C-section ? pooch from navel to scar

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Andrea

Guest
I have a friend that has been working out since November. She has lost some weight and is looking good. She attends two aerobics classes, runs, and lifts light weights. She has had two C-sections and while the rest of her body is shaping up nicely, the area from her navel to her scar is not. She hates it horribly, and is seriously saving up for a tummy tuck. She says that even when she was at her goal weight, she still had the pooch. Have any of you had success getting rid of it? And, if so, what did you do?

I should also mention she eats about 1500 calories a day. She wants to lose another 10-15 lbs. I think she is 5'6", and weights around 160.

Any feedback would be great!

Andrea
 
I would be VERY interested if anyone has an answer to this question because I have the same problem. My c-section flab has been with me for about 15 years now and it continues to hang there through all my workouts and ab routines and good eating. Am I stuck with it forever?
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Apr-26-02 AT 03:39PM (Est)[/font][p][font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Apr-25-02 AT 07:52 PM (Est)[/font]

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Hey Robin, don't apologize! This is really great information. And that palms forward thing...never heard it before, but the minute I tried it I learned what "they" have been talking about all these years. Really made it simple. Thanks!
Ruth
:)
 
I cannot help with the C-section stuff but I can tell you that your friend is not eating enough. For her height and weight, her minimum number of calories per day just to keep her alive is around 1500-1600 calories--that is not factoring in additional calories needed for physical activity. Tell her to try gradually bumping up her calories (from good quality carbs and proteins of course) by about 100 per day for a week, then another 100 per day the next, and so on. Monitor for weight gain and then make adjustments. If her body is in starvation mode, which it probably is, she will have a difficult time shedding bodyfat. Think of your body as a high performance car--it needs enough good quality fuel to be able to fly down the highway of life--otherwise, you just run out of gas and get nowhere!
 
Hi Andrea,
I too have had c-sections -- 3 in total, and have the same problem as your friend. Ive read many posts here about the same thing, and it seems we may just be stuck with it!!

I know thats not what she wants to hear, I know I dont, so if you do find something that works, please share with the rest of us!!!
Good luck to your friend.
Jayne
 
I had a C-section in 1983. It left me with a lot of loose skin and fat in the lower ab section, that is, below the waist.

I started exercising in ernest in the early 1990's, using mostly the Firm tapes. I dropped down to a good weight. I worked my abs to death. I developed rock hard abs that unfortunately could not be seen in the lower half because of all the loose skin.

If loose skin is your issue, there is probably no solution other than getting a tummy tuck. I want to qualify that statement by saying that I am certainly not an expert, there may be a way that I am not aware of, but for me personally, nothing I did worked.

After several years of working out I decided to get a tummy tuck because I was unhappy with the lower abs pooching out. I did this in 1995 and the results were very very good. Naturally, a tummy tuck does not give you a six pack but after having one I can actually see the muscles in my abs that I work so hard to maintain.

Marlene
 
Hi, Marlene! I say good for you for having the tummy tuck. I have had two cosmetic surgery procedures, one at 20 years old and one last year at 36, and although some people gave me a very tough time about having these done (they told me I was too vain) I am so happy that I was brave enough to do it anyway. I feel so much better about myself! Both of the surgeries were for things that really affected my self-esteem--they are two of the best things I ever did for myself, along of course, with taking good care of my body with a healthy diet and exercise!
Denise
 
Thank you all so much! Lots of different experiences. I'm sending her the link now :)
Andrea
 
I have the same problem. It's so frustrating. You work your body to death but there's that skin just hanging there! I have also been thinking seriously about a tummy tuck...UGH...just doesn't seem fair does it?
 
Denise: Good for you for having the surgery you wanted.

Several close friends have critized me for my "vanity" on having the tummy tuck but I don't care. I did what I wanted to do, I could afford it, and I am not apologizing to anyone. The tuck gave me the lower abs no amount of exercise could have done. I tried exercise for several years before I got the courage to have this procedure.

If anyone out there is considering this, needs information from a patient's point of view or just has some questions I will do my best to answer them.

E mail me at [email protected].

Marlene
 
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