[jeniansmom]

Do you all know what I mean by the apron? That lovely sagging flap of fat that is more than a roll? It hangs down and almost disguises one's gender.

I remember about 5 years ago losing quite a bit of weight but I was still so disgusted with myself, didn't think I was really making any progress, that I don't remember what happened to the apron, if it got smaller or not. I then gained the weight back very rapidly.

So, this time I intend to pay attention to my body and it's changes, but I find myself most concerned about the apron. I know I can't make my boobs perkier, but they were never really perky to begin with because I developed so fast without good bras to support them. But for some reason I have this fear that the arm wings will go, the thunder thighs will slim down, the double chin will diminish, even the boobs will get smaller if not perkier, but that the apron will remain.

Has anyone had one, lost weight, and had it go away without surgery? I need to have hope that I can cut the apron strings!

[jenlag]

I know it does indeed go down. I've never had it to where it is a 'sagging flap', but getting there. I've been yo yo-ing for all my life, and I'm tired of it. But in just recently starting to workout again, I am noticing that is one of the first areas beginning to take shift, and I believe that is because I have stopped feeding it sugar.

[WinterStarzz]

I am looking forward to seeing this apron area get smaller as I lose more. Please tell me this is possible! It is by far my most embarrassing problem.

[pinupdreams]

i went from being 300+ to my current weight of 193 and i can testify to the fact that it is still very much there, it does go "down" but that just makes the problem worst because it "hangs" more and looks like a loose flap thing.. i will most likely have to resort to a tummy tuck when im done with my weight loss.. but for now.. yes its still there and as horrible as ever

[Schmoodle]

An "apron" is a great description! Yes, after 3 kids, one C-section, and mucho overweight, the apron is there. It has shrunk and I am hopeful it will not be too much in the end. I'm going to start adding some ab exercises soon, now that I'm getting settled into my walking routine. I would never consider any kind of plastic surgery, except for this area. I definitely will consider it to remove extra skin and tighten up my stomach if it's really noticeable after losing 100 lbs (my goal).
But think of it this way, the apron is there whether it is filled out by fat, or is emtied of fat. Which way would you rather have it?
And I think it's important not to lose too fast. We've all seen pictures of people that lost amazing amounts of weight in short periods of time, and they look terrible, like a deflated balloon. But I think things tighten up as you go along if you take your time about it. At least, that's my hope...

[bargoo]

I recently bought some bikini underwear, they fit , bit the apron hangs out of the legs. Revolting, disgusting, etc.

[LisaMarie71]

I don't know if I can reassure you that the apron will go away, because you'll probably have excess skin there even when all the fat is gone. But, as someone suggested and as others on this board have experienced, you can always have a tummy tuck to get rid of it when you get to your goal. I'm probably not going to do that, but I do have excess skin. I'm not at goal yet, but I'm close -- so I can see that it's not going away, though I do have some fat there I can still get rid of. I also have excess skin above my waist, and that part actually bothers me more now than the apron. So yeah, I'll certainly never wear a bikini, but I'm not as interested in that aspect of weight loss anymore (I'm more into the idea of running a marathon and things like that!)

Here's the encouraging part. In my clothes, no one can see that apron. I can comfortably wear size 10 skirts and pants now, and can even fit into a few size 8s. So even though there's some extra stuff there, no one has to know about it. Also, it's MUCH smaller than it used to be, and all the disgusting stuff that goes along with it is part of the past (the chafing and stinging redness that can happen under there).

Don't let worries about the apron or anything else keep you from staying motivated. It's hard to tell what your body will look like after losing a lot of weight (I've had some surprises, but they've been good ones for the most part), so you just have to go for it and soak up all the victories on the way. Celebrate little things like collarbone appearances, changes in your face, etc. It's all wonderful!

[boaterswife]

OK, let me start by saying that I'm following Lisa around on the posts today, and I feel like she's reading my mind....creepy!!!

I've had two c-sections and one other surgery, so that apron is a concern for me too. It has went down considerably, but it is by no means gone. However, like Lisa, I too can comfortably wear my size 8's and you cannot tell it's there, not noticable at all. I have 10 more pounds to go to my WW goal, and about 15 to go for my personal goal and I thing that most of the weight will come from that area, as there is the most fat tissue there. When I'm at goal I'll reassess and see what my alternatives are. I do still get some redness/chafing in that area, but even with the apron there, I'm much happier with my body now than I was at 246 pounds!

[better health3]

Honestly, it depends on a myriad of factors: how overweight you've been for your frame, your age(how many years you've been overweight), genetics, what sort of diet your eating, and how much you exercise. I've seen some where their skin snaps back because they weren't that overweight and others stretched out the skin. The best analogy I've heard is your skin is like a napkin, after a certain point it gets overstretched and will not go back to normal. I think this is where slower weight loss is better, so the body has time to adjust.

This area on my body is unsightly, but I will try my best to shrink it. I have those fears too. Unfortunately, this is a consequence for our choices. Thanks for the post.

[stranger n my mirror]

Lucky for me, my insurance will pay for the removal of this extra skin and fat. I am diabetic and have a tendency towards skin infections. Once I lose the weight I can have the surgery since it will be considered medical in nature. But my husband thinks that I can just do thousands of sit-ups and the skin will snap back. I don't think so, especially after 4 children and weighing over 200 lbs for the last 22 yrs.

[LaurieDawn]

I love that we talk about things like this, because I haven't ever been brave enough to mention my "apron" to anyone. I got mine after my C-section, and with weight gain, it became more prominent. I actually think it's a big part of the reason that my pants size is bigger than my shirt size - the hanging flap ends up zipped up under my pants.

Y'know, though, this is one of those things I've decided that I will not use to beat myself up. I have plenty of issues where I need to take responsibility, but I think most women who had C-sections have this problem to one degree or another. In fact, I spoke with a doctor who did tummy tucks with the C-section for the patients that he "liked." (Don't ask for an explanation of the quotation marks!)

As Lisa said, the bottom line is that it looks better without fat filling it up, and losing the weight gives you options that you don't have now. I have never before considered plastic surgery, but eventually, this might be an area where I would consider it - after I reach goal.

[KforKitty]

Originally Posted by xFLUFFYx

I completly understand where your coming from. I have two major area's of concern. Major flabby upper arms and the "apron" that your talking about. In all honesty, that is one of the reasons why I chose not to do my hip measurements. I didn't want to have to hold up my tummy/flap thing to get to my hips and even though i have been married for 18 years..I still felt embarassed to ask my hubby to help me.

I really hope that my apron will tighten up and shrink along with the rest of my area's. I guess time will see.

After seeing your post I decided to measure my hips UNDER my apron and OMG I measure 5" less. I've always measured over it and wondered why my hips were so disproporiate to my waist but they're not in reality.

I also worry that the apron won't go. In the past I've been lucky in that my skin has alway snapped back into place when I've lost weight. However I'm getting older (43) and its now a big concern of mine.

Kitty