Apron belly is a common problem, especially for new mothers. While many are looking for solutions, most women don’t realize their issue has a name. A pannus stomach, also famous as an apron belly or mother’s apron, is fat deposits or overhanging fat under your tummy (abdominal muscles).
While it may look like a regular fat accumulation, it can be a source of major secondary physiological and psychological problems. These include risk of diabetes type 2, heart disease, lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, and resultant depression. However, understanding what your problem is called and its causes can help you deal with it and eventually overcome it.
What Causes Apron Belly?
Now that you understand what an apron belly is let’s talk about what causes it. After most women go through pregnancy or weight gain, they face a dramatic expansion of apron belly fat in front of their intestinal region under their abdomen.
Behind the scenes, the fat surrounding their internal organs expands and starts to bulge outwards. Moreover, the skin in that region temporarily loses its elasticity thanks to the recent pregnancy and labor. As a result, the “pouch” further accentuates and looks like what you call a mother’s apron.
How One Can Live and Pass a Comfortable Daily Life with Apron Belly?
Indeed, every woman’s most common and immediate response is to try and hide the stomach apron with oversized t-shirts and baggy sweatpants. However, this form of solution doesn’t last for long. Over time, everyday life becomes more challenging as you start feeling uncomfortable.
Luckily, there are better ways to deal with this hanging belly fat apron.
First, avoid the build-up of sweat and moisture in places where your apron comes in contact with other parts of your body, like your breasts. Use an antifungal powder, coconut oil, or the Micro-guard powder. Avoid using cornstarch.
In terms of clothing, size up your spanks and prefer wearing plus size leggings. Opt for plus-size tunics and empire dresses. Some women also like to continue wearing their maternity pants for their aprons.
Compression pants and support bands are also great support for your tummy and your back. Moreover, use support wear and boy-shorts to uplift the apron area and provide more support to your body.
As for emotional support, join communities for mothers dealing with an apron belly and similar issues. It’s always a comfort knowing that you’re not alone and that other women face the same problems as you.
If you’ve had a C-section, good hygiene and healing are a priority. While you’re dealing with the apron belly, don’t forget to take care of the stitches and surgical trauma you’re healing from. For example, the Hibiclens soap is highly effective in cleaning the germs and bacteria off your skin. Similarly, Monistat is a gel cream for anti-chafing purposes, and Desitin is excellent for rashes.
How To Get Rid Of Apron Belly Without Surgery -10 Effective Tips
In case you don’t want to live with the apron anymore, there are ways to get rid of it altogether. If you wish to learn how to get rid of hanging belly, here are ten effective ways to do it.
1. Stay Physically Active
A sedentary lifestyle only accentuates the fatty areas of your body and makes the apron worse. Adopt a physically active lifestyle. Stay up and on your feet as much as you can. Walk around, do your chores yourself, and don’t depend on help.
Remember, you should force yourself to do more than you can. Being active doesn’t mean you should go up and down the stairs fifteen times. It means to stay up and about without necessarily tiring yourself.
2. Follow an Exercise Regimen
If you think staying on your feet is exercise, you are mistaken like many people who assume the same. Physical activity is not the same concept as exercise, and it certainly doesn’t have the same effect.
Follow a specific exercise regime that focuses on your abdominal area and pelvic muscles. Opt for particular exercises that help reduce fat in that specific area.
Some women want to take action for faster results. MUTU System medically recommended online exercise program for mothers. It helps to gain moms confidence, the right fitness program for women who want:
- To lose weight
- Great sex without pain
- Better body fitness
- A flatter stomach and a lean waist
Apron Belly Workout:
Tighten the abdominal muscles, It helps to improve your core strength and stability, as well as improve posture and balance. To lose this extra weight and create a slimmer waistline, try incorporating a regular workout routine into your daily routine! Depending on your weight and fitness level, a regular workout routine can include cardio, weight-lifting, and abdominal crunches.
3. Watch What You Eat
An unhealthy diet only makes matters worse. You don’t necessarily have to drop everything you eat. Cravings are natural, and they should be dealt with.
However, try and opt for a healthier diet in general and avoid excessive junk food and sugar. Size down the portions and limit your calorie intake. Choose more nutritious snacks and avoid processed sugar.
4. Opt For Compression
As mentioned earlier, compression pants are excellent management for an apron belly. However, along with making it more comfortable to live with the belly, these pants also help reduce it.
Apron Belly Support:
You can choose postpartum recovery panties for dealing with your postpartum belly. High Waist Postpartum Underwear & C-Section Recovery Panties (5 Pack) – $27.99 from Kindred Bravely
5. Monitor Your Hormones
A hormonal imbalance is quite natural after a pregnancy. However, your hormone levels should slowly come back to normal with time. If they don’t, you should make an effort to monitor and maintain them.
You can either see a doctor for it or opt for remedies like a healthy diet, less caffeine, better sleep, and nutritional foods and beverages.
6. Laser
Those who want to opt for a quicker route can go for a laser procedure. It involves a small incision on a laser beam’s target area and entrance to melt the fat. This procedure can be invasive or non-invasive.
7. CoolSculpting Procedure
To remove your apron belly, another procedure is cool sculpting. It involves minimal invasion and freezing of unnecessary belly fat. Once this is done, your body does the rest of the job. It treats it like waste and processes these frozen cells to get rid of them.
8. Posture Correction
A bad sitting and standing posture can lead to an accentuation of the belly. Thus, posture correction can significantly reduce the problem.
9. Get Yourself A Cookbook
For a healthy diet, most people believe they’ll be constrained with limited options. This reason is why women have a hard time adopting a more nutritious diet. Get a cookbook with yummy recipes. Not only will it boost your motivation, but you will also be excited to try the delicious recipes in the book.
10. Healthy Smoothies Every Day
While we are on the subject of a healthy diet, adopt healthy smoothies for your breakfast routine. Doing this has multiple benefits for an apron belly after pregnancy: it allows you to intake nutritious fruits and vegetables and fills you up, so you don’t feel hungry for snacks. Actually, eating healthy foods and exercising for weight loss sometimes minimize the fat deposits in belly.
Does Apron Belly Go Away?
There are many effective solutions for removing apron belly, so it’s important to find one that works for you. Some of the most common solutions include weight loss, dieting, and abdominal exercise. However, it is important to be patient and to take action today. With a little bit of effort and a lot of perseverance, apron belly will start to disappear!
Apron Belly After C-Section:
After a c-section, many women experience an “apron belly.” This is a protrusion of skin above the navel that often causes discomfort and embarrassment.
There are several effective solutions to avoiding or reducing an apron belly, and below is a list of the most common causes and solutions.
1. After a c-section, the abdominal muscles are often weakened and cannot support the weight of the skin. To reduce an apron belly, women can exercise their abdominal muscles regularly. Strength training can be one of the great ways to tighten muscles.
2. Expedited delivery leads to a higher risk of obesity and other health problems such as heart disease and type-2 diabetes; by following a healthy diet post-delivery, you can help prevent these health problems. To prevent an apron belly, women can wear a waist training belt after a c-section. If a waist training belt is not effective, a health professional may recommend abdominal surgery. Also, get informed about lifestyle changes that will help you to overcome this challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1: What should I do if I develop apron belly?
Ans: If you’re struggling to lose weight and get rid of apron belly, then you should switch your diet to a plant-based one. This will help you to consume more healthy saturated fat from animal sources like grass fed butter or fatty cuts of meat.
In doing so, you’ll also boost your intake of fiber, which is essential for healthy weight loss and a healthy gut.
Furthermore, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a high level of unhealthy fats and sugar in your bloodstream is a major cause of apron belly. To prevent this problem, make sure to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds in your diet.
Q2: What are some effective exercises for toning my abdomen?
Ans: Some of these exercises include situps, crunches, and pushups. The abdominal muscles play a big role in fat loss. By working out your abdominal muscles, you can help reduce your belly fat. Make sure to rest properly after completing an abdominal exercise routine.
Q3: Can wearing a full-body garment like an apron be harmful to my health?
Ans: There are a few experts who believe that wearing a full-body garment like an apron can be harmful to your health.
These garments trap heat and can cause cardiovascular problems, cramps, and headaches in women.
However, the jury is still out on whether or not wearing a garment like an apron will have any adverse effects on your health.
Q4: How can I prevent my stomach from getting bigger over time?
Ans: Here are a few lifestyle tips that can help prevent your stomach from getting bigger over time:
1. Consume healthy foods and drinks: Make sure to eat foods that are low in fat and calories.
2. Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity helps to reduce weight and improve overall health, which is important for keeping your stomach flat. Aim to exercise for at least 20 minutes three times a week.
3. Avoid overeating: It’s important to avoid eating junk food, processed foods, and sugary drinks that will cause your stomach to expand. Instead, try to stick to healthy eating habits and regular exercise to keep your stomach slim and toned down!
Q5: How can I reduce my appetite and eat less without feeling deprived?
Ans: There are a few ways you can reduce your appetite and eat less without feeling deprived, but incorporating some fiber in your diet is one of the best options.
When it comes to reducing your appetite and eating less, you can try avoiding processed foods, drinking plenty of water every day, and avoiding eating late at night.
Fiber helps to regulate bowel movements, keep blood sugar levels stable, and make you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Additionally, fiber can help you avoid weight gain in the long run by keeping your intestines healthy.
Conclusions:
Apron Belly is a common problem that affects a lot of women post-pregnancy. It’s a tummy fat that appears on the belly button area and often extends outwards. While there isn’t a single solution to Apron Belly, following a few simple tips can help support your tummy and help it to shrink. For clothes that will help reduce Apron Belly, check out our blog post. Plus, don’t forget to enjoy a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a balanced diet. These things are essential for a healthy body and a healthy tummy!