How Do I Lose the Belly Flab After Having Two C - Sections

I really like my ab roller, it is much easier than traditional crunches and it really works. I also think that when I cut down on carbs (not eliminate, but reduce things like pasta and bread) it helps my belly.

Spanks is a good friend, too!

one of the best core exercises is planks. begin as if beginning a pushup, but hold at the top for 30 seconds, or a bit longer, then release.
do it for a couple reps, or whatever you are comfortable with.

if you are comfortable with that, you can do another version of planks. not exactly sure what it's called, but i had a personal trainer teach me it.
you do the plank like normal, but instead of holding, you bend down with your right arm, laying the forearm on the ground, elbow to wrist in a 90 degree angle. then do the same with your left arm. then lift up with the left, then the right. repeat for 5 sets, then reverse which arm you go down with first.
i really hope i explained that right...

but really, planks do help in working the whole core, way better than crunches or sittups.

and always consult your doctor before an exercise routine. just to make sure.

good luck!

To my knowlegde if the flab is skin you are going to have to have it cut-off (tummy tuck) if it is fat/muscle, I used the age old trick of a really tight girdle. (like the "grandma panties" that you see in department stores). My grandmother swore by it and after 4 children she has an incredibly flat stomach (for a 83 yr old). I put it on as soon as I was able after the birth of each of my children and wore it religiously for about 3 months. Muscles have memory and this helped them to get back into place until they re-tightened and toned. I have been very please with the results. That being said, I too still have the skin. When I bend over or sit down, my stretched skin still rolls a bit, even without the "pouch"... I eat well and work out regularly and my husband appreciates all that I did to bring our children into the world. That helps me deal with the fact that parts of me will never be the same again. Oh well, their little faces are all worth it in my book... I just need to remind myself of that on the days where I'm not so happy with what I see in the mirror.

HI S.-
oh that belly fat. Been there done that after carrying twins to full term at 40 and being left with what I called my 'kangaroo pouch' still 2 years later. Like you, I tried most everything and you did the exercise way more than me it sounds.
Well- first off don't give up. If I can - you can. I'm turning 50 this year and still or should I say again at 43 could wear a bikini- and still can. As a result of what I did- I also became a part time wellness coach.
So if you're interested in just getting on my email list for pointers, email me at ____@____.com
I help coach a nationwide online weight challenge for $ at challengevictor.com and our next one starts Oct. 5 if that interests you too.
If you email me or want to chat, I'll be happy to profile you next week when I'm back home- and give you tips on what I did.
I'll give you a few simple ideas to keep that off-- half weight in water, 5 servings fruits and veggies, lean proteins to your need (where the profile comes in) and one starch product a day will melt that away.

Keep at it-- YOU will get there. It took me 5 weeks to lose 2.5 clothes size- seriously.

About me- turning 50 next week- perfusionist, wellness coach PT, and mom with awesome turning 9 yo fraternal twin girls.

B. J

Crunches will help tighten the ab muscles, but unless you do something about the 'insulation' over top then the 'belly flab' will always be there.

Increase the intensity of your cardio (work harder, go faster, use an incline, or increase resistance).

Most importantly, you need to be very strict and tight with your nutrition. Journal your food to see how many calories you're consuming each day. All the hard work in the world can be cancelled out if you're consuming too many calories.

I have had two c-sections and for me I did crunches every day but I also had to lose more weight than what my pre-pregnancy weight was. So are you back down to 102? cause that is pretty skinny....I doubt you need to lose more than that but if you aren't there yet even 5 extra pounds make a difference in your tummy. So for me with my second child i started out at 115 but after I had her I didn't have a nice flat toned tummy again until I was down to 107. I know it's hard but if you really work at it you can get it back without a tummy tuck. Good luck.

I didn't have c-sections with my births, but when I was 19, I had a full abdominal incision to remove both my inflamed appendix and an ovary that was the size of a grapefruit. I weighed 98 pounds. I am very thin, but I don't think I'll ever have a flat tummy ever again. I've tried everything.
There are exercises you can do to target your belly area and because I have a bad back, crunches are out of the question for me.
I like the exercise balls. You can roll back and on your side a little easier and it does help. Make sure you are doing things to strengthen your lower back muscles and keeping your posture in check.
Certain foods are known to go right to the abdomen depending on your metablolism and body type.
Stress is also supposed to be a factor with holding weight in your abdomen.

I hope you get some great advice.
Best wishes.

Is it just belly flab... or do you have what is called "Diastasis?"
this is a separation of the abdominal wall... and crunches will not help that.
What you need to do instead is to do stomach exercises that work the obliques..... to strengthen the abdominal structure etc.

But for just belly flab... I don't know of anything that will get rid of it, period... besides plastic surgery.

I have had 2 c-sections... and I have Diastasis. Diastasis is not from c-sections.... just to clarify. But both my babies were HUGE in utero and everyone thought I had triplets in there... because I carried my pregnancies totally in front... huge tummy.

Building up your muscles ALL OVER your body helps you turn your body on to fat-burning mode. Check out Burstcore.com .

Also, Shaklee's Cinch program has extra leucine in it (natural amino acid found in protein) that is proven to help you retain muscle and therefore lose fat.

www.cinchplan.com/K.

Send me a message if you would like to hear about some success stories or if you have questions.

There is a way to get discounts, too.

It's been 4 years since I had my last C-section, (I had two as well) and while I have lost weight, about 25 lbs, it's taking more time to lose the tummy. I have just become a little more comfortable with my post baby body, but I do like doing pilates and other exercises that strenghten the midsection and maybe in time my tummy will get smaller. But even women that haven't had C-sections have "pouches" as well, so it's not just us.

Hi S.,

I see that you are in Madison. I used to live there! I went to Madison Pilates for a few years and LOVED it and was sad to move away. I imagine that it would be perfect for you to tighten up your core.

I recently bought a couple of Lindsay Brin videos from Amazon. She focuses on getting moms back into shape. I haven’t used the videos enough to tell you if they worked for me or not (but I didn’t have C-sections). Check out her website for a lot of inspirational stories, it seems to work for a lot of people.

Good luck!

After using them, I decided to sell them because they worked so well. I lost 10 inches from my belly with just three wraps. I promise it’s not some weird scam, because I thought the same thing. It’s a detox wrap that helps shrink fat cells. Anyway, they work great and yes, I do sell them, but I haven’t had a customer who tried a pack not buy more :) check out my facebook page www.facebook.com/itworksnevada or my website, itworksnevada.myitworks.com. I promise you, you will love this product! I’ve had two c-sections myself and found it harder to lose after the second one!

Well I didn't have C-sections w/ any of my 3 kids, but I did gain oodles of weight w/ each pregnancy and ended up needing to lose a fair amount of weight each time. After my third and final pregnancy I got motivated and started working out 5-6 times a week, doing both cardio (I have a treadmill and jog at an incline for 30 mins a day) plus strength training. I lost the weight and got to my goal no problem...but I STILL have my post-pregnancy belly that won't budge no matter what. I often think about how nice it would be if I could afford a tummy tuck but that probably will never happen, so I'm getting used to dealing with it. Sadly, our bodies will never completely look like they did before pregnancy and we must accept it.

You are a beautiful women... you have two beautiful children. Embrace the changes in your body, while yes we don't have the bodies of youth anymore but we have experience, love abound and a little flab around the middle only shows that we are loved by our spouses and that this love created two miracles that you can hold proud above everything else. Also as we grow holder the idea of having a perfect body no longer will mean as much as the love and meaning of your husband and your children.

There was a thorough article about a woman's experience about getting a tummy tuck in More magazine -- http://www.more.com/11256/11433-the-truth-about-a-tummy.

The online version doesn't include the before and after photos of what she called her "gut," but the magazine article did. I've rued my "pooch" before and after my C-section, so I really perked up when I saw the article. When I saw the difference between her before and after photos, it gave me pause, because they didn't look vastly different. Better, yes. But, for the pain and recovery she described, hm, I don't know...

Gotta go get some girdle-y undergarments, I think. :)

If you find something, please let me know. I have heart from more than one expert that the only sure way of removing it all is with surgery due to the way the muscles were cut.