BREAKING NEWS: Women's Stomachs Aren't Meant to be Flat
How often do you look at your stomach in the mirror + wish it were flatter? How many times have you starved yourself or not eaten the cake for this goal to have a flatter stomach? How many times have you felt unworthy because of that roll on your stomach?
This idea that in order for women to be beautiful they need to have a flat stomach is BULLSHIT.
This my friends is diet culture at it’s finest. Never in history has a flat stomach been a desirable trait in women, in fact, the more curvy a woman was (big breast, large hips, and squishy stomach) the more desirable she was, it was a sign of being well-nourished.
Women are not biologically built to have a flat stomach + the only way most of us can achieve it is through severe restriction + over-exercising.
So you mean to tell me that all this work I have been doing to attain this goal is a waste of time? Yup, girlfriend, that is EXACTLY what I am saying!
There is a very big reason why women cannot achieve a flat stomach, it’s called reproductive organs! We not only need to have room in that belly of ours for digestive organs but we also need to have space for our reproductive organs. These organs are VITAL + require extra padding to protect them. We store fat cells in our stomach due to this very reason.
Women typically lose subcutaneous fat, the layer below the skin. Men lose visceral fat, the layer right behind abdominal muscles. For women, in order to achieve a flat stomach you need to lose fat in both of these areas which is what makes it even harder for us to achieve that flat stomach, hormones also play a role in storing visceral fat.
A stressed out body will always put on the lbs in the stomach first. This is a good thing! This is your body trying to protect you + your vital organs. This is your body’s way of saying it does not feel safe. After proper nourishment, time + stress elimination the fat will redistribute.
Your stomach will go up and down at certain times + it is normal.
Having a flat stomach is not the key to being healthy + happy. Give yourself grace, trust your body, she’s just trying to keep you alive. Life is too short to hate yourself for something that is totally unattainable.