Stomach area

Deep core exercises, and cutting out sugar because it’s so inflammatory. Also upping fiber to help your gut health

@Natalie ive been trying to work on cutting out sugar but don't know where to start.

Cut out junk and candy and soda and juices to start

I don't advocate for the paleo diet because it's dumb. But if you need to take shortcuts with cooking/meal prepping, picking snacks or sauces that say "paleo approved" is an easy way to know what you're grabbing doesn't contain processed sugars Also, if you have a gym that teaches TRX or Olympic weight lifting near you, those exercises target your core. Core exercises aren't just crunches. Front squats are a core exercise. Balancing is a core exercise

Right now I have a cup of black coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. I'm not a snacker. I usely just have my 2-3 meals and nothing else

You could be under eating then, from a nutrition standpoint. You're supposed to eat about 5g of fiber each meal and 20 g of protein minimum. Most people need like 25g of fiber and about 100g of protein a day. If you're never snacking and only eating 2 meals, you're not hitting that. And your body is going to cling to whatever calories you do give it and store them as fat. I'd recommend seeing if your insurance covers a dietician

@Chelsea dont have insurance. Yesterday I had 5g of fiber and 48g of protein.

Any idea how many calories you’ve been eating? Do you eat a lot of carbs

The only way you are going to lose your stomach is through a calorie deficit and losing weight. I’ve lost over 150 pounds and my stomach was the last thing to go but everyone is different.

@Gabrielle i have a tracker app I've been using

@Gabrielle so yesterday I had Calories 1,194 Carbs 156 Fiber 5 Protein 48

Gotcha. Yeah I would definitely eat waaay more calories. I know people think to eat less calories but if you aren’t getting enough which like the lowest someone should do is like 1300/1400 because you need calories for your body to just exist. And your body is now used to doing not a ton of calories so it’s holding on to what it has

@Gabrielle i eat what I can. Just depends on whats in the house. I thought about buying myself some shakes to drink

Your intake for yesterday was at starvation levels. Anything below 1400 calories a day shouldn't be done without medical advisement and monitoring. Protein shakes are a good way to make sure you're hitting protein and calorie targets, but you should really be eating 3 balanced meals a day and at least 1 protein rich snack

@Chelsea yesterday i did 1,110 calories. The app I'm using has my calories set at 1,272 for average daily calories. Weekly lose rate is set at 1lb a week. I eat what I can.

I'm just telling you what my registered dietician told me. I've used those free apps in the past and all they did was make me hungry and they do not give you a sustainable diet plan. If you want advice for snacks or recipes or something, reach out. But from the look of your calories and macros, you're not eating enough complex carbs or protein and that's going to make weight loss more difficult

Agree with Chelsea. Maybe look into a dietitian to help you. I found one online with nourish it’s been great

@Gabrielle ive been think about it but I have no health insurance so things like that are hard.

Gotcha. I think YouTube is a great source too. Looking up how to lose weight and diets and how to eat healthy and see what people say that way. But I’d definitely try to up your calories in a healthy way

@Gabrielle i will if I can get more food in my house.

Hi! Pre/postnatal fitness trainer here 👋. In reading over the comments, it seems like you aren't eating enough especially protein. Your hormones will tend to be in survival mode and it'll be harder to lose weight. I would work on increasing your overall calories with a focus on protein. Exercise wise, you can't specifically target the stomach but building muscle overall will help change your body. I'd recommend some deep core exercises as well as being assessed for diastasis if you haven't already. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

@Jessica I will probably have to order some kind of shakes for that. I don't do the grocery shopping so its pretty much eat what I can find in the kitchen

Gotcha. Shakes can be a great option along with Jerky, meat sticks, protein bars, hard boiled eggs, etc

Can you make a list for the person who does the grocery shopping? Was going to share a recipe for how to cook two chickens at the same time, but I can't share pictures. I know time can make it hard to eat right and cook for yourself, so little hacks like that are helpful

@Chelsea I can make a list but I am the type that half the time doesn’t know what to eat so I just tell him to get stuff for kids. I can live on rice or top ramen. I have a hard time getting food for myself because I’m always worried about money so I’d rather all the food good to the kids.

I would say then you need to find easy, inexpensive meal options that your kids will also eat. Do you cook for your kids? If you can make the time to cook for them, it takes no extra time to make a portion for yourself. If it's a money thing, cheap cuts of meat and frozen veggies go a long way. Frozen veg you don't have to worry about wasting your money if you don't use it fast enough

@Chelsea a lot of the time we do 2 different dinners. One for the kids and one for everyone else in the house. It just depends on what we are having and when my husband gets home.

kitchn has a lot of meal plans that come together quickly and don't use a lot of ingredients. You need to figure out what foods work for you and your lifestyle, but you need to eat more than just rice and ramen noodles. You deserve a balanced meal just like your kiddos and your husband

Just found out about a creator @ayomadelyn on tiktok and IG. nutritious, low cost, easy recipes. Worth checking out