Flat stomachs. Who has them?

[msrisotto]

Can you have a flat stomach while being a healthy BMI? That seems like a stupid question actually. I have a BMI of 20 but have belly fat. It doesn't bother me really, but I was wondering if I could ever get a flat stomach while being a healthy weight.
Is it for people who do a lot of exercise, have next to no fat and lots of muscle? Like professional athletes? Is it genetics? Is it youth?

[SimonLeBonOnAndOn]

I have, but I'm long in the body, which I think makes the difference.
I've got naturally strong stomach muscles too apparently, so my midwife told me.
I do exercise but don't diet.

[QuimReaper]

msrisotto I have about the same BMI and have belly fat too. I think it takes a long slog to get rid of.

I have quite a stumpy torso too, which probably doesn't help! Even when my BMI was 18.5ish I was always very conscious of my stomach, even without a blubbery covering it never sat flat (even though when clothed it looked like it did). Womb bulge, I'm told.

[Hopefully]

I do, but like simon I have a long torso and a generally fairly athletic body shape. My stomach goes flat when my BMI gets below about 24. My sister is a much more typical hourglass and has to get down to a BMI of about 19 to get anything like a flat stomach, and it's still curvier than mine.

[Hopefully]

I do have horrendous saddlebags that have never gone even when my BMI was

[Tootsiepops]

I do. BMI of 34 atm, but had a tummy tuck when I was a normal weight. Put on a good few stone since then and had a baby, but stomach still flat!

[msrisotto]

My mind boggles

[acornsandnuts]

My friend who's about two stone heavier than me and around the same height but has a lovely flat stomach. Me, I look like in wearing a swim ring at anything over 9 stone.

[GemmaB78]

I used to before the baby! It's on its way back but not quite there yet. I used to be very active and it's that which gave me a flat tummy with some definition. Lots and lots of yoga!

[GemmaB78]

My BMI is usually around 20, so pretty healthy I think.

[BeautyGoesToBenidorm]

A stomach that even comes close to flat is a distant dream to me, thanks to an EMCS 2 years ago! It does get me down.

[JamieVardysParty]

Even at my absolute skinniest, I have a little pooch just under my belly button. Had it as a kid, have it as an adult. No idea what can get rid of it.

Interestingly I am also an hourglass with a short torso so PP may be onto something.

[MancMum01]

I am 2 stone overweight with BMI of 27 and have flat stomach - all my fat - and possibly that of others is in my thighs.. helped by a longer than normal body ( to me give shortest legs with biggest thighs - thanks God). I do notice bread/wheat can make it puff out slightly though but generally again it all hits thighs

[Laniakea]

yeah I'm the same - short with a very short torso, when I was 20 & 7 stone I still had a little bulge at tummy button height.

[Runningupthathill82]

As this thread illustrates, one person's "flat stomach" is another's "fat belly."

I have lots of excess fat on my belly, but a neighbour stopped me the other day to say wasn't it amazing my stomach was so flat already after the birth of DD. All perception, innit.

[QuimReaper]

Running I think you're right.

A friend of mine fell pregnant earlier this year and said she was looking forward to looking "pregnant" rather than "just fat". I told her she didn't look at all fat, and she said "yes, but I'm used to my tummy being perfectly flat!"

I was impressed by this, since I beat myself up constantly about the "flat tummy" thing and whilst she has a gorgeous figure, I'd say she's a couple of dress sizes bigger than me. Made me think "flat tummy" is all in the mind and I was subjecting myself to an insane standard.

[Ifeelyourpain2]

I'm the same, BMI of 20 yet my stomach still sticks out a bit! I'm slim everywhere else but even at a BMI of 19 my stomach was the same.

Thankfully it's not so obvious when I'm dressed but I do notice it when I'm not and it does get me down at times.

[QuimReaper]

Ifeel is it fat, or just sticking out?

If the latter, it's probably just your organs! As I said upthread I had the same thing when I was very slim and had hardly any excess fat anywhere.

Toning up the ab muscles will probably help anyway.

[Ifeelyourpain2]

A bit of both I think.. The skin has lost its elasticity since having kids, so that plays a large part. By the end of the day I have more of a stomach so I think some of it is also down to organs in general!

[Ifeelyourpain2]

Exhibit A! As I said, it's easy enough to hide under clothes and it does get bigger throughout the day, but even at a few pounds lighter than I am now it's still there. My bmi is a smidge under 20.

[Runningupthathill82]

OK, I can rise to this challenge. Here's mine. BMI of 21, size 8...and as I said up thread, lots of excess belly fat. I didn't carry so much weight here before the children, that's for sure.

ifeel - you haven't got any excess fat like I do, so I'm not sure there's a great deal you can do to make your belly even flatter. You look great.

[Ifeelyourpain2]

I do feel like I have a little layer of fat at the bottom, I think having trousers on probably smoothed it out (as it is worsened by my skin being looser at the bottom) but it's definitely not free of fat!

I definitely wouldn't say you have 'lots of belly fat', at all! I'd say yours is similar to mine.

[Ifeelyourpain2]

Mine isn't helped by the lack of boobs too, I'm sure if they were bigger the contrast would make my stomach seem flatter...

[QuimReaper]

Both of those tums look pretty flat to me!

[AuldYow]

Interesting thread and it's made me reassess my stomach.

I've been getting myself down because I don't have a flat stomach however having just practised if I stand properly it's flat. I still need to lose half a stone but I think I'll also work on my posture and step away from the biscuits

[Ta1kinPeace]

Flat stomachs are genetic.
If your pubic bone tips outwards your tummy will bulge no matter how lean you are
If it it tips inwards you will have a flat tummy even if a bit overweight