So yesterday I get stopped by a coworker who tells me I'm getting "sooooo skinny". I politely thank her & begin to tell her I feel like I'm losing the weight from my outer extremities in because I'm carrying most of my weight in my stomach but my husband thinks my legs look GREAT. Figured we'd laugh at my expense and part ways. NOPE! She proceeds to advise me how to work my core. When I tell her I am doing repetitive sit ups with 90 lbs of resistance on this cool machine at the gym after my cardio every night she actually screams "NO, don't do THAT!" All the while shaking her head vehemently. She goes on to explain that I have to do lots of running while sucking my belly button into my spine and start planking. The whole time I'm trying to lift my chin off the floor I'm thinking, " I'm supposed to take my fitness advice from a 280 lb chain smoker?" As a recovering fat chic who smoked I realize that's harsh but OMG. Am I wrong to be offended? Am I really doing the wrong thing for myself? She thinks I'm power lifting and I need to lose all my fat first then try to bulk up with lean muscle later. I'm seriously thinking I need to take the opportunity to turn all this stored fat into muscle now. I don't see how I'd be able to possibly eat enough calories to be able to bulk up later. I don't even know why I'm calling it bulk. I just want to be tone & hopefully avoid as much sagging skin as possible.

Everyone has "advice", those who have been where we have, and mostly those that haven't! Do what you know is working...we were just talking about planking at work this morning, I personally don't like it, but will start since this does work the core...I know that because many moons ago I had this trainer that swore by those...and they hurt, but are effective! I've heard that if you want to really strengthen the core, and can afford it, Pilates is GREAT...It's a little pricy for me at the moment, since I MADE the hubs get me that gym membership! So I do what I can with what's in front of me... I even did Zumba! SO FUN!!! You get to dance as exercise but you can REALLY feel that you worked yourself out! LOVED IT. Never mind what "jiggly" said to you...do what you are doing and you will look FABULOUS!!!

My belly is the first to gain and the last to lose. I agree with mwilliams42, do what works for you. We all lose differently, and we all will gain muscle differently as well. When I did a boot camp I measured my belly before, and after and I had lost 3 inches off of my belly in 6 weeks, and the main exercises that we did for stomach was crunches, sit-ups, and planks. That obviously worked for me! Good luck to you!