Let me give you a fast history so you can understand where I'm coming from. I've lost alomst 50 lbs since January 2005, I truly do not need to shed anymore numbers, I'm around 122 lbs and I'm 5'1". I have toned up quite nicely EXCEPT the lower belly. Call it a pooch, spare tire, chub roll, and my personal favorite the buddah belly! (it looks like that little statue, no kidding) So what I want to know is it TRUE that sugar is probably the reason for this???? Is anybody having luck trimming up their lower gut???? It has come down to diet, I think, I'm not sure what else it could be. I do cardio/strength 4-6 days a week alway for at least 60 mins. It's been over 1&1/2 yrs I've been working out faithfully and eating a lower fat diet (which I hear has all kinds of hidden sugars in it) And that darn gut just won't leave, shrink, or just plain old go away! HELP!!! This has to be the most frustrating part of this whole lose weight/dieting journey, the last of the fat! No wonder so many people give in and have a tummy tuck! I'm starting to count my pennies!!!!

Wow, My ticker needs updated!!!!

first of all, congrats on the weight loss!!!
are you changing up your ab exercises? my trainer told me that if you do the same exercises for a long period of time they quit working. i do many different types of ab work. part of the time i am on the floor and then other times i do them using an exercise ball. you might try that and see if it helps. good luck

Nothing to do with sugar, just how your body stores fat. My collar bones could cut glass, my wrists are tiny, I store excess weight in the lower stomach. I came to terms with the fact I will always have a gently rounded belly.

Yes, I never do the same work out 2 days in a row. I would go CRAZY!!! I do everything from the ball, old standard ab work, to Billy's Abs. Lots of core work too.

I don't have a gently round belly, I could live with that. I have a roll!!!

I don't have any advice, I have the roll too, along with some extra everywhere else, I just wanted to congratulate you on your weight loss and hope you find your answer

Imatis, is it possible that you have a component of extra skin from being a little heavier before, and maybe it's not all fat?

Yes it is possible and probably is some extra skin. I need to make a change and I think it should be a kitchen kind of change at this point. I could live with a small pooch belly, I've had one of them since I was a kid. But this big buddah deal is a bit much!

Have you heard of The Abs Diet? It's a diet book that's formulated to target belly fat. I have a long way to go before I worry about that, but it's worth seeing if your local library has a copy.

It's been said so much here...you can't spot reduce. You can concentrate on toning that area, you can daily massage the area with lotions to firm the skin a bit, and you can shed a few more pounds and see if that's the last spot on you that will reduce with weight loss. But with age, overweight, pregnancy, etc., our skin stretches, we get pooches. A tummy tuck may be the only viable option if it's that bothersome.

Ever since I hit puberty I have had that north of the pubis/south of the belly button pudge. No matter how skinny (and I was skinny for a while) or how fat I am, I always have that. My favorite name for it was when I was early in pregnancy with my son I called it my "fetal airbag"

When I started South Beach I can tell you my tummy is the first thing that started to shrink and it is the first thing I notice growing when I've over done it on the sugar....

But, also Pilates. I LOVE pilates. I took a class back in my "hot" days and nothing worked my abs more and I had never had such a flat tummy.

Congrats on the weight loss....you're an inspiration that it CAN be done!!

Um, "give in"???? I don't think so. Your lower tummy does not have any muscle in it to work out to trim up......... the "Abs diet" probably will work on your abs, but your lower tummy is not a part of your abs. There is only one thing to do about excess fat and skin in your lower tummy if you are at a healthy low weight and that is get a tummy tuck.

Sorry ladies, but you cannot exercise your lower tummy away (except for the fact that exercise in general can lower your overall weight, thus reducing the size of the pooch, but not making it go away entirely). You can do a million crunches and it will still have no effect on your pooch.

And I don't appreciate the attitude with which you view tummy tucks. For many people who have lost lots of weight it is neccessary for the body to be in harmony and balanced in composition. It is a painful and expensive procedure that most people go into advisedly.

Getting a tummy tuck is not a cop-out it is something that is done to correct a problem area that cannot be solved through diet and exercise alone.

Two sayings that keep me going:
1. When in doubt, cut it out.
and
2. Better living through surgery.
Enough said!

Wow this went WAY off the topic and is very discouraging! You DO have muscle under the belly button.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/absbig.jpg
I have seen people, acutally a close friend, who has beautiful defined lower abs. Her torso is much longer than mine but she would kill for a better defined butt! I can't see my lower abs, but I can feel them under the jelly belly, they are there! And the whole tummy tuck statement, well for me it would be pure cosmetic period, (I don't medicaly need one) and I truley don't believe I could justify spending that kind of money when what I really need is a newer car. If I had that kind of money I would be on the gurney tomorrow getting a mini tuck and boobs! Sorry if I offended you by making fun of MY OWN personal problem area!