"How do I get rid of this?" The lower-belly Conundrum

A lot of women come up to me, lift up their tops, pull the skin from their lower belly's and ask: "How do I get rid of this?"

I mean, if I had a dollar for every time a woman asked me this I'd have at least 43 dollars! ;)

**This post is intended for those of you are are leading healthy lives, have reached an ideal weight or body fat percentage but are still having trouble with their lower stomach. If this is you, READ ON!

If it's belly fat you are dealing with, keep going! If you keep working on your resistance training and diet and cardio and keep loosing those pounds properly you will get there. Hear me when I say THE ABS ARE THE LAST THING TO COME IN AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM YET IT JUST MEANS YOUR BODY FAT IS STILL TOO HIGH. QUIT BITCHING, STOP CHEATING, AND KEEP WORKING!

For everyone else, I think it's important to know the difference between "belly fat" (which you can rid through proper diet and exercise, see above) and "loose-skin" (usually associated with pregnancy or extreme/rapid weight loss) which cannot.

I know, I know, say it ain't true! But alas, it is!

If you can pull the skin away from your stomach and it doesn't bounce back (usually marked by stretch marks or 'tiger stripes') then chances are it's loose skin and and not belly fat!
Sad face?

Hey you! It's not death! It's just some lose skin! Through diet and exercise this can be diminished to a certain extent but it will NEVER completely go away. So let's make peace with this. Please acknowledge the following:

This does not mean you were lazy during pregnancy! I have seen both women who gained 15lbs during pregnancy and women who gained 90lbs during pregnancy, those who ate clean and exercised regularly and those who did not and those who slathered on cocoa butter every day and those who did not, and IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

***IF YOU'RE GENETICALLY-DISPOSED TO YOUR SKIN REACTING THIS WAY, IT WILL!  Case and point: My Mom has some "interesting" veins so chances are, this is my future! Genetics do play a part whether we like it or not!
I'm not saying to give up! Obviously, if you are pregnant and planning on getting pregnant do your best to stay beyond hydrated, eat clean, do yoga, and stay moisturized, because you should be doing this anyway!
BUT if you are one of those women who have already given birth and is dealing with this issue don't beat yourself up about it! What the hell is that going to do for you?!?
I've seen soooooooo many women at competitions who are in crazy-awesome shape and they have that little bit of stretch marks and little bit of loose skin AND THEY WIN OVER GIRLS WHO DON'T HAVE IT!!!! Seriously! I can't make this ish up! So get over it! 

It's all about you making peace with your body, AND you focusing on what you DO have! And making everything the best that it can be. If you dwell on the negative or what you don't like about yourself you are simply giving yourself an excuse to not work and what's more, you are feeding that insecurity! Don't give some lose skin power over you! You've dealt with worse! It's ten times easier to give up because of one little issue then it is to keep working towards being your best self ! 

If you want to completely get rid of that loose skin on your belly then get really, really fit, grow some muscle, get your body to peak performance, THEN get a tummy-tuck. If spending $8-$10 grand to be rid of this problem is worth it to you, do it right! Set yourself up for success! Do the hard work first, then reward yourself with the surgery so that your results can be maintained. If not, don't be surprised when after the surgery you have a whole other slew of body issues and insecurities to deal with. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice or hard work, even when you are paying for it! 

This loose skin is not just restricted to the tummy either, this just happens to be one of the more common places we focus on. As we age we lose elasticity and collagen production diminishes. Evidence of this shows up first in our upper arms, then elbows and then knees, as the skin begins to loosen and sag... The good news about these areas is that if you stay on top of your clean eating and resistance training you can avoid this is a big way! 

I personally would rather have a little loose skin and some stretch marks with a banging ass and some kick-ass shoulders than a tight tummy and a saggy bum! But that's just me.
What do you want?
What can you live with?
What is it worth to you?
Whatever it is, decide, commit, and BE HAPPY. Life is too short to be anything else!

Love yourself. I know it's hard and it takes practice not picking on yourself all the time but it's worth it to get to a place where simply by treating yourself right, you are teaching others how to!
Perpetuate love. Perpetuate self-care. Lead by example. And if all else fails, ACT AS IF until it becomes your reality. Affirmations really work! Don't get scared now...

Repeat after me:
"I love myself!"
"Through working toward my own goals I inspire others to do the same!"
"I am perfect!"
"I work every day to become my best self and see positive changes every day!" 
"I am in control!"
"I am strong!"
"I am fit, beautiful, and healthy!"
"I am a hot piece of ass!"
"Everyday I see myself getting closer and closer to my goal!"
"I am enjoying my journey as it unfolds before me!" 

Keep going! Nothing can stop us now!
xoxox,
T