How can I reduce my waist measurement?

[SaddleUpandRideYourPony]

I found out this week that a waist measurement of over 31.5 inches for women puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke and that a measurement of over 34.5 inches puts you at very high risk! I recently lost some weight and am now 10 stone and 5 foot 9 but my waist measurement is still 33.5. It has got bigger over the years but it's always been where I've carried weight. How can I reduce it? I don't really want to lose more than another half a stone. I do exercise but mostly walking - I can't do much cardio or weights because of various physical issues.

My diet is 75% healthy but there's a lot of sugary treats in there too. I did try to cut down a lot while I was losing weight but it just made me miserable so now I factor treats in and just do extra exercise so I can keep the weight off. Will the sugary stuff be affecting my body shape?

Any ideas gratefully received. I don't like the idea of being at risk for those illnesses at all and want to stay healthy for my kids! I'm 51 and menopausal if that affects your answers.

I'm similar, OP. Basically slim but carry too much weight around my middle. I find reducing my carb intake is helpful. However I have zero willpower and always fall off the wagon after a few weeks.

The Fast 800 diet worked for me.

Thanks, theconstantinople, I do enjoy eating low carb meals but I can't seem to ditch the chocolate and treats. I managed to cut down for about a month once but realised I was honestly miserable! I really enjoy chocolate!

Littlefiendsusan I love your name, we're MMM fans in this house. My BMI is about 20 so I don't feel like I need to lose much weight if any, definitely not rapid weight loss as a quick google suggests that diet is. I'd also worry about weight gain when I started eating normally? That's happened to me before after a diet and it always goes on my middle.

The last place weight shifts from for many women is their waist. If you maintain a regular weight for a year you may see a bit of redistribution.

Menopause is a bitch and adds three inches to your waist overnight seemingly.

If you have physical issues can you see a physio or similar to help tone your core muscles?

Ditching some of the sugar and eating more veg is no doubt a good idea.

Maybe try some abdominal massage on yourself to move things through your system a bit quicker to reduce any bloat or excess gas. Basically clockwise stroking and kneading 10mins a day perhaps twice a day. Start under left rib and go down to left hip. Then from under right rib, over to left rib and down to left hip. Last move right hip up to right ribs, over to left ribs and down to left hip. Lots on internet re methods - but it follows the route tour intestines take & aim is to jog things on a bit

MrsPernicious I seem to lose weight in all the places I don't need to: boobs, legs, etc. I am actually pretty skinny in places, skinnier than I'd like to be, but weight clings around my middle.

I have got exercises for my core but haven't been very committed to it. I'm guessing that could tighten up my waist but would it be fat loss or just better muscle tone? From what I read it's the fat deposits which leads to the health risks.

Pantsomime thanks for the creative suggestion, I would never have thought of that! I used to bloat a lot but cut down on wheat and it's a lot better now.
From what I read the health risk is caused by excess fat around the middle, so I'm wondering if I can reduce my waist through fat loss. Maybe if I follow all these ideas it will mean my measurements are no longer in the risk zone?

I’ve just followed a programme during which I’ve lost 2 inches around my waist since Xmas, it’s now 27” and I’m in my 50s. More protein, less carbs. You can eat chocolate, cakes etc but only on Saturdays, also wine/spirits if you want on Saturdays. If you know you can have them at the weekend it really isn’t as bad as trying to eat them in moderation. I stopped eating cake/pudding/biscuits/chocolate/icecream everyday in August and have lost about a stone fairly effortlessly.

Oh thanks LizziesTwin, it's good to hear another older person has had some success with this. That's a good idea about restricting sugary stuff to the weekend; do you crave them in the week or doesn't it bother you?

I don't really need to lose much weight, possibly half a stone at most but I am not happy with the waist measurement since reading this advice about health risks.

Is the programme available online?

I don't think my waist could ever measure 27 inches btw, I used to weigh much less in my teens and even then it was around 29 inches.

Unfortunately stress, sugar, hormones and genetics are your waist's enemies.
What shape are your relatives? If you are an apple shape family it is really difficult to lose the stomach fat.

You are really normal in losing weight from your boobs, they are always the first thing to go. Put weight back on, does it go to your boobs, like heck it does, straight onto the stomach. Even more so as you age.

Lizzie , I like that idea, sounds sustainable.

First off I’m on an HRT regime that includes testosterone so bear that in mind. It’s had a tremendously positive effect on my general health.

Weight training might help. Pre lockdown I’d really trimmed my waist though my actual weight remained the same.

I do lots of core and body weight exercises on the mat and weighted functional exercise like squats, lunges, single leg deadlifts. I’m 55.

" Put weight back on, does it go to your boobs, like heck it does, straight onto the stomach. "

oh, how true that is! It's cruel when I never had much in the way of boobs to begin with!

My dad is very lean and I used to be the same shape but my Mum is more prone to being an apple.

I do also have some abdominal separation which I probably should have mentioned earlier. Stupidly I was only thinking of fat distribution and not muscle action.

Deux that regime sounds wonderful. Unfortunately I can't do weights or squats / lunges. It does really limit me.

I am considering HRT though. Has it helped your shape separately to the exercise training you're doing? Or is it all connected?

Hula hooping?

Every time you put a bit of weight on, you grow new suet and lard cells. When you lose weight, they don't go away just shrink.
If you eat a sensible diet and do some suitable, for you, exercise there is a chance the plumpness will redistribute to long term storage areas like your thighs. Plus the exercise helps hold it all in place.

A sensible article about suet aka visceral fat www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-aim-at-belly-fat

@Deux I do lots of strength training too.

@SaddleUpandRideYourPony Dame Kelly Holmes started teaching workouts on Instagram last March with the first lockdown. She’s ended up with a community of mainly women who are very supportive and inclusive. In January she ran a programme with the help of a nutritionist which wasn’t weight loss focussed, it was look after yourself & be strong. Have a look at Military in Motion on Instagram. Some women have gained strength & muscle so are running faster now, others have lost 10cm in a month from their waists, others have maintained their weight and seen their stomachs tone up. Give her a go, she is incredibly inspirational & her ideas work!

You need to see a physio and fix your abdominal separation. Lots of exercises are not good for this, eg sit ups. You need to focus on this like toe taps but technique is everthbjnf. Make sure someone has seen you do them correctly.

I’ve been doing zoom Pilates for weeks but belly the same....

5"9 and 10 stone is very slim o.p. I'm same height and this reminds me I need to get a tape measure because I'm 11.8 stone. What dress size are you ? If you're and 8-10 it might be unusual to be 31 + waist..Are you measuring at s bloated time?

I’m the same op. I have lost around 4 stone and my bmi is now in the healthy range, but my waist size is 32 inches. I’m 50, so perhaps menopause has something to do with it. I’m trying to lose another stone, but it’s very slow going. I’m running 4 times a week and doing strength and HIIT on the other days, so not sure what else to do. It’s very frustrating.

That's a really interesting article, Mrs Pernicious

Are you definitely measuring in the right place? I always measured around my belly button for my waist measurement but my belly button is attached to saggy skin after 3 children and not as high as it used to be.

If you stand up and bend to the side it is the point where you naturally fold, the slimmest area half way between your ribs and hips.

Strength training using bodyweight and weights. A good trainer will always be able to suggest alternative exercises for those you physically cannot do. I am a member of a small gym and we're doing small group online workouts at the moment. There is always at least one person for whom an alternative is suggested.

Strength training - I'm late 40s - has transformed my body in the last year. I'm now a healthy BMI instead of overweight and my shape has transformed. I am slim and although I weigh around 9lb more than I did at my slimmest, I fit into the same clothes as I did then. I eat a higher protein, lower carb diet. Nothing is actually not allowed.