I'm between 5'3 & 5'4, very petite but I have a huge stomach

It's true, I'm very small- everyone says so but when I take my shirt off at the end of the day and look in the mirror I just want to cry. I don't get it, I've ran my self very hard and have done as much situps & pushups my body could handle. I've even attended a step aerobic's class to learn the stretches and stuff so i can do them in my room.

For some reason though all I seem to do is gain weight. I look at the scale and I'm another pound heavier and not only that but I look thicker. I've got the tinest wrist and nice fit legs but when it comes to my stomach it just looks horrible....what can i do?

Some please help me! I'm trying to reach a flat stomach goal by January & I need as much advice as I can get! Thanks a million

I see from your picture, and by your post in the What Size do you Dream About thread, that you are already quite slim.  Have you ever considered that you might have a distorted body image problem?  That's when we see our bodies as different than other's perceive us. 

first, you are not VERY small. You have a very average size. I am 5'3.5" and i never considered myself as too small. People around you who say that arre either dumb, very tall or jealous of somthing and try to hurt you.
And like clairelaine said, you look slim to me. i don't see any huge stomach on your picture. reading your post made me expect some kind of monster but all i see is a cute girl.

so, like clairelaine, i worry you have a dysmorphic disorder

You are gorgeous.

I can also understand though where you are coming from. I have a belly that I just can't shift. I too do all the requisite exercises etc.

I know I am not much help. I just wanted to say don't get down, remember how beautiful you are and that there must be a way. I am holding out for advice too.xxx

I have a similar situation.  I am petite, 5'2" and carry most of my weight in my stomach, hips.  Old fashioned situps usually just bulk me up.  But, I have gotten good results with pilates.  It's designed to strengthen and lengthen your core muscles (abs and back).  I have a few tapes that I either alternate with aerobic activity, or add on afterwards.  I don't think it matters which tapes you do, as it's all the same concept.  My mom has even been pilates to help relieve back pain and she has even lost weight doing so.

If you have a little bit of money to spend, go to your local gym and just get 2 or 3 personal trainer sessions and ask them to teach you "core excercises"... There are a whole bunch of excercises they can teach you with rubber balls and medicine balls and using the mat, that are less boring than situps or crunches, and will do a much better job of strengthening and toning without bulking your tummy. Once you've learned them there's no need to keep spending money on the personal trainer unless you really need the motivation.

I have started doing some and they make you feel much stronger. I still have ~20 lbs to go before I'll be able to see any muscles in my midsection, but once I get below 150, I'll probably change my workout routine from 75% cardio, 25% core, to 75% core and 25% cardio. At the stage you are now you won't need to (nor should you) pay any attention to the scale, you'll see it in the mirror, and you'll be wearing those belly shirts with confidence in no time.

If you truly have that problem it could be stress related fat produced by a hormone called cortisol. Women are affected more by stress then men. Another thing that helps to shrink the belly is splitting up your calories over 5-6 meals throughout the day. The small meals shrink your stomach. Also, stay away from refined sugar.

Try not to do sit-ups or leg raises for ab exercises as these can enlarge the area in some, not all. Stick to crunches, and pilates movements for abs.

antonio- I am very stressed...how do i get rid of it? is there a pill that can help me loose it quicker with the exercise & diet?

I'm curious, how much of a belly fat are you worrying about? Which area? upper? lower? or all? The only time I ever trim my lower belly was when I was on a strict vegie diet and extra lean meat. No carbs. Of course, unless you want to live like that the rest of your life, some of the fat will come back.

Aishiteru, and anyone who has a similar problem - this might be psychological.

It's called Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and here's what the Mayo Clinic has to say about it.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/body-dysmorp hic-disorder/DS00559

Another thing to consider is possible kwashiorhor type malnutrition.  People who are on starvation diets with low protein intakes will often wind up with a swollen gut, not from fat, but from fluid and an enlarged liver.

Sunshine, I've been seeing your self-destructive and attention-seeking posts all over the forum.  You need serious psychiatric and medical help, which we cannot provide.  My sincere wish for you is that you find peace and health and stop trying to drag the rest of the world into your very toxic delusions.

You mean like those starving people in famine countries, right? Although they are not on a starving diet by choice, unfortunately.

sunshine - girl, if you think you will find what you want to hear from this forum then you are wrong.
First, this forum is to promote eating healthy and yes, a certain amount of calories. You are trying to validate your starving diet by coming in here and provoking inputs from us. What do you expect, honestly. Get more people on your wagon so you feel better with companions? Us to congratulate you on your 'self-discipline'? Wake up.

Second, this forum is where people share/find suitable excercises to help them be fitter, better, loose weight the healthy way. That means including proper FOOD and nutrients. Obviously since it doesn't apply to your current lifestyle, the information will be useless and irrelevant. Might even be detrimental to your diet.



Talk to pinkdisorder. Or Ilisa. Among others, I know they went through ED and have the guts and courage to admit it and changed direction for better.

I've been restraining myself to say this, but what the heck: If you worry so much about the 'FAT' that portrude from your belly, then go get it suck out! Plain one word: Liposuction. Why bother us with your whining and waste people's time giving you advice you choose not to take or hear?

Unless you change your mindset about your path, then nothing in the forum will be of value to you aside from so many people trying to beat the sense into your head - nicely or directly.

sweet tart: Well my family and friends have always said i have a stomach and now more so than ever because I live on my own but when I come around they always talk about how i've grown a belly (jokingly, of course) but it really bothers me & it's enough fat that I have serious rolls..(i realize even the smallest people have rolls when they sit down but mine are fat) & i'd be fine with some coming back, I know i can not eliminate it all but i just don't want it to just protrude like i'm pregnant or something

United: yes i've seen them & I really don't feel they have stomach's the way i do..actually i know theirs are 'tighter'..where as mine is more 'loose'. My BMI is healthy weight so I have no problems there but it is like only a few points away from being underweight.

clairelaine, thanks. & jhealynyad that was very informative, i dind't know guts just got swollen so thank you. =]

thanks agian guys..

Stress, genetics, change in diet, bloated could be some causes :/

My stomach is fairly flat, but I need to get rid of like 3 layers of FAT.

sunshine - Please, read what united posted, especially about muscle creation since it relates to your other post about avoiding gaining muscle in your exercise.

Oh, are you doing the 2468? If you do you may wanna lay off that to loose your tummy roll.

Your body sounds a lot like mine-apple shape.

It's frustrating-tell me about it.