Is my belly normal??? Seeking validation...*PICS INCLUDED*

[GirlyDork]

Hi everyone,

I naturally tend to carry my weight in my stomach, and I've been self-conscious about it for as long as I can remember. One of the major things that I find really weird is that I don't really have "love handles" as much as I have fat hanging in the front over my jeans.

I've heard every cliche out there, about learning to love one's body, recognizing that everyone is unique, the media is fucked up and unrealistic and whatnot, etc. I totally get all that, but it's been very hard for me to find someone who can truly relate to my struggles. I've never had to recover from anorexia or bulimia. I was never morbidly obese. I've never been pregnant, and in fact, I know middle-aged mothers with sedentary lifestyles whose bellies are flatter and have fewer stretch marks than mine. This never ceases to boggle my mind.

So here's my story:
I'm 16 years old, about 5'6" (167.64 cm), and currently around 173 pounds (almost 79 kg). My BMI (27.92) indicates that I'm overweight, but not obese.

I gained about 30 lbs. in 8th grade when I was on a medication that significantly increased my appetite, and my weight has fluctuated since (which explains the stretch marks). At my heaviest, I was 190 lbs. as a freshman in high school.

And here are some pictures (I'm sorry if they gross you out):
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo153/SarahtheGirlyDork/Photo1.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo153/SarahtheGirlyDork/Photo2.jpg
http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo153/SarahtheGirlyDork/Photo3.jpg

So please, let me know: am I alone here? Is there something abnormal about me? What can I do to feel more confident?
And yes, I'm trying to lose weight. I recently re-joined Weight Watchers, and I'm attending a meeting tomorrow. PLEASE be honest. I just want to be healthy physically and mentally (i.e. an appropriate body image).

For all who read this, thank you so much. I would greatly appreciate input

 

[LMD84]

oh sweetie you are completely normal. yes you have a little bit of chub on your tummy. nothing major and quite frankly if that was all the chub i had then i'd be very pleased! you should see my tummy... wait no you shouldnt! i think that by joining weight watchers you will be able to sensibly manage your weight which is great. to help aid getting a flatter tummy maybe you could try some stomach exercises though. like crunches and sit ups to help keep it firm. you dont even have to do loads, but maybe something in the morning and something before you go to bed?

and please dont worry that you dont look normal. i can honestly say you look perfectly normal! and the weight you are now is roughly where i want to get down to!!

 

[GirlyDork]

Thank you so much! Phew, I feel better knowing that I'm not alone here...

I definitely need to get going on some stomach exercises. I even bought an exercise ball with a DVD for stomach, butt, and leg exercises but I haven't really used them yet. Maybe I'll do that this weekend when no one else is at home so it's not as awkward, lol.

I wish you lots of luck on your weight loss journey!!!

 

[ElvenEyes]

Yep, looks like a normal belly to me! But I do know what you are saying. When I started to put on weight after having been slim all my life I also had stretch marks, only mine were mostly below my belly. It freaked me out. As time has gone on they have disappeared, though the belly has stayed! I am also needing to lose weight and get back to a healthier weight. There are lots of things to do to trim the belly fat. Pilates is very good because it works on your core. Sit ups and crunches, including side crunchies. One thing everyone forgets is how buff Marines are! And that is because they just do the basic stuff...situps pull ups, jump rope, pushups, etc. Those are also the foundations for warming up in most sports because they target all body muscles and are also aerobic. Just watching the chips, sodas and alcohol can make a huge difference too. Best wishes!

 

[User38]

^^ looks at belly.. looks fine still... no major lines, still flat and it has an innie

 

[User38]

Girlydork.. so sorry, I did not see the pics at first.. yes, your belly looks normal.
Most women have a bit of fatty tissue in the belly area and it is hard to get rid of.

I was born a runt.. preemie -- and stayed that way most of my life until I developed boobs.. and then all hell broke loose- I am a bit taller than you but have never really gained any weight during the course of my life due to my hyper activity.
so, my belly has not suffered many weight fluctuations..

Don't worry.. you are young and can lose that small fat if you want to.. if not, it is not difficult to live with..imo.

 

[texasmommy]

Not gross or weird at all! If you wanna firm it up then cardio and core work can help. Adding a little high intensity interval training can also make a big difference (helped me in that area, but I needed something extra after having two kids lol)

 

[rockin]

Your belly looks absolutely fine to me!

If you want an enjoyable way to firm and strengthen your core/stomach muscles, I would highly recommend bellydance. Don't worry, you don't have to bare your midriff if you don't want to (I don't)

 

[shadowaddict]

Sweetie your tummy is not gross at all. It's perfectly normal. We all carry weight differently. It appears from your pics that you are curvy and are shapely with a small waist, an hourglass shape. Don't stress about that and it's good you are trying to get healthy and WW has a great program. Our bodies also change as we age even from teens to 20's. I don't mean all goes to hell. I just mean your body is still..well for lack of a better word maturing, and no I don't mean child-bearing hips. People say that a lot here in the south

Remember though you have a nice shape and when you do lose the weight you want you'll really like what you see in the mirror, your body will shape up nicely. However if you still do not have a flatboard tummy it's ok. I'm very short 5'2" and even when I weighed between 95lb and 105lb my tummy wasn't super flat. I didn't have really weight there as I was a bit underweight then but my body is curvy and just under my belly button there was a small pooch. My daughter is 22 and her tummy is the same way. She has more of a boyish shape, not a waist that comes in. She is 5'5" and around 110lbs to 115lbs and she still has that tiny little pooch under her belly button. But I suppose we all judge our bodies a little too harshly and are harder on ourselves that other people do not even notice about us.

Good Luck in your fitness goals.

 

[Courtney <3]

oh honey i carry weight in my tummy too! im 18 and have struggled with it as long as i can remember. when me and my boyfriend started dating i weighed about 120, now, two years later, i weigh about 190. its true, happiness makes you eat more
but in all reality i think you look completely normal. i know it took a long time for me to be comfortable in my own skin, and i struggle with it still everyday. ive tried tons of diets, but none really seem to work. being a student full time and working a full time job, i tend to eat fast food. i know when i swore off soda, i droped a few pounds.
hopefully weight wacthers will work for you.
keep us updated on how its going.
heck i might join my local meetings

 

[rjsmom84]

Perfectly normal belly to me! I understand your concern with having a pooch and stretch marks since you've never been pregnant. There is nothing gross or abnormal about your tummy. You're still young and you can start working on whatever things you don't like. Cleaning up your eating (drink a ton of water, no fried foods, lean meat and good carbs) along with some crunches will have your tummy flat in no time. Your stretch marks may not go away completely (every woman's skin is different) but there are products that will help to diminish them. I used strivectin and saw results in just two weeks but it is really expensive (I got mine at TJ MAXX but it still was a lot). But you can also try palmer's tummy butter and you can even make your own shea butter mixture. Both of these are fairly inexpensive and work with consistent use. Just apply the product two to three times EVERYDAY and really rub the product in. Work it into your skin like you're applying a thick lotion. Again, nothing unusual and if you're consistent you can see an improvement within a month.

 

[Anitacska]

Your tummy looks fine, just like the others have said so. Yes, it is a bit podgy, but it's certainly not gross at all! Mine was never flat even when I was just 50 kg aged 18, and now after 3 children - forget it! If it's bothering you so much, I think you just need to do some tummy muscle exercises and your tummy will be much flatter in no time. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[GirlyDork]

Hey all, I found this post again & read every single comment! Thanks for your support, I REALLY appreciate it <3 Sorry for the super late response! I'll certainly look your recommendations, particularly for core workouts.

I hope everyone's doing well

Here's an update, if anyone is interested (but feel free to ignore if you wish):
I've been trying to lose weight this summer because I find it wayyy easier to exercise and eat healthily when school isn't in session. There are so many fast food joints to have lunch at during the school year, and I don't always have enough willpower to resist temptation. And, after long and exhausting weekdays, exercise is out of the question. This mentality has often carried over into weekends, unfortunately.

So far, I've lost some weight and gained it back (but I'm not heavier than I was before). Before going on a week-long trip to visit family, I was pretty good about eating right, but not necessarily exercising. I got to about 168 lbs. at that point. Then, when I was away, I enabled myself to eat crap, thinking, "It's vacation, so it's okay to indulge". What I failed to recognize was that I still didn't make any particular effort to avoid weight gain (I would've been lucky to maintain my weight!). So according to my scale, I had gained about 5 lbs, weighing in at roughly 173. That was bullshit, as I was retaining water (if you know what I mean) and ended up at 172 within the same week, while still feeling discouraged after my mistakes on the trip.

For the first few days of this past week, I more or less gave up, but still recorded foods in my WW tracker without writing down their respective PointsPlus values. That's basically what I did on my trip. But later in the week, I finally decided to exercise. First, I rode my bike on a local trail for about 14 miles (approx. 7 miles each way). Then I picked up groceries and ran in intervals later on (I HATE running!). And yesterday, I biked to a MAC counter to exchange 6 empty containers for Morange lipstick, gotta love Back2MAC!

To my dismay, my mother and I couldn't make it to the WW meeting this morning. The scale at home is also being temperamental, so I'm not sure of my weight. I may weigh in at home tomorrow if my luck with said scale changes. This isn't the first time it's been stupid and miraculously started working again

As for my belly? It seems to fluctuate in size and, for lack of a better word, protrusion. But I know that it helps to drink lots of water! Now I must make it a habit and not simply drink it obsessively for two days in the hopes of lowering the number on the scale.

 

[Candlecove]

I can't see the pictures, but from your description you sound normal.
I'm like you. Most of my fat seems to cling to my belly. But I know that I see myself as being much larger than I really am. I'm also in the process of loosing weight (3 kilograms so far after getting new antidepressants that doesn't make me hungry all the time), but I don't see any change around the abdominal area yet.

Good luck, I totally know how you feel