How I Lost My Mummy-Tummy
It took me over two years, but yes, I finally did it – I finally lost my mummy tummy. And this is my story:
Eight months after I had my second and last (for now) child I noticed that my tummy didn’t go back to being flat as it has always been. I had effortlessly reach my pre-pregnancy weight but my somehow stomach was popping out. In fact, by the end of day, especially after my last meal I still looked like I’m 6 months pregnant. So, very determined to lose my mummy tummy, I embarked on a series of programs, education and experiments to get my flat tummy back.
EXERCISE: I began by seeing a physio therapist. I already knew a lot about diastasis recti (and mine was small) but I wanted specific exercises that would help further close the gap and flatten the tummy. 6 weeks into the physio exercises I noticed absolutely no change on how my tummy looked and I felt like something was missing from this program.
That’s when I discovered a Mutu System. It’s a great 16 week online program with a wealth of educational material for new and expecting moms, dedicated to help them get back into shape and look great. Its ultimate premise is to help moms lose their mommy tummy through a series of daily exercises, healthy food guide, proper posture and much more. It’s a complete program and is very promising. It addresses way more things than just simply doing physio exercises alone.
I was excited. I followed it to the dot. I was probably the most committed Mutu System mom out there. I did all the exercises and did not miss a day. I followed the food guide (which was actually easy because I already ate very healthy and in line with the guidelines) and I watched my posture.
As the 16 week mark approached, however, I saw little to no change in how my tummy looked at the end of the day. I felt stronger at the core, yes, and overall, learned a great deal about what exercise is safe and what is not safe, how to engage the core if I were to do other non-mutu exercise etc … but I felt deceived. No change in my looks at all. Nothing.
I did not panic. I was still breastfeeding a lot at the time and thought maybe it’s the hormones and the fact that although I eat healthy, I still eat a lot! So I continued the Mutu system for another 5 months. I signed up for Mutu Life – more advanced exercises, and sticked to the program religiously.
Five more months of hard work have passed. Yet, my stomach’s shape did not change a bit. Nothing. Except maybe it looked slightly, just slightly toner. But I still looked pregnant at the end of the day.
I decided to change it up. Maybe doing more cardio and weights would do it? So I shifted my exercise focus on that. I even did seven weeks of intense Jillian Michaels’ Body Shred program. I felt strong, I felt great. But at the end of the day … I still looked pregnant.
FOOD: Meanwhile, after seeing no results from healthy eating and exercises I decided to experiment with food. Maybe I still wasn’t eating something “right”. I educated myself on all sorts of diets out there: Paleo, Vegan, Keto, Vegetarian, Low Carb … you name it. And I tried them all!
The result? I still looked pregnant at the end of the day.
Two things I did learn from all this food exploration experience though, is that:
- Rotation diet, or rather meal rotation works best for me as I feel super healthy and energized on that. For example, a vegan meal at noon and a paleo meal at dinner. I find a great nutritional balance in that.
- I learned to listen to my body’s needs and reactions to foods and determined that I am sensitive to dairy, gluten, walnuts and cocoa. I think these foods cause minor bloating for me and I look slightly less pregnant if I avoid these foods.
But at the end of the day … I still look pregnant!
FASTING: From everything I have read and heard, intermittent fasting, or some form of occasional fasting is incredibly healthy and rejuvenating for our bodies. So I decided to give intermittent fasting a try. I ate in the 8-9 hour window during the day and fasted for 15-16 hours. I still ate all the healthy foods and same calories/quantitates as I normally would just in a shorter time frame.
The result? I lost weight. I lost about 8 pounds. And that was both surprising and scary. Surprising – because I still thought I ate all my calories. Scary – because I was already border line underweight. I am 5’8 and weigh about 110 pounds. Losing one pound is too much and is not my intention at all. Loosing 8 pounds was totally unhealthy. Fasting I stopped …
Yet, despite it all, at the end of the day I still looked pregnant…
MEDICAL EXAM: Ok, at this point I thought something must be wrong. I went to the doctor and did an abdominal ultrasound. After careful examination, I was told that nothing is wrong. I am totally healthy.
Ok, really? I’ve done EVERYTHING to get rid of my mommy tummy but it’s still there…
Then, about two months ago, me and my husband got tickets to Cayman Islands and I thought, I will try one more thing: Stomach Vacuum breathing exercises. So you basically take a deep breath and then as you breath out you pull your belly button in, under the ribs and hold that breath for as long as you can. You do several repetitions for about 10 minutes. I committed to this practice daily.
Two months have passed and time came to pack our backs. My tummy? It still looked pregnant at the end of the day. No change.
I braced myself and packed the suitcase. Two one piece bathing suits that I would wear on the beach concealing my pregnant looking tummy and two bikini suits just in case…
Walking on the beach in December was a bliss. Hot sun was warming up my bones and the ocean weaves gently tickled my feet. But the walk was short lived. Wearing one piece bathing suit (because I felt most comfortable not displaying my tummy to the public), I quickly began to overheat. As I walked, I started to notice women around me. Fat women, skinny women, pear shaped women, apple shaped women, women with scars and stretch marks, women with mommy tummies, women with flat tummies …a whole spectrum of shapes and sizes.
And then I noticed men. Fat men, skinny men, beer bellied men, men with breasts, occasional sexy six-pack men … a whole spectrum of shapes and sizes.
And I asked myself – who am I kidding here in one piece bathing suit? What am I trying to hide and from who? My husband still finds me sexy and beautiful and quite frankly that’s all I care about.
I ran back into the hotel room, took my one piece bathing suit off and put on my two piece bikini. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked good. It was still morning and I only had breakfast so my tummy was just showing the signs that my body birthed two human beings. My mummy tummy was noticeable but it wasn’t bad. No scars, no stretch marks, just a little puffy pouch, nothing more…
And as I stood there, looking at my little pouch I fell in love with it. It reminded me of my two little girls whom I birthed and gave life to. It reminded me how much I always wanted to have children and that I would never trade that decision for anything else in world. It reminded me to be grateful for my body and the miracles of life that it can create.
I tossed my one piece bathing suite back in the backpack never to be worn again. And as I walked on the beach in my two piece bikini I felt free. The warm wind was gently caressing my body and my tummy and I felt overwhelmingly happy, blissful and at ease. And that is how I finally “lost” my mummy tummy. The End.
EPILOGUE: I apologize if you, my dear reader, was expecting to see the actual physical results from everything I have done to lose my mummy tummy and perhaps identify that one magic trick that would do it for you, but that’s not the case. Getting rid of the mummy tummy in your head is more important, at least for me, then obsessing over it and putting all the effort to get rid of it physically. But if you would allow me, may I suggest:
- Yes – try different exercises and programs that target losing the mummy tummy. Worst case scenario, they will make your core stronger, if done correctly, which is the case for me. I can confidently do other exercises now and feel strong, despite my tummy still looking a bit round. Best case scenario you will part with your mummy tummy.
- Absolutely find the right “diet”, or rather nutritional foods that nurture your body and as a positive “side-effect” might help you lose weight and the tummy.
- But most of all, focus on your health and how you feel and not how you look in the mid-section. Accept your body the way it is – it is miraculous!