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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

My mind boggles

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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...

Both of those tums look pretty flat to me!

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

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