WHY IS MY TUMMY LIKE THIS? (pic)

[haleypink]

I just want to know if anyone else has a similar problem and if/how they got rid of it?


Okay, so I'm 18. In the past year and a half, I've lost a whopping 70lbs through diet and exercise. I went from 200lbs to 130lbs but I will not stop until this freaking little flap over my belly button is gone!
I am so self conscious of it and I hate it! It honestly makes me kinda upset with myself when I see other girls who weigh more than me and have like a perfectly rounded stomach because at least they don't have a flap that shows through tight/semi-tight clothing, ya know?
I've worked so hard to be at the weight I am now and all I am wanting is for this spare tire to go away. When I sit down, or bend over, the little line literally forms into a smiley face.
Prom is coming up soon. I didn't go last year because I was too unhappy with my body. I am planning to go this year since its my senior year, and I want to show off all the weight I've lost but I feel so constricted by this little flap over my belly button.
When I actually do try to wear clothes that show off how much weight I've lost, people will stare and I've had a few even comment on the flap, which doesn't help.

Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this!

 

[kenpoengineer]

Wow! Congrats on taking a first step to a healthy life by losing 70 pounds!

That stomach flap in my opinion is composed of remaining fat AND the excess skin your body had to grow to cover the fat that was in this area before you lost it. You are young, keep exercising and eating healthy and this excess skin will eventually grow smaller. It will not happen overnite though.

I would say to start with eliminating dairy from your diet ( milk, cheese, ice cream, etc) to see if your midsection decreases in size. You may have bloating due to dairy. I personally have this issue and have learned to stay away from dairy.

Are there any foods that you eat that you feel a little "ill" from? If so, this may be a food allergy. Food allergies can result in bloated midsections.

Hope this helps. Keep up the healthy lifestyle.

 

[rbss]

Great job on you weight loss! I think if you keep training and tweak your diet a little bit you will be fine. If your not tracking your macros start. Give us an example of your diet so we can help you further!

 

[rhoadx]

agreed with the two posters above great job on the weight loss! I agree that its probably just a bit of extra skin and fat (we all deposit it and lose it in different areas first) and it looks as if you are very close to being rid of it just keep training and eating healthy. Also i think that you probably see it as much worse than it is in reality (most of us are our own biggest critics) i personally dont think its that bad at all. Keep up the good work.

 

[haleypink]

Wow! Congrats on taking a first step to a healthy life by losing 70 pounds!

That stomach flap in my opinion is composed of remaining fat AND the excess skin your body had to grow to cover the fat that was in this area before you lost it. You are young, keep exercising and eating healthy and this excess skin will eventually grow smaller. It will not happen overnite though.

I would say to start with eliminating dairy from your diet ( milk, cheese, ice cream, etc) to see if your midsection decreases in size. You may have bloating due to dairy. I personally have this issue and have learned to stay away from dairy.

Are there any foods that you eat that you feel a little "ill" from? If so, this may be a food allergy. Food allergies can result in bloated midsections.

Hope this helps. Keep up the healthy lifestyle.

Thank you so much!

You're probably right about my skin kind of adjusting to my weightloss because I lost it all pretty quickly. Mostly what I do when I exercise is cardio and crossfit, so I probably need to throw in some weights. Actually, I know I need to throw in some weights, lol.

Oh my gosh, I never ever thought about that before. I've had this type of stomach since I was a little kid. Ice cream, milk, yogurt, etc. they all make me 'ill', lol but I am such a sucker for cheese. This may also have to do with it. I really never have thought about that before.

Thank you so much for your help! Really, it opened my mind up to a lot!

 

[haleypink]

Great job on you weight loss! I think if you keep training and tweak your diet a little bit you will be fine. If your not tracking your macros start. Give us an example of your diet so we can help you further!

Thank you and hmm, an example of my diet.
Well, most of it is just calorie restricting and burning more calories in a day than the calories I consume. I usually consume about 1200 calories a day from proteins like grilled chicken and steak, veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, fruits as snacks and breakfast like Granny Smith apples, grapes, strawberries, and kiwi. I eat a lot of grilled chicken and salads, to be honest, haha. I just always try to steer away from anything processed or pre-made.
I do need to start tracking my macros instead of just calorie counting.
Thank you so much. You guys really are helping me out.

 

[haleypink]

agreed with the two posters above great job on the weight loss! I agree that its probably just a bit of extra skin and fat (we all deposit it and lose it in different areas first) and it looks as if you are very close to being rid of it just keep training and eating healthy. Also i think that you probably see it as much worse than it is in reality (most of us are our own biggest critics) i personally dont think its that bad at all. Keep up the good work.

Thank you as well!
Thank you so much for the encouragement and ain't that the truth? I know I'm my biggest critic and that it could be a lot worst, but I'm just such a perfectionist when it comes down to it. There are little little things I notice about about myself that no one else does and they will drive me up the wall 'til I do something about them. I probably do need to loosen up a bit and be more proud of things I have already accomplished, rather than solely fixating my mind on things that I have yet to accomplish.
Thank you so much! All of you delivered more than what I was expecting when I posted this! I was kinda nervous that I would get a mean response or something, but you guys really have comforted me and I will take all of the things y'all have said and apply them!

 

[Jiigzz]

While I personally avoid lactose, that picture is not a sign of bloating rather just loose skin which is 'normal' if you undertake rapid weight loss.

I must say though that 1200kcals is not a healthy or sustainable amount. You need more than that for you own sake. Dropping too low for sustained periods + exercising on top of this may end up hurting you and your reproductive capabilities.

Congrats on the weight loss, but now move into a plan which is healhlthy and sustainable

 

[OnionKnight]

doesnt look like bloat to me either. or fat for that matter since we can see how skinny your arms and legs are. id go and say its just loose skin, itll shrink over time

 

[threeFs]

Thank you and hmm, an example of my diet.
Well, most of it is just calorie restricting and burning more calories in a day than the calories I consume. I usually consume about 1200 calories a day from proteins like grilled chicken and steak, veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, fruits as snacks and breakfast like Granny Smith apples, grapes, strawberries, and kiwi. I eat a lot of grilled chicken and salads, to be honest, haha. I just always try to steer away from anything processed or pre-made.
I do need to start tracking my macros instead of just calorie counting.
Thank you so much. You guys really are helping me out.

Howdy, and welcome!
couple things.... First, fruit is not as healthy as people think. The fructose in it causes an insulin spike which triggers fat storage. Especially first thing in the morning, a bad idea for fat loss. I don't have much time right now, but here's some things to read....

http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/5319/from-bookworm-to-bikini-week-nine/

http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/5084/why-breakfast-is-nothing-but-a-scam/

http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/5302/kiefer-qa-the-carb-nite-solution-for-women/

 

[Jiigzz]

Fructose cannot be utilized readily for the cells, it must be 'processed' via the liver. Fruit in of itself is healthy in that it provides many nutrients in abundance and that not all fruits have high percentages of fructose.

 

[threeFs]

Fructose cannot be utilized readily for the cells, it must be 'processed' via the liver. Fruit in of itself is healthy in that it provides many nutrients in abundance and that not all fruits have high percentages of fructose.

Well perhaps, but can't you get the same or more nutrients without fructose by eating vegetables?
Always good talks, Jiigzz

 

[Jiigzz]

Well perhaps, but can't you get the same or more nutrients without fructose by eating vegetables?
Always good talks, Jiigzz

Could do, but given the lack of variety in peoples diets; fruits are necessary to obtain full spectrum benefits. If people eliminate fruit, it simply means they need to increase vegetable intake and eat more of a range of vegetables (from green to red for example), however this usually does not happen.

 

[Lukef2000]

Looks like loose skin to me. Your skin looses its elasticity when you lose weight quickly. Since your young it will sort itself out... Eventually.

 

[RoadBlocK]

Looks like loose skin to me. Your skin looses its elasticity when you lose weight quickly. Since your young it will sort itself out... Eventually.

I agree with what has been posted. You have done very well, and at your age, your skin still has plenty of elastin, so keep up the good work, maintain a good exercise program, maybe add a tiny bit more protein to your diet, any loose skin will tighten up and your abs should start to show.

 

[bla55]

I would suggest adding some good and healthy weight training to help get rid of those.

By adding some muscle throughout your body your composition may improve; read, back muscles can stretch that skin back, arms and shoulders will give you a more "toned" look and deviate from your concern area, and strong legs will make you lose the remaining weight much faster.

Try adding some strength training along with what you're currently doing and you will probably be happy with the results. And no, it won't give you a "manly" figure.

Congrats on the job so far!

 

[saggy321]

While I personally avoid lactose, that picture is not a sign of bloating rather just loose skin which is 'normal' if you undertake rapid weight loss.

I must say though that 1200kcals is not a healthy or sustainable amount. You need more than that for you own sake. Dropping too low for sustained periods + exercising on top of this may end up hurting you and your reproductive capabilities.

Congrats on the weight loss, but now move into a plan which is healhlthy and sustainable

This man always speaks sense!

 

[Nooshefx]

This man always speaks sense!

Agreed