Oh! this great fat belly.

My Italian husband says, "encouragingly" , ah you're no longer 21 Bella, why worry? I love you as you are. Not helpful though !

Bell, but that is so true, we love you, whatever shape you are.

The stomach is the worst place to store fat. Sod whether your DH still loves you fat belly or not. Do it for yourself.

I think there is a difference between a firm protruding stomach and a flabby fat one. Although the former could be caused by visceral fat. Not good.

Exercising on your bed.?? Trouble is, I will either nod off or decide to pick my book and read instead.

It seems to me that the vast majority of women over a certain age, worldwide, have rounded tummies, especially those of us who have produced babies. Just a fact of life like greying hair. If someone wants to spend time, energy and money in an (often fruitless) effort to eradicate or disguise this perfectly natural shape change then good luck to them. Personally, I would prefer that more women (and the fashion industry) would simply accept this and adopt comfortable, wearable clothing which flares gently from the neck or under the bust - think Pride & Prejudice or the lovely Maternity Clothing we used to wear before it became fashionable to flaunt, even emphasis your bump.

PS Bella I have a Scottish husband whose ideal women are curvy with wobbly bits, bless him.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201606/medium-527434-abs.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201606/medium-753416-abs-words.png

Although testing positive for PMR, I have opted to refuse steroids, but remain under my doc's supervision, as I only have mild symptoms (so far.

When I injured my shoulder and couldn't get onto the floor, I did sit-ups on the sofa. I couldn't put my hands behind my head, but I could feel my muscles working. I have a six-pack, but unfortunately it is covered by a layer of flab .
I also bought this DVD, but never even played it. Watching might be fun though!

PPS - If our DHs are happy with the way we look, and we feel reasonably fit and healthy, why do we feel such pressure to conform to someonelse's standardised 'size 10 or 12 with big bust and flat stomach' model? Could it be that the pressure is simply a device to extract money from us to profit the fitness/beauty/fashion industries??

If your husbands said you had a fat flabby tummy and it turned him off, you wouldn't be too happy, so it's just as well we are happy with our better halves the way thy are. But encouragement to get fitter would be no bad thing for anyone, even an Adonis like me.

If my DH said that to me (he wouldn't) I would tell him to go to the bedroom, take off all his clothes........and then look at himself in the full length mirror.

We all see our loved one as they were when we first met all those years ago, for better or worse. Mrs P got the rough end of that deal

I lost visceral fat and regained my waist on the 5:2 fasting way of eating. I know the visceral fat has gone because before I started 5:2 I always had to loosen my belt and undo the button on my jeans when I sat down. I don't need to do that now. I've had three full term pregnancies and produced three fair sized babies so if I lean forward there's a bit of saggy crepiness going on but standing straight with good posture makes a big difference. Pilates, yoga or Tai Chi are all good for improving posture.

try this I failed dismally
www.wikihow.com/Get-Flat-Abs-Doing-TVA-Exercises

Chicken it may be that after your weight loss you have loose skin, that could explain the wobble. I don't think there is a remedy for that short of surgery. Well done on that weight loss you have inspired me.

Your suggestion of a low-carb diet, NanKate, is what I'd recommend too. It's the only way I've found to shift resistant fat and to keep it off, and I can eat things I've been yearning for on previous diets. (Info everywhere but this one is helpful: www.dietdoctor.com/) The best thing is that it carries its own motivation - as long as I stick strictly to it I don't feel any hunger.

I've had 5 pregnancies but not in bad shape. Knee joints (due to dancing) and arthritis affecting what I do but still walk, play tennis and go 10 pin bowling. Will never have a flat stomach again but just enjoy what I do which is not exercises. You have done well losing weight so keep as active as you can and don't worry

Well done on your weight loss Chicken,that is an achievement to be proud of.I have a similar problem and I don't think there is much to be done about it frankly.I bought a fashionable swing dress to see if that would hide the tummy,though I feared I may just look like a tent on legs.However,I have had several compliments while wearing it,including one from my daughter-praise indeed!Worth a try.

I had twins and abdominal separation ( didn't know about those exercises, thanks Wilma) but even before that, and thin as a rake I was always an apple shape. Now, I'm not overweight but definitely more of an apple crumble. Totally identify with the trouser problem, having to buy for waist so always too big on hips) and waisted dresses, completely hopeless. I don't really mind in the great scheme of things but clothes shopping is VERY annoying. Plus I'm in between sizes for everything!

I do tummy excercises on the bed, I don't eat bread so much now and that helped also cut down on potatoes.

If you have lost skin, are you sure that it isn't loose skin rather than fat? If that is the case, I'm afraid that you are stuffed. (I have same problem.)

Meant "lost weight"

I've given up and I'm past caring about fashion. Like Belladonna, my hip and breast sizes have never matched up so dresses have always been out. I tend to wear loose (usually pleated) skirts and wide leg trousers if, in the right material, look like a skirt.

I have also lost visceral fat by adopting the principles recommended in Michael Moseley's BSD diet. I have not been sticking to it rigidly as I am not very overweight and neither do I have a blood sugar problem but cutting out high GI carbohydrates and substituting with brown rice, quinoa and buckwheat has helped me to shift that last bit of weight and more importantly, inches around my abdomen. It is worth trying. It is interesting that the principles in the diet also fit with current thinking about the gut bacteria and how to encourage the good ones. I have not felt this healthy for years! I am not a faddy dieter at all and find that most diets don't work and a lot of exercise plans don't work as they are unrealistic. For me, it had to fit in with my lifestyle and not leave me hungry!

We were taught gentle and exercises to do on the bed after giving birth to get our tummy muscles working again. This involved raising your head and legs if I remember correctly. Pilate's is excellent low impact, strengthening and good for your balance, try to find an over 50s class and good luck

I used to worry about my flabby belly until I heard some supermodel (forget which one) say that even she had a bit of a belly which she thought of as a badge of honour as it housed her baby for nine months. I thought that was a great thing to say so, as I've 'housed' 3 babies in there, I feel I can put up with it gracefully.