i hate my body

[ali]

Hi all over the past 6 months i have been not happy with my body ever since i had Peter ive found it hard to be happy with what i c ;( im eating well and i go for a walk once a day and no different im still the same ;( my tummy is the biggest downer all lose skin ;( goes anyone have any helpful ideas for me :help: :help:

[Monty]

:hug: :hug: Ali. I'm sorry to hear that you are down about your body. I have always been negative about my body image since I was a child. I haven't had children so I don't know exactly what you are going thru re your stomach but there must be some way of toning it I am sure! Perhaps someone here will have a few ideas or websites. At least you are being active about things and going for a walk/good diet - that is a great start... Plus it doesn't change overnight it may take a little while depending on your body. I know this doesn't help but I am actually feeling quite depressed about my body too right now so lots of :hug: :hug:

[ali]

thanku sheree (monty) that means alot to me thanku :hug:

[Naomi]

Hi Ali

I have a nine-month-old son and I can so relate to what you are saying. I was never that keen on my body, but at least it used to be *normal*. I am really finding hard to get used to the saggy tummy thing. I have read that it can take up to two years for everything to shrink back to (almost) where it was. It's at the point now where I get changed in the bathroom so DH doesn't see me (stupid, I know).

I also walk every day, and try to avoid junk food but I do find trying to fit any other kind of exercise in a bit difficult with DS.

Anyway, I'm sorry I can't offer any help, but I wanted you to know that I do understand what you are feeling.

Naomi

[debambam]

:hug: :hug: :hug: Ali, I don't have any ideas about how to lose the "loose skin". I had a friend who went swimming every second day after her child was born and she swears by it, another went to the gym and had them design a program especially for toning, and she swears by that! I guess it's a matter of finding what works for you. And realising it's going to take time.
Zoe is 4.5 years old and i still have "extra skin" as it's become known in my family! I can understand the feelings associated with your body not being the same as it was, but what worked for me was the "acceptance" that it's not the same...IT'S CREATED LIFE!
I learned to be proud of the body I now have, flaws and all.... it has created, held and known LIFE! I'm not happy with my even smaller and not quite so shapely breasts, the extra skin or the changes in my womanly bits (sorry!) but i do now accept it.
I'm not sure if i've been any help, but I do hope you feel better about yourself soon.....and that goes for you too Monty!!! :hug: :hug: :hug: to both of you!!!!

[MissieK]

hugs. I totally understand. My kids are 3.5 & 18 months and I have the saggy tummy happening too!

I've recently joined Fernwood & am doing a diet & exercise program there. The boys love the creche & it gives me some much needed time out. I still have a way to go, but so far I've lost 7.3kg :D

My Mums youngest is 20 & she still has the saggy tummy (though she doesn't exercise ;) )

Melissa

[ali]

thank u all so much it bring a happy tear to my eye that you are all so nice ;( it really helps when you are feeling down :hug: thanku for the tips and stories and the understanding im very grateful thankyou all again:)

[Pam]

Big Hugs to you Ali :hug: :hug: I hope we can all cheer you up in some way and help you to feel better about yourself. You have given the gift of life, so don't be too hard on yourself! Cut yourself some slack ok :hug: Most of all, keep looking after yourself :)

[mel35]

Ali hope your feeling a bit better about yourself :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

I do know how you, feel after 5 kids my body has more lines than a Sydney street directory :P

I think Kelly has the right idea the best way to cope with it is learning to accept it.

Luv Mel

[shelli]

hi there. i have a 3 month old and his name is Peter, too!! hehe. the tummy thing is to do with the muscles in ur tummy not coming back together. lay down on the bed and place your hand on ur stomach with ur fingers pointing towards ur pelvis. now, just lift ur head off the pillow. not ur shoulders or anything, just ur head. this will make you use ur stomach muscles. do you feel the muscles coming together? do you feel a depression, like a valley in ur muscles? this is because, during pregnancy, ur muscles open up for ur baby. after Pete was born, i could fit 3 finger widths into this area....not good. it damages ur back, because ur back muscles counteract for the loss of muscle tone in the stomach.

sit ups are a good way to fix it, you just have to be sure that you concentrate on EVERY crunch that you do, so that you use the correct muscles. because your stomach muscles are made up of 3 layers, the bottem layer has to be worked first, then the rest will follow. because i am a sporty person, but not fond of excercise, i have found an alternative. did you ever try to suck in ur tummy when you were a kid to show off ur ribs? that is what you must try to do. do this while you are sitting, doin ur pelvic floor excercises or just walking around. this will improve ur posture, too. OR, if you find that you just cant get it right, stand with ur back to the wall or lay down on the floor and 'straighten' ur spine to go in line with the wall/floor. push back ur shoulders and suck in ur stomach (this will bring the bottem of ur pelvis around to the front). make sure that you bend ur knees a little!! you might feel a bit funny doing it at first, but after a while you get used to it and your posture improves.

i hope this helps....i am not saying that it should be done ALL the time, but just a few times, when you think of it, and it will become 2nd nature to you!!

shelli.

[ali]

thanku thanku thanku :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: u r all so kind :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: im starting to work on my way of thinking now!!! and going crazy with sit ups, walking, running up and down the yard lol i must look crazy the lady next door gets a good laugh at me LMAO im getting ready to go swimming next week so thanku for all the help and support ;)