beating belly bloat

[kimberlily]

I really need to figure out what to do with this belly of mine. I'm not overweight, but I do have a big belly in relation with the rest of my body. A friend asked me several months ago when my baby was due...

I know this much: it ISN'T fat. I do have a slight layer of fat, but that doesn't explain why it sticks out as far as it does. It is like I'm constantly bloated, and I can't figure out why. It isn't dairy or gluten. I omitted both when I did the fat flush detox as well as yeast, and the belly didn't get any smaller. I don't eat a lot of sugar. I know I don't drink enough water, but on Monday I bought a 32oz container so I can sip all day. So long as I drink two of them, I should be good. I don't think water is the problem though.

Suggestions? My abs feel strong, and I think my workout is good. I'm in reasonably good shape. There's got to be some explanation for why my belly sticks out. Here's proof (http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/kimberlily74/uglybelly071508.jpg) that I'm not crazy and imagining things.

I'm thinking about eating Activia yogurt in hopes that balancing my intestinal flora will help, and I read that peppermint tea can aid digestion and reduce bloating, so I'm going to give that a try too... but any advice would be more than welcome!

[Raederle]

I'm pretty sure you're not standing up straight in the picture.

But, you know your body, and if you say you're bloated, then we'll go from there.

Do you actually feel gassy or are you going on the basis of how you feel you look? You've taken some good steps trying to narrow it down by eliminating dairy and gluten. Do you notice fluid retention anywhere? Is it possible you consume a lot of sodium? If so, the water will help flush it out.

The yogurt might help, too. A friend of mine swears by it, though she had digestive issues which made her start activia. I'll ask her if she had bloat issues.

I hope you can find some resolution, soon.

[kimberlily]

I admit, my posture isn't great. But being conscious of my posture doesn't seem to make any difference. It looks even worse when I'm sitting. My belly feels tight. I'm not gassy though. I'm guessing it is bloat, since I can't think of any other cause.

[feisty redhead]

Well first of all if I looked like you I'd be thrilled LOL. But anyway, the only thing I can think of here is don't those colon cleansing systems help with "bloaty" tummies? I know GNC has a 'program' where you get I think three different products, and you use one for a week or so then the next and so on. I think I remember hearing that was not only just good for your system but it would help to flatten out your belly a bit. I am not entirely sure though. But it's worth researching. =)

[kimberlily]

The thing is, we just did a detox/cleanse, and it made no difference at all... so I don't see how buying a program would be better. The detox we did had some supplements, plus a very restrictive diet. Still, poofy belly.

I really think that if I had a few extra pounds on me, it wouldn't bother me so much, because it wouldn't look so BIG. I don't look proportionate ;)

[tameriska]

Have you checked this out with your doc?

[Abanilla_Surfer]

Have you tried sucking it in? I ask because you look generally slim and like you have no extra fat on your stomach to worry about either. In fact you look a lot like me :) I find that if I slouch I look terrible. I also can literally see the size of my stomach increase when I fill it up. What works for me is to just concentrate on sucking it in every single time I remember. I also try to sit and stand up straight when I remember. (I can still hear my old ballet teacher "Shoulders back, tummy in!")It's amazing how much difference those 2 little things can make to how you look and feel. It is very hard to do at first because you're just not used to it and the muscles can't cope for long, but within a few days you will find the going gets easier. I used to do this all the time when I was younger (and so did most of my friends) but 2 pregnancies got me out of the habit. There's just no way to suck a baby in! It's worth a try as it costs nothing and is a bit of an extra workout for your stomach which can't be bad.

If you really feel that there's something going on with your stomach's internal processes then you definately need to see a doctor.

[topaz_phoenix]

Hi kimberlily! Ugg I know what you're talking about. I think some people have a genetic predisposition for a tummy that sort of sticks out....I know I do.....:purplex: I'm pretty skinny and mine still does.

But hey, I'd been doing like 10 minutes of Pilates before bed, just the (I think it's around 8) basic "core strengthening" exercises/stretches......my belly definately felt more flat and taut after about a week.....you have to stick to the program though, I haven't been doing it for the past week and the flab is coming back......:sweatdrop: It really did help me though, and Pilates is relaxing too. I know you said your abs were in pretty good shape but I thought mine were too.....but Pilates is the only exercise program where I really noticed a difference....because it concentrates our "core" it was alot more helpful than any of the crunches I'd been doing before.

I just got a book from the library to learn the basic exercises, you can get more advanced but I was happy with mastering the basic ones...really need to stop being lazy and get back into the routine.

Hope this helps.