Disorder?

I've lost 25-30 lbs in a year, which I am happy about. I am 5'9 and now weigh 130lbs. It says my BMI is 1 point away from being underweight but whenever I look in the mirror at my stomach I can't stand it! I get so angry and almsot start to cry! It seems as if my belly is the biggest part on me but everyone tells me I look skinny! i don't get it and will doing ab workouts make it flatter? How many times a day do I have to work my abs to make them flat? Because doing it once a day doesn't seem to be doing anything and i'm starting to become seriously depressed and I need help!

Tue. Mar 4, 4:52pm

Google "body dysmorphic disorder", sounds like you're a classic case.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 4:54 PM

Nope, you don't have a disorder -- you have a certain kind of genetics. Believe me, at 5' 4" and 117 lbs, my stomach sticks out. My body fat is at the low end of healthy, my muscles are ripped.... everywhere but my stomach. I swear, if I was starved to death and had one single ounce of fat anywhere in my body, it would be one left on my stomach! I could work my abs hours a day and I'd have..... strong abs. Underneath a blob of fat.

It's just our bad luck that the "ideal" sold to us is flat stomach/washboard abs. In reality, some people come in different shapes.

The good news is, nobody cares about your tummy! (As you are finding, when your friends tell you that you look slender.) Just let it go. It's time to be happy with what you have -- weight lost, good habits, and good friends!

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 5:26 PM

My sister has the same problem. You need to learn to love yourself, or your life will always revolve around this and people will start to get annoyed with you really quickly.

PS - Working out your abs every day will not do any good.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 5:26 PM

In case this sort of thing matters to you, most men actually love a soft little belly.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 6:17 PM

Even when I was wearing a size 1/3 in jrs and was really thin I still had a belly. My tummy was never flat as a board. It didn't bother me though, I always thought it made me look soft and curvy. Now I have a tummy, after years of yo-yoing between 230 and 165 and 2 kids, my tummy will never be the same. How I wish I had that tiny little pooch of a belly now. But in my case I am now 160 and my highest was 230, but I definitely have a body image disorder cause when I look in the mirror I still see the big fatter version of myself.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 6:46 PM

everyone says that men love 'curvy' women. curvy to them is a tiny waist, big butt and bigg boobs. atleast thats how it seems! lol but thank you for that comment!

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 6:54 PM

No, seriously, I've had men tell me they "love a little pot belly, it's so cute and sexy". And they were speaking in general terms, not about me - I had a monster stomach at the time.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 7:37 PM

Guy here... for what it's worth. A healthy woman with a pot belly is very sexy.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008, 9:48 PM

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