My 11 year old still has her baby fat on her tummy. She's ALWAYS had this little round belly fat. She was a very fat baby, but as a toddler she slimmed down except for the belly. As she grew, she remained slender--but the belly fat was always there.
She is slender everywhere else, not overweight in the least, and super active. She's a competitive gymnast and cheerleader and she works out 3 days a week so I know it's not lack of physical activity. She does a lot of core excercises in gymnastics so I know she's working her stomach muscles. She's level 4 gymnast, if that means anything!
We eat really well, mostly organic. We don't do any high fructose corn syrup or artifical dyes or flavors. No preservatives. She IS a sugar hound though, and will eat sugar all day long if you let her (we don't). We allow a reasonable amount of desserts, no soda, barely any juice except on special occasions. He father and I eat what she eats, and we are very slim.
She's beginning puberty (hasn't gotten her menses yet) and is starting to feel self-conscious about her body, especially her belly. She's slim or normal everywhere else, but this little belly hangs over her pants. I keep telling her not to worry about it, and that she will grow out of it.
I was wondering if anyone else went through this either themselves or with their child? Did the belly go away after the periods started? I really don't think there is much more we can do about it, and I'd like to let her know that it will go away as she grows! But so far it hasn't, it's just stayed with her.
My sister had that little belly until after her 8th grade year.. She only 5ft tall.. so never stretched out like everyone thought she would.
She also has always been very healthy.. but
We do now know she has celiac disease.. We have wondered if her little tummy back then was part of the signs, when she was younger.. She had some small signs, but it was once she got pregnant all of the signs could not be ignored.
I don't know if this is something to consider, but I was reading about trying to loose my "pooch" - that belly from having a baby. It talked about the muscles in that area and how they can not have tone, or separate and it looks like you're fatter than you really are. Perhaps check with her pedi about stuff like that. There were exercises to strengthen that area - lying on the floor scissor kicks with your legs, and lying on the floor with knees bent and raising your pelvis so your but was up but shoulders were down.
Yup. Super skinny except belly if I have any excess weight at all. I've heard the first place you gain weight is the last you lose it. Tell her someday she'll be glad bc other women will gain in their thighs which is harder to hide. It did get much better at some point btw. Now after kids, not so much but I kind of look back and think, I worried about THAT? So very likely it will slim down but be her "problem" zone.
Both of my girls have the belly bulge. Of course the dance instructors and ice skating coaches would like it to be gone, but it is there.
My older daughter never grew out of it. She can diet really hard and will be skinny everywhere, but when she regains weight, that is the problem area.
The little one is seven and very tone. She is a big seven year old, so it is easy to look at her and think big, but really she is solid with a belly.
My middle is at my hips...what can you do???
You have described my body type to a T. I was very thin as a child and have never been overweight. I did ballet a lot. It was horrible for me as no matter how thin I was, I still felt I had a belly (and by ballet standards, that is not okay and even a little one is too much). It did not hang over my pants at all, but it was definitely the place I carried a bit of fat. When I starved myself, I could become very thin and lose that last bit, but it was very hard and not healthy. I went through puberty late but that actually helped a bit because I gained a bit of weight on my hips and thighs so I was more in proportion. Today my belly is where I gain weight. I have very long limbs, especially my legs; that is how my dad, and my grandmother were built. My eldest son is the same way. A long time ago I saw a picture of my grandmother (who was never overweight) when she was about 35. Yep, belly. If your daughter is getting exercise, eating a healthy diet and is otherwise healthy, this may simply be her body type. Help her accept it and help her dress so that she feel confident and comfortable. Accentuate her lean legs and avoid mid-section baring anything and she will be fine.
I was the same way. Now as an adult, my middle is always the first body part to get fat and the last to get skinny. Other women have thunder thighs or big butts, I have a belly. One thing I have learned though is that the amount of yeast in my body greatly influences my belly size. Too much candida #1 makes me swell, #2 causes gas and therefore a fuller belly, #3 causes strong sugar cravings because yeast needs sugar to live, #4 as a result of the sugar cravings I take in more calories than I can burn off. I'm not a nutritionist and it would be valuable to do some research on this and consult a nutritionist, but what I suggest to start with is to get her some probiotics and some candies that are made with natural non-sugar sweeteners. Good luck!
I was shaped like that my entire life, exercise or not, that's my body and maybe hers. Tell her to celebrate life, her health her great beauty. She shouldn't be embarrassed. Many a gorgeous movie star or picture of an artist's rendering have bellies. It is earthy and wonderful. She should enjoy life and not waste time on worrying about something nature gave her.
My daughter had the pooch and has celiac disease. I would caution you however that body image setup at this age is huge and if she is active and eats well has good hygiene, don't emphasis the pooch emphasis health.
My same issue; the only place I have a little extra weight is my belly pouch. My husband and daughter both battle with their weight and have more issues with overall tummy than just a pouch. We all suffer from gluten intolerance and other food issues/allergies/intolerances. I have noticed that most of the people in my Celiac support group all have somewhat of a tummy pouch.
I've also suffered from Candida/yeast my entire life. I think having too much of that in one's body also contributes to stubborn areas not wanting to go away. Getting rid of Candida at the age of 12 is so much easier than trying to get rid of it at the age of 40. I had a yeast infection every month I had a period. Every month. And I wasn't a big sweet eater; for some reason, Candida just liked my body, I guess. Probably because I had food issues all my life but didn't know it until I was 40. Five years later, I'm still wrestling with getting my body healthy.
Not cause for alarm per se, but if she continues to grow taller and slim down but the tummy pouch never seems to go away, you might want to have her checked by a Naturopathic doctor for food issues. An allergy or intolerance might be blocking her bodies ability to regulate/tone up that area of the body.
