How do I shrink my stomach?

Other conditions
1

I'm 19 years old and I have a stomach problem. I'm not fat, apprently but my stomach is quite... puffy. That's the only way I can describe it. I went to my GP and she had a look after I told her how it makes me feel and she said that my weight is healthy (9 and a half stone) and is perfect for my height (5ft 1) and BMI index is perfect too.

She told me I could lose a few pounds but no more than that or I would become underweight. I have suffered from depression for a year which was partially due to this. My sister bullied me for 6 years from the age 10 to age 16 before I left the house. She called me fat, chubby etc. it really upsets me now because the doctor just told me that I was "pear shaped".

I'm always wearing baggy clothing to make myself feel better and to just tell myself that it's just my jumper that's baggy. I hate being naked and it even effects sexual relations with my boyfriend. I'm so disgusted with my stomach and my legs that I feel sick when looking at myself in the mirror. I can't wear nice clothing like dresses because I feel that bad about it. When I sit my stomach goes slightly over my stomach. In college, I don't take my jacket off - EVER no matter how warm it gets.

I can easily go months at a time without sex and even at that, it has to be under the covers and with the lights off. If I see myself, I stop and don't have sex for another long period of time. I've always been like this and it upsets me because I can't feel good about myself. I don't eat unhealthily. I love my oranges and lemons. I rarely eat any sugary foods.

No matter how warm it gets at night when sleeping, I always wear my jumper. When I lie on my back, it makes me feel better because you can see my ribs and my stomach is flat. Almost as if it's been my imagination this whole time.

My GP did try to make me feel better by saying that there's other people in my class no doubt that are also pear shaped. It didn't help though. I have nothing against fat people at all and there's some people in my class whom are obese but no matter how many times people say to me "you could look like them" it never helps in anyway way.

I just feel so horribly disgusted with myself and it's not even my own fault. If it was as simple as losing weight, I would have done it years ago but even my GP said, as I said, that I am the perefect weight and not to lose any more than two or three pounds. How do I get rid of my stomach if I am NOT overweight and cannot lose any more weight that two or three pounds? Not that two or three pounds would even make a smidgen of a difference.

My boyfriend knows how upset it makes me and can see it. He cuddles me all the time and showers me with love. He even rubs my stomach at times and tells me how beautiful my body is and keeps telling me that I don't need to lose weight.

I'm at a loss! Please someone help! I hope that I don't have to put up with this stomach and that something can be done. I don't know if going back to my GP will make any difference but it's one thing I may try. It was hard enough explaining to her about it though and she was so sympathetic and she clearly felt sorry for me. I don't want to go further into depression over this. It's obvious it's causing me slight depression but I really need some advice.

Anyone got any opinions?

Thank you for taking your time to read this and in advance, thank you for your help.

Kim x

2

I know this is several months after you posted but I was wondering if you still feel like you did when you put the message on the board. It's obvious that you have a problem with how you see your body and being bullied at a younger age and taunted about being fat certainly didn't help. Your weight is very good, even if your doctor told you to lose a few pounds. As for the puffy stomach, are you sure it's puffy and not you just thinking it is? Everyone has some part of their body they don't like and most people just sigh and get on with things but it sounds as if that's all you think about. These days people are bombarded with pictures of celebrities who have the perfect body and so they feel they have to be perfect as well, ignoring the fact that the pictures have been airbrushed to make the celebrity look better. I've got a puffy stomach but that's because I have to inject insulin into it three times a day as well as the once a day into the tops of my legs and I know it doesn't look nice but I'm at an age now (68) when I'm past caring but at your age looks mean a lot. You're probably one of those girls who looks in the mirror and instead of seeing a young attractive girl sees someone they think is fat and unattractive. My husband has the opposite view, he looks at his overweight body in the mirror and sees a thin person looking back at him which is why he doesn't make much of an effort to diet. I'm sure you're a perfectly normal 19 year old who is making your life a misery by obsessing about how your body looks when at your age you should be out enjoying life before you get married, settle down and have children which is much more likely to change the shape of your body and then you really would have something to worry about. Try not to get so hung up on how you look and I'm sure your puffy stomach will seem to be not so important after all.

If you want to make your stomach smaller then why not invest in a pair of Magic Knickers which will hold your stomach in and give you a better shape. I wear them occasionally as well as a pair that lifts my bottom as I have a very flat one which I am rather conscious of because trousers don't hang right on someone with no bottom. By the way, wearing baggy clothes is NOT the best way of hiding any bulges, it draws attention to them instead. If people see someone wearing baggy clothes they immediately wonder what it is that person is trying to hide so you're not doing yourself any favours by wearing loose clothing. Hope this helps.

3

Hey Kacci!

I'm not sure if this will be of any use anymore due to it being a year from when you posted something, but I have a few tips if you are interested and if you are in the same state as when you posted this.

I'm in no way a professional, but what I do works. Which might be something worth giving a try. I hope you can take something away from this!

Side note: I am 5'7 and 115 pounds, but I have all fat and I'm still underweight with a stomach that budges out. Sometimes what helps my stomach not bloat is when I eat more. Its like satisfying this hunger that sates my stomach, resulting in it becoming flat.

Step One: From all the way to where you are, to where I am. I need to feel your positivity. I need to feel a radiance of a smile. No more depression, you aren't allowed to feel like you were bullied. You can't lock it in the back of your mind, where those sneaky hands reach for it when you are feeling down. You need to kick those bad memories out of your head, because they aren't worth your time. Not anymore, you are more than that.

Step Two: You don't need to wear those over large jumpers anymore, you need to wear a sexy black dress, buy some cute heels, a sexy victoria secret bra and look in the mirror and feel proud of your self. Remember to look in the mirror.

Step Three: Go for a 15-30 minute job outside everyday, smell some fresh air, and believe that you are going to get where you want. Don't run on a treadmill, it might harm your knees. P.S. you're allowed to give your self a break one day a week.

Step Four: Search up 10 minute ab routines on youtube. Do those.

Step Five: Eat 6 medium meals a day. With exercise, you have to find something to burn, your stomach won't be enough, food is what is needed, despite what you might think.

Step Six: Weights, do some weights and create your own physique. 

Step Seven: Drink a lot of water. Water is seriously the cure for everything! This might seem a bit too personal or what not, but seriously, drink 8-9 glasses everyday. Many people get lazy and think that if I drink too much water, I'll want to pee every five seconds. Well, you might have to pee frequently but too bad. It's good for you and cleanses the insides of your body. Make sure to poop everyday as well.

Step Eight: Don't wish for anything - this may be a bit of a weird piece of advice, but if you start wishing and expecting for some results, you won't improve.

Be positive and believe that whatever you do is better than what you were the day before.

Step Nine: Never let anyone ever tell you that you are pear shape, or any shape that you don't like. Who cares what they say? You shouldn't. If they don't make you feel confident, then maybe what they say isn't the smartest thing to listen to.

Good Luck! Hope this might have helped in anyway smile

4

Hi Kacii,

How are you doing? There are some conditions that may lead to enlarged abdomen, but usually these conditions cause also other, non-abdominal symptoms. You mentioned you had this from childhood. Do you know what tests your doctors did for you? 

From what you are describing though, it looks like the large abdomen is the main compaint that you have, and otherwise you are healthy (that is great). But if you have other accompanying symptoms or health conditions, please let us know, as it will help advise better.