Monday, April 16, 2007

Mummy Tummy

Lose Your Mummy Tummy
So here's the deal--I have four kids now. I'm delighted with all of them but NOT with the sticking-out tummy I now have. Honestly, after babies number one and two I didn't notice much difference at all in my tummy. After baby number three my tummy was sticking out more than it used to. But I never lost all the weight after that pregnancy, so I didn't stress too much about it--and it wasn't all that bad anyway. Now, after the fourth baby I've made a special point to lose all my weight and was very discouraged to realize that my tummy is really still sticking out. I've been wondering if I should just try to get used to it or try to get rid of it.

I've had this Mummy Tummy book since before Rainer, and I've read it pretty thoroughly but just have been too lazy, quite frankly, to really implement the program. Plus, as one of the reviewers on Amazon points out, the author, Julie Tupler, asks you to re-train how you do each movement throughout your day--how you sit, get up, lie down, lift your baby, even cough, sneeze and go to the bathroom! Moreover, she claims if you sit up suddenly in a "jack knife" movement you can undo weeks of work. Pretty intimidating. But the basic exercises are easy, can be done at work in a desk chair, and only take a few minutes a day.

I'm increasingly unhappy with my tummy, and it's nine weeks til summer, so I'm thinking now why not give Mummy Tummy a real try and just see if I can flatten my tummy even just a little bit (anything would be an improvement). I'm inspired by all the cute spring skirts I'm seeing everywhere and by the thought of taking Dieter and Rainer to the pool this summer.

Flowery Embroidered Skirt
Here's one inspiring skirt from Boden.


And another from Garnet Hill. Do you see how flat their tummies are? (I'd love to make a pretty skirt this summer--will post it if I get around to it).

So, with my inspiration fresh in my mind, here's my plan:
  • review the book--both the basic exercises and her recommendations for how to stand/sit/move
  • commit to doing the exercises more or less as instructed, throughout the day.
  • keep in mind her recommendations for how to do common movements, but don't freak out if I make a mistake
I'll track my progress and keep my goal of a flatter tummy by June 15 in mind. I'm thinking of this as a "fun challenge" and I've got nothing to lose (except my tummy pooch of course), so wish me luck!

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