Parenting

Monday, November 30, 2009

Crabmommy: Revisiting and Renewing the Mom-flap Challenge

Like J Lo, I'm feeling moved to renew some very important vows in my life, and I'd like to share the words of this vow with all of you:

I promise to commit myself to you fully. We all know it's not easy to do that but I also know that I must. There have been times in the past when I have not done all I said I would do. There have been days when frankly I just forgot about you. Or didn't want to face you. But that's behind me now. I promise to give you the time and attention you need. I promise to take you—us—seriously, and to value and make the most of the time we spend together. Today, tomorrow, and every day.

Except weekends. I mean, everyone needs a little time off.

You see when I committed myself to busting that mom-flap—the extra chunk of flubber round the midsection brought about by having babies—I specified only 5 minutes, 5 days a week.

Five minutes! You'd think I could have managed that. But I confess that since the last time I posted on the matter of the mom-flap, I've had my weak moments of falling off the ab workout wagon. Some lasted whole weeks. Okay, I was sick. Okay, I was traveling...but yes, we all know that, okay, I am also just making excuses for poor motivation. Because even 5 minutes 5 times a week is really hard on weak, post-C section tummy muscles. Five minutes is like a triathlon for the tummy of a tired and lazy mom, even when a fantastically fit and funny personal trainer-type mom named Kelly has personally customized a 5-minute ab-flab workout for Crabmommy and her fellow mom-flap-busting readers. Even then.

I will admit I started with enthusiasm on my mission to banish the absolutely flabulous tire around my waist. Like many a mom, I had grown tired of the spongy skin roll spilling over my jeans, and I was motivated to do something about it. So, apparently, were many of you. So many of you vowed to join me in the mom-flap exercises Kelly created for us! Which brings me to ask, 3 months down the line: where are you in your tum trim tactics? Are you sporting a new and seriously solid band of abs like a stack of sushi knives? Or did you quit in disgust after the first week of bicycle crunches and retire, crushed, to the couch with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos? Or are you, like me, somewhere in between—in the squishy middle of things?

If you're still rigorously busting your midsection and haven't missed a day, inspire us with your story in the comments below! If you tried it once and gave up, try again! If, like me, you've been on and off over this tummy torturing trimester, come back to the fold. Renew your vows and together we can banish that belly-jiggle. Since I renewed my vows two weeks ago, I haven't missed a day of mom-flap-murdering and I'll tell you it feels so good. Actually, it feels very bad—exercise always does—but I can say for sure that even a sporadic few months of 5-minute tummy tweakouts has improved my overall ab vibe. I may not possess any visible core strength, but somewhere in there, deep beneath the wibbly layers I feel...something. And that's a heck of a lot better than nothing.

Dear readers, I need you to keep me focused. Seriously, please join me! I need to be held accountable! I need group motivation! If this is the first you've heard of the mom-flap-busting pledge, but you don't dig the extra, Boppy-like layer of midriff squishiness you gained post-baby, join us for a short and not very sweet workout. Follow ours or make up your own, but whatever you do engage your abdominals: just 5 minutes, 5 times a week. Together, we can grow stronger every day!

I'll be reporting back next month. Meantime, are you with me? You heard me. That's right, you.

Postpartum Exercise: Learn how two new moms managed to lose pounds postpartum and power up in just a few months.

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Comments 1-6 of 6
  • HotCrossBuns's Avatar
    Posted by HotCrossBuns Mon Nov 10, 2008 12:52pm PST

    I'd like to say I'm appalled and disappointed by your lack of commitment to the challenge, but I'd be a dirty hypocrite if I did. I too, have been less than enthusiastic about my middle-wittling in the past month or so. I had that satisfaction that comes with the first inch coming off, and fell behind. While I haven't gained that inch back, I haven't lost any more, either.

    I was hoping you wouldn't bring this up until AFTER the holidays...but since you did. SIGH....I guess I'll get back on track with you. I am NOT getting back on the trampoline, though. At least not until after the last frost in Spring!

    Report Abuse
  • VS's Avatar
    Posted by VS Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:45pm PST

    it's a combination of losing weight and gaining muscle tone

    Report Abuse
  • Amy F's Avatar
    Posted by Amy F Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:03pm PST

    Ok.... I am worse than ALL!!! I have one of those great contraptions called an AB lounger in my bedroom..... with LAUNDRY on it! The sad thing is the darn thing is really great, especially for someone like me with back/neck problems!

    So I guess I am with you, off my lazy rump (which has gotten rather large I might add) and I am with you! I am going to add one extra to mine, I am going to run (trot maybe) up and down the staircase 10 times a day, I probably do it more than that in a day but I am going to do it all at once!

    GOOD BYE MUFFIN TOP!

    Report Abuse
  • Jessica M's Avatar
    Posted by Jessica M Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:00pm PST

    Sigh...If I lose my flap I'll have to wax...

    Report Abuse
  • D's Avatar
    Posted by D Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:11am PST

    Crabmommy-What ever happened with the Tupler Technique? I'm scared to do a sit-up because of that.

    Report Abuse
  • Crabmommy's Avatar
    Posted by Crabmommy Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:46am PST

    iplaydirty: good question. Frankly I just decided to ignore the Tupler technique as it simply added too much time to my 5-min commitment that I was already struggling to uphold. So I am sticking exclusively to Kelly's plan for the tum-tum region (the workout I link to above, customized by a trainer for Crabmommy and her fellow mom-flap-busters). I should add that instead of sit-ups I do the Pilates version of a sit-up (Kelly suggests one can modify with this as an alternative). Those pilates sit-ups involve the whole body. To me they are easier and supposedly less likely to get you a bunchy protruding tum.

    Here's a link to describe Pilates sit-ups.

    http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesmat/ht/RollUp.htm

    There are also numerous videos online that show the process. Me, I follow this ghastly Pilates DVD I go, put out by Gaiam. It's frighteningly difficult, but I ignore most of it and just use it to check the sit-up technique once in a while.

    Amy, HotCross, yay! Glad you're in! YES, WE CAN!

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Comments 1-6 of 6

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