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.

That should say lowest, not slimmest.

@Solongsugar

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?

Yes I second this. I'm 5ft 8 and 11st 9 and my waist is 28... I know we are all different sizes but 10st seems very slim for your height. I would definitely investigate abdominal separation as I wrote down thread. You cannot do common exercises if you have this it will make it worse you need a specialised program.

I’m your height and when I’m 10 stone my waist is around the same size and I know what you mean when you say you couldn’t lose much more weight. I’m also an apple shape.

I’ve read that your waist size should be no more than half of your height so we’re 69 inches so shouldn’t be bigger than 34.5 inches. To me this makes sense as a woman of 5 foot 2 or the average of 5 foot 4 wouldn’t have the same waist circumference so someone 5’9 or taller.

Here’s a website that explains it

qz.com/1002707/bmi-calculators-arent-accurate-but-our-body-fat-calculator-is/

I can highly recommend the Every Mother app for exercises targeted for diastasis recti and strengthening your core. It's really toned up and shrunk my waist. You have to pay but it's about £30 for three months or £50 for a year I think. I've been doing it every day for 4 months and highly recommend it.

Chocolate addict here, have given up for lent, hel lush for a week but now it's fine and craving sugar less as a result. Go cold turkey for a bit.

*Hellish

I have been the exact same weight for 3 months now which has been a bit demoralising, but this morning realised I have lost at least an inch in that time, which must be due to exercise and toning up. (I do boxercise and ringfit on the Nintendo Switch which are both fun, and a walk every day, so none of it is onerous.)

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.

@SaddleUpandRideYourPony
Hehe, us too!
I had half a stone to shift so did use the F800 to do that then stuck with the Mediterranean diet and intermittent fasting to keep the weight off, which is the maintenance stage of the diet.

@IstandwithJackieWeaver

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.

This, absolutely.

I'd also put you protien up to around 126g a day.