Avoiding weight gain around the middle?

[redfacebigdisgrace]

Is there any way of avoiding this? Or limiting it?

I try to limit sugar, eat lots of protein and weight train. Anything else I can do? I don’t drink alcohol.

Thanks

I’ve managed to stop, and reverse where it was starting to stick, by keeping a good eye on calorie intake and starting HRT.
I reduced my weight down towards the lower end of my BMI and snow avoid rice, pasta, alcohol and just stick to a little bread & potato.

@TooManyCheesecakeCalories did you find the hrt helped? I've done everything and have lost lots of weight everywhere but my bloody peri belly-but everyone I've asked says HRT has made them fatter if anything. I'm beginning to think tummy tuck is the only answer!

I understood it that it’s actually menopause, and the need for significantly less calories, that causes the weight gain but that it does tend to sit on the tummy without HRT.
My tummy is flatter now than I was pre menopause, but then I am also now under 9 stone whereas I used to be 10 stone 3 and used to regularly drink wine.

The results of very many accurate scientific studies show that HRT does not increase weight gain.

Carbs once a day usually, at one meal, and no 'junk' snacks at all. Hardly any sugar in a day (one sq dark choc) snack on plain yoghurt or nuts. Just less food basically, and rarely stuff like pasta, rice, spuds, bread, cake etc etc.

I've been doing same as you OP - gym, weights, more protein, no booze - and it seems to be working. I haven't lost weight but I'm more toned and my middle is getting back in shape.

Weight gain around the middle is caused by insulin resistance. My source is my daughter who is a doctor. Reduce or eliminate simple carbs and it will go away. Mine did.

Not so sure on this @LifeExperience Insulin resistance is metabolic syndrome = diabetes.

In midlife, after menopause, women's body shapes change. We store fat on our middles, rather than our hips, bums and thighs. HRT which replaces estrogen can help to avoid this but it's also about diet (most people in their 50s+ aren't as active ,even if they do go to the gym etc.)

Not everyone who has weight round their middle is diabetic (but weight around the middle is associated with developing diabetes longer term.)

Read and try the Human Being Diet by Petronella Ravenshear. Very clear explanation about how our bodies work. It's the Mediterranean diet, eliminates snacking. Has changed my lifestyle and cut my waist size down.

I’m naturally tall and slim but had started getting a belly and my boobs were shrinking. Starting HRT reversed this for me. I also exercise with weights several times a week and eat more protein (been doing this for years though so it’s definitely the HRT that helped)

There's no magic formula or special diets.

It's just focusing on healthy eating - lean protein, lots of veg, fruit, dairy, nuts, etc- and few refined carbs.

And avoiding ultra processed food and artificial sweeteners.

Hrt makes me huge 😭

That is bollocks!

I've been on then off then on hrt & immediately I take it i gain weight and look pregnant.

Define how you know if you have gained weight around the middle & I'll know if I had that. <shrug>

Did your waist measurement go up by 2"? Did your clothes size go up by 2 (from say 6 to 8?) ? Do strangers comment that your shape got bigger? How do you know?

@lljkk its pretty obvious- tighter clothes around the waist only. Stomach sticking out where previously it was flat. Gained an inch there only. No strangers commenting 😂

Thanks everyone! Interesting. I know what I need to do. Less carbs and sugar (this has crept up) and maybe intermittent fasting. It’s whether I can be bothered 😂. I’m already lifting weights 4 days a week plus a run one day. No HRT yet but definitely feeling some peri symptoms.

I have found there are 2 options:

1. A fairly strict diet verging on keto ( which I don’t like)
2. Strict exercise regime of HIIT 3 times a week along with calorie control but not to point of feeling hungry. So use MyFitness Pal to count macros and try to eat lots of protein ( which means no urge to snack)

In terms of exercise :
Lots of planks and abs work.

For instance:
Bowflex 3-minute plank (every day)
Caroline Girvan's 15-minute plank workout
Rebecca Louise's Best Abs
Caroline Girvan's Braced Core & Abs

Thanks @PaminaMozart and @Sconenjam , I do abs in my workouts but I’ll maybe add an extra session in at home. I maybe need to get back to HIIT. Hard to fit it all in!

This. And to add doing front crawl. With breathing both sides. You exercise your core back and lats. Doesn’t have to be fast.

I have lost 18 pounds this year ( am on HRT) by creating a small calorie deficit, ensuring I prioritise protein ( minimum 100g each day) and making sure I eat minimum 7 portions of fruit and veg too. I use Nutracheck to log.

I do 8-12k steps a day, weight train in the gym 3 times a week and run 2-3 times too.

It's reasonably simple but does need to be executed thoroughly and consistently to work

Ah, you're unhappy about 1" gain.

I wouldn't worry about that or notice it. It's less fluctuation than I had when I was a teenager or in my 20s prone to bloating. I hope you find a lifestyle that suits you, all the same.

I need to stop this before it really starts. I fear it's the carbs thing but I might waste away with carbs as I'm already bottom of my BMI. Maybe a couple more (big!) salads a week and an extra HIIT class.

Carbs are not the enemy, they should absolutely form part of a daily diet for the vast majority of people.
What they should not be is the majority of your calories. Also the carbs you do eat should (mostly) be of good quality - ie less wine, crisps and sweets. Potatoes are one of the most satiating foods and have other benefits too for example.

On top of that if you do any form of regular exercise then quality carbs and quality protein become even more important.

Don't be scared of carbs, they are important and they have their place.

Furthermore If you want to lose fat ( which is what most people mean when they talk about weight loss) then ensuring you maintain or build lean muscle mass is really important and for that you need protein and execrcise ( fuelled in part by carbs) to successfully do that.

Weight loss is 80% food (reduction) and 20% exercise.

Exercises for abs and waists etc can tone you but they won't make you drop the pounds (although yes, more muscle burns more calories when you're inactive.)

It's easy to underestimate what low carb is.
A very small portion of porridge is 50gms.
The definition of low carb ranges from 20-50gms a day, but some say 100gms.

So if you want to go low carb, that's probably one portion of something a day.
That could be either - a sandwich, a small bowl of pasta, a small portion of rice.

Which means 2 meals would be carb-free, (ignoring veg like root veg) so no snacking on biscuits, cakes, confectionary, etc!

@lljkk its more trying to stop the 1 inch turning into 4 inches! 😂