Overweight, hernia question

I'm about 80 lbs overweight.  Most of it is in my stomach area (I have a large gut).  I started working out about 2 weeks ago and my body is adjusting very well.  I did a tough workout over the weekend and my abs are extremely sore (combination of leg lifts, situps, and constant core tension).  I'm wondering if I may have caused a hernia by working out too hard.  My question is, because my gut is so big and I have so much extra fat in my groin area, if I had a hernia would it still show through my fat?  Also, if I have no pain outside of my soreness, and there is no visible protrusion, should I assume I am ok?

[James G Beckerman, M.D.]

Congrats on getting yourself in shape!

A hernia might be hard to easily detect if you are 80 pounds overweight.  Chances are though that you are unlikely to cause a hernia by doing sit-ups or crunches.  Hernias are more common when people bear down and do heavy lifting simultaneously.

If you have no significant pain and no obvious protrusions, I think it's pretty unlikely there's a problem.  It's a good idea to focus on other physical activities for a few days and see how things improve.

Good luck to you!

[Aimalo]

i noticed am fat. especially my tommy is big, my upper arms, how do i get slimmer