Healthy BMI but fat belly - what can I do?

[choceyes]

I have had 2 c-sections, the last one 2.5yrs ago. I've lost all my baby weight plus more. Now I am 7 stone 4lbs at 5'2 which means a BMI of 18.7, so I really don't want to lose anymore weight but, I want my fat belly to go away!!

My body fat is 26.9%, which is meant to be normal isn't it? I do still have love handles and some fat on top of my untoned stomach muscles.

Do I do lots of cardio and ab exercises? Anythign else that will help? I exercise about 5 times a week, a mix of Zumba and running. I'm quite active anyway and cycle at the weekend too.

My belly has never been that toned even before kids. I just want my old belly back though, sick of looking 5 months pregnant!

Any help/suggestions appreciated.

Google 30 day shred before and after - there are some amazingly toned bellies out there - I am only on day 6 so can't comment yet and I have a HUGE belly!

LOTS of pilates and yoga

Spamspamspam - I tried the Shrek last year, but really didn't get on with it. Not that I found it difficult (well it was a bit), but I realised I hated doing exercise in my living room!

Thanks for the pilates and yoga suggestion. Will definitely look into that. I'm doing some ab exercises that are similar to pilates at the moment, but I've only been doing it for 2 days, so will see if it makes a difference.

My belly is Okish (still not flat in the least) first thing in the morning, but really quite bloated and pregnant looking by the evening. Is this common? Is it something to do with my diet? I eat pretty healthily. I don't eat much wheat now, as I thought that might stop the bloating and eat plenty of protein, fruit and veg. I do still eat a few biscuits and chocolate occassionally.

pilates is good for toning/developing the small, underlying muscles that you wouldn't normally use. Cardio is good for burning fat, and unfortunately it has to be all over training, targeted training doesn't work.

Are you sure it's not partially down to excess skin (as delightful as that sounds) rather than fat?

I also lose weight on from my stomach last, and it's a RIGHT pain.

And if it is towards evening you're looking bloated, then that probably is down to diet.

I'm not an expert, but maybe try and have more water and things like mint tea which aid digestion.

There is some excess skin yes, but thats at the bottom bit of my tummy. I don't care about that too much as I can just tuck it into my jeans and it's gone [shrug]
But it's the top of my abs that pops out, very much like my pregnancy bump and this is difficult to hide in clothes.
I can live with it if my tummy is like what it is in the morning, not flat, still a mummy tummy, but I don't look pregnant.

Will look into my diet. I don't drink a lot of water really, so should do that, plus I eat too much salt too I think, which might contribute to water retention and bloating. But I like salty food so it's difficult!

you NEED to get the salt intake under control.
If you eat ANY processed foods (especially meat, ham, bacon, cheese, salted butter, ready meals, crisps) you should not add salt to ANYTHING at the table or in cooking.

Could you have muscle separation? There was a woman on embarrassing bodies with this who was tiny but had a tummy. Surgery sorted her out. FWIW at your size /height I can't see how it can be fat. I'm the same height, much heavier at 8st12, 12 weeks after 2nd CS and apart from the CS overhang am back to normal.

No I don't have muscle seperation, I checked for it. That was my first concern too.

I know Talkinpeace. But I've been told that carbs/wheat/sugar etc are all to blame for belly fat etc, and if I avoid them all AND cut out the salt too, there's nothing much I can eat. At the moment I'm trying to limit sugar, wheat and carbs, it's difficult as it is!!

try fasting ....
and there are LOTS of foods that are low salt low fat, reduced carbs