Hello all, I was wondering if any of you could give some good advice on how to get rid of that dreaded pot belly that is a pain in the ****.. I cant really do alot of situps and thing like that due to having Fibromyalgia and muscle spasms and I am walking 1.5 miles everyday...But I know that alone will not get rid of that awful thing...the pot belly.(You know....the part that is below the belly button and above the crotch) So I am open to any advice on how to help this unsightly problem......Feeling Dumpy... Thanks, Sherri :c(

:( I would like input on this also. I have been told to try holding in my stomach when I walk. Also I was told was to suck your gut in as tight as you can when you take a breath in and hold it for a count of 10 then let it out slowly. Not sure if it works. I am doing both and hoping it helps.

Sixy

Well, authority I ain't, but here's what I've been told by both personal trainers and fitness pros:

belly pooch is a combination of both abdominal fat and weak abdominal muscles.

1- you can only get rid of the ab fat by losing the weight, usually a combination of both diet and exercise.

2- you can strengthen the muscles through any means of ab exercises you prefer from traditional ab work to pilates, but as long as there's fat covering them, there's going to be a pooch. But strengthening the muscles will help a great deal, the area just isn't going to lie "flat as a pancake" if there's a layer of fat there.

-Sixy: I've heard the same thing you mentioned. I am terrible about holding in my stomach, and I've heard from several sources that whether just standing still or sitting or walking, make a practice of holding your stomach in. It's suppose to help train the muscles or something? Almost 100% of the time when I'm exercising and the instructor says, "hold your abs firm," or "are you holding your abs firm?" I'm not! I always need the reminder!

And certain workouts are really good for strengthening/toning the abs like kickboxing. It not only burns calories/fat but tones your abs at the same time!

Donna

Donna

I am working on losing the fat by diet and exercise but I am afraid that there will be alot of excess hangy skin left over there after the weight loss...And what about creams or gels? anybody got any ideas?....Sherri :(

Hopefully with doing the exercise you won't be left with much loose skin, genetics really comes in to play with this, but also someone else here just posted that it can take up to 1 year for the skin on your ab area to completely shrink down, which really makes sense because all I've ever heard from plastic/cosmetic surgeons is to give yourself 1 year of consistent exercise after weight loss targeting the trouble area before deciding on surgery to correct the problem.
And just recently on the TV program "The Other Half" the surgeon that performed one of the male co-stars lipo on his abs/love handles said the same thing, that the guy worked on toning his abs for 1 year before scheduling surgery, but surgery was his only answer because even after 1 year of the gym and a personal trainer, the guy's love handles didn't budge!

I know for me exercise has really helped me in the loose skin department. And we have to remember that the skin didn't stretch over night, so we can't expect it to shrink over night. Hopefully, exercise, eating well and patience will pay off! :)

Donna

Thanks Donna, That is some great advice....That is just what I needed...Smiling here..:D Sherri

Well I am not an expert either but I do have the belly hanging problem as you do. I call it my one eyed smiley face. My belly button being my one eye. Or my dunlap. This dun laps over that.

Any way Little shared with me a exercise that helps a lot but I don't know if it is safe for bad backs so beware.
You have someone stand over you at your head area as your lying on the floor. This person faces your body and puts their hands straight out and you hold on to this persons ankles and lift your legs both at one time to touch their hands. Then you lower your legs slowly stopping every 6 inches and holding. It really hurts the next day in the ab area.

Good luck. Mary