Just wanted to post a happy note here! If you are working on your tummy, don't give up! After I reached my goal weight, I still had a flabby belly. I have been working out (doing crunches 3 times a week, weight training, rollerblading, power walking, etc.) and trying to eat a balance of protein/carbs/fat to encourage muscle growth and fat loss.
Well no matter how much I sucked my tummy in and tried to tighten my ab muscles, there was this really puckery layer of skin in the way (under my rib cage, above and below my belly button)! Although I lost fat from all over my body, I must have really been carrying alot in my stomach. I never imagined I'd have extra skin there when I lost weight!
I am happy to say that the skin is disappearing!
I just did a stomach check today, sucked my gut in and tightened my abs and there is MUCH less extra skin today than there was when I reached my goal weight! Phew! I have hope that in another month or two any extra skin that was around will be gone.
I had been getting discouraged thinking I was going to be stuck with this puckery mess of flesh, but then my Mom commented about how after giving birth 3 times her stomach always seemed to shrink back up in 3-4 months! It hit me then that if her tummy could go back to normal after being stretched out by my brother, my sister and me, that my stomach could shrink too!
So don't give up hope! Give your body time to adjust, lots of time! Even though you might reach your goal and not feel like you look quite how you expected, you will get there in time!
I don't have those washboard abs, YET, but I'm still working towards them. I also did a comparison of a photo taken of me in my bathing suit on the 4th of July to one taken on Sunday in the same suit. Although my weight has been pretty much the same (I have weighed anywhere from 138 to 142 since reaching goal), my body is really looking better and better. In the more recent picture of me in my bathing suit I can't find ANYTHING to criticize or shudder at, so I think I am making great progress! Hang in there! I have always wanted to look like this, but somehow kept holding myself back. Now I am just about where I want to be and I am so proud of the changes I have made. You can all do it too!!! I swear, if I can do it anyone can!!!! I used to be the most unorganized, put it off until tomorrow, exercise is a four letter word and I will not be able to make this long term change, etc. person in the world, but something finally snapped and my whole outlook on life is different.
Thanks, WISH buddies! If it wasn't for the WISH challenge I would be a really unhappy person right now, but instead I am totally happy and optimisitc and loving life!
Well no matter how much I sucked my tummy in and tried to tighten my ab muscles, there was this really puckery layer of skin in the way (under my rib cage, above and below my belly button)! Although I lost fat from all over my body, I must have really been carrying alot in my stomach. I never imagined I'd have extra skin there when I lost weight!
I am happy to say that the skin is disappearing!
I just did a stomach check today, sucked my gut in and tightened my abs and there is MUCH less extra skin today than there was when I reached my goal weight! Phew! I have hope that in another month or two any extra skin that was around will be gone. I had been getting discouraged thinking I was going to be stuck with this puckery mess of flesh, but then my Mom commented about how after giving birth 3 times her stomach always seemed to shrink back up in 3-4 months! It hit me then that if her tummy could go back to normal after being stretched out by my brother, my sister and me, that my stomach could shrink too!
So don't give up hope! Give your body time to adjust, lots of time! Even though you might reach your goal and not feel like you look quite how you expected, you will get there in time!
I don't have those washboard abs, YET, but I'm still working towards them. I also did a comparison of a photo taken of me in my bathing suit on the 4th of July to one taken on Sunday in the same suit. Although my weight has been pretty much the same (I have weighed anywhere from 138 to 142 since reaching goal), my body is really looking better and better. In the more recent picture of me in my bathing suit I can't find ANYTHING to criticize or shudder at, so I think I am making great progress! Hang in there! I have always wanted to look like this, but somehow kept holding myself back. Now I am just about where I want to be and I am so proud of the changes I have made. You can all do it too!!! I swear, if I can do it anyone can!!!! I used to be the most unorganized, put it off until tomorrow, exercise is a four letter word and I will not be able to make this long term change, etc. person in the world, but something finally snapped and my whole outlook on life is different.
Thanks, WISH buddies! If it wasn't for the WISH challenge I would be a really unhappy person right now, but instead I am totally happy and optimisitc and loving life!
. But i've had a change of heart and now after over a month of not exercising i'm back no track with my exercise and i'm gonna give it my all. I'm the silly one who took belly shots (picutres now ya'll) that i have to compare with i have'nt taken them only when i started and at 50lbs and now i'm almost to 75lbs gone so i may take them again soon. I am doing my cruches with my ab firm tapes and watp tapes again so i sure hope i get some resemblece of a flat tummy back. I don't want to look like a model but i'd like to have confidence about my looks again. Thanks so much for sharing all this with us. Maybe i should'nt have given up so easily on that.
). I bet you are so proud of your results.
