Help me with my distended tummy

[bluetwistedsteel67]

Ok girls, i am asking this under my husbands profile because I haven't registered. I am 41 yrs old, workout consistantly and have always stayed in good shape. After 3 children (9,7 & 5) my tummy just isn't coming back. I spoke to a plastic surgeon about getting lipo at the same time as I was getting my breasts done (the kids effected those as well) and he said there just wasn't anything to lipo. My bodyfat is 14% (I'm 5'6" and 120). I just can't stand how distended my stomach is. I can't get it flat even though my bf is relatively low. I need your advice. The Dr did say he could tighten my abs through surgery but the recovery is longer than I want to deal with. Are any of you dealing with this same problem or have you conquered it? I need help. Sometimes I feel like I look 4 months pregnant.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Is it like excesse skin hanging or fat? Can you give us a bit more on the details of your diet and training as well please.

 

[jenscats5]

Did the PS say it was loose skin or were the muscles loose?? Normally in a tummy tuck the Dr. can tighten the muscles...... The recovery is tough as you can't stand up straight for a while & other activities....

 

[bluetwistedsteel67]

Is it like excesse skin hanging or fat? Can you give us a bit more on the details of your diet and training as well please.

I actually have very little loose skin (considering 3 kids) and very little abdominal fat. The surgeon that did by boob job told me I didn't have enough fat to lipo and that he'd be lucky to get close to a pound of fat. My problem is muscular I think. When my abdominal muscles stretched to make room for babies they just never came back even close to the way they were before. This is causing a round, poochy belly. If I flex my abs they look great but I just can't contract that hard for more than about 30 seconds so walking around like that really isn't an option. As far as diet and workout, I eat about 5 times per day. I stay right around 1200 cals per day and pretty clean other than margaritas on Saturday night. I do a full body workout 3x per week with pretty low volume in each workout but good intensity. Usually I do around 6 sets per bodypart in each workout(so a total of 18 per week per bodypart). Can my abs be brought back? What would the best ab exercises be? My surgeon did say he could sew my abs together tight but I would have a tough recovery and I had a rough enough time recovering from my breast enhancement so I said no thanks.

 

[jenscats5]

Try doing some core strengthening exercises....... Like the Plank, which you can progressively make harder

 

[ironbabe]

After three kids, (had three myself) your abdominal walls might have seperated in the middle. If when you flex you feel a big gap at your belly button line, then they have seperated from the stress of growing your abdomen to fit a baby (or three). The only solution for this is surgery. I have a pooch myself, but I can't blame it on muscles, I've just started to get my act together and lose the baby weight since my little boy was born.