I think it's really important to be kind to our bodies and recognise what wonderful things they are, all the amazing things they do, and how beautiful they are despite any "flaws." I too have things I don't LOVE about my body, but whenever I hear that voice inside criticising myself, I remind myself to be kind to my body. I always feel better, and I love myself imperfections and all. You are very lovely women with amazing bodies! Enjoy them.

That's KILLER, Janet. Thanks for sharing.

I think most us do, and yes, we're too often very hard on ourselves. But, soft bits are estrogen enduced, so whaddya do... consider it a small price for the honour of being a woman. Embrace it, name it, poke it, make friends with it, love it. It is what it is.

Lyn,

With you height and weight, you are not fat. Not at all. However what might be happening is that you have actually lost too much weight. Bloated abdomen and/or water retention is an effect of malnourishment. When one is so slim, it is very easy to "slip" into this state.

We so much focus on "losing weight" and lose sight of ourselves... but when you are underweight it feels just as bad and just as heavy as being overweight. The body doesn't function well and it shows.

(Mind you it could also be hormones or temporary digestive issues...).

If you are bothered by the pouch, try this:

- Meat. Or egg whites, or seaweeds. Now. If the pouch is from malnourishment, you will experience having to urinate some time having meat or protein and will soon regain your shape.

- Up your amount of water drinking drastically. As in, down 2-3 of those 500 ml water bottles in one sitting, do this 2 to 3 times per day. Watch the difference within 48 hrs. (I refill my bottles with tap water and discard them after a while).

- Take an enzyme supplement with every meal.

- Finally Callanetics is the best method I know to target the stomach and posture.

Hope it helps you, and that you feel better soon!

Lyn, your tummy has never stood out to me. As several have said (and as I'm sure you know) your BMI actually puts you in the underweight range, and the only thing that has stood out to me about your pictures on YLF is how thin you are. Not in a bad, unhealthy, or malnourished way, but I certainly wouldn't recommend that you try to lose more weight. I'm 5'3" and 110-ish lbs (I don't own a scale), and wear a size 0-2, and it has taken me a long time to realize that a) my stomach is flatter than I think it is, b) even the flattest tummy out there is not actually flat (humans are 3D and our bodies are 3D!), and c) it matters so much more to me what my body can DO than what it looks like. I feel so much better when I focus on how many crunches/pushups/pullups I can do, or how long I can hold a plank, than how toned my tummy and arms are.

There are many people who are obese or overweight who would benefit in many ways from losing (more) weight, but you are not one of those people. You are beautiful and you don't have any weight to spare.

I'd like to second what Kate said. At times in my life when I've been anxious about my body--usually, I find, when I have been anxious about myself more generally--I have gotten involved with demanding exercise classes (kickboxing, etc.). After several grueling classes over a week or two, I feel *so* much better--so amazed at how strong I can be, so impressed with the *machine* that is the human body--that I cannot conceive of what I was so bothered about the week before, even though my body looks from the outside exactly the same.

Lyn, this is obviously part of the shape of your body; you don't wish your head were flatter, so why wish it for you belly?

Ok, I know that's probably not totally a fair comparison, but it is very upsetting to hear you say that you're unhappy with your body. Take care of it and let it be what it is. Love it because it's yours and it serves you well.

It can be difficult to see what's really in the mirror, especially when we have a preconceived notion of what our bodies look like. My sister lost about 2 dress sizes a few years ago - and looked awesome. She stopped losing weight because of the number on the scale, but if she had picked a stopping point based on the mirror she would have lost far too much. It took a long while before she was able to see the new her in the mirror, she always expected to see the frame she was accustomed to, so that's what she saw.

I think if we were to meet someone with our exact dimensions, a figure twin, we'd never see the physical imperfections we see in ourselves. Some of the things we see in the mirror just don't exist in reality.

Lyn*, if you ran into someone with your exact body, you'd exclaim to yourself 'I wish I looked just like her!'

I've found that whenever I "feel fat", it's much more a matter of my mental state than physical reality. I have been 120 pounds and felt great, and at other times in my life when things were harder I have felt super big at that same weight.

It's easy to throw all of our insecurities and anxieties at our bodies because they are much more visible than the mind and, in a way, easier to fix. I'm not saying this is the case with you, but it's something to think about. By the way, you have a great figure and as long as you are healthy you have absolutely nothing to fell bad about.

There's a great essay by Anne Lammott (I think it's in Traveling Mercies), where she writes about how she had always hated her thighs until she named them and started talking to them. (If you've read Anne Lammott, this is funnier than it sounds.) She wouldn't let herself be mean to her "Aunties." That's always stuck with me - the idea of not letting yourself beat up your own body parts.

Big, strong, healthy girl in the house! At 5'10" and 160 pounds, plus one baby later, I am not even close to being somebody else's idea of "perfect". Some days that bothers me, but usually only when I compare myself to other people. Other days I try to remember that this is the body I was given, so I may as well love it while I'm here.

Most of the time I think how we feel about our bodies is actually symptomatic of something else that's going on in our lives. As women we internalize what's really bothering us and find a way to make it our fault. Self criticism, as harmful as it is, makes us feel like we have control. And I am 100% guilty of this myself.

I agree with all that's been said here. You do not need to lose weight. I think you posted something about having had an eating disorder on one of Angie's posts, and I know you're under a lot of stress - could either of those issues be playing into your current worries?

I just want to add that I remember reading a quote that you may appreciate as a doctor-in-training, by a woman who basically said after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she regretted all the time she had spent hating her "imperfect" but healthy breasts.

It really stuck with me, as I spent a lot of time wishing some part of my body were other than it is, instead of appreciating the fact that it is still generally in good working order. And I regret all the years wasted on thinking I was fat, when at two sizes larger than I was at 25 I am still on the petite side.

You're young and so lovely; appreciating that (or even just taking it for granted) would be a huge gift to your future self.

Lyn, do I understand correctly that you're a doctor or a nurse? Then you should know that with your weight you are tiny, in fact, bordering on an unhealthily low weight.(your bmi is well below the cut-off point for "healthy and acceptable" weight) I think that you're tall and skinny and should give yourself a lot of credit. I come from a family of 3 doctors (grandparents and sister) and doctors' bodies are amazing and usually adapted to their profession: your bodies have incredible stamina, are usually very strong and compact with great legs because of all the hospital walking that you have to do! Think of it this way: you're body is a miracle worker.
Love your body and forgive it its little "sins" (like a teeny tummy!) And be careful! One of the ladies who posted said that you've had problems with eating disorders? You need to keep a watchful eye on your stress-levels as well as your mental health if your body/weight starts bothering you in this way..
Keep well and look after yourself!!