Belly Talk

i havent had a child or anything but the ab situation does depend some on whether your child was born naturally or cesarian, because in a c-section the stomach muscles are severed which makes it harder for them to restore themselves back to the way they were before they were cut. womens metabolism also starts to slow around age 30, so you might have to do more work to get your abs back then you did when you were 20 years old.

 

yeah. and i wasn't exactly in the best position. i didn't know they severed the muscles during c-sec. i though they brutally spread them apart. but still, mine are a wreck. it's going to take me a VERY long time to deal with it. and since dave loves ANY excuse to lay his hands on me, the janda sit ups will be great. he's 34 now, in his prime, and he's just so excited to get in shape again. i'll really need to get my butt back in shape if i'm going to be his wilderness buddy again.

 

This is probably due to the separation of the rectus muscles in the abdomen, which is almost always due to carrying a child. Correct me if I am wrong, (I am no execise expert) but men rarely have separated rectus muscles, mainly because they are due to pregnancy.


You can tell if yours are separated (and they wil be if you have been pregnant to term) lie on your back, put your fingers just below your navel, sit up just a little bit, if a "gap" forms, going verticallly between your publis and your navel, and you can put at least one (if not four) fingers into the gap, you have separated rectus muscles.

As far as I know, it is very hard to get them into shape again. This is one of the main causes of "mommy belly."

 

ah, i'll have to check that out sometime.

 

go on a diet. Exercise is great for you, but you probably just have great abs with fat in front of them. I have never had a child so i don't know anything about the "mommy belly"

 

she's 95 pounds. i don't think she needs to lose much.

as for me, i'll get on the diet thing as soon as i have this baby and finish breastfeeding it.

 

Yup no dieting here I eat pretty well andif I start dieting I get heart palpitations. Thanks for the stuff about the rectus muscles. I had abdominal surgery as a small baby and I have a scar all the way down my belly. I know the muscles are probably wierd but since the surgery I had was so long ago maybe my body can fix itself. I'll try the funky sit-ups.
Thanks!

 

oh shoot sorry I missed that.

 

Just a note of accuracy. Muscles are not cut during a section. They are kinda pulled apart (unless you have a "classical" incision, both on the skin and the uterus, then muscles will be cut) But, there is argument about whether a section weakens abdominal muscles more than a vaginal delivery. Most of the damage seems to be done during the actual pregnancy.

 

yeah, i didn't think they cut during a routine c-sec. i imagine it woulda taken a LOT longer to recover if they had.

 

you know those little mini crunches (NOT the full sit ups) helped that muscle maggie was talking about. It freaked me out so much seeing the bulge at first so I went to the doctor and she actually advised (as I have seen on some web sites and stuff) not to do full sit ups...took a year before it was back to normal and not bulging when I went to sit up and so the fullon regime started. Apparently doesn't happen to everyone but if it does take care.
I also notice those lower abdominals from the c-section...they are taking longer but there are those leg raises that you can do that seem to be doing some good for there.
to the original poster although I do not know your height your weight does not sound at all bad and maybe just a few times a week at the gym or doing something physical will make the difference for you. Also looking at some pictures of women who do not fit the current "look" might help you appreciate what your body is doing...you don' even have to look as far back as the "Venus de Milo", even if you look at ad campaigns from the seventies you will notice a differnce between what is portrayed nowadays as th "perfect" body and what worked for people back then. Sort of helps one to realise that this is a media creation and all bodies are pretty much perfect so long as they are healthy!
good luck!

 

I have a three finger wide GAP in my rectus muscles, which prevents any type of sit up or crunch totally.

So, as the poster says, whenever I feel the urge to excercise I just lie down until it goes away.

 

for you Maggie!!


HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the
life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO ...... Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other -
body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

 

why would anyone wanna live longer if their existance was some stultifying pursuit of perfect health?

 

Yoga is great, yee ha
after having twins well your stomach sure stretches way out of shape, but for the length of time you carry your children eg: 9 mths, it sure takes that time to regain your shape (doing it the healthy way), anyway no one has mention menopause thats when you have added weight mainly around the waist and breasts, and if you were in bad shape before menopause, you will be in worse shape after menopause if you do not do something about it now.

 

i second Bugalugs on the yoga. i've had 2 kiddos and never been in better shape before in my life, as i am now. what i find works best for keeping me in shape is lots of walks, be it on a beach or in a hilly area (which isn't hard where i live. he he), and i mix it up with yoga, pilates, and the swiss ball for a bit of strength/core training. as for the diet.....i'm on a "see-food" diet. i see food and eat it. lol (sorry for the horrible joke all *blushes*). no really, i go to the store often because i never really know what i want to eat until the hunger strikes. i bring either some fresh fruit or raw veggies to snack on a work because, and i hate to admit it, sitting infront of a computer for 8.5 - 9 hours a day tempts me to snack. so, before work, i wander through the produce isle at the grocery store to see what might be tempting on that specific day. always guaranteed variety that way because it's like, "mmmmm pineapple....haven't had that in ages" or ,"navel oranges are on sale....looks good to me." find that always works best for me because otherwise i get stuck in a steamed-rice-and-veggies-rut because it's so easy to prepare and so darn tasty. lol

 

.....ON DEMAND has a thing in fitness called 6 pack abs i don't know if it works i just know it's there