit of a tummy even then. More to the point, when I was losing weight then (25 years ago) I kept measurements. When I was at the weight I am now, my waist was several inches smaller than my current weight.

My plan is to get to a normal BMI and then to heavily work on body composition, particularly working on strength training.

It's possible to be at a low weight and still have a lot of fat. But if you lose weight the right way and are doing lots of exercise, you'll be building muscle mass along the way, so you CAN get that flat stomach. What is very likely is that you had little muscle mass when you were at a low weight, so there was no muscle to be defined and a lot of that weight was fat.

I wouldn't make the flat stomach my absolute priority - the changes that a good diet and exercise can make go much beyond that! You'll feel so much better, happier, work better. But it is possible, if you want to go for that.

Genetics, give us certain things.

I got big boobs, they are not a 42 DD anymore, just a 38DD. I really hoped, that I could just get a D. Nope!

I also got a poochy tummy. Oh, well. I was blessed with big, long, man arms, I love them! I've got awesome, muscular thighs! I may not be anything that would ever look like a model, but, dang! I am strong! And independent, and opinionated! And I like that!

Focus, on the positive! :carrot: