I (F 25) was misdiagnosed with Bipolar II at 15 and was on medication until I was 22. During high school, I gained weight from 130 lbs to 210 lbs due to the medication, though I have since lost 70 lbs and currently weigh 145 lbs. Despite this, I struggle with an “apron belly” from the weight gain, and I feel insecure about it. I follow intermittent fasting, stay in a calorie deficit, and do strength training and walking, but haven’t seen significant changes. I’m worried I’ll never have a flat stomach again and feel embarrassed about my appearance. Has anyone else experienced this, and is there hope without surgery?
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I’m in a similar situation; although mine isn’t exactly an apron, it hangs above and below my belly button. My belly button resembles a frowny face! I’m 5’2" and 133 lbs, but I can tell there’s still some fat in the skin. I’m hoping that when I reach my goal weight of 120 lbs, it won’t be as noticeable.
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Unfortunately, it appears that your skin has become loose and stretched due to the fat that was once underneath it. I’ve experienced a similar issue from pregnancy and weight gain. This loose skin is typically permanent unless you opt for a tummy tuck or lose a significant amount of weight. Despite returning to my pre-weight gain size of 118 pounds at 5’4", I still have loose skin that hangs over. However, I can still wear a bikini by tucking the loose skin into the bikini bottom.
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Doing ab exercises every day can definitely help. While weights aren’t necessary, they can enhance your workout. I didn’t use weights but still noticed a difference. I did my exercises every other day at home, not at the gym. You can find an exercise routine online or create your own based on what you’ve seen. At 4’9", I understand the challenges, and having thunder thighs means I have to take extra care of them too. I found a fantastic chart for no-equipment ab exercises on darebee.com. I’ve tried almost all of these exercises at some point, and they are really effective.
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I have the same issue and need to accept myself. I’ve been trying to lose more pounds to eliminate it, but my boyfriend says I’m getting too skinny and it’s just part of my stomach.