Even with the emergence of the body positivity movement, the subject of belly fat remains a sore subject for many people – men and women alike. Having a rounder belly can cause insecurity issues in some, making them want to hide behind baggier clothing to hide their midsection.
A stomach overhang, where the skin and fat tissue hang down past your abdomen, can make the situation even worse.
If you’re among the people who have a hanging belly and are uncomfortable with it, the question of how to get rid of stomach overhang is one you may have thought about or looked up before in an attempt to find solutions to it.
Getting rid of belly fat of any kind is difficult and will take a consistent effort with exercise and nutrition, but it’s not impossible. Read on to learn more about what it takes to finally get rid of stomach overhang without going to extremes or wreaking havoc on your health.
Stomach overhang is exactly what the name suggests – it is a belly/stomach that hangs over the waistline. Stomach overhang is also commonly known as a ‘belly pooch’ or an ‘apron belly’ as the excess skin and fat hand over the waist in the same way an actual apron would. This ‘apron belly’ is also medically referred to as abdominal panniculus or pannus stomach/belly (1).
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Before we can provide expert tips on how to lose belly overhang, we must first know what causes it, as knowing the root cause of something can be the best way to beat it. If you’re struggling with a hanging belly, here are some reasons why you may have gotten it in the first place:
When you eat and drink more calories than your body is able to burn in a day, the excess calories are turned into fat and stored in your body. This leads to weight gain and increased fat stores in the body.
Research has shown that men and women store fat differently with the former storing it more in their abdominal region and the latter storing it more in their glutes and lower extremities (2, 3).
Over time and with continuous intake of excess calories, your body will end up storing fat all over and if nothing is done about it, you may notice that the belly starts to become bigger and may eventually hang over your waistline. If it’s left unchecked even further, the excess skin and fat can spread, eventually covering the anterior thighs, hips, and knees (1).
Getting pregnant and being able to bring your child into the world healthily is a miracle that should never be underestimated. However, despite the celebration of this miracle, pregnancy usually comes with some unwanted side effects to the body of the mother – one of which is apron belly.
As your baby grows inside you, your weight goes up and the skin around your belly stretches in order to accommodate them. After giving birth, the weight can go away and the skin is expected to shrink back. However, in some women, the belly and skin around the belly don’t shrink as expected, which leaves them with a stomach overhang.
One of the main reasons why people are advised to lose weight in a gradual manner is because rapid weight loss can be bad for their health.
Research has shown that losing weight too quickly can negatively affect your heart health and may lead to dehydration, malnourishment, dry or brittle hair and fingernails, muscle atrophy, fatigue, cramps, muscle weakness, depressed immune system, decreased energy metabolism, or dizziness (4).
What people forget is that your skin is also involved in the weight loss process. As you gain weight, the skin stretches to accommodate your larger frame. As you lose weight, the skin shrinks back to match your smaller frame. If you lose weight too quickly, the skin doesn’t have enough time to shrink to match your smaller size and can be left loose and hanging.
The loose skin caused by rapid weight loss occurs in your belly and can also occur in the arms, thighs, and other body parts.
Read more: Does Holding In Your Stomach Help Flatten It? Unraveling the Myths
Luckily, a stomach overhang is likely not a life sentence, and here are some options that you can turn to to help you reduce or get rid of your apron belly:
As demonstrated above, weight gain is the main culprit behind stomach overhang, which means that losing weight could help reduce the appearance of belly fat or potentially get rid of it completely.
When it comes to healthy weight loss, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a steady weight loss pace of just 1 to 2 pounds a week. They state that sticking to these parameters will ensure that you’re more likely to keep the weight off in the long term compared to someone who loses weight very quickly (5).
In addition, losing weight gradually also helps ensure your skin has enough time to shrink back, which reduces the chances of loose skin in the abdominal area of the body.
But how exactly do you ensure slow and gradual weight loss?
Contrary to popular belief, there is no diet that is best for belly fat loss. What matters more and makes the most difference is what you eat and how much of it you eat. According to research, the best dietary strategies that can help with weight loss and potentially help with stomach overhang reduction/elimination include (6, 7):
While a healthy diet alone can help with weight loss, research has shown that a combination of exercise plus diet provides the best weight and abdominal fat loss results (8). When it comes to workouts for belly fat loss, it’s best to do more than just belly/core exercises as spot reduction is nothing but a myth. Compound exercises for weight loss are best as they help you lose weight and tone your muscles.
If diet and exercise don’t work, your stomach overhang is due to excess skin after weight loss, or it causes you significant discomfort, consider consulting a healthcare professional.
If you’re going down the surgical route, then the loss will be immediate and all you need to do is heal the scars and live a healthier lifestyle to ensure you keep your weight in check to prevent more abdominal fat from accumulating.
However, if you’re losing this belly fat via diet and exercise, the answer becomes more complicated. In addition to diet and exercise, your body weight is determined by other factors that are individual to you, including genetics, the amount of sleep you get per night, medication you’re taking, and underlying health issues (9, 10, 11).
All of these factors make it difficult for us to provide a blanket answer that covers everyone.
If you wish to cinch your waist, tone up your bat wings, blast away the muffin top – our fitness app was created to cater to all your needs! BetterMe won’t give excess weight a chance!
As previously mentioned, spot reduction is a myth. You can’t simply perform belly exercises and expect to get rid of your belly overhang. The best routine to help you get rid of belly overhang is one that incorporates full-body compound exercises for weight loss and core exercises.
Remember that:
If you’re not sure where to start with all this, look up tips on how to start losing weight for beginners. This will give you a clear guideline to follow for success.
Yes, you can. As previously mentioned, a combination of diet and exercise is best for this. A flabby tummy is usually due to excess fat. Being in a calorie deficit diet and adding full-body workouts can help you lose this excess fat. If you want some ideas for core-specific workouts, you should try exercises such as planks, mountain climbers, torso twists, and leg raises. For an even stronger core, learn how to do stomach vacuums as this ab exercise can increase your core strength, help protect your back, and give you the appearance of a more cinched waist.
Read more: Toned Stomach vs Flat Stomach: Which One Is Best, and Why? Yes, it does. Research over the years has shown walking can help reduce belly fat in both men and women (12, 13, 14, 15) A combination of exercise and a healthy calorie deficit diet can get rid of a saggy belly over time. However, in more extreme cases, surgery may be the best option. Research has shown that taking collagen can help improve hydration in your skin and improve its elasticity, which helps with tightening and reducing signs of aging (16, 17). While collagen can be found in supplements and topical treatments, its best and most natural form comes from bone broth. Similar to with exercise, you should contact a medical professional before you add any supplements to your diet. They are your best resource to ensure what you’re eating is what your body actually needs.
FAQs
Does walking reduce belly fat?
Can exercise get rid of a saggy belly?
What can I drink to tighten my skin?
When it comes to how to get rid of stomach overhang, the answer largely lies in weight loss through diet and exercise. However, if the overhang isn’t caused by extra fat and is caused by an underlying medical condition, a surgical option could be considered. Make sure to consult your doctor if your overhang is bothering you too much and if none of the non-invasive options are giving you the desired results. However, it’s important to remember that even with a surgical option, you’ll need to include exercise and stay within your daily calorie intake goals to see long-term results.
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