[Avocado Baby]

I'm feeling grumpy today

I'm having one of those days when I hate seeing my body and anything I put on just looks horrible!! I only weigh about 51kg and I'm a small person but I HATE my pot belly that I have because the muscles don't work! I'm not sure if there's anything I can do...? I don't each much and I push myself around in my chair so I dunno what more I can do

Anyway, I know people have much more serious problems and I do count myself lucky that I'm not in constant pain or something. Just having one of those days and felt the need to share.

Thanks

[Hope Brookes]

Pink Ali, on Feb 5 2009, 08:29 PM, said:

I'm feeling grumpy today

I'm having one of those days when I hate seeing my body and anything I put on just looks horrible!! I only weigh about 51kg and I'm a small person but I HATE my pot belly that I have because the muscles don't work! I'm not sure if there's anything I can do...? I don't each much and I push myself around in my chair so I dunno what more I can do

Anyway, I know people have much more serious problems and I do count myself lucky that I'm not in constant pain or something. Just having one of those days and felt the need to share.

Thanks

( I have no experiance with anything).. But just wanted to say since your having one of those days
in yoru pic you look beautiful and and you saying "ppl have more serous problems" be littling your problem , well you dont have to coz yoru problems as importnt as any problem and its good you share wot you feel x - i wish i could help sorry i cant

but i hope you find your answer


hugs

Hope Brookes x

[Lucydog]

Me too Ali, I hate it, hate it, hate it. I mean Im not particulary fat or thin, but having had 3 children as well, any stomach muscles I did have are well and truly gone. Im so conscious of it, to be honest I tend to wear quite lose fitting tops so its covers it. If anyone can suggest anything suitable for the feminine physique Id love to hear it!!!

[KarenFerguson]

I hear ya. I don't necessarily have a "pot belly" but I have become more "scrunched" being in a chair all my life. Like, if I could stand up I'd look "skinner" than I do in my chair. Just sucks. Throw in some muscly arms and "chicken legs" ... haha ... ug.

I know some ladies who wear Spanx under garments and camis. It's kind of like wearing a comfortable girdle. Might work to hold your tummy in so to speak.

[Avocado Baby]

Hope Brookes, on Feb 5 2009, 11:50 PM, said:

in yoru pic you look beautiful and and you saying "ppl have more serous problems" be littling your problem , well you dont have to coz yoru problems as importnt as any problem and its good you share wot you feel x - i wish i could help sorry i cant

but i hope you find your answer


hugs

Hope Brookes x

Thanks! That's really sweet of you.
Karen, I live in the UK but I was watching an advert this morning for something similar and I was very tempted to buy it.
I will let you know if I find any solution!

[Hope Brookes]

Pink Ali, on Feb 6 2009, 02:03 PM, said:

Hope Brookes, on Feb 5 2009, 11:50 PM, said:

in yoru pic you look beautiful and and you saying "ppl have more serous problems" be littling your problem , well you dont have to coz yoru problems as importnt as any problem and its good you share wot you feel x - i wish i could help sorry i cant

but i hope you find your answer


hugs

Hope Brookes x

Thanks! That's really sweet of you.
Karen, I live in the UK but I was watching an advert this morning for something similar and I was very tempted to buy it.
I will let you know if I find any solution!

your very welcome hunni
if ya ever need a chat when your feeling low dont hesititate to give me a abuz hehe xx

[Dancingdolphin]

Hi!
How are you?
I hate it too..I look in the maternity section now!

Have found some lovely tops and trousers..

Take care
xx

[carole338]

Pot belly and thick midriff – I never thought I would have them. I was always so proud I kept my sleek look. And now.. Nothing I do helps and it keeps getting worse.

[Heather1984]

Dont feel bad about complaining I think we all have those days. I hate my belly too, I know its not my fault it is like that but it still bothers me. I would love to try wrapping it to hold it in some how but my husband worries too much and doesn't want anything to hurt me. hopefully I will think of something that will help. I'll let ya know if I do

[City Girl]

When I was in rehab, I attended the weekly workshops and in one of them, there was a gentleman who spoke about self-image and his dislike of his own 'para-pouch' post-SCI. I think he was in and around T8-T10ish. He shared that he was self-conscious of the lack of muscle tone in the abdominal area and his consequent belly, so he wore an 'abdominal binder' under his shirt. I don't think it is as uncomfortable as a girdle but it might be a cheap and easy solution. I just googled 'abdominal binder' on the internet and here is a photo example.

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[wheeliebear75]

We're right there with ya sister. Hate the way clothes fit. No I don't know that there is anything more you can do either. And you are right about the cause........lack of muscle use......but hey like you said what can you do?

Hang in there we all have out good days and some bad ones.

[twisted_ophelia]

Add me to the list of those who hate their tummies.... I'm so shy about it though I've been told many times it's not remotely as bad as I think it is but we're all hardest on ourselves, right? It just turns to mushiness right at my injury level even though, being incomplete, I've got some ab function after lots of neuro-physio recovery stuff but nothing I have ever done has made it look firmer, more toned, nada. Para tummy is the bane of my existence, it's looks like permanent PMS bloating I guess us girls could also try Spanx but I'd be worried about circulation and whatnot. I feel the most annoyed with it any time I wear a bathing suit but like others have said, there's nothing I can do about it so I guess I gotta grin and bear it.

[Hikkakaru]

City Girl, on Feb 6 2009, 05:04 PM, said:

When I was in rehab, I attended the weekly workshops and in one of them, there was a gentleman who spoke about self-image and his dislike of his own 'para-pouch' post-SCI. I think he was in and around T8-T10ish. He shared that he was self-conscious of the lack of muscle tone in the abdominal area and his consequent belly, so he wore an 'abdominal binder' under his shirt. I don't think it is as uncomfortable as a girdle but it might be a cheap and easy solution. I just googled 'abdominal binder' on the internet and here is a photo example.

I had to wear one of those when I was acute to stabilize my blood pressure. They are dreadful.

[purple_faeries]

I too have an awful time with my belly, it looks flat (ish lol) when i am lying down flat, but as soon as i get in my chair it looks like i'm 10 months pregnant lol. I have recently bought one of those 'magic knickers' from primark for £6, it goes down to my thighs (well my knees as I'm only 4'9 ), and nearly up to my bust line, it looked really tiny but it went on ok, and didn't actually feel too tight or anything but it did shrink my belly down quite a bit and i lost quite a few inches.

My husband thought like yours that it would be too tight, but he was actually surprised lol.

It might be worth giving it a try cos for £6 even if it doesn't work for you then it's not that much wasted is it. They do only go up to a size 16-18 though which is the size that i got but it made me get into a skirt that i hadn't been able to get into for months and months

take care

Hannah

[carole338]

I had to wear one of these while I was at rehab. It was to help control blood pressure. I'll try it again and see if it help with self image now..

[Avocado Baby]

Thanks everyone,

Just knowing I'm not alone helps.

I'll make a trip to Primark and see if I can find something Hannah. Thanks for that. Is it difficult to pull up and down? I'm just thinking of when I need to go to the toilet.

Thanks everyone!

[nomis]

I had one of those abdominal binders in the days when I had a ride-on-mower tractor. The propertry was rough and big and it'd bash the hell out of my jiggling guts unless I bound them in - which also gave my torso more upright support (which is ok when you're holding a steering wheel). I never considered wearing it for cosmetic reasons - it was always a relief to get out of it and breath freely.

As for fitting and removing, it's a wrap you wind around your middle and fasten with velcro. Easy and quick to remove.

[purple_faeries]

hiya

Unfortunately I am unable to put them on/take them off by myself so my husband does it for me, he manages to put it on ok but taking it off is easyyyyyyyy. Once you have put it on once it is easier to put on again after that also.

I really did notice a huge difference with it on, and on a plus side it made my breasts more 'noticeable' as I am really small anyway!! so that was nice It also made me lose the extension on my bra (you know the ones that give 3 extra hooks) which was really nice too!!

Let me know if I can give you any more help

Hannah

[Avocado Baby]

Hmmmm....I live on my own so wouldn't have anyone to help me to put it on.

and I've just had a breast reduction so I don't think I want to make them look bigger!!

I'll get over it. I'm just having a sulk!

[doublelibra]

Hey ladies, I don't feel so alone! I hate that tummy problem too. I feel doomed!

[Izziwhizzi]

2 kids stretching everything, overweight too - I hate my belly.

But if you UK based ladies want to get something a little sexier than a utility binder look at Gok Wans range for Simply Be - especially their waspie. And sizes are 8-32.

http://www.simplyyou...age?pageId=2005

I x

[Avocado Baby]

Thanks for that.
I've just ordered some of the shorts. I like the look of the Waspie, but because of my 'spina bifida torso' and kyphoscoliosis, I don't think it would sit properly.

Thanks for your help!

[ParaforGod]

I have the same problem in fact when I first came to while in the hospital one of the first questions I ask before I knew I was paralyzed was why is my belly so big.

[newte]

hmm

i think my pot belly is due to eating food lol,

but then being a paraplegic since 1989 has seemed to have turned me into a gorilla(well according to my ex wife's mum i was),

my chest went up from a 40inch in 1989 to 52 inch in about a year,i had to throw all my old clothes away,even my gloves,my hands

have grown in size to,lol nobody in the 2 hospitals said anything about my top half growing bigger to compenstate for doing my legs work,

sigh sad to say that nothing else grew in size lol

bb

newte

[Murray]

Ditto to a lot of the above - all, except the binder bit. The only time I had to wear one of those was in rehab, under the TLSO - pain in the butt. As for my current belly - I work out every other day at a local osteophathic clinic. It helps ... a little. But the damn thing sure doesn't disappear no matter how much I work out. Pisses me off royal! So, best of luck to us all!

Lynn

This post has been edited by Murray: 12 February 2009 - 12:43 AM

[C6-JEN]

City Girl, on Feb 7 2009, 02:04 AM, said:

When I was in rehab, I attended the weekly workshops and in one of them, there was a gentleman who spoke about self-image and his dislike of his own 'para-pouch' post-SCI. I think he was in and around T8-T10ish. He shared that he was self-conscious of the lack of muscle tone in the abdominal area and his consequent belly, so he wore an 'abdominal binder' under his shirt. I don't think it is as uncomfortable as a girdle but it might be a cheap and easy solution. I just googled 'abdominal binder' on the internet and here is a photo example.

I used to wear binders all the time, the only problem was their sizes weren't consistant. It would say it was 30 inches but you never got 2 the same there could be up to 3 inches difference. Also if the sizes arent right the edges are sharp and can cause sores (i have the scars to prove it)