Can you get rid of a mom pooch without surgery?
Yes! And I am not just talking about a little extra weight in the belly area. You can get rid of a tummy overhang.
I have done this myself after my firstborn. I lost 50 pounds!
I was so worried about how my stomach would look after significant weight loss. So I researched everything I could do to get a flat belly while also getting rid of excess abdominal skin and stretch marks.
And contrary to popular belief, it turns out you can lose the pooch without tummy tuck surgery.
Of course, addressing your diet and exercise routine is necessary, but did you know the wrong exercises can make things worse?
In this article, I share all the tips I know to help you lose belly fat, heal your core, eliminate extra skin, and minimize the appearance of stretch marks.
Basically, a mommy makeover without plastic surgery.
1. Pelvic Floor Exercises/Heal Diastasis Recti
The number one most important thing you can do to improve how your belly looks postpartum is to heal and strengthen your core and pelvic floor.
The standard abdominal exercises that pop up when you search for ab workouts can make your mommy pooch worse if you have ab separation.
Planks, crunches, and sit-ups need to be avoided until the problem is corrected. That’s why specific pelvic floor exercises are the way to go.
The ab separation (known as diastasis recti) that can occur during pregnancy is why we can hold onto excess fat in the lower tummy area that causes the apron belly.
It is very common with over 60% of postpartum women experiencing diastasis recti, according to everymother.com.
Having a larger separation can affect how your core works, and it creates the mom pooch. The good news is you can heal this no matter how long you’ve had it! Closing this gap will help you get a flatter stomach.
Doing these exercises works wonders by making your core muscles stronger. They’re like your body’s natural girdle, providing support to your belly. And when they’re in shape, you’ll notice your tummy looking firmer.
Do you have to cross your legs when you sneeze? Can’t do a jumping jack without leaking? Pelvic floor exercises can fix this by strengthening the muscles that control your bladder.
There are some great programs that can tell you exactly what you need to do. Every Mother is an affordable option and tailored to your needs.
I follow @NancyAndersonFit on Instagram, and she offers a program called ab rehab that addresses all these issues. She posts so many amazing before and afters from her clients who healed their ab separation.
Check out these before and after pictures from her website, nancyandersonfit.com.
2. Rebounding
Another great exercise to try is rebounding (mini trampoline).
According to Bellicon.com, rebounding is gentle enough to engage your pelvic floor without straining it, which we know is crucial to healing our core.
I use a rebounder in my regular exercise routine. Just 10 minutes on the rebounder is equivalent to 45 minutes of jogging, so you’ll burn more calories in less time.
It also doubles as a toy for the kids!
The Cellerciser is on my wish list, but I purchased a more affordable option from Amazon for now.
My favorite routine to do is this video on YouTube. It’s a quick workout, and I feel so good when I’m done!
3. Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting (IF) was another thing that helped me lose the extra weight after having my firstborn. Please keep in mind this is not recommended for nursing mothers. I didn’t start IF until my firstborn was a year old.
Intermittent fasting encourages your body to use stored fat as an energy source, which helps to reduce overall body fat-including the stubborn mommy tummy.
IF also improves insulin sensitivity, making it easier for your body to manage blood sugar levels. This can reduce fat storage in the abdominal area, which is often associated with insulin resistance.
My hormones felt so off postpartum, even a year after I had given birth. IF helps to regulate hormones related to hunger and fat storage, such as insulin and leptin. Balancing your hormones is crucial for weight loss.
Autophagy might be the biggest reason to try fasting. It helps the body clean out damaged cells and may contribute to overall health and fat loss. It also helps get rid of excess skin that you may have after pregnancy and weight loss.
Cole Robinson, founder of the Snake Diet, discusses healing skin issues with fasting. Fair warning: he is intense! He has made a brand out of yelling profanities at you to lose weight.
If you can overlook this, he has great info. Look at this before and after he posted on Instagram of someone who was able to reduce excess skin with his fasting advice.
4. Supplements for Skin Tightening
Another solution to improving the overall appearance of your abdominal skin is taking enzyme supplements and collagen. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new supplements.
Here are the supplements I have researched and decided to add to my daily regimen:
Serrapeptase
Serrapeptase is classified as a proteolytic enzyme. This means it digests old proteins and helps dissolve hard particles made of protein from toxins, scar tissue, and cysts.
In other words, it can help to eliminate any extra skin you might have. Extra skin is simply excess proteins your body doesn’t need, and serrapeptase works to eliminate it.
It works similarly to the way autophagy works when you’re fasting. I take serrapeptase first thing in the morning while fasting every day.
Masszymes
Masszymes is another supplement I found that includes digestive and proteolytic enzymes. It helps with excess skin as well as overall gut health.
It improves digestion and the absorption of nutrients, which will indirectly support weight management efforts. It alleviates bloating, gas, and constipation.
It also boosts your energy and mood.
Collagen
Collagen has many skin benefits, which can help improve the appearance of your loose skin. It provides strength and structure to the skin, helping to maintain its firmness and elasticity.
Collagen supplements can be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin texture. It is sometimes used to reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks, since it may improve skin texture.
I have been a fan of the Bulletproof collagen protein powder lately. I like to add it to a smoothie.
5. Nutrition
Nutrition should probably be higher on the list. If you only try a couple of things from this list, let it be pelvic floor exercises and nutrition. I only waited so long to mention it because it’s no secret that if you want to lose fat, you need to eat healthy.
I am not just talking about eating a diet low in calories. That’s not always helpful advice, because you could be eating low calorie and still not be getting any of the nutrients your body needs.
Your body will release excess weight when it feels secure that it will get adequate nutrition. Processed and prepackaged foods that are lower in calories often lack vital nutrients your body needs to function.
The best thing you can do is eat real food without a nutrition label. Think fruit, veggies, meat, eggs, etc.
For food with a nutrition label, check the ingredients list. Fewer ingredients are best. Only buy foods with ingredients you can pronounce and know what they are.
For more guidance on this, I recommend a round of Whole30. I did Whole30 to lose my last 10 pounds (out of the 50 total I lost). And I lost those 10 pounds in 10 days!
6. Derma Rolling the Mom Pooch
Derma rolling, also known as microneedling at home, is another hack I have used to help improve the appearance of my stomach and get rid of loose skin.
Derma rolling injures your skin with little needles, which causes the body’s natural healing processes to activate. But don’t worry, it’s not as painful as it sounds.
As the skin repairs itself, the newly formed collagen and elastin fibers help tighten and rejuvenate the skin. It can also be effective in reducing the appearance of scars, including stretch marks.
Derma rolling creates tiny channels in the skin, making it easier to absorb skincare products. Using high-quality, collagen-boosting products along with derma rolling can further support skin tightening and overall rejuvenation.
I first learned about derma rolling while watching this YouTube video. Look at the improvement in her saggy skin!
Disclaimer: It’s important to use caution and follow safety guidelines when derma rolling at home. Ensure the derma roller is clean and disinfected before each use to prevent infection. Also, avoid using excessive pressure or rolling too frequently, as this can irritate the skin.
7. Red Light Therapy
A friend once told me her son asked why her tummy looks old. If you can relate, red light therapy can help.
Red light therapy has been shown to stimulate the production of collagen. Increased collagen production can improve the appearance of the skin, making it smoother and more youthful-looking. A win for those of us with old-looking tummies!
Regular use of red light therapy can contribute to a more even skin texture by promoting cell turnover and the development of new, healthier skin cells.
It also accelerates the body’s natural wound-healing processes. It can help repair damaged skin, including scars, cuts, and surgical incisions.
It can reduce the visibility of scars over time. Perfect for c-section mamas (like me) and mamas with stretch marks (also me). This also makes it great to use in conjunction with derma rolling.
I burned myself cooking pretty badly with hot oil on my arm. I used red light therapy to help the healing process, hoping for a minimal scar. And it was completely healed with no scar to show for it!
The device I got for my 30th birthday is pictured below. It’s the Joov Solo. You can also find a local doctor’s office, gym, or wellness spa that offers red light therapy if you don’t want to invest in one for your home.
8. Olive Oil
Olive oil contains antioxidants, such as vitamin E and polyphenols, which help protect the skin from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. This can slow down the aging process and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Olive oil is rich in compounds that support skin repair and regeneration. It can aid in healing minor cuts, wounds, and burns by promoting cell turnover and tissue recovery.
Olive oil’s combination of antioxidants and healthy fats can contribute to a youthful appearance by promoting skin elasticity and preventing premature aging.
Bonus: I know a few ladies who swear olive oil helped perk up their saggy breasts after breastfeeding.
When using olive oil topically, choose high-quality, extra virgin olive oil, as it retains more of its natural nutrients and antioxidants.
Also, make sure you perform a patch test before applying olive oil to a larger area of your skin, to ensure you don’t have any adverse reactions, especially if you have sensitive skin.
9. Cold Therapy to Target Belly Fat
Cold plunges have been popular lately for the many benefits they can provide, such as improved mood, reduced inflammation, immune system boost, muscle recovery, and fat loss.
This is great to add to your routine. But if you want to get more targeted fat loss, you could try out a cold vest. It helps to eliminate visceral fat, which is abdominal fat surrounding your internal organs.
There is a company called the Cool Fat Burner. They make a product called the Gut Buster that allows you to wear cold packs in a vest around your gut to get cold thermogenesis to that area.
This is a great alternative (and cheaper) to Coolsculpting treatments.
Their website offers a wealth of science and studies backing up their claims, including that high-intensity cold stress can boost your metabolism by 300%.
They also have so many positive testimonies and reviews on their website.
10. Non-surgical/Medspa Treatments
Medspa treatments can be an alternative to cosmetic surgery. Here are some ways you can get a non-surgical tummy tuck.
Light Rx Treatments
Light Rx offers laser liposuction, but I am more impressed with their laser skin tightening service.
According to their website, low-level lasers cause a thermal reaction in the tissues under the skin. This causes your body’s natural healing process to respond and tighten the skin.
They have some impressive before and after photos (linked below).
Cryo T-Shock Therapy
Cryo T-Shock eliminates localized fat, reduces cellulite, and tones and tightens the skin. Cryo T-Shock treatments destroy fat cells and increase skin collagen production during each session due to a thermal shock response caused by hot & cold temperatures.
This is the service I will try once I reach my goal weight after my second baby. Here are some before and after photos.
Coolsculpting
I mentioned a Coolsculpting alternative with the cold vest, but I thought it was worth mentioning as a treatment as well.
This treatment freezes fat cells, and then your body will naturally eliminate these dead fat cells. The result could be a reduction of up to 20-25% of stubborn fat in the treated area.
You can check out some before and afters on their website here.
Microneedling (Radiofrequency or with PRP)
Derma rolling is the at-home version of microneedling, but if you want a professional treatment with needles that penetrate deeper into your skin, this is the way to go.
You can get microneedling with or without PRP (platelet-rich plasma). PRP has concentrated amounts of natural growth factors that promote the regeneration of the skin’s collagen.
The PRP is extracted from your own blood. You may have seen people talk about the vampire facial after they get microneedling with PRP on their faces. It looks a little crazy, but it works!
It can also help to get rid of stretch marks.
If you opt out of the PRP option, they will often use hyaluronic acid instead. Or you could do radiofrequency microneedling, which may have even better skin tightening affects.
Here are some great before and afters with microneedling with PRP:
I have this treatment on my wish list to help grow back my ’90s over-plucked brows. The link above also shows a before and after of hair growth.
Conclusion
Exercise and diet are the two most essential things on this list. Lowering your body fat percentage overall will result in less belly fat.
But you want to make sure it’s the right exercises that will heal your core. No sit-ups, crunches, or planks.
I wanted to provide you with a complete list that addresses all the issues we moms have after giving birth, like loose skin and stretch marks as well as weight loss.
I have tried everything on this list except the Medspa treatments (although two of them are on my wish list), so I know they work.
Whether you have a small amount of skin and fat in your lower abdomen or a complete mommy tummy overhang that drapes over your waistline, these tips will get you a flatter belly.
“When a woman gives birth, she has pain because her time has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers her distress because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.”
John 16:21
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or any personal health concerns. Reliance on the information presented on this blog is at your own risk. The content is not intended to provide medical guidance or recommendations, and the author is not responsible for any actions or decisions made based on the information provided. It’s important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for individualized medical guidance.
