To think there must be a way to shift lower belly in your 40s?

[obser]

So historically I’m a size 8 to 10 with minimal effort on my part. I don’t drink and am not that into sugary things like cake but I have generally been able to eat what I want without putting on weight.

Here I am in my mid forties and I’m still not overweight according to the scales. But I have a wodge of abdominal fat, more lower than mid that is distorting in terms of clothes and that’s the main reason I want to shift it. For example I tried on trousers the other day where the smaller size fits everywhere except the waistband and on the larger size the waistband closes but they’re huge everywhere else. This happens ALL the time and I’m down to about two pairs of trousers that fit. I have no issue getting any other clothes to fit just this constant waistband issue.

AIBU to think there must be a way to target this? Do I need to go on an actual diet? Some kind of abdominal exercises? Has anyone managed this?

Yoga and stomach breathing sorted it for me.

Interesting tips about pilates/ abdominal muscles. I haven’t been pregnant in over a decade and the belly has previously returned to being fairly flat. I doubt my abdominal muscles are in great shape though and toning them would probably be a good idea for when they emerge from under the wodge….

And I do take the point about self-acceptance and buying bigger clothes but I just feel that I’d like to maintain my usual shape if I can.

Arghh! Not stomach breathing, stomach vacuuming.
www.bodybuilding.com/content/stomach-vacuum-exercise.html

[quote Scottishflower65]Arghh! Not stomach breathing, stomach vacuuming.
www.bodybuilding.com/content/stomach-vacuum-exercise.html[/quote]
I was doing this every morning and night. Does it make a difference?
Will hit it hard in the new year.

Have you put on weight? You mentioned lockdown... If you've put on weight then your tummy will be fatter. Lose weight and it'll go away.

Same problem. Giving up alcohol, taking up hot yoga has made a huge difference. And a sort of diet. I skip breakfast and one meal each day is salad.

Do NOT do any abdominal exercise if you aren't also going to diet and lose overall fat - all it does it build and tone ab muscles under the fat layer and make them stick out even more. Weight training will help you lose overall fat without getting too thin in other places, but unfortunately a lot of belly fat on women is hormonal.

Dr Jason Fung on weight loss and why calories in - calories out isn't a complete picture.

I was a standard size 12, but thanks to a botched C-section with DD2 my lower abdomen was a size 14/16. Hideous. I tried diet & exercise. Neither worked.

In the end I had an extended tummy tuck 6 months ago. The results are incredible. My lower abdomen is flat, tight and taut. According to my plastic surgeon I could only achieve this through surgery and I believe him.

OP I could have written your post, and in fact I said almost everything you've written to my DH earlier today. I have been doing 16:8 for three years though and it's not helping me, although perhaps my tummy would be worse if I wasn't doing it, who knows?

I haven’t put on weight according to the scales! Maybe a few pounds but it does seem to be this belly fat thing and I would say it is hormonal. I’m probably not getting away with the things I used to such as grazing and having plenty of carbs.

That’s shocking about the c-section @peaceanddove! I haven’t had one so can’t blame it on that

Only way for me to lose stomach fat (and I carry a lot of weight on my stomach) is via diet and more exercise, but largely calorie deficit. If you don’t want to go on a diet increase your exercise so you’re burning an extra 500 calories a day

Even gaining (or losing) 5lbs can have a HUGE effect on your tummy. Honestly, it's crazy.

Really?! Even 5lbs? That’s actually encouraging though because it means if I could lose that then my trousers might fit me.

@AlbertBridge

Even gaining (or losing) 5lbs can have a HUGE effect on your tummy. Honestly, it's crazy.

I agree, when I dropped half a stone the difference was huge

5lbs is a lot of weight

My son was 8 pounds born and he was a bloody whopper ! Imagine carrying on your arse

When you put it like that it makes sense! I never thought in those terms

@XenoBitch
Yes, but takes time. I posted a bad link to the male version. In the female version, you are pulling everything up from pelvic floor so it does that bit- which is needed anyway - plus the stomach and waist.

Intermittent Fasting is just a way of getting a calorie deficit, there's nothing special about it. And nutritional expert for female athletes Dr Stacy Sims says its really bad for women because of the different hormones at play for women. So no point really. Just count calories to learn where your calories are coming from. You can't spot reduce around the stomach. Menopause causes women to hold more fat around their middles so it might be that.

Can anyone recommend any inspirational 40+/perimenopause+ role models for health and fitness?

If you're quite petite, 5 lbs could be the difference!

@NatashaBedwouldbenice

Can anyone recommend any inspirational 40+/perimenopause+ role models for health and fitness?

Davina !

Intermittent fasting has helped me with that OP. For me the weight loss is slow but I think what's made a big difference was not eating / snacking all the time - I suspect my belly was part fat and part bloating.

Davina She's too inspirational! I can't picture myself being that skinny ever again