I was wondering, since I am 43 and have 7 children, how can I get rid of that yucky flabby belly?  I hate it.  I always had a tight stomach, even after 4 children but after the 5th and then getting pregnant quickly after, it never left. 
So, I was wondering what your advice would be?
Thanks - K

I have researched this commonly asked question and the best answer I can give you that I agree with whole heartily is from a really awesome book by Tosca Reno.  She could not of said it better in her book "The eat-clean Diet Recharged" ! She says that she is also...

" most commonly asked what to do about flabby skin, particularly in the tummy area. She says skin is an incredibly forgiving structure. It can take years of poor eating, gallons of Chunky Monkey, hundreds of pounds, pregnancies carrying one to eight babies (think Octomom!) at a time and anything else you can throw at it, and often skin will rebound if you give it heavy duty nourishment and a serious training regimen. I have seen people lose 45 pounds and still have beautifully taught skin at the finish line.

On the other hand, She has seen similarly heavy people slim down, and then end up with a flap of flesh they would like to get rid of. Hence the empty tire around your waist. There are answers.

Your skin is genetically predisposed to be a bit like Mom's and a bit like Dad's, sometimes more heavily in favor of one than the other. Have a good look at your parents and you will get an idea of what your skin will look like too. You will have to accept the genetic condition of your skin, although you can work magic on it through proper nutrition. I have found that my skin has improved greatly with consistent nutritional eating.

"The biggest change I noticed is what happened in response to cutting sugar out of my diet. Fasten your seatbelts! I am about to give you a huge tip: avoid refined sugar and refined flours at all costs. Sugar is a killer and it is a skin destroyer. Don't ever underestimate the deadliness of this dazzling poison. Sugar, like Cocaine, is a pure substance, but thousand times deadlier because it is not considered illegal. I think it should be, but that is a topic for another book."

With respect to skin, think of your fleshy outer envelope this way: your skin is a dense tissue composed of layers of elastic proteins called elastin and collagen. These delicate protein fibers interweave to create a thick mattress-like layer, which is how skin achieves both its resiliency and its barrier-like qualities. The entire elastin/collagen mattress-like qualities.

The entire elastin/collagen mattress-like layer is bathed in a watery fluid called "ground substance," a predominantly aqueous liquid containing an array of nourishing ingredients thrown in the for healthy skin measure. When we consume sugar, the entire beautiful array is doused with stickiness only sugar can deliver, and the whole business gums up.

Try this little experiment at home. Pour something sweet like orange juice or soda on the counter. Let it sit until it begins to dry. Then touch it with your finger. What happens to the liquid? It becomes a hard, sticky blob on the counter. Close your eyes and imagine the beautiful, willowy strands of collagen and elastin underneath you skin. That Coke you just drank is attacking your skin and making the elastin and collagen glob together. NOw the fibers can no longer do their job because they have lost their flexibility.

The result? Over time the skin begins to look sallow, haggard, less resilient and even grayish in tone. Make no mistake...sugar ages the skin!

After the loss of a great deal of weight, skin will recover to some extent. Women go through this all the time during and after pregnancy. The skin not only stretches to make room for the growing fetus, but it then tightens up after the child is delivered, and that can take up to a year or longer.

Elasticity gives skin its main identifier as a resilient, protective barrier. The stretch factor in skin is sorely tested during any period in human life when the body is changing rapidly...adolescence, pregnancy, weight gain and subsequently loss. Keep the idea in your mind that your outer layer may be able to accommodate you only up to a certain point before it starts to show signs of trouble in the way of damage, decreased suppleness, stretch marks, wounds, bruising and more.

Being aware of this may help you avoid developing these problems as you navigate through life. Awareness accounts for at least 50 percent of a person's change in attitude."

"Technically , skin does not respond to exercise by toning...it is the muscle that responds to exercise. As a muscle grows and becomes fuller and more toned, the overlying skin sits upon it more tightly. This is one of the most common misconceptions about training.

People will write to me telling me they do hundreds of sit-ups and crunches each day, but they still have a flap of skin on their belly, which they abhor. Sit-ups keep the abdominal musculature toned, but they won't help with loose skin. However, I won't tell those people or you to stop exercising, since there are so many benefits to be enjoyed from it. Instead, I try to correct their thinking and encourage proper nutrition."

"Fun Facts about sugar...

While your ultimate goal should be to kick the sugar/sweetener habit altogether, in a pinch these options should be chosen over the others:

There has been some evidence suggesting that the processing of agave nectar leaves it full of refined fructose, which, as you have just learned, is a simple sugar linked to many determinal health concerns. The most important thing to remember when purchasing and using sweeteners (healthy or not) is that they should be used in moderation regardless. Even xylitol ( a sugar alcohol) has been linked to diarrhea because of its diuretic qualities.

If you're craving something sweet, grab an apple or a bowl of berries before reaching for a sweetener. Eating sugar (including "fake" sugar) all day long is not an option!"

I give this book 5 stars all the way! Grab Tosca's book, You will be glad you did!

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