So my stomach now matter what always looks big. I eat right and still can't get rid of it. Does the jpouch expand that much? Besides having horrible noises coming from my stomach, does it really need to look this way?
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If your abdominal muscles and fascia were damaged from the incisions, then yeah, things can sag out. But, if it is fat, it is about eating less to lose weight. Exercise will help improve the tone of your abdominals. If you have gas bloating, cutting back on carbs should help. Keep a diary of what you eat to see what effect particular foods have on you.
Jan 
I was a tiny girl when I had surgery, and my stomach was concave (!) for a time after. But things settled. I've never been able to have a flat stomach after (had open surgery + >12" scar), it stayed softly flattish, but my stomach didn't look poofy to me til I got over 40. I'm blaming hormone changes and some mild weight gain on my issues. The pouch does over time stretch to hold more, but shouldn't be enough to make your entire stomach "large."
Thank you both so much. I wish I could work out my stomach but I had back surgery not too long ago. :-( now I have scars in the front and back.
You don't necessarily need to workout your stomach, unless you wish to achieve a six pack.
100 sit ups or crunches per day may tone the muscles but won't shift the fat.
When young, most of us have a flat stomach unless we eat too much, yet we never worked out to achieve it, just normal activity and diet.
Has we age, we become less active, some sooner than others and we may indulge more and we store fat.
Eating less, not calorie counting and consuming less alcohol will make all the difference but over a long period of time.
Introducing a cardio exercise will speed up the fat burning process, such as walking and especially jump rope (skipping if in the UK), although jump rope probably not advisable with a back condition
If you're looking to achieve a six pack, firstly the fat which lies over the abdominal must be shed and only then will the muscle definition be visible, although most don't exercise to such an extent to develop ab definition.
Rae,
I have had upwards of 25 abdominal surgeries for everything from a colostomy to a k pouch and an assortment of hernias etc...my midline incision should have been a velcro...it popped open almost every time leaving me with huge scars...that said, I have mostly had a flat tummy other than the 6months post op each time.
I walk. I don't mean a short stroll...I walk miles uphill daily (no choice, its were I live)...when I walk I tighten up my abs to help support my back...and that helps to keep the tummy tight...I rarely do crunches because my k pouch doesn't like them but I roll around on the Pilates ball a lot...feet up against the wall or sofa and do tiny movements...I have never had tighter abs since I started doing that.
You don't need to go to the gym or do hardcore stuff...it is a daily thing...keeping those abs tight, even when sitting in the car or at work....doing stretches etc.
That said, some of us have heridity and biology to fight too not just abdominal surgeries.
I had a 'fat lump' on the right side of my abdomen over my k pouch that would not go away no matter what (only on the right side!)...I finally had it sucked out...(covered by my insurance thank you because it was unilateral). There was no other way to get rid of it.
I figure you do what you have to do to feel good about yourself...you are the one who has to look at yourself daily.
Sharon
Originally Posted by Rae26:
So my stomach now matter what always looks big. I eat right and still can't get rid of it. Does the jpouch expand that much? Besides having horrible noises coming from my stomach, does it really need to look this way?
After a past C-section and then a total colectomy and hysterectomy, my stomach looks like a war zone. It is not flat, but I am 57 and, although I am not overweight and I run, I don't restrict sweets as much as I should. One of my sons looked at my belly and exclaimed, "Mom! You have a 6-pack!" Unfortunately, he was commenting on the compartmentalized fat zones all beneath my belly button! I am not sure those compartments are going to go away. They may be trapped fat! This is all just to say, you are not alone, my friend!
My stomach stays bloated also. I am a very thin women and to have a bloated belly does not look right. My stomach bloats when I am flaring. I think I agree with Jan. I think eating carbs does cause the bloat. When I ate just vegetables and meat, I did not have that much bloat. But my primary care doctor tells me I need carbs, she was concerned I lost so much weight and I am a diabetic. Dealing with this disease is challenging