How to rid pot belly?

[Floeer]

Any tips on how to get rid of a pot belly? Just feel so bloated all the time. Looking for diet and exercise tips. Currently In eating pretty healthy but don't do anything beyond usual mum duties. Attached photo.

It’s worth checking there’s nothing medical underlying. Is it there all the time or does it come and go? (There all the time can suggest ovarian cysts for example).

I got my frankly huge belly (way bigger than yours!) down by reducing my refined carbs and sugar intake, cutting out wheat (IBS trigger but I was tested for coeliac) and reducing my lactose intake. Then when I’d lost weight (3 stone) I had to start planking to tone up. Hard work but it worked.

If you drink any kind of fizzy juice, stop!
I lost mine by cutting out fizzy juice, and exercise

And agree with the planking, but jeez it’s the way to make 60 seconds feel like an eternity

Watching with interest! You look like me OP, small in size but disproportionate of tum.

Does planking really make a difference?

Look up tilted pelvis and diastasis recti as possibilities. You don't appear to have an excess of admoninal fat, and the curve in your back seems to throw your abdomen forward. Strengthing your core to improve posture will improve the appearance.

Mine irritates me. Small bust so no counterweight, and I'm only ever a good lunch away from a pregnancy rumour despite being size 8. IBS, 5 spare lb above my happy weight (yet still well within a healthy BMI), a slight muscle separation, and a naturally pronounced arch in my back all conspire against me.

Try cutting out carbs and fizzy drinks for a few weeks - it looks more like bloating rather than fat. You can get tablets from the chemist that help reduce bloating from water retention so maybe give them a go too??

Thank you for your replies

FaithEverPresent I actually have recently gone under some medical investigations because I've been having severe pelvic pain, constant urination and fatigue. Scan did show clusters of cysts on right ovary. Dr said my belly is a result of me being "overweight and unhealthy" though and nothing they can do about the cysts. They've just given me some strong pain killers in mean time.

HuckfromScandal Yeah I don't actually drink fizzy drinks. I am pretty healthy overall but maybe I should cut out caffeine?

UrgentScurryfunge Ah yeah I do have quite a curved back, just thought maybe it was because of way my bum is though haha! I shall start core strength exercises. Used to do these all time prior pregnancy! Totally emphasise with the pregnancy rumours too, with my need for constantly needing to pee my colleagues must me suspicious haha.

Wildlingofthewest lovely thank you, I shall try and find these tablets and give them a go.

I've spoken to a family friend who is a nutritionist and she has suggested I cut out anything citrus, potatoes, bread, white pasta, white rice, diary and all alcohol and caffeine. She has told me to try going on a high protein and vegetable diet with only fruit I eat is to be bananas or berries. I'll be giving this a go starting from today! Maybe something worth you trying too QuimReaper ?

Dr said my belly is a result of me being "overweight and unhealthy" though

You don't look remotely overweight! Did the doctor ask about your lifestyle before deeming it unhealthy?

My diet is basically composed of protein and veg during the week (and cheese!) but I do have sugar, carbs, alcohol etc. on weekends. I've lost about 20-25lbs this way and have a very low BMI but it has felt at times like the more weight I've lost the more pronounced my belly is - I think it's partly "organ mass". It does go down during the week but it never goes away. I think I need better core strength to hold it in. I do still have excess belly fat too which doesn't help.

pilates - your posture is off, like your bum is sticking out hence your tummy sticking out too. if you can find/pay for reformer pilates, do. It is very easy to do floor mat pilates wrongly. Reformer tends to be very small classes and good instructors and isolates the right muscles very effectively.

and cut out sugar to lose belly fat - no bread, alcohol or white carbs. it's the only thing that works and i wish i could stick to it for more than a week!

montenotte thank you I shall book into a class, if I can find someone to have DS whilst I go. Or at least go to a couple to get the way of doing it right. Do you reckon the bad posture could be a cause behind my actual hip pain, had it since pregnancy? As for no sugar, barely have it anyway, unless you count fruit? and cant stand bread anyway luckily! Shall move to brown rice though. Is couscous okay, that is my usual go to lunch food

QuimReaper oh cheese, I do love a naughty bit of cheese! Have massively cut down on it though post-pregnancy. Was dairy mad during pregnancy. Perhaps it is core too if it gets more pronounced more you lose? I am starting to wonder if mine is all bad posture, going to start trying to get my core back!

Definitely agree about posture being a large part of it if not all. I have the same curved spine amd pronounced belly/bum (although I'm a far more grand scale than you )

Pilates, yoga, any core strength exercise but with help. You need someone there to constantly correct your posture so.you are building the right bits in the right way. It's utterly pointless doing anything if it is just reinforcing what is there already.

My posture causes serious hip pain for me. I have problems anyway as my hips are not well formed. I developed the back bend during pregnancy to try and offset bump and it compounded the problems hugely. To the point I couldn't manage stairs at one point because of the hip pain.

See if you can get a few sessions 1to1 to get you started? Good luck

There are core exercises that are really good, plank, T push ups, Russian twists. Go to Popsugar channel on YOuTube and look at the exercises on there. I work out from there, when I cant get to the Dojo. The kickboxing ones are very good, as is Jannette Jenkins the Hollywood trainer.

What is your actual height and weight?

You look slim from the pic, it's just a mum tum I think (mine is the same btw so watching with interest)

Do you reckon the bad posture could be a cause behind my actual hip pain, had it since pregnancy?

• yes. you're definitely carrying yourself slightly off.

If you can't find a small reformer class get some 1:1 pilates instruction, it'll be expensive, probably the same as a physio but really worth it for a few sessions if you can. i was doing pilates for years without actually using my core (I have a strong back) until i switched to reformer.

but saying all that do keep on at the GP until you're satisfied, your symptoms severe pelvic pain, constant urination and fatigue are not to be ignored. You're definitely NOT overweight or unhealthy!

Thank you all! Shall be booking into a class and hopefully the nutrionalist will be helpful too. Of course shall still be seeing GP too.

I’m no expert on gut health but I’ve had Candidia which gave me a pregnant looking tummy. I spent many months taking a concoction of herbal supplements plus a private prescription for a certain antibiotic plus a specialist diet which worked. I did go private for stool. Tests to confirm this which also points you to what will cure it.

Also did wonders for my digestive track funnily enough my GP said I actually had IBS. I actually don’t have it.

Now someone mentioned your posture when walking or standing still what position are your feet? Many people have week glutes and a weak back along with poor hip flexors.

Is Candidia is thrush? I did come back negative from that when I had the multiple swabs taken.

My feet are just forward facing? I am rather flat footed though, always have been

A swab won’t detect candidia as it’s in the gut a stool ( poo) test will find it. A GP won’t accept it as a thing to treat unfortunately they treat externally thrushes but not the root cause. Hence my private stool testing with Genova then once I’d got the results off I went to a private practice doctor to get prescription drugs and the other stuff was brought in health food shops.

I’m flat footed too do you walk heal to toes? your posture looks rounded shoulders bit of weight training would benefit you to strengthen back, glutes and legs straighten out that curve

I cant appear to find any reputable sources about this candidia?

It's spelt Candida, (or Candidiasis.) Yeast/fungal overgrowth.

Hmm still cant seem to find anything decent about it and besides I don't think it relates to me at all reading about it. Not sure why my gut would produce masses on one of my ovaries or cause extremely heavy periods.

Anyway I shall be changing my diet and exercising, which appears to be main way to cure this overgrowth of Candida

Another reason to look bloated could possibly be an intolerance to foods and every day items that you’ll not be aware of. I’ve eliminated absolutely alsorts after yes doing another private test.

Some things in my household I had to replace eg feather duvets were replaced with wool ones. Certain Cosmetics contained ingredients . Slowly over about a year I managed to eliminate most of the list I was intolerant to.

This was our starting point then it went to stool testing like I said all done privately as the NHS GP won’t discuss or acknowledge Candida let alone help treat a root cause of many ailments that they do treat. Since I have been free of Candida I’ve not had one bout of thrush or other related things that I’d visit the GP for.