I want a flat stomach!

I really don't think you're eating enough. Only 200-ish calories all day until dinner?  

I do disagree with the comments that calories eaten have nothing to do with height and weight. It DOES have to do with weight… it takes more calories to support a bigger body and fewer to support a smaller one. However, 1000 calories is not enough for any adult, no matter how small, especially one that works out. 

Try googling "basal metabolic rate"– this is how many calories you need if you stayed in bed 24 hours a day (so obviously, you need to eat more than that, more still if you are very active). 

I lost a crap ton of weight and kept it off (and have abs now after 6-ish months of pole) and if there's one thing I learned, it's you have to eat enough.

I'm wondering why you're eating in a caloric deficit in the first place when you say that you don't want to loose weight? If you're pretty lean and store fat in a particular area (e.g. in the midsection) it's likely due to hormonal problems.

I'm kind of curious about your height and weight though. 1200 calories as maintenance intake does seem pretty low.

Yeah I think that's not nearly enough calories! I take in 1600 calories a day. 

Sorry, it’s by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

Most of what I would say has already been said by some very knowledgeable people so I will just re-iterate

– If you are eating so little and yet exercising, you are probably putting your body into starvation mode – your body thinks it has to conserve as much energy as possible so it will store every little bit you put in. To change this you have to give your body MORE energy, not less, and the best way is evenly throughout the day, not just in one or two meals. When I was heavily weight training for body sculpting I had to up my caloric intake to a whopping 2000 and most told me it wasn't enough.  

– It takes time, one month is no where near long enough to see the results you are after. If you are so keen on flattening your stomach, look at learning about the muscles and how to engage them – work your transversus abs etc.

– Biggest point – WHY do you want a flat stomach? I used to have one, abs and all, and it did not make me feel better about myself. It didn't cure world hunger, or make me more attractive – in fact, technically it made me less attractive to many males as they like women to have that little curve – because it makes us women. My partner is very open about me not losing too much of my softness. It is funny if you talk to guys who are attracted to girls (and girls who are attracted to girls) what they like in our bodies – shape, strength under softness, the little blemishes we hate etc.

I have a theory about why we are so obsessed with flat stomachs… yes, there is the media and massive money-making dieting industry and how people with very low BMI's are more pliable and open to suggestion (ie, model industry etc). In fact – on this point, did you know that once you hit a BMI of 12, you are medically considered under the mental health act incapable of making decisions and can be put under an order). But here is another thing, and Chem touched on it – it is natural for men to have flat stomachs, and as the craziness of attraction goes, we are attracted to what is opposite us (is immune systems etc). So, as women, we are attracted to our opposite in men, ie, flat stomachs. Somewhere our wires got crossed, and we seem to think that means flat stomachs is what MAKES us attractive, not what we are attracted to. Ha. Good point Koi my girl. Then media gets hold bla bla de bla bla.

My advice – relax. Actually go to the mirror, look at yourself and tell yourself all your good points. Stop focusing on your flaws. Have you ever noticed that someone who has self confidence is more attractive (on multiple levels)? They didn't get that self confidence from getting rid of their perceived flaws – they probably learnt to love what is beautiful about them.

Focus on not the physical appearance of yourself, but rather, all the wonderful things you can do. Of course you can wear short shorts and a crop top and do pole. And over time your body will change as your skills in pole increase.

Koi…I have a poochy belly and my husband thinks it is sexy as hell!  I am one who holds weight on her belly…the rest of me is pretty low BF but unless I eat a STRICT diet there is no getting away from the pooch.

Ok, this may be long so I apologize in advance. But…

Unless you are 4ft tall and 60 pounds, your maintenance is NOT 1200, likely its more around 1800 – 2000 cals a day. Most calorie calculations do take into account for height, weight, age, However, those start at figuring your BMR first then multiplying by an activity factor.

There is no such thing as "starvation mode" as in which people think, If there were, then anorexics would all be super fat…  What does happen in the face of too low calories and especially too low protein, is that the body breaks down muscle in order to feed itself, therefore saving the fat until all the muscle tissue is gone. The fat will only go when the body has broken down all the muscle tissue it can. So eating under 1200 cals a day and not having enough protein in the diet, you are not going to lose fat at this time.

If you want a specific physique or look you have to actively work for it. Sometimes its not about losing fat, sometimes it is about building up certain parts to make others better. If you are undermuscled, it will take years of work to get to a decent base of muscles. A woman at best can only put on about 1/2 a pound of muscle on a month, so you are not going to add a ton of muscle. On top of that muscle requires 3 things to build: a progressive solid resistance program, sufficent calories and protein, and most importantly TIME! without those three things, you will not build muscle. Poling is great for the upper body but because it isnt progressive (resistance wise) you will only be able to take the muscle building so far.

Not only that, but muscle is metabolically  active,meaning that muscle burn more cals when at rest than fat. So the more muscles you have the faster you actually will burn fat. Those of us who pole would do well to add in some cross training with weights/resistance.

Now, when we ask women to up their calories, they see an initial weight gain and freak out. This may be why you think your maintenence is so low.  The weight gain is not fat and it does not mean you are gaining fat. It is glycogen and water and typically the water flushes out in the next week when the body adapts to the higher cals. This is why we say slowly up the cals so you can give your body time to adjust.

Now, in this case we are looking at 3 possibilities

either you are under muscled and do not have enough muscle to carry the look you want

You have a posture issue that is causing the belly to pooch,

or there is nothing wrong with your body and you are being way to harsh on yourself.

If you are undermuscled (which is likely given the low cals) then you need to work on building muscles all over your body so that you can correct the stomach pooch.

If the problem is postural, then you need to work on posture correcting exercises and bring weak muscles up to par

and if the problem is that you are seeing fat where there is none, then you need to talk to a counselor and learn to love and accept yourself.

Either way i would suggest adding cals to the diet, working on getting more protein (because you are going to need about twice as much as you eat now), you need healthy fats in your diet as well. Get on a solid resistance program, and take an honest look at your mental and emotional state and seek counseling.