[PhantomPanda]

What is a way to hold in my pendulous abdomen? It moves around a lot when I move causing back pain. I'm not concerned about concealing it from view, just keeping it still. I have tried an obesity belt. It sometimes works, but most of the time it doesn't (it likes to move around, like if I move it'll not stay put no matter how tight or loose I adjust it). If anyone has any suggestions, I appreciate you.

[lemonthyme]

I don’t know if this will help. Does it bother you most a certain part of the day or all the time? I only ask because my issue was a post partum belly - and until I could pull those belly muscles in it was most painful for me at night sleeping - it felt like my belly was its own mass and would just be away from the rest of me and it would hurt! So I found if I wore a post partum band (think wide ace bandage with Velcro) over my T-shirt and bottoms it stayed on most of the night. I then found the belly didn’t bother me during the day and once I got home I would return to the band wearing until the next morn. Have you been able to begin exercising your core? This should help to.

The other thing you might want to self check on is a diastasis recti - more common w a pregnancy but it can show up too with weight gain. There are YouTube vids that show you how you can check. I think if it is something you suspect you can have your doctor check, if indeed it is, I believe you can do physical therapy. You may have to work with one who is a pelvic floor PT, but they are trained as a PT and took additional course work on the other. They are quite helpful, last experience with.

Again I don’t know if this will give you some areas to look at. I know some people might say spanx, but who likes to be stuffed into something all day long?! Maybe it will give you other areas to look at.

[grannynancy]

I do have a pannus (the apron), but with minimal diastasis (which surprised me but it was probably pulled back together when I had a full hysterectomy with a naval to almost crotch cut) and I had a pelvic floor PT actually check me for it so I know that part is ok for me.

It does seem to be less problematic as I lose weight but snug cotton underwear have been enough. Boy shorts were more helpful in that regard. A brand called Tomboyx. I have started wearing a shapewear camisole when I want to go somewhere nice. It allows me to wear my own bra and controls the belly to make for smoother fit of clothes without having to be like a girdle [so it does control that somewhat] but, for the most part, I wear nothing there as it has not been problematic. Just a warning. The site seems to appeal to a lesbian crowd but they have all the sizes and basic styles can be found; I got the "6 stripe" and they really helped with chafing of the upper thighs.