How do you get a flat stomach?

[Cartoe]

I haven't ever had a flat stomach, surely it's not just genetic?
Mine is well rounded! After belly button (top half is mostly flat).
I'm not overweight, around 170cm and 60kgs.
I've been working on abs, some definition (mostly in the mornings only), I have a strong core but still have a fat stomach, more lower half. I walk/gym/cycle several times a week. Eat mostly healthy.
I find carbs, bread and pasta especially make me more bloated, though it can be most foods, simply after I've eaten any meal.
How do people do it? (Also late 30s and have had children)

If you didn’t have a flat stomach as a teen it’s pretty unlikely you will have one as an adult (sorry, it’s just the way some of us are made, me included)

General weight loss, lots of water and staying off flour/processed foods are likely your best bet, with weights/Pilates to build a ‘girdle’ of muscle

But if you are not overweight is it really important to you? You can dress well and look amazing without a totally flat stomach

I achieved it once, for about twenty minutes in 2002. Zero carbs and gym 5x a week, never been so miserable in all my life.

Cut out carbs, fizzy drinks, sugar, fried foods, processed foods
Regular exercise

I could not keep up with this long term so I reduce my carb intake, drink minimal fizz and wear slimming underwear under fitted dresses.
Life is too short!

I'm the same OP. Low end of healthy BMI. Above my belly button is flat with some definition. Below is rounded and a bit squishy! I do HIIT every day including abs and my core is pretty strong.

I figure it's just how I'm built. I could probably cut out carbs and sugar etc but have no desire to and I think I'd end up looking too thin everywhere else. So my little bit of podge will remain!

Considering you've had children it is likely something to do with separation of muscles from pregnancy, look up post natal core exercises on YouTube or something. You need to be really careful post baby with core stuff if you've had any separation and it's not healed, so not normal sit ups etc, it doesn't matter if it's 10 months or 10 years post baby, you can still fix it. Google diastasis recti.

If you think it's bloating from things you're eating, try taking a high quality probiotic and cutting out foods that could be triggering.

I used to be a personal trainer before children and had such a flat tummy, since my second 5 years ago I have a similar issue with my lower stomach, I knew what I needed to do to fix it and although I was generally in good shape, I was really lazy with fixing it! I've made a conscious effort the last 4 weeks to fix it and it's making a big difference

Also, when I say cut out triggering foods, I don't mean cut out anything fun or "unhealthy", I don't restrict anything I eat but I found that not drinking milk and dairy has helped hugely, that along with taking a probiotic as soon as I wake up, but have found dairy in other ways doesn't have so much of an effect, so I'm not dairy free so to speak.

I'm not sure women are really supposed to have flat stomachs really.
I briefly did when I was your weight but 4 inches taller. Not very sustainable imo.

It's genetics. At my absolute slimmest (19, hard swimming training regularly) I still had a little round belly. At mid 40s, training really hard and completely cutting out carbs (including alcohol) I got really slim again but still had a belly.

My friend (41, one DC) has always had a completely flat stomach. She's just come back from a week's all inclusive holiday and gained 2kg and her stomach is still 100% flat.

I think I'm just genetically blessed. Sorry.

I'm not as washboard as I was pre-DC, for sure. But I worked out through both pregnancies and now I do weights and cardio, my weight is the same as pre-pregnancy and I have a strong core. My abs did get affected by the pregnancies but they've been rebuilt. I also don't put weight on there at all, it all goes to thighs and arse.

Definitely genetic. This might sound annoying but I've always had a flat stomach. It's just my build.

Yes same, mine goes on my thighs if I do gain weight

I've hit on a solution!
Instead of trying to make my stomach flat I have (unwittingly) been getting the rest of my body to rise and and join it.
It seems to be working and requires little or no effort!

As soon as I cut dairy out, BAM, flat stomach and no more bloat either

It's how you're made. When I was anorexic with a bmi of 15 you could pretty much see my skeleton and I STILL had a little bit of belly fat! Same when I was gymming 7 days a week including abs every day.

I am sure I have been told that a lot of women are not designed to have a totally flat tummy below the belly button as we have more 'stuff' inside, ie a uterus. I wonder is torso length plays a part in this.

I look at my 2 teen dds. One v v sporty, quite defined, no visible fat anywhere bit of a six pack going on but very slight curve to her. The other dd is less sporty but long and lean with a long torso. She has less of a curve than her sister.

I am very short bodied and last night found a troup of boy scouts using mine to shelter under.

I once asked a consultant surgeon friend about this. He said that some women just happen to deposit fat there and that as it tends to sit in front of the muscle, exercise won't make it disappear. Men on the other hand tend to deposit fat behind the muscle, hence the hard 'beer belly' shape some overweight men have.

At your height and weight I would imagine your stomach to be super flat! If you never had a flat stomach even before kids, it might be just your build. You can try probiotics and some targeted exercises but it sounds like to get it really flat, you would have to be very restrictive.

I do think it's genetics, as a PP said - it's about where your body stores fat. I have a flat stomach - I had a sex pack without trying in my 20s and after two children it's softer but still flat. But I have huge flabby thighs and upper arms which I've never been able to change the shape of, even at my slimmest!

*Six pack !

Definitely never had a sex pack, whatever that is.

@WellNotReally that’s interesting and makes lots of sense - I wonder which is better health wise (although a beer belly isn’t ideal of course!)

jimpamdwight could you please tell me which exercises help in closing the gap?
I think I have this separation.

Lie down. Stomach flattens right out.

Agree it’s a combination of body fat percentage, genetics (where you store your fat) and I would add posture to the mix. If you have a curve in your lower back your belly will look different than if you have a flat back (core engaged and pulled in).

I’ve been healthy and exercised all my life but periods of more and less activity and even when I’m not exercising much I still have defined abs. I’ve always had good core strength though which I think helps make it look flat.

@Amelion unfortunately no. Good core strength doesn't help. I have a ridiculously strong core but I still have a fat belly (with a bmi of 20).

@TristesseDurera I said posture will change how your belly looks. I meant some people’s posture makes their belly stick out more. Posture and core strength obviously don’t mean you don’t store fat on your belly but it can change how it looks.