I vote genetics. I was 14 and 5’5” and 100 pounds and exercised intensely 2-4 hours/day with a healthy diet, and I had one. I remember wondering why and feeling like I’d done something wrong because friends who are poorly and never worked out looked better and had flatter stomachs.

Now I’m 44, same height, weight more but proportioned, and I still have a little muffin top pudge thing. I’ve been anywhere from 118-160 lbs in my adult life, and even at my most lean and fit, when the rest of my body was absolutely ripped, I had a roll.

I go to a super hardcore hot yoga studio. Most of the women there have *amazing* bodies and work out intensely. And most are moms. They look amazing. They also - almost every single one - have looser skin that hangs over their pants when they bend over and a bit of a roll even with seriously toned abs.

Your body birthed 3 babies, OP. None of us are going to look like a bikini model without surgery.

My mom is a size 4 and still has the same roll I have and I’m a size 10. Genetics and I can’t seem to get away from them.

I hate the feeling of the roll. Honestly it is 100% more annoying to feel than look at. I also have a bunch of loose skin and diastasis. I'm getting a tummy tuck next month. Life is too short to have something this annoying. Of course I'm super fortunate to be able to afford this option. If I damaged my abdomen lifting weights insurance would cover it! But they will not help us.

Good luck OP, it sucks.

+1 to genetics. I’ve become more apple shaped as I’ve aged - my shoulders/chest feel wider and my middle is thicker, even when I am at my ideal weight. I am a size 8 now and am trying to lose about 15 pounds. About two years ago I was at the smallest I’ve been since having kids, including a mostly flat tummy, but I had also gone gluten/dairy/sugar free. That wasn’t sustainable for me, and the roll crept back.

If you've never done HITT work it can help a ton

10-15 minutes, max 3x a week is all you need.

You will be sweating and huffing and puffing if not you need to push yourself more.

10 pounds for me, but I am tall and long waisted, which is more forgiving for this.

Running is the only way I lose it - lifting weights is healthy and prevents injury, gains tone elsewhere, but cardio is the only thing that convinces my body to get rid of the roll.

oops.
OP again.
Typo in my last reply.
Meant to say:

"but I just HATE the feel of the roll"

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am an 8-10 and have been that size seemingly forever. If you're in peri-menopause, im sorry but that roll is staying. And you know what? It's probably just fine. Dare I say, beautiful? You've had kids, no? You are a woman with a few curves. You are healthy and your stomach conveys a life well lived and proper/adequate nutrition?
It feels hypocritical of me to say because I have spent WAY TOO MANY years wanting my stomach to be flat, but can we all agree to reject the impossible and constricting beauty standards set for us and just fu984576ing enjoy the rest of our lives?

OP here. Thank you for this lovely post. I had twins and then a 3rd baby (over a decade ago) and my body did crazy things to get those kids here safely.

I want to think this body is beautiful but I just had the feel of the roll. Skin touching skin. Roll against ribcage. UGH.
I have issues.
I do think it may have shrunk a bit. I actually think my weight loss has been closer to 10 pounds. I said 3 in my OP but that was probably underestimating (note to self--next time weight self prior to dieting). I've been going at this for quite some time now and I swear my upper arms (so weird) look thinner.

I'll keep trudging along while trying to embrace my soft middle.

OP, I am an 8-10 and have been that size seemingly forever. If you're in peri-menopause, im sorry but that roll is staying. And you know what? It's probably just fine. Dare I say, beautiful? You've had kids, no? You are a woman with a few curves. You are healthy and your stomach conveys a life well lived and proper/adequate nutrition?
It feels hypocritical of me to say because I have spent WAY TOO MANY years wanting my stomach to be flat, but can we all agree to reject the impossible and constricting beauty standards set for us and just fu984576ing enjoy the rest of our lives?

It only goes away a little if i go gluten free.

Maybe not what you wanted to hear, but I'm a size 0-2 and have had a belly roll that's been growing since my last pregnancy at 30, a decade ago. Losing weight just makes me look too thin elsewhere: either I look normal with pudge around the middle, or I look gaunt, with a normal belly. So... you know what? I'd rather eat and not starve myself

I’ve lost 30 pounds and everything is very lean…except for that roll. All of the females in my family have it

What do your sisters and cousins look like around the middriff? what did your mom look like at your age??

It could just be a natural shifting of fat (how in the world that happens, I don't know). Or it could be actual extra pandemic fat. Or it could be a combo.

3 pounds down is an accomplishment, so don't scoff at it. The roll seems - as far as I can tell - a genetic predisposition. A neighbor of mine is quite fit, except for her roll. Even when she loses weight, that roll is there.

I know, ridiculous question.

But if you have been this size (large 8, small 10) and gained that single belly roll or muffin top (You know what I'm talking about), what are you talking about in terms of weight?

10 pounds? 20 pounds?

I have hit perimenopause (oh joy) and combined with the pandemic I have that roll. I think I was delusional that it was a 10 pound gain but now I'm losing weight and 3 pounds
down and the roll is not budging.
I'm actually not sure what my starting weight was (I was never a scale-user prior to this).