Can somebody remind me what I need to do to get a flat stomach?...

[redhappy]

Couldn't decide where best to post this, but went for here because my motives are pure vanity

I'm going to stop eating bread, drink lots of peppermint tea, porridge for breakfast everyday....

Any other tips? oh, and situps of course!

Can I have your hints and tips please- I'm sick of looking pregnant; my youngest is now 2.5

I have heard about these hula hoops but I can't hula, is it just practice because when I try my kids one I am seriously shit. But if just practice then I may buy one.

When you're pregnant your abdo muscles seperate to make space for your baby. A fingers width gap is good, they will never join back together as they aeren't like that before you got pregnany. Google diastasis recti and have a look at this site, has some very good info on it
www.befitmom.com/abdominal_seperation.html

off to bed now

slendertone

Apparently you can get a tummy tuck on the NHS -- advice on here tonight about how to put on a good show for your GP, including tears, that it affects you "emotionally" and is really "getting you down".

BikiniBottom - You'll never be able to manage with the lightweight plastic kid's hoops - the weighted ones are 10 times easier. I got into it after a stay at Champneys - I did a hula class and never had such a laugh exercising in my life! Like you, I had tried kid's hoops and got nowhere but managed straight away with the weighted ones. Rushed home and bought one on eBay!

Thankyou, I have a fingertip width so that's ok then.

I'm heading to bed too, thanks for everyone's tips, feeling much more motivated now!

backtotalkaboutthis - I got a nose-job on the NHS when I was 20, simply by saying that my big nose was ruining my confidence. Mind you, I did have a humungous hooter.....

A combination of pilates and swimming, at least 5 sessions a week (e.g. two of pilates, three of swimming). Plus dieting sensibly to get rid of the excess fat.

That being said, some people put weight on their tummies first; you may just be one of those people.

watches thread with interest.....

my 2pnce worth; pilates, very painful and boring but does make a difference. just wish i could be arsed to go.

I definitely AM one of those people beanlet
I can't seem to find the fine line between pot belly and ribs showing

slendertone - it's approaching flat and I have had 6 (big) babies

I'm very interested in knowing the answer to a flat tummy too...

posy - do you really think slender tone works? I have got one and stopped using it as didnt think it did that much for me. I might give it another go.

Also thinking of trying a hula hoop, but didnt think that would have much effect.

I'm going to but the shred dvd tonight....

Posy, I have a slendertone sitting in a drawer upstairs. How long/often do you use it and at what intensity level?

unhave your babies?

second the Shred recommendation. And for food, sign up for food focus here and enter your food and exercise each day. Very boring and a bit time-consuming at first but it will tell you how many calories you burn and how many you're consuming.

I'm low-carbing at the moment (giving up bread, spuds, sugar etc) and immediately noticed a reduction in my bloated tum. Not sure how it will pan out for weight-loss, though.

I used to do Pilates but gave it up when we moved house. I really noticed the difference - pot belly just grew!

worlds slowest - i run it for a couple of hours a day!! The thing with slendertone is - I cannot be arsed to do it for more than 2 or 3 weeks at a time ( maybe once or twice a year)

I then will do it in runs of a couple of hours at a time - in the car - hairdressers -watching tv -etc

full intensity - gives a six pack if you do it enough and gives great core strength

Presumably the slendertone doesn't do anything to get rid of the fat sitting on top of the abs though? Cos I'm half considering it too...

Crikey Posy that show commitment! I can only twitch and pull strange faces at any level over 70. I am impressed!

I used to reply to these threads with all my empire-lined fashion advice as I had a big tummy and separated stomach muscles and all the horrors. Recently I did 2 months of Weight Watchers and lost a stone. Tummy still sticks out a bit but not half as much as before and I feel so much more confident.

Weightwatchers is great. I had never 'done' diets before and thought it all very boring, but it is relatively easy and you get plenty to eat, so I'd recommend it!

Thanks minko

The thing is I'm 5'4 and 8 stone...I still have bony wrists, cheekbones and sticky out collarbones! I like myself best when I am about 7 1/2 stone, so although I do want to lose some fat, feels a bit inappropriate for me to go to weight watchers or similar. Also I had an eating disorder as a teenager so I try to be careful about how much emphasis I let myself put on weight loss rather than health as the focus.

Good on you though! It is such a great feeling when you are confident about the way you look.

Im in same situation.. holiday is in two weeks, DC3 is 6 months old.. I am cutting out as much choc/sugar as I can, breakfast is muelsi, etc. But the best thing I do is pilates/ballet - do pleays (sorry, cant spell for shit), ie toes out, ankles touching, bend knees and hold arms out in front like hugging someone. Tuck your tummy in. Do 15 of those, and do the open legged ones. It seems to work the long stomach muscles, not your six pack muscles, its so easy, and it really really works. my useless stomach is MUCH better for it, even after just a week or so. And breastfeed - burns 500 cals a day! brilliant!

God redhappy you sound like me.

I am the same height/weight as you but I would really like a flat stomach.

I am running 5-6k twice a week but it's not really making any difference to the way I look.

I would love to shake the over-hang that I get with tightish or high-waisted trousers/skirts but don't want to lose any weight elsewhere.

Naetha - you are right!! BUT i am REALLY pleased with what it has done for me and I am slacking off a bit now. I have dieted for the last month and (depressingly) only lost about 5 or maybe 6 pounds tops - despite being really radical with food reduction

But the change in my shape is great and i feel really great. NOT perfect but bikini worthy which was the aim

I HEART slendertone as i am lazy and it honestly does work

Weird, my big post from last night went!

I said all about the 4-week plan my sister put me on. (She's not a personal trainer but secretly would like to be if it paid better! She's an ex-gymnast and general fitness fanatic. And hugely bossy to her flabbier sister. )
Anyhow, it was a Mel C get your body back in 4 weeks plan. It involves doing a skipping/toning routine 3 days a week (takes around 15 mins) then doing 15 mins other interval training every other day; then on the 6th day 30 mins tough exercise.
It's good because it doesn't take too long.

I have done it for 1 month, but will carry on now. I can see my abs but there's still a bit of flab there! I tended to do more than 15 mins on my other days, and my choice of exercise was always DVDs because I have a 2yo and DH works away so I'm under house arrest unable to get out once DS is in bed.

I've not dieted but I eat quite healthily anyway. I need to become teetotal though for fast results!

Redhappy 7 1/2 st is very light for your height. (Just thought I'd say that...I'm the same height!) I don't weigh myself tho, because my aim is the look. Plus isn't there something about muscle weighing more? [thickie emoticon]