Dr. Stephanie Power

No amount of ab work can fix this.

After pregnancy, the abdominal muscles can separate down the middle. It’s called diastasis recti and crunches won’t close that gap, because the problem isn’t fat, it’s muscle. A tummy tuck repairs those muscles from the inside, then reshapes the skin on top. This is her at 6 weeks post-op, still healing and already so much stronger.

If you’ve done everything right and your stomach still won’t flatten, this might be why. Comment CORE and we’ll send you the signs to look for.