Help, can't get rid of fat tummy!

[cathydownunder]

As most of you know i"m 6 months post-op ADR/fusion. My problem is I'm fairly slim, 59kg and 5"4 tall, axcept for my tummy which is HUGE.
It was a bit flabby pre-op, after all I'm 46y/o and had 2 kids and was pretty unfit.
Ive been doing pilates for 5 months and walk/swim daily (weather permitting)but my tummy is just getting bigger and more uncomfortable.I've tried gentle crunches (my physio Ok'd it) but it's just too painful.
Anyone (especially older ladies)had success getting their tummy trimmer after surgery?
Can you have liposuction after abdominal surgery? How would the external and internal scarring affect the procedure and outcome? Anyone won the lottery lately and would like to share?????
Cathy

[livjoyful]

First, since it is getting larger and not smaller or staying the same maybe see your Dr. there may be medical reason for this. I had a cyst on my ovary once that actually caused my belly to swell. I thought i was just getting a bigger belly, and when it was found they told me that was the cause. One side was a big bigger than the other. But with us women our bodies are always doing strange things. If that is not the problem, you said you walk daily and thats what i do. I've always been a walker...45 -60 minutes 2-3 times a week. Since my sugery about 8 months ago i started waling more because i thought it would be good for my back. the side benefit is i have lost quite a bit of weight and am actually the best shape ever. I walk 5 7 days a week, for about 1 1/2 hours. I dont do any other excercise. My stomach is flater than it has been in years. i turned 40 this past year and have 3 kids. I also stepped up the walking BECAUSE i turned 40...lol. My body aint what it used to be...but in alot of ways its better. keep at it, it can take a few months to see the difference. You're doing all the right things by the sounds of it. Good for you.

[Texas-T]

Cathy,
I lost and am still losing my fat tummy after my ADR in May... I didn't really start losing until 3 or 4 months post op when I was moving a lot more. It's still pretty early in your recovery so I wouldn't start saving for the lipo just yet... but yes, you can have lipo after abdominal surgery... it may make it more expensive and complicated though b/c of scar tissue and OR time.

The tummy crunches are horrible at first after surgery, try doing a few each day and build your muscles up slowely... I could only do 15 at a time at first and built up to a few hundred a day. Have the physio watch you do them to make sure you are working the correct muscles and not straining anything else.

Hang in there... In a few more months you'll start getting your beach bod back... but buying a few lotto tickets never hurt...

Tricia

[tmont]

Cathy,

If your belly is 'just getting bigger and more painful' six months post-op, then that is something you definitely need to talk to your doctor about. It might be related to your surgery, or something completely different. It may be completely innocuous, but I would not wait to consult about it.

Trace