looking pregnant???

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2005
looking pregnant???
13
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 8:44pm

PLEASE....can someone out there in message board land help me???

I am a healthy 38 year old mom of three, whom use to be pretty thing years ago before kids!!
Before my first pregnancy (20 years ago!) I was a size 2 and 100 lbs. At 5 feet...this was considered thin. Now...I am a tad overweight at 137 lbs.

While I totally understand the way our bodies change over the years and what not....One thing bothers me to no end........

I look pregnant.

I can assuse you I am NOT pregnant.....and I am also healthy with no underlying diseases or anything.
It is just the *shape* my body has taken on over the years...and it depresses me to no end.
Can anyone give me any excercises/advice to tone and GET RID OF this tummy shape my body has taken on? Anyone know what type my body is? is there certain things to tone it?? etc....
I am totally self conscious because of this...and always end up wearing huge shirts and such to cover up my body. I won't even dress nice, for me, my BF or go out to fancy places because of this....I use to do the crunches and such...was even using the katami bar to work out...but it still has not helped, so I gave up....

Please help...... ;-(

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 8:57pm
In order to lose excess fat in the tummy area you need to do cardio workouts, doing toning excercises can help but they will only tone the muscle underneath the fat, you need to do cardio in order to burn off the fat layer on top of the muscle in order for you to see a leaner shaped tummy.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2005
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 9:33pm

Really...? That's all there is to it? ::claps happily::

Something like that Billy Blanks guy maybe? Can you recommend a good workout video ?

thanks!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2004
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 9:45pm
Yes, you can lose fat in the tummy area by doing cardio, but remember, you can not "spot reduce". Your body burns fat fairly equally over your whole body. Unfortunately, as I have learned, if your trouble area is your tummy, then that will be the last thing you lose, simply because you have more fat in that area.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 10:05pm

Oh Tae Bo will help you, you'll sweat your behind off!

I like Slim in 6, but Tae Bo is very good.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 10:06pm
Yes, but you can't lose fat by doing toning exercises, in order to lose fat you must do some form of cardio...to burn the fat.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Fri, 07-15-2005 - 11:17pm
May I suggest you doing some resistance training, like lifting weights.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2005
Sun, 07-17-2005 - 10:15pm

Thanks guys! You have helped me feel a bit more...hopeful!
I bought the slim in six CD's...and will be also looking into a small weight training area..
Hopefully, with all the combined....it will work.

Will keep ya all posted!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2005
Mon, 07-18-2005 - 10:38am

Also try including some low-fat/fat-free, preferably organic dairy products (such as plain at-free yoghurt) in your diet because recent research showed that the combination of dairy protein and calcium may help people get rid of abdominal fat.

http://www.health24.com/dietnfood/Weight_Centre/15-51-85,31732.asp

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2004
Tue, 07-19-2005 - 1:22am
Yes, you are right about that. :) Since you mentioned it, though, adding muscle through strength training will cause your body to burn more fat around the clock, because muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat. So both are important.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2004
Tue, 07-19-2005 - 9:46am
Yes both are important but it seemed she concentrated on ab workouts and unfortunately if you have a layer of fat over your ab muscles you can do crunches all day and night and you'll still have a pouch of fat over the nice toned muscles. LOL

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