How to Get Rid of Apron Belly

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Learn what steps to take to eliminate apron belly (and keep the weight off for good)

Co-authored by Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: July 3, 2024 Fact Checked

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How to Eliminate Apron Belly

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Apron Belly Overview and Causes

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Easing Discomfort

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Risks Posed by Apron Belly

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Expert Interview

If you’ve recently given birth or just lost or gained a lot of weight, you might be dealing with what’s known as “apron belly,” or a pannus stomach. Apron belly can carry some health risks, and it can also affect self-image and confidence. There are a number of lifestyle choices you can make to reduce the appearance of apron belly or to get rid of it altogether; moreover, medical treatments, including surgery, may be effective. Keep reading to learn more.

Things You Should Know

Do cardio and strength training exercises and eat healthfully to lose weight all over—unfortunately, you can’t spot-treat an apron belly.
Medical procedures, such as a tummy tuck or a panniculectomy, can help reduce or eliminate apron belly if exercise and dieting don’t seem to help on their own.
In the meantime, you can minimize the discomfort caused by apron belly by applying anti-chafing creams and keeping the area clean and dry.

Section 1 of 4:

How to Eliminate Apron Belly

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1
Do 75-150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. You can’t target your apron belly specifically. However, losing weight all over your body will help to eliminate or reduce your apron belly, and exercising can certainly help with that. Try to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity. ^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} You can meet your weekly aerobics quota by jogging or hiking a few days a week, taking a dance class, or doing anything that gets your body moving and your heartrate up.
- High intensity interval training (or HIIT) is particularly effective for weight loss. HIIT refers to an exercise routine alternating short bursts of intense aerobic exercise (like jump-roping, burpees, or planking) with brief recovery periods.
- Build exercise into your day with NEAT. NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, refers to anything that gets your body moving, even if it’s not technically a “workout.” ^{[2]
 X
 Trustworthy Source
 PubMed Central
 Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
 Go to source} Think walking instead of driving, mopping the floor, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Reader Poll: We asked 223 wikiHow readers, and 63% of them agreed that the biggest challenge they face when trying to lose belly fat is staying motivated and consistent with workouts . [Take Poll] Scheduling your workouts into your day and doing exercises you enjoy can help you stay consistent and motivated.
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2
Strength train twice a week. Cardio can help you slim down, but building muscle through strength training will help you burn calories more efficiently. ^{[3]
X
Research source} Aim to do strength training 2 days per week. ^{[4]
X
Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- There are a lot of great strength training exercises you can do at home without any equipment—just your body. Try planks, lunges, squats, pull-ups, and push-ups. ^{[5]
 X
 Trustworthy Source
 Mayo Clinic
 Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
 Go to source}
- You can use barbells or dumbbells to strength train, but if you don’t have access to these, try making a homemade weight set using soup cans or other household objects.
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3
Up your lean protein intake. Eat plenty of lean protein every day to stay energized. Protein takes a while to digest, meaning you stay fuller longer. It also strengthens your muscles, another green flag if you’re trying to lose weight. ^{[6]
X
Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} Try to eat at least about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or 0.36 grams per pound) each day, and ensure about 10-35% of your daily caloric intake comes from protein. ^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source}
- For instance, if you weigh 140 pounds, multiply 140 by .36 to get 50.4 grams of protein. In kg, multiply 63.5 kg by .8 to get 50.8.
- You can also input your info into the USDA's DRI (dietary reference intake) app to calculate exactly how much protein your body needs each day.
- Stock up on animal-based proteins like chicken, salmon, eggs, milk, yogurt, and cheese, or plant-based proteins like edamame, lentils, almond milk, seitan, and tofu.
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4
Cut about 500 calories daily. Burning more calories than you consume each day can help you shed pounds. ^{[8]
X
Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} Aim to consume about 500 calories fewer than you usually eat. The average person requires about 2000 calories a day to maintain their weight, so if you want to reduce your apron belly, try to consume about 1500. ^{[9]
X
Trustworthy Source
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source}
- Avoid getting fewer than 1200 calories per day. While severely restricting calories may seem like an easy route to weight loss, it’s ultimately not healthy or sustainable. The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is by taking it slow and entering a manageable, consistent calorie deficit.
- Try food tracker apps like My Fitness Pal or LifeSum to record roughly how many calories you’re getting every day.
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5
Consider cosmetic treatments. Cosmetic procedures, such as laser liposuction, CoolSculpting, or a tummy tuck, may help minimize or eliminate your apron belly if exercise and dietary changes alone don’t seem to be helping. These procedures are both low-risk and require little to no recovery time, and results are permanent as long as you continue to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
- Laser liposuction (also called laser lipolysis) is a minimally invasive surgery involving using a laser to melt the fat under the skin. ^{[10]
 X
 Trustworthy Source
 Cleveland Clinic
 Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
 Go to source} It may require a couple of days’ recovery and generally costs between $2,500 to $5,450, but the effects are immediate, unlike the effects of CoolSculpting, which may take several months.
- CoolSculpting (or cryolipolysis) is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure in which a cooling applicator is used to freeze fat beneath the skin. The frozen fat cells die and are slowly absorbed by your body over several months. ^{[11]
 X
 Trustworthy Source
 Cleveland Clinic
 Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
 Go to source} It generally requires no recovery time, and often costs somewhere between $2000 to $4000.
- Abdominoplasty , a.k.a. a tummy tuck , is another effective surgical option. It’s a lot like liposuction, except that after the fat is removed, the excess skin is also removed. ^{[12]
 X
 Trustworthy Source
 Cleveland Clinic
 Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
 Go to source} A tummy tuck tends to cost around $6000. ^{[13]
 X
 Research source}
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6
Talk to your doctor about a panniculectomy. A panniculectomy is a surgery that removes the pannus. ^{[14]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} In this procedure, which may last up to 5 hours, a qualified surgeon makes 2 incisions on the abdomen, removes excess fat and skin, and stitches the skin back together.
- A panniculectomy is not considered a cosmetic procedure, but it may be covered by your health insurance if you meet certain requirements, such as being in pain caused by your apron belly, being in general good health, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine.
- Having the pannus removed can make your abs flatter, but if you want an even tighter tummy, you might consider pairing a panniculectomy with a tummy tuck.

Section 2 of 4:

Apron Belly Overview and Causes

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Apron belly refers to the apron-like appearance of fat over the abdomen. Apron belly—also known as a pannus stomach or a mother’s apron—is caused by excess fat deposits in the omentum, an apron-like flap under the abdominal muscles, in front of the intestines. The size of an apron belly varies. On some people, an apron belly hangs only a few inches, to the top of the pubic area, and on others, it extends all the way to the knees. ^{[15]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source}
- - Pregnancy is a common cause of apron belly: as the stomach stretches to accommodate a baby, the abdominal muscles weaken, which may lead to apron belly postpartum.
 - Obesity is another common cause of apron belly, as people who are overweight or obese may be more likely to accumulate fat in their abdominal area.
 - Certain medical conditions , like Cushing’s syndrome or type 2 diabetes, may lead to weight gain, including excess weight stored in the abdominal area.
 - Genetics may lead to apron belly as certain people may be genetically predisposed to weight gain in their abdominal area.
 - Aging slows your metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight, especially in the stomach.
 - A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain, which may contribute to an apron belly.
 - Hormonal imbalances caused by menopause and other conditions may contribute to weight gain, which may lead to the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area.