Tummy toning with an umbilical hernia?

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1/14/13 4:38 P

PINK_NEVAEH22: Toning doesn't work the way you describe. Toning isn't really a useful term at all! Toning is basically what happens when the fat disappears and reveals the muscle underneath. Where that fat disappears from is completely determined by genetics... not the exercises you do. Yes, you can make your muscles in those areas stronger, but no amount of working out will burn the fat there.

Unfortunately no, you can't tone loose, jiggle bat wing arms by working your triceps. Fat loss is ALWAYS a total-body process. No single body part can be targeted for fat loss. Our bodies simply don't work that way. No amount of tricep dips will get rid of your bat wings!

Your friend looks good because she was blessed with good genetics, and lost fat over her entire body. Every one of us has a different body, and we can't compare our results to someone else's. Where you tend to gain weight will also tend to be the last place you lose. I don't have trouble with my arms and legs, for example; I lose there first. However, no matter how many crunches I do, I do not lose weight in my middle. That's my "trouble zone", and I will hold the fat here until there's less fat elsewhere to burn. It's my body's storehouse. Yours may be your hips, your butt, or your stomach.

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1/14/13 3:54 P

Well my friend Jenny had a loose tummy after pregnancy and she has been working out to those insanity workouts and such, her tummy looks awesome now. And I know she didn't get surgery or anything because she doesn't have money like that. I understand you can't choose where your weight comes off at, but it is possible to tone right? I mean, if you can tone loose jiggly bat wing arms by working out your triceps and such, then why can't you tone your tummy? I don't know, I just don't want it to look THIS BAD for forever lol. I know spark can't give me medical advice I was just looking for members that may have had the problem as me because they are supposedly pretty common in mothers. Thank you for all your responses though, they are appreciated

Edited by: PINK_NEVAEH22 at: 1/14/2013 (15:58)

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1/13/13 4:26 P

Have you looked around to see if there's a clinic or a nurse practitioner you could have access to? Or if you have a doctor for your baby, ask him/her.

It's not a good idea to go blindly into something when you know there's a problem that could get worse. Although, as Dragonchilde points out, ab exercises aren't going to do what you want them to. Sadly, our bodies don't work that way.

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1/13/13 1:41 P

Well, first and foremost, stop worrying about doing ab work. No amount of core work in the world will get rid of the loose tummy we moms end up getting. While we can't provide you with specifics on how to do core work safely with an umbilical hernia (that's outside of the scope of the advice this community can provide. Check this link for details: www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_expe
rts.asp?q=89)

I can tell you that fat loss is a total-body process. YOu can't tone your tummy by doing core exercises. You can increase core strength, which improves your ability to do other exercise, but it won't reduce the fat. I have a six pack abs, myself, but it's unfortunately hidden by the keg.

Our muscles draw their energy from the bloodstream... not the surrounding fat stores. So as you lose weight, you will not be able to choose where the fat comes off first. Your trouble zones tend to be the last to come off.



Edited by: DRAGONCHILDE at: 1/13/2013 (15:18)

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1/13/13 12:39 P

I don't have a doctor....I had one when I was pregnant but that was when I had pregnancy medicaid.

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1/13/13 11:40 A

You may actually want to discuss this with your doctor as you don't want to do more harm to yourself. I had an inguinal hernia and there were definitely activities that were out of the question before I had my surgery and for a few weeks after.

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1/13/13 11:24 A

Hello all, I am a 26 year old Mom of two, after having my beautiful children my body hasn't been the same. I am sure many of you out there can relate to this as well. But aside from the loose tummy, extra pounds, and stretch marks, I also got the extra gift of a child bearing hernia, right above my navel. I had it after my first which is now 5 years old and it never bothered me. In fact, I didn't even know it was a hernia. It was so small and insignificant that I thought nothing of it, I thought maybe it was a little lump inside where something didn't go all the way back to normal after being pregnant, lol. It was probably about the size of a nickle at the time and it didn't really bulge. When I got pregnant with my second who is now 3 months old, I noticed this lump getting a lot bigger as I did. It got very noticeable in my second trimester and started becoming bothersome in third. When I bent over or picked something up over 5 pounds I would feel a strain in that area. After having her though, it has gone down quite a bit and is no longer causing me pain. I can't afford surgery on it right now and don't plan on being able to anytime in the near future.

I guess my question is, does anyone else have a hernia in this area? If so, how do you work out your core without making it worse? I can't just avoid strengthening my core all together because I also have back problems and core exercise is the only thing that keeps my back from locking up on me. Any suggestions or advice???

current weight: 166.8

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