Stretch marks. Striae Gravidarum. The marks of pregnancy. Call them what you will. But they are the one thing that all women dread will occur as soon as they get pregnant.

But what are stretch marks anyway? And why do they occur?

Well, the reason lies in the anatomy of the skin. The skin has two layers – a thin upper layer called the epidermis, and a thicker, lower layer called the dermis. Scattered in the dermis are fine protein filaments called elastin that, like a piece of a rubber band, are capable of stretching on being pulled. But just as a rubber band can stretch only so far and no further, these elastin fibres can also be stretched only to a certain extent. If stretched further, they snap. The increasing bulk of the uterus during pregnancy causes the skin to stretch to a great extent and the elastin fibres are torn. The torn elastin produces scars on the skin called Stria Gravidarum or stretch marks.

They occur on the lower abdomen of all pregnant women, right?

Well, right and wrong. They appear in most pregnant women, but not in all and not just on the lower abdomen. Stretch marks occur when the skin is stretched in a very short period of time, as in pregnancy or in obesity. They occur:

In the lower abdomen in pregnancy.

Along the sides of the breasts either in pregnancy or in obesity.

Upper thighs.

Occasionally even on the inner sides of the upper arms.

But can stretch marks be prevented?

Thankfully, the answer is yes, to a certain extent. Although some women are genetically prone to develop stretch marks, it has been noted that athletes and women accustomed to heavy, physical labour get very few or no stretch marks. This is regardless of whether their female relatives have stretch marks or not. The reason for this is that these women have very well-developed and strong abdominal muscles. These muscles can easily take the weight of the growing uterus and prevent it from pressing forwards on the skin – rather like wearing a strong muscular belt under the skin. The skin is thus stretched less, fewer elastin fibres are damaged, and there are fewer stretch marks.

Again a supple, healthy, well-moisturized skin is capable of stretching more without any lasting damage. So if a woman can strengthen her abdominal muscles and keep her skin healthy and supple, there is less chance of her developing stretch marks.

But how? How do I develop my muscles and keep my skin moisturized?

Gentle exercises for the abdominal muscles can be started as soon as pregnancy has been confirmed or even as pregnancy is being planned.

Exercise 1: Standing erect, raise both arms above the head. Bend forward slowly to touch your toes. Hold the position for a count of 100. Then slowly straighten up. Do this exercise at least once daily.

Exercise 2: Standing erect, raise both arms above the head and clasp your hands. Now bend slowly to your left as far down as you feel comfortable. Hold for a count of 10. Straighten up slowly and then bend to your right. Hold to a count of 10. Straighten up. Exhale as you are bending and inhale while straightening up. This makes one set. Do at least 3 sets once daily.

Exercise 3: Stand straight with feet about 12 inches apart. Place hands on your back at the waist. Slowly bend back, as far back as you feel comfortable. Hold to a count of 10. Straighten up. Now bend forward slowly, hold the position to a count of 10. Then straighten up. Exhale as you are bending and inhale while straightening up. This makes one set. Do at least 3 sets once daily.

These three exercises will strengthen the abdominal and back muscles as well as gently stretch the skin. They also improve posture during pregnancy.

Caring for the skin: Keep the skin moisturized by applying oil – olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil or any good baby oil – thoroughly over the skin of the abdomen, hips and thighs. Massage it in with sweeping upward strokes. You can do this before you exercise so that the oil is properly absorbed as the skin is stretched during exercise. This will make the skin supple and healthy and capable of stretching without damaging the elastin fibres.

A Good Diet: Take a good diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and adequate liquids. And do not forget your daily vitamins. This will ensure a healthy and supple skin.

But what happens if the stretch marks have already occurred? How do I get rid of them?

The good thing about stretch marks is that they fade over time. When they are first formed, they are reddish or purplish, but later they become thin silvery lines that may not be visible at first glance. The bad thing about stretch marks is that they can be removed permanently only by surgery. The elastin and collagen growth can be stimulated to some extent by cocoa butter, Vitamin E, wheat germ oil and lanolin. But to remove the marks completely, laser surgery, blue light therapy and other surgical treatments are the only options. Many creams and lotions available on the market also claim to be able to remove stretch marks but have yet to be medically proved.

Weight Loss Hypnosis

Is binging your number one problem? When you are alone and relaxed do you eat anything and everything. It doesn’t matter what it is — you feel have no self-control. It doesn’t matter how I’m feeling because either way I always eat. Please help!

First, realize you are very much in control. It sounds like you are using food to meet needs and handle feelings that you don’t know how to deal with in a healthier manner.

Yes, it feels “out of control” as “emotional eaters.” It often feels like the jelly doughnuts sprout wings and cram themselves down your throat. Other times it feels like an alien presence has invaded the decision-making centre of our brains, making us do stupid things against our will. We criticize ourselves for being so weak and powerless when what we really want is to be thin and healthy.

Let’s get real. Fattening foods don’t really fly. Eating requires a decision to eat. Eating requires a deliberate act. Therefore, it’s impossible to be “out of control” of our eating.

Yes and no.

To understand this dilemma, understand that although eating does require a conscious decision to eat, it is influenced by both conscious and unconscious factors. We’re not always aware of the feelings and issues that drive us to binge. We can be in such internal conflict that while our right hand is stuffing our face the left-hand tries to stop it. We are bewildered with this vicious battle and end up feeling like a loser every time.

To understand this we also have to recognize the emotional power of food. Food is unique. It gets right down into our belly where we have all those “gut-wrenching” feelings and soothes turmoil. For many, food is a primary emotional coping technique. It distracts. It calms. It’s dependable. And it is almost always readily available. No wonder, then, that so many of us feel out of control in the face of stress. We don’t know what else to do besides eat.

When we spend all day meeting everyone else’s needs, it’s often the case that after the kids are no longer demanding our time and energy, we sit down and “give” to ourselves with food. It’s crucial to avoid buying into the destructive and disempowering notion that we are “out of control” by recognizing that eating requires a choice. If we tune into the lurking feelings and issues that affect our judgment, then we can make a coping choice that might be more direct and ultimately, more satisfying than overeating.

Only then can we truly be in control.

Try an eating strategy called “empowered eating.” By becoming an empowered eater you will be more aware of what you eat and why you eat it, which will help you develop more stable eating patterns. Get started with the following three steps.

Step 1: Take responsibility for your eating. Be accountable. Specifically, find an eating plan that can fit into your lifestyle. You must recognize that no one can do this for you. You must take the lead.

Step 2: Eat with a purpose. View all eating as goal-directed. An eating goal may be physical, like nourishing the body, or it may be emotional, like coping with psychological issues.

Step 3: Be mindful of your eating behaviour. Pay attention. Be fully aware of your feelings and the issues that are associated with your eating. Being an empowered eater doesn’t mean you never again overeat because of emotional stress. It does mean, however, that when you do overeat, you understand why. And understanding the “why” behind your choices will make it easier for you to develop new, healthy habits.

Want quick belly fat loss with exercise? Have you ever tried boxing?

Boxing is a great exercise to lose fat, including the belly fat; especially the tummy fat. A great cardiovascular workout, boxing will definitely make you feel like you have done something. Your whole body will know you have had a great workout the next day.

There are a lot of ways to get quick belly fat loss with exercise. If you are really out of shape and are struggling to get up off the couch, the way you should start is by walking. You wouldn’t think that walking would be a difficult thing to accomplish but if you are in bad shape you will know you have worked after your first walk. You may even have some soreness the next day.

The best way to combat the soreness is to just get back out there and do the same thing that made you sore, to begin with. Oh man, I remember back in high school, after a nice long summer, we had to get back to volleyball practice. Our coach was brutal. She would work us so hard that we could hardly move the next day, then we would all show up again and do it again the next day. Pretty soon the soreness and stiffness would go away and we all realized that if you keep doing what you need to do then you do not get sore anymore and you do get much stronger for your efforts. We won a state that year thanks to our coach.

Anyway, soreness is a good thing. If you feel sore you know one thing, you are still alive and that that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. So, work through the soreness and stiffness and soon you will be stronger, faster and able to get through your workouts with no problem. At this point, you may need to increase the intensity at which you work out because you will be too strong to stay at the level you started at.

At this point, you may want to consider hiring a personal trainer to put you through the paces and teach you different ways of doing things. Maybe incorporate running or jogging and free weights into your daily routine.

You will want to do what is called improving your core. Your core is the middle part of your body and includes your abdominal muscles, obliques and lower to mid-back muscles.

These muscles help you maintain good posture and balance. a good core workout can be done on an exercise ball. They are available at your local department store. To get quick belly fat loss with exercise you need to concentrate on your core workouts the most.