Belly Talk

I'm 27 and my roomate an I have been having this ongoing debate. She says that at around now women just get womenly weightwise. I recently noticed I am getting a bit of a belly. My son is two and I lost the weight really quickly after he was born, I weigh less than I did when I got pregnanty but I've got a belly anyway. I watch tv and see those women with perfect abs and I really envy them. Has anyone on here ever reclaimed your body after having a child? Is it possible?
I know I shouldn't care so much but I look at my untoned abs and get discouraged. I've been doing sit-ups, but haven't seen results. How much exercise does it take to get your body back? I need a gym or personal trainer but can't afford them.
H

 

well, there's alot of exercises much better for your abs than full sit ups. there's a series of crunches in succession that you do, but it takes a lot. you might also be thinner or lighter weight-wise than you were pre-pregnancy, but you may have a higher body fat ratio. at my thinnest/lightest, i had my highest body fat ration and no muscle tone. so your diet may play a role in that.

 

Abs are about fat levels, not how strong the abs are.

I had abs that could support well in excess of 550lb, but they were covered with a layer of fat and therefore invisible.

The paradox is, the stronger and bigger the abs are the fatter you look.

 

Right now I weigh between 90-95 lbs and take care of a toddler. O eat pretty well- lots of veggies and I've recently switched to almost vegetarian (I need mean because I get messed up if I don't eat it) Since making the switch I've actually gained weight which was a bit disheartening. But it really isn't about weight with me, definitely a muscle tone thing. Can you tell me more about the crunches? How many at once and how many per day?
H

 

well, it's not unusual for you to get a little squishy turning veg. it happens to a lot of people. the crunches need to be done just right. you have to make sure that your lower back is in total contact with the floor. lift your hips and tighten them up. they'll help stabilize you. then you place your fingertips behind your head, but don't lift your head with them. slowly lift your upper body, keeping steady and not jerking up, concentrate on the tightening of the core muscles. i liked doing 50 of these, 25 to start.

then you can work on your obliques, which are the side muscles in your abs. my preferred method, because it saved my back, was to place one leg parallel to the ground, and slowly lift my opposing shoulder while raising that leg straight into the air. same number of reps. repeat on the other side.

you can work your abs every day, unlike other muscles which require a break in toning to repair. the constant toning of these muscles will help shrink them in size, as opposed to strength training which tends to produce the increase in bulk irongoth was talking about.

also, pilates workout cd's are really increasing in quality, and for your diet and physique, as well as what you're lookign to accomplish, i think pilates and yoga to increase your core strength would be ideal. WAY cheaper than a gym and trainer. for what you've got going on, i think they would be too much anyway.

 

Pilates is excellent.

But I am disagreeing with you about crunches simply cause they're shite. Not to disagree with you.

If you really want to hit yr abs, do Janda situps and use an ab-wheel. Crunches do very little good.

 

you can't beat them for stimulating core strength. so i beg to differ. they've worked very well for me. perhaps it's a male/female physiological difference? after i had my first baby, they saved me.

 

You can, actually.

Janda situps and ab wheels target the abs much more completely. The Soviets knew about this ages ago. They aren't concerned with ab shapeliness but breaking world records.

 

i'll conceed you may be right, but, if it includes purchasing something, perhaps that's not the way for a broke girl to start out. i'll look into Janda situps later. i'm going to need a load of help. but anyway, after carrying my daughter and not being able to exercise for months, crunches did me a WORLD of good. then i moved into pilates and yoga when i was able to afford the tapes. though i think our gal here IS more worried about abdominal shape than sheer strength.

 

A Janda situp requires a partner. An ab wheel is about $5.

 

yeah, sometimes there's a true choice between an ab wheel for $5 and food. dunno. i don't like them myself. and some people don't have partners. will a heavy couch work? like on your feet or something? what are janda situps anyway?

 

if you don't mind me asking, how tall are you?
i don't know if i'd recommend trying to lose weight when you weigh 90lbs...
ps: i promise i'm not trying to judge you or be abrasive. i just meant it as a genuine health concern.

 

No, a Janda situp needs to be done with someone else. Here's how to do it.

Lie down on your back, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor.

This part is important. Your partner sits near your feet, and hooks his arms around your calves. Your job is to PULL your feet back towards your buttocks, with him pulling back (so they don't move) and at the same time flex your buttocks as hard as you can.

THEN sit up.

What the buttocks and hamstring flexing does is prevent the HIPS from being able to flex. You cannot simultaneously use those two sets of muscles. So what is it that you sit up with? The only muscles left - the abs. Most situps and crunches are primarily hips.

Most people CANNOT do ONE Janda situp. They have to do it assisted by being on a bungee.

 

i can see how that would be severely difficult until you build up the strength. i had a c-section, and the hell that puts your muscles through takes FOREVER to mend. i have ot have another. that's gonna suck. but i just bet dave will LOVE helping me with those. it'll be good to have a workout partner again. i haven't been able to do a full REGULAR situp in over 3 years now without fealing like my lower abdomen is going to tear open.

 

Wow, that sucks.

Remember, don't stop flexing the hamstrings and buttocks. If you relax those, your hips can take over and lift you.

 

right. form is everything. i've also had to do those silly crunches on the exercise balls. those are really good for RIGHT after delivery, because those muscles are so stretched out and exhausted. you can really fuck up your back if you're not concentrating on your balance and strength.

 

Also strengthen your lower back. Reverse hyperextensions.

 

well, those get a little trickier right after birth. a lot of moms experience a lot of cramping in their lower back, courtesy of hormones shifting and soft tissue damage from the pregnancy itself, like the tissue surrounding the sciatic nerves and such. but, i DID get those over the back of my couch because it reached JUST to the tops of my thighs and i was able to get to them gently. you're really not allowed to do much, especially post surgery. but it's true, you should never work one set of muscles without working the complimentary set.

 

Hope you're doing OK now

 

mostly okay. got a couple months, then i'm back to the grind. lol. right after i delivered last time i looked like a potato on stilts. it was horrible.