The dreaded overhang

[Pickingmyselfup]

I just can't shift it and I actually look pregnant! I don't have much more weight to lose although my body fat percentage is still higher than it should be.

I'm not perfect, I drink wine at the weekends, eat carbs to fuel my workouts and some days I go over my calorie allowance. On the whole though I feel I do pretty well!

This morning for breakfast I had porridge made with almond and oat milk, frozen raspberries and some chia seeds.

Lunch will be poached egg with avacado on sourdough.

Dinner pasta with pesto, asparagus and 2 rashers of bacon.

I have had one collagen coffee and I'll have a can of coke zero later but otherwise just water.

I'm about to go do pilates then a weights session. Tomorrow and Thursday a short run, Wednesday a weights session, Saturday a 10K run then weights on Sunday if I'm feeling up to it. This is a typical week for me exercise wise.

I will have prosecco on Saturday and because of my race I'll be eating at maintenance Friday to fuel me and Saturday so that I can get enough carbs in during the race to keep me going.

It's just so frustrating that I put in all this effort and I still look pregnant! I'm not willing to give up all the foods and drinks I enjoy in life so maybe this is just how I look now.

Has anyone else shifted their c section overhang??

Did you have diastasis recti during pregnancy and have you closed it? The gap between muscles can cause the belly to stick out and it needs to be closed first.

Do you have any recovery days? If you want to strengthen and grow muscles they need some time to repair themselves, that’s when the growth happens.

I don't know, nobody said anything but I have wondered. It is just the lower bit, my upper abs are quite toned but then there is the bulge that sticks out and goes back in just where my scar is.

I have one full day off mid week usually where I don't do any actual exercise. My weights days are usually Monday, Friday and Sunday, running days Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

I actually think it's more about how you were stitched up after the c-section. I've had two; with the first I didn't seem to have an overhang at all, but the scar turned keloid, so when I had my 2nd, the doctor told the surgeon to remove the bit of scar that was raised up. And I think the stitching is now too 'tight', as in it's really pulled in there, so anything over the top of that now looks really pronounced.
I'm a couple of stone overweight so that doesn't help, but I can't see the overhang shifting even if I were skinny.

I have this and although I don’t look pregnant as it’s not excessively disproportionate it just is something I think might only be made to go away with more surgery. For me it’s like a small overhang bulge and you can see where the overhang puckers into a triangle shape above the scar area. It can be covered up with underwear but you could see it in low rise bikini bottoms so I wouldn’t wear them. For me this is what I assume is excess skin and not really fat, it’s very soft and pliable. It’s like when you pleat a curtain or take in a skirt at the waist, there is a pleat in my stomach low down now. I still have probably about 28% body fat but this is average I’m not a fitness professional.

(I just work out my body fat using the US navy as it actually uses measurements but the BMI method would have me still obese I just have big legs)

Ive seen an improvement in its size since I lost a lot of weight and got fitter but the overall appearance of it hasn’t really gone back to how it used to look

Mine used to be totally flat before I had my sections so it's a massive difference. My body fat percentage needs to come down, according to my scales it's 30%, I would rather it was more 25 or under. It's a work in progress, I can't be 100% consistent with exercise due to family life and I can't slash my calories too low because then I can't exercise or have any room for anything like wine or cake ever which is a miserable existence.

Anytime I gain fat it all goes to my lower half and if I lose it comes off the top half! Infuriating!

I also had a flat stomach once upon a time but the surgery and weight gain has put paid to that! I’ve never had abs but it wasn’t really the place I gained weight till I got older. I’m the same shape as you, bottom heavy

DR is not something you get told about by health professionals, as it’s a cosmetic issue. It looks like it’s not the reason your case, but if you plan more kids it’s good to know about such things before giving birth , because DR needs to be closed first before you attempt any exercises like planks or pilates, because they can actually make it worse. It’s also good to take care of this as soon as possible after birth because the gap becomes harder to close with time. I had it twice and managed to close it both times but it took time and some determination.

I've attached a pic so you see what I mean, it literally looks like a baby bump!

I'm not having any more kids so that's no concern, it's literally vanity!

When you lie flat on the floor, on your back - can you put a hand into your belly? Literally trying to push your fingers into your stomach slightly above the belly button. If you can then it’s abdominal muscle separation, you will have a soft hole right in the middle. It might not be visible, but it can make women still look pregnant after the actual pregnancy because the abdominal wall is separated and doesn’t hold everything in place.

There is a way you can check for DS like the PP said. I don’t have it I’ve checked. But this is what my belly looks like in a photo. I don’t think you look pregnant, a lot of women have a little belly there. In very tight leggings or jeans I also have the Pooch.

(For reference I did not go out wearing the jeans and crop top for this reason as I was unsure if I was giving slightly pregnant vibes)

I am not sure how to get around mine as it’s clearly all bloody hanging above the scar line - does it have nowhere else to go? I assume its some excess skin plus stubborn fat. I am glad low rise hasn’t made a come back for 40 year olds as I would have all of the muffin top!

I’m in the Pooch club and not flying off to Turkey any time soon just keep investing in gym shark leggings!

I can't feel anything obvious when I poke into my stomach, it might be a bit softer in the middle than to the sides but nothing that makes me go yes definitely. It's been nearly 7 years since my second section and I know I've checked for it before and was undecided.

My body fat % according to the US Navy Method is 27, surprised me because I assumed with having to measure my hips it would tip me over to being overweight but I guess my small waist and neck even it out.

I guess I'll just have to keep going with the diet and exercise, I've added in a bit more ab work now and I'm training for a half marathon from next week so I'll be burning those calories and hopefully not eating too many back!

I think you’re being really hard on yourself. Normalise our bodies changing when we’ve had kids and major operations, your literal organs and uterus sit there! You look great and are super healthy/active for you and your children!

A dad bod is more acceptable than a post child mum bod and a dad isn’t the one to give birth, we need to change that!

I also think you look fine, it’s normal for the body to change after kids. I always had flat stomach (and huge tights) but after pregnancies it’s different, although I have visible muscles it’s not nearly concave as it used to be, but more rounded.

If you want to flatten your belly the muscles to target more are transverse abs. These are activated in various ways during balance exercises, such as yoga poses and strength training that works both sides separately. I do functional strength training and martial arts, both include various throws and explosive movements and are excellent for lean, stronger body. The core muscles are used a lot for balancing the body so everything that requires balancing works the core too.

An easy transverse abs exercise you can do daily is stomach vacuum, you can do this under the shower. Just pull in your belly as much as you can and hold. It should hurt a bit and you should feel it not just across your front but also around your back. It’s a bit like trying to pin your belly button to your spine.

It's skin laxity. 'Skin' is actually quite chunky. It's not just thin skin.

You've said you gave 30% body fat so there is some body fat that has to be somewhere.

You look fine to me, I think you are being too hard on yourself.

I have 2 moods, 1 where I'm like "I don't look too bad for someone pushing 40 with 2 kids" then the "I hate everything, I look horrible"

I'm never going to love the things I currently dislike about myself and I've been trying to at least accept them but it's a very very long road to acceptance.