Getting a Flat Stomach

I'm not really sure what to do, and I'm growing exceptionally frustrated. For the past year or so, I've been eating a very healthy diet and exercising more. I treat myself every now and then, but mostly I've just found healthy things that I've really liked. I do martial arts for a few hours a week, run on the treadmill every now and then along with lifting weights. Over the summer I'm going to attempt to exercise even more, but until finals are over, this is not possible. Oh, for basic stats, about 5'4'' and somewhere from 115-120 pounds, though I haven't weighed myself in a while.

After all of this, I'm fairly skinny all over, but my stomach remains rotund and exceptionally annoying. I guess I'm genetically dispositioned to store fat there, even though my dad is amazingly skinny and has no beer belly or anything of the kind.

So what on earth can I do? I'm sick of looking down and seeing my stupid stomach stick out, and I want to get rid of as much of the "female pooch" as possible. Whether recommendations of what and when to eat (for example, I eat a lot late at night), or exercises to just flatten it out (I'll work on the abs more when it's not as round), anything would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

just keeping a check on your posture really helps! pulling in your from your navel when sitting down and while walking do the same, tighten it up(kinda feels like your pulling your belly button up lol) good luck!

-try some gatorade and b vitamins
-make sure you are getting the proper hydration amt
-are you having a lot of processed food and salts?
-are you on hormonal BC?
-do you have an estrogen dominate body? (larger breasts, large eyes and hips are signs)
-do you smoke?
-getting enough fiber?
-do you do anything to workout that area at all?

How much of tht 'female pooch' you are talking about? I personally think female pooch, just like the name, is femme and sexy. Don't confuse this with fat tummy though. :)

Totally agree with SweetTart!!! My only other suggestion is really cutting the carbs and mixing up the crunches. When you want a flat stomach you usually gotta work REAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALY hard at it and you can't quit once you get it. It's hard to maintain and not really worth it in my opinion. Oh, and stop looking at airbrushed magazines. :P

One other suggestion is to take a front on picture of your tummy in the mirror. Sometimes what WE see is distorted when we "look down." And also remember our organs need to fit in there somewhere! That's what my doctor told me one time. :)

This "pooch" is there to protect your future baby. they found girls with a BMi below 18 before they had a baby, had increased birth/development of foetus problems. You need a bit of this stuff. I have a BMI f 17.9 and I stil have a little bump. I need to put on more weight, so i know it'll grow. But I'd rather have a little but of a bump, than a damaged baby in the future. All those stars etc. are airbrushed to the max. But you can do a bit about it - ab exercises to hold your bloating tummy in, chew well when you eat (dont gulp at air) 

Thanks so much for the information!

To answer everybody's comments:

-I am on a hormonal BC, as I don't care about the birth control part, but rather getting a regular menstrual cycle, as I don't have one at all. XP

-I don't smoke and get a fair amount of fiber, and I certainly don't have an estrogen dominated body. I'm rather small all over, except my stomach. ^^;;

-I do ab exercises every now and then, but I've stopped since it didn't seem to be doing anything.

-It's larger than just a normal "female pooch." I know I do need to fit my organs in, but I am quite jealous of how easily males get flat stomachs. : P

I'll do whatever I can to work at it, as I sincerely hate looking down. XP

Pilates!!!!    Try mat pilates. It is amazing. It will flatten your stomach if you do it on a regular basis. If there is no class around you that you can attend I suggest buying the Stott Pilates DVD's. You can get them on amazon. 

Ok, well do remember that males' body compositions are completely different from ours. 

I ditto jenneris - most people have horrible posture ... we let our lower backs collapse, our shoulders curl in, and our stomachs hang out.  It's just a bad habit from sitting in chairs all the time.  Pilates might help; I'd definitely recommend yoga to correct those tendencies.

Hah! I challenge most guys on their abs :p Lots of guys I know got softer tummy than mine XD (I know my hubby is a bit on the softie side hahahaha)
So, no, guys don't necessary have it easier than gals to have good stomach. :)

If you are fit, and like to move around, I would suggest doing Turbo Jam: Punch Kick & Jam. It will strengthen your core so much, you will start seeing your obliques popping out when you reach up. Well, it does it for me anyways.  Basically what happens in that routine is a lot of punching and lifting your legs, that you constantly tucking in your abs and strenghtening muscles in that region. It is a good routine for abs without even feel like you are working it. Plus, it is mondo cardio session so you burn fat and calories doing it.
I suck at crunches. I really hate it too. Other than it is boring, I don't want to have too much build-up abs muscles :p

Don't know if this is anywhere outside of Texas, but if you have time warner digital cable, use the Excercise on Demand channels.. 1431.
For abs, I do that Slim & 6 Pack stuff.. it's really hard at first, but you seriously have to push yourself, and you'll see great results really quickly. If you don't see results by pushing yourself, don't give up! Muscle uses fat to build up, and if you're working those muscles enough, they'll eventually use up that fat so that they can become bigger muscles. :]

Oooo I actually have tried it :) It is part of the Slim in 6 DVD. It is tough XD

Although,.. i am not sure about muscle uses fat to build. Muscle uses protein to build. Fat and muscles are 2 different tissues. Building one doesnt necessarily eliminate the other :) It is up to the activity you do whether you buil mucles or lose fat (or add fat by eating! ^_^)

the birth control can do that a bit to you.

its just bloat.

plus because of your age...hormones in general will do that to you.

I  got liposuction several times. I also watch what I eat and that helps.

Liposuction did wonders for me.

One thing that I have realized is that Cardio is a MUST DO to get and to maintain a flat stomach. I was in your same shoes...in 5'7" 125 lbs and could not get rid of my little belly for the life of me. Im a skinny girl but that was driving me absolutely insane. I did about 500+ situps per day and took in only 1000 calories per day. NOT the right way to go. Instead I got a gym membership and my modeling agent avised me that I needed to replace my situps with an hour cardio and only spend 10- 15 minutes working on my tummy muscles. You cant pick a spot you want to lose weight and just work on that, its impossible. No now I still count carbs, removed all sugar from my diet (thats a MUST do to keep the weight off once you lose it) and I dont eat ANYTHING after 7:30 pm. Also look up some exersizes online or somewhere and start working on building your CORE muscles. Thats going to be the foundation to getting your flat tummy.

There are so many things that may be contributing.  It's not just about the foods we eat.  It's also about life, our relationships, careers, lifestyle...

Prior to having my daugther I was always slim with a little pouch that really annoyed me.  After I gave birth to her I took a different approach to health and wellness and now my body is better than before (no pouch), but I'm also a happier healthier person.  I used to workout 5 days a week, now I can only do it when I can but I shoot for 2-3 times a week and I look and feel better than when I was a teen.  Mind you I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy and was able to loose 53 pounds almost without effort.

I'm a holistic health practioner.  I'm not taking clients at the moment, but I would be happy to talk to you and give you a different persepective that might just work for you based on your bio-individuality.  Just send me a PM.  kymwentela has offered some pretty good advice as well.

In peace,
Carla

When you work your abs unfortunately you are not really flattening your tummy but you are pretty much strengthening your back. To cut belly fat you have to watch your diet and low body fat. Everyone stores fat in different places. For example I am 198 lb. 5 foot 4 and all my weight is solid in my legs and I have a very small waist. Sound weird but it is true. I run 5 days a week. The tummy seems to get flatter with more cardio. Bicycles and diamond push up helps ab tremendously. I recommend that for anyone who wants great abs. Good Luck

i heard that ab excerises aren't really what a person should be doing as doing crunches and stuff just pushes the fat together, or something. so doing cardio is the best.

Phoenix121, I know EXACTLY how you feel! The same problem frustrates me too! True I'm on BC pills, but that's it, as far as weight-gain sins go! I do some kind of sports almost every day (time permitting), at least one hour a day. On and don't think I only do it for weight control. I do it for health reasons, for my overall well-being. And man, that thing is addictive! :) Don't know if anybody knows the Les Mills workout (www.lesmills.com), but it's awesome!! Try to find a gym in your neighborhood that offers les mills classes. It combines 7 different workouts (recently they added one more), covering everything: cardio, resistance training, flexibility training. In addition to that, I sometimes go swimming, running, do seasonal sports... you name it! Speaking of my eating habits, they are nothing short of perfect! And I know cuz I read a lot about healthy nutrition.

I'm almost 5'9", 128 lbs so I really have nothing to complain about but still, that resilient fat sausage on my belly won't go away!! I do realize many of you think Phoenix121 and I are crazy to let that bother us. But it does. Anyway, to summarize:

-lots of sports

-all types of workout... cardio, abs... everything

-perfect nutrition

-not smoking

-good posture

-no stress...

Oh, and don't tell me that flat belly is only possible in an airbrushed picture! Or that my belly looks bigger because I see it from above. I have friends with flat bellies and I can not only see but can also touch and feel that fat! :)

I read that targeted, localized fat-loss is impossible. Which means the most resilient fat will stay on your bones if necessary and you will probably unwantedly lose your breasts before fat on your belly! Because when burning fat, your body has its own priorities, and they may not coincide with yours. Which means that doing a lot of crunches will do nothing else but strengthen your abs (nothing wrong there of course), rather than burn fat where you want it to. :(

So, what I want to know is: is there ANY other way to solve this problem? Any other than liposuction I mean. Is it true that increasing the microcirculation in the fat tissue helps?

There is no shortcut to a flat stomach.  You have to stay away from foods high in sodium and sugar, as well as do ab-tightening exercises just about every day.  Even if you only do pilates core moves for about ten minutes/day, it helps to keep your stomach muscles tight and compact.  Also, cardio cardio cardio!