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Diastasis and Tummy Tucks vs. Abdominal Rehab: One Mom Shares Her Story of Both!
Every day I talk to women all over the world who want — not just to tone or flatten their tummies — but to fully heal their cores with the right exercises for diastasis recti. Occasionally, someone will detail their journey in writing to me like T.A. has done here. I am sharing her story and photos with her permission, but due to the graphic and intimate nature of her story and pictures, she’s asked me to hold back her name.
Warning: Here come surgical pictures!
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“Fearing that I would rip open what I paid dearly to have fixed, I scoured the internet for safe ab exercises and found Fit2B! Love Beth. Love this page. Refer people here on a weekly basis. Got inspired to push myself a little harder last fall and ended up getting back down to high school weight. Launched into serious weight training and got in my current shape.
But the first thing she wrote to me was:
“Had a tummy tuck almost 10 months ago. Tried Tupler before. Have had a great recovery, but looking to increase my ab work and not looking to blow out $7000 of work. 8 kids, most over 8 1/2#, and one was 9# 7oz. Hernia and diastasis repaired and giant scrotum impression removed from my tummy lol! Looking for safe exercises. Can you help?”
And she sent me these pictures of her tummy tuck abdominoplasty surgery.
I wrote back to her and said, “My site [Fit2B Studio] was literally MADE for you! I put all the routines together with clients like you in mind. Those who have put their bellies back together (or are on their way) and don’t want to ruin them again! You’ve come to the right place!”
T.A. joined right away and has since shared her whole journey which is {slightly edited for flow} as follows:
Her decision to get a tummy tuck
“In August of 2010, I got motivated to get in the best shape possible. At a party for my daughter’s engagement, I got the chance to waterski. I was still able to do it even though I was almost 50 and had not skied in more than a decade. When I had to drop off because I knew I would be too tired and sore the next day, I decided that day to get in shape. I did not want another chance at really having fun cut short because of my fitness level, or lack thereof.
“So I started with three to four days a week going to my health club and getting on the elliptical. 20 minutes grew to 45 minutes. After a few months of that I added weights and machines. Then I googled ab rehab and found Tupler Technique. I had to wait several months to find the money, but I ordered the book, video, and splint. I did what I could without the splint until I had the funds to buy it. Once it came in, I dropped from a size 9 to a size 5 jeans in two weeks because of the improvement in my tummy. I lost 25 pounds over the course of 6 months.
“I still had a three cm diastasis. Did not know enough to measure what it was when I started. That is why I use the jean size change. I had a tummy tuck a year ago. It got rid of most of my stretch marks, fixed a hernia, and finished what Tupler started because I just was not satisfied with my results … When I closed the gap, my skin sagged really bad. It looked better puffed up than it did after my tummy shrank. The smaller my tummy got, the more wrinkled it got. After working that hard, I hated seeing myself in the mirror more than when I started …”
“I have been living this lifestyle for almost 3 years. Now I do 10 minutes of elliptical and an hour of weights three days a week and walk or do the elliptical for an hour, two or three other days a week. I feel better at 52 than I did at 32. Maybe even 22. I am at the beach watching my son skimboard right now and I am wearing a bikini! At age 52 and after birthing 8 kids, I got to be the ‘IronMan’ mom model in a bikini for this calendar!
“I have not done a single crunch to get like this. I just put into practice all Beth’s admonitions of “tummy tight” and “engage your core” when working out or going about my daily life. And for the record, I no longer “leak” during workouts or have episodes of recurrent back pain like I did before the surgery.”
Her advice for anyone considering a tummy tuck
“I suggest you start by getting as fit as you can and closing your gap as much as you can using a splint and fit2b. Track everything that goes in your mouth using myfitnesspal.com or a similar site. That way you can evaluate your eating and get insight on what to improve. Getting enough protein is the key for most moms to lose weight while building muscle. One gram per pound of body weight per day is the current rule of thumb.
“Cardio and strength training with a strong core did much more to bring me to this point than surgery. I would not recommend the surgery to anyone without trying six months to a year of core, strength, and cardio training first. It is best to be within 10 pounds of your goal weight. And a high fitness level will make your recovery so much easier.”
“Consider the surgery if you are not satisfied after giving Fit2B a good hard try. Give it a year or two before you go the surgical route. Excellent nutrition will make a big difference in fitness and in speedy recovery from surgery.” — T.A.
“And for the record,” she goes on, “I highly recommend trying to close a diastasis using exercise over surgery any day. Oh, and please don’t ever do crunches again. I still will not do them. I paid too much money to risk tearing myself apart. The sutures are done with “fishing line.” They are permanent and do not dissolve. I do not want to break them. I joined fit2b.us after googling safe tummy exercises about a month ago. I have not been able to find any trainer or doctor around here that does not think crunches are the gold standard for ab conditioning.”
How she paid for her tummy tuck
“The surgeon I consulted with over a decade earlier got it approved, but when I learned how difficult the recovery was, I decided to wait until my kids were older. Last year, when I went back to interview the same doctor, he said he would not even bother asking insurance to cover it anymore. They stopped doing that years ago. All the surgeons said that. Of the $6,800 it *cost, insurance did pay about $250 after meeting my $500 deductible when my surgeon submitted after he had confirmed the size of my umbilical hernia. We paid half up front and financed the rest interest-free for 12 months through Care Credit. I was very blessed and thankful to have a husband who worked hard to pay for fixing what insurance should, but does not cover.”
*Surgical costs continue to rise. In 2024 they are typically above $10K out of pocket
Life after her tummy tuck
“Yesterday I went paddling around with my hubby in a kayak and played and walked up and down the beach with my kids. I am not tired, sore, or exhausted like I would have been before. We are here celebrating two of them graduating college, and one graduating high school. I am up for the fun and can go the distance with any of them.
“The scar after a tummy tuck is very significant. For people who have only diastasis and not the horrific stretch marks like I did, they should try even harder than I did to succeed with only [the Fit2B] method. Getting rid of most of my stretch marks has been nice. The scar has faded to white. Very glad I had the surgery but would recommend exercise therapy over surgery if stretch marks are not such a big issue.
“It is not too late for you. Get up and get moving. If you don’t kick your butt, it is going to kick you. So you might as well get the first lick in! It is worth it to be able to enjoy life with your kids.
“I feel surgeons tend to gloss over how big a deal a tummy tuck is and I put [it in the] pic in to make it plain. I am still very glad I did it, but I researched and knew what to expect. I feel it was totally worth it. Feel very blessed that my hubby and I went for it. He is delighted too. We are both taking care to exercise and eat right. We feel better than we did when in our 30s and we are in our 50s.
“I’m going to keep competing because it was on my bucket list since I was 22 years old, and 33 years is a long time to wait to do something you really wanted to do. I placed 2nd in Masters Over 45 and 3rd in Novice Figure. As I went to get my number pin, I was still debating whether or not to go for it in my head. I was shocked almost to tears when I got the number 9. I have 8 living children and one 10-week miscarriage when I was 42 years old. It triggered a despair and depression that lasted 6 years and brought on the 40 pounds of weight gain. When I saw that 9 I felt impressed that God knew my number, and it made me want to go for it. So I did, and loved it, and want to share with all of you that you should go for your dreams! I love you all and wanted you to know this is possible even when you are old, perimenopausal, and have lots of kids.”
What if you have diastasis recti?
- If you’re not sure if you have Diastasis Recti or not and would like a step-by-step tutorial on how to check yourself at home, please click here for our free videos to check your abs for abdominal separation.
- Read our 5-part article series entitled The Unclosed Core and preview our Foundational 5 workout routines.
- Shop Fit2B for tummysafe workouts and fitness ecourses to help you deal with your Diatsasis Recti. We have various membership levels and lots to explore!
- Subscribe to our podcast {Fit2B Radio} on iTunes, and listen to how we connect the dots between women’s health and core fitness.
One caveat
Hi, it’s Beth, the founder of Fit2B with one more thought:
As much as T.A. praises what we’re doing here, I still like to see people do specialized in-person core rehab immediately after surgery. I believe it should be included in the price tag, but the surgeon and the therapist are different providers, so that isn’t really a thing. If you can’t see someone in person before resuming exercise – even “tummy safe fitness” like we provide – I highly recommend the following two online programs which are designed by world-renowned specialists that I personally know!
Tummy Tuck Rehab The Tummy Team
Thanks for sharing your story, TA! What a great contribution to this community and congratulations on reclaiming your core and taking charge of your life!
I love what you said about hubby and cellphone- Isnt that the HUGEST compliment??!! Yay for you! Congrats on all the hard work.
Thank you so much for sharing that! It helps to hear about real women and how they dealt with this.
I really liked your article about tummy tuck and rehab.
I think now a day people are giving preference to liposuction and tummy tuck.
Thanks for sharing. This article is really helpful for people considering abdominoplasty surgery.
I really like your story onTummy tuck, Thanks for sharing and keep it on….
Thanks for sharing your tummy tuck story.Update more and more information about Tummy tuck
Oh my gosh – I read you story and wow! I am recovering from tummy tuck #2. First one in December 2012 and the second one April 2014. I am also 52 years old. I just recently discovered Tulper technique and am going to start it tomorrow! Your story is so inspirational – thank you for sharing. I also do not want to ruin what I have had done. I have been doing some hard ab work to fine tune after the surgery with crunches and planks. I don’t think I will be doing the anymore!
This surgery is able to get rid of loose excess skin, tighten and repair the over-stretched muscles and get rid of unwanted fat at the same time. The result is a firmer and flatter abdomen.
http://www.cocoona.ae/tummy_tuck.asp
“One gram per pound of body weight per day is the current rule of thumb.”
I cannot eat anywhere near this amount of protein right now, because I have a CBS mutation (two copies) and problems with ammonia because of it. It’s worse during times of stress (ammonia-cortisol connection).
Any suggestions for me?
Thanks in advance.
It’s hard to get enough protein for sure! Especially since so much modern food seems to have literally stripped it out! I do a few quirky things to get more into my diet, but that rule of thumb is more for weight lifters and elite athletes who are really pushing their bodies hard core. I go by about half my body weight in grams. More if pregnant. I add gelatin to my coffee in the mornings for 6 extra grams right there 😉
Good article thanks!
Thanks for sharing this informative article about the tummy tuck surgery with us!
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Thank you for sharing this article. Keep posting such informative articles so that it would help others.
Thank you!
Very informative, Thank you for this guide
Thank you for providing valuable information. Keep posting this
Its hard to find posts like these, thank you for posting this.
We need more posts like these keep it up!
good one