Thin with belly problem

Question
Hello,

I am 16, female, 5'1", 115 lbs, have a small frame, and am a dancer on a weekly basis. I am muscular/toned, but my stomach ALWAYS sticks out a lot, and I can't figure out why. It is not because of fat, because when I tighten my stomach, I can see my abs clearly and I regularly do ab work and I have very little flab. Yet my stomach looks bloated constantly, and I always have to suck in.

Could this be a digestive problem? I have bad bowel movement, and I go to the bathroom every 5-6 days, which I know is really bad. I have gone to the doctor and have been eating 20-30 g of fiber everyday including fiber supplements and drinking 40-80 oz of water a day. I am never constipated and don't have gas problems, so I really don't know why I don't go more often. (I would love to go everyday). Maybe my stomach sticks out because of this?

I really want to know how to get my stomach to not stick out! Maybe it's because of the food I eat?? Maybe I should exercise more?? I have about 900-1200 calories a day (is this too much or little?) I used to eat 1500-1900 but I cut back because I was always eating and ate too much. I would like to lose 10-15 lbs, but my main problem is my stomach!

I hate having to suck in all the time, and no one can ever see my abs because of my bloating (if that's what is the problem). Please help me!

Thank you for your time,
Lisa

Answer
Hi Lynn,

I can imagine these reasons for your problem:

1. You eat too little. If you remember photos of starving people, you probably noticed that they have "pot bellies" though it's not clear for what reason. Quite a few of my clients complained that on days when they ate too little, their bellies felt bloated.

2. You might not be doing a complete ab program missing some of exercises for the deeper muscle layers.

Read "5 Tips For A Flatter Stomach"
http://dietandbody.com/Tips_For_Flat_Stomach.html

The Elements of Good Posture
http://dietandbody.com/weight_loss_stimulation/

3. You might simply have too curvy spine and would benefit from posture-improving exercises.

4. Finally, it's not a big chance but it can be an ob/gyn (ovarian) problem so why wouldn't you see your doctor if everything else fail.

= TZ

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