Anyone else hit the menopause & their tummy suddenly gone spacehopper, after a lifetime of being slim?

[BillyBusStop]

Sigh. Whatever I do now, the dreaded tummy is in the way. If I try to paint my toenails there's this socking great cushion of tummy stuck in the way. I am two stone overweight which I put on in the last year after never having to look at scales in all my life. I want the bloody thing gone & my old body back.. Anyone else in the same boat?

Meant to say the Becca dress from phase 8 has become a wardrobe staple thanks to Mumsnet - covers the tummy and looks good but is also so comfortable
https://www.johnlewis.com/phase-eight-lace-becca-dress-fig/p3307269?skwcid=1dx39700027643015427&tmad=c&tmcampid=1&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv-be2ez-4QIVF57VCh31uwHiEAAYASAAEgKh11DBwE

Any woman who develops a big tummy rapidly, especially if the weight is not distributed over arms, legs, hips etc, should have a check up and a pelvic examination to rule out gynae conditions, the most serious of which is ovarian cancer.
OK, it is rare, but so, so important to check.

See, I'm just not willing to go all 'watch what I eat like a hawk'. I've gradually rounded out over the past 3 years. I exercise a lot because I enjoy it, cut down alcohol because I can't tolerate it as much but I'm not going to round demonising food and 'Oh, I need to earn carbs' or calorie counting so larger trews it is.

Exactly, Chyrs! I have excellent skin and hair and beautiful legs so I've learned to love harem trousers.

@SihtricsHorseWitnere I look at harem trousers and they seem so comfy but I'm a short person so I've avoided them in case they make me look even shorter I am however a big fan of leggings with a tunic dress as it looks good on me and I don't care if it's not fashionable

I'm scared of this happening too although hopefully I've got a way to go,I'm 39.Mil is 62 and still a size 10 with no tummy,no HRT either! Grrrr

I enjoy my food .
I just dont have such large portions.
Feel amazing -better than ever and Im not keen on the health risks associated with being overweight after the menopause.

Yes used to be very slim. Try to eat healthily etc and keep moving. It is very depressing.

I’m glad other people have mentioned the bra thing. I put my expanding tum down to my wine and cheese habit (which i haven’t got round to tackling yet) but really couldn’t understand how my back could have got wider. I’m size 10-12, now gone up to 36A bra but probably could do with wearing 38A - wtf??

Oh, my back/ribcage has definitely got broader in the past 3 years (I am 48). I still have regular periods, but they are very light, only about 3-4 days. My skin has definitely become drier, too, on my face and body, and my hair, although I'm lucky in that it is still thick. The texture of both has definitely changed, though, along with my middle growing gradually broader. I've stepped up the exercise, though, as I'm training for a long route next month and the days are longer, but to me as long as I'm able to do routes I'm happy.

Yes to the stomach and the increased back bra size here too!

Boobs seem to expand but not my back

My bra set ze has gone from 34d to 38d
As I said, now a 16-18 top, and still a 10 in a trouser.

Am basically a bird. Or an egg. Or a weeble.

Yep, me too.
I'm early 50s and have put on 8kg in the past 7 years. I'm now nearly the same weight as when I was 9 months pregnant with my first dc 23 years ago 😡 and I look it

i weigh more now than I did at 9 months pg with DC1 (29 years ago).
On HRT which doesn't help but I need it to be able to function. Have reduced carbs and force myself to exercise but still have big tummy. Just have to get used to being round. I refuse to exist on a tiny amount of calories and not booze and be miserable

I'm with you, demented, it's not worth it to me, tbh.

Yes, I fully relate to this. Size 12 all my adult life. Congratulating myself in my late 40s when i was still as slim as ever, having remembered my mother putting on weight at the same age. Took my eye of the ball around 50, and now find I am a size 14, about a stone overweight, and utterly unable to shift it evennthough I have been trying for a few years now. I was caught out by not putting the weight on in one place, I have filled out everywhere. My boobs have never been better but I hate my upper arms and my waist and stomach, my double chin makes me want to have cosmetic surgery,and even my prized legs seemed fatter this morning. I spend most of my waking day hating my new body. I must about have things under control in that I haven't gained any weight in those few years, but I can not get any off either.

Tanaqui I've found HRT has helped me to keep my waist a bit compared to my peer group. I do have a spare tyre though, which I was going to post a pic of, but thought better of it!

My body is changing as the hormones change too, although other health conditions affect it as well. Feel sad though seeing PPs saying they are hating yourself and becoming a slave to expectations to stay young. Our rounder tummies are natural and our rounder hips protect from falls. Being mentally unhappy is far more dangerous than an older women's body fat distribution. This thread is great for normalising isn't it that our bodies change and isn't it better to accept it than fight it so long as we are still within healthy limits for our ages e.g waist to hip ratio recommendations change for menopausal women?

our rounder hips protect from falls.

Hadn’t thought about it like that. Interesting.

It’s swings and roundabouts for me. I have a tum now but for the first time in my life I have boobs! I went from a 36A to a 40C. A cleavage for the first time at 50! So problem is, if I try to lose weight I know the first place it will disappear from is the boobs! Also I don’t want to give up wine and carbs.

I did a fair bit of research into this, as this topic has come up a lot. Apparently the belly fat in menopause serves a purpose. It releases oestrogen which is in short supply. So there is a reason why it happens.

Additionally, studies have shown that elderly people in the “slightly” overweight category (based on BMI) live longer than slim people and recover better from many illnesses.

It is not good to be obese. But your body is putting on some weight for a reason. You are actually doing yourself no favours in the long term trying to be as slim as you were when you were 25. Yes you have to control it to a degree but also accept that being older means a changing body and it is for a purpose.

I didn’t have alcohol or sugar for 40 days. Didn’t make a jot of difference...
how long will I be gaining weight and how to dress? All the “street style “ older women on Pinterest are skinny. They must be surviving on plain water.

Additionally, studies have shown that elderly people in the “slightly” overweight category (based on BMI) live longer than slim people and recover better from many illnesses

I can attest to this actually as both Grandmothers, lived to 98 and 103, and my DM is 92, and all were "stout". Not fat, but solid. All had gignormous tits as well . I am resigning myself to the inevitable, my tits are already a huge 32HH, although not found the rib-cage expanding, and my belly is rounding nicely. I would describe myself as Rubenesque .

They must be surviving on plain water. I would say yes, mostly. I have to 'exist' on around 800 calories a day to maintain these days. Yesterday I had approx. 1200 and this morning, wham bam, 2lb have gone on! Its that bad.

Argh, this was not a great thread to read just before I'm going out for dinner

I am 48, and am really "fighting" to keep the weight from going on! Am tackling it through exercise rather than diet though.