Meno Belly Question

[Sunswiped]

Does anyone have a meno belly that literally looks like a third trimester pregnancy belly?

Yes, pretty much the same for me. It just seems to be where my body weight and metabolism end up. I don't look particularly underweight and I never feel deprived food wise.

This sounds a bit like slim-shaming.

Of course it's healthier to be in the lower, healthy end of BMI rather than overweight.

There was some research a while ago which said that for very old people they tended to live longer if they were slightly overweight but that may be a complex issue.
Perhaps they socialise more - tea and cakes- and that's directly linked to a longer life.
Perhaps because they eat more (which gives them more vitamins and minerals) ) they avoid some of the diseases that the elderly can otherwise suffer from as their appetite deceases in old age.
Perhaps the 'weight' is muscle and not fat.

@JinglingSpringbells I read it as a somewhat rigid and very prescriptive lifestyle to maintain a lower end of BMI, if you read it as ‘slim-shaming’ so be it!

There was some research a while ago which said that for very old people they tended to live longer if they were slightly overweight but that may be a complex issue

It could be that a little extra weight on an elderly person acts as a buffer against becoming frail after an illness such as flu, pneumonia, etc. Losing weight during an illness isn't going to be such a big deal if you've got a bit in reserve.

Exactly. It's all relative. It could be as little as 3 - 4kgs that may give protection during falls and prevent hip fractures. Or, as you say, a reserve if bedbound and unable to eat for a while.

This hardly applies to women in their 50s.

It was how you questioned if ' that lower-end BMI was any healthier than being overweight'.

It seemed to be critical of women who were a healthy weight and suggested they were unhealthy.

I read the same posts and didn't see anything 'prescriptive' just healthy eating that worked for those posters.

not sure where you got the "rigid & very prescriptive lifestyle" from. The posts were giving a rough idea of types of food eaten but mainly to point out that that i don't subscribe to calorie counting but have maintained the same weight more or less through the years. As i said, it's just the weight i stabilise at - there's no trying to get to a certain BMI

I'm in my early sixties and nearly a decade into post menopause. If I posted my typical daily food intake it might appear to some to be "rigid" or "prescriptive", but it works for me to maintain my weight. Just as importantly, I'm healthy and have plenty of energy so it's what my body needs for this stage in my life.

2,000 calories a day to maintain my weight at my age?! Hahahaha...is that a joke? That's a lot of calories. I would certainly gain at that level (and I exercise 60-90 minutes every day). In my 30's and 40's...maybe. I really don't know because prior to menopause I never had to worry about weight gain.

We all tend to become more insulin resistant with older age and the vast majority of us will either have to adapt our food intake or just resign ourselves to being overweight. It's frustrating but not complicated😕

We all tend to become more insulin resistant with older age and the vast majority of us will either have to adapt our food intake or just resign ourselves to being overweight.

I think we are only starting to realise this. Most people wouldn't have a clue about becoming insulin-resistant. For years it's been messaging about 'eat loads of fruit, reduce fat, fill up with healthy carbs.' My parents were given diet sheets from the NHS telling them to do this kind of thing. Yet if you do that in mid life and beyond you will pile on weight (unless you're very lucky) and your risk of late onset diabetes increases. It's nuts.

I don't think I've ever felt 'slim-shamed' and have never particularly understood why people on here get worked up over that. I've felt fortunate that it doesn't seem to be a huge struggle for me, but that's about it.

But I've also never felt like the way I eat is particularly prescriptive because I don't have any rules except that I really try to pay attention to when I've had enough - either because I'm full or I've stopped enjoying what I'm eating. I've never calorie counted, eat whenever I'm hungry until I'm not hungry any more, and eat everything except a lot of UPFs (although I'm not averse to the occasional chocolate digestive or Pret ham and cheese) and like a glass or wine or a negroni a couple times a week. I don't actually know my BMI and weigh myself very rarely, I happen to know it now because I had a doctor's appointment last week and she weighed me.

I'm pretty into cooking and food - we live in London and travel a fair amount and love eating in restaurants, and I do feel that eating mindfully (to use a vomit-inducing phrase) a lot of the time frees me up to not think about it the rest of the time.

Anyway, I only shared what I do because it seems different from the current dietary trend of avoiding carbs and not eating between mealtimes. I've always been a grazer and seem to have managed to avoid the meno belly but who knows what other factors come in. I would hate calorie counting or limiting myself to one meal a day. Everyone has to find what works best for them.

@rewilded

Lifting heavy and walking a daily 12k -15k keeps my metabolism fast and the weight off generally.

Is that a daily walk of 12 - 15 kilometers or do you mean you do 12-15,000 steps a day ?

@user3344556
Where do you get your chia rye bread from - do you make it yourself ?

I’ve been to see a nutritionist as I have osteopenia. One thing she said was body fat feeds oestrogen so it’s not good for your bones to be too lean. I’m always battling to keep my weight down and am fairly slim, BMI 21, probably with residual feelings around an old eating disorder. It’s complex as we have grown up with the smaller is better mantra. I would recommend seeing a nutritionist if you can afford it.

My regime is
lift heavy 4 days
1 run per week
short HIIT for impact for my bones
Mobility stretches when I can

no alcohol
prioritise protein

new nutritionist recs- reduce caffeine and fizzy drinks. More nuts, seeds, plants, oily fish etc… she’s given me tips and recipes tailored to calcium and magnesium for my bones. Tips around what to eat when training. Also supplements to take. It was really good and tailored to me.

I’m 53 and menopausal and on HRT. I had a meno belly - apple shaped so it doesn’t help but have lost most of it by drastically reducing my calorie intake and fasting. I’ve lost 1.5 st over 3 months making sustainable changes but basically a lot less food and avoiding carbs, sugar, unhealthy fats, UPFs and alcohol. There is no magic to it - just a lot less food!

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea

I get it from here
https://oleandsteen.co.uk/menu-rye-bread

And also like the rye from here - they used to be at our local farmers' market and then were on Ocado - not sure if they still are.
https://www.karawaybakery.com/shop?page=5

I generally freeze half and keep the other half in the fridge.

I would also see how much protein your are having a day - I have lost nine inches from around my waist last year. I stuck to 1400 calories a day and made sure that I have approx 120g of protein a day.
Intermittent fasting did not work for me - three meals a day - no picking

I'm only early 40s so it's early days for me but the only thing that helps me now is v long fasting periods in each 24 hours. So if I have dinner with the kids at 5.30pm and don't eat anything again until breakfast at 8am I can keep the weight to a good level. However I still have back fat that just will not go, but I've always held it around my middle. I'm only 5ft so every half a pound is visible

Blimey. You're the second woman I have come across today who has posted very recently that they were prescribed estrogen without a progestin/progesterone when they still have a womb. How on earth are prescribers still making mistakes like this? Thank goodness all is relatively OK folllowing your scan and fixable.

Wtf are these GPs doing? I know menopause training is rubbish, but this is a potentially life-threatening error. Happened to me, didn't take any thankfully. Check your prescriptions because a lot of them have very similar brand names and packaging.

I have osteopenia too and was wondering what supplements you take?

Did you see a nutritionist privately or on the NHS? I have my first rheumatology appointment next week and wonder about asking for a referral or whether that is pointless on the nhs.

No alcohol, intermittent fasting, pilates 5 days out of 7, almost no sugar have helped a great deal .. I'm 53 and did those for health reasons but have reduced belly and dropped a dress size .

@Thegreatgiginthesky hi there, I saw one privately. Do you have arthritis? When you mentioned rheumatology….

I take a bone one (Solgar bone health), a joint one and a probiotic. And a collagen one - bone balance. I also take those happy mammoth hormone balance ones. Crazy amount of money. She recommended a joint one to support the bones and the probiotic. The other ones I took myself after research. Vitamin D, K2, magnesium and boron are very important for bones as well as the calcium.

@Thegreatgiginthesky this is a good book Osteoporosis Reversal Secrets: Workouts, Diet and Supplements for Stronger Bones Without Medications https://amzn.eu/d/0eGeOSPg

How bad is your osteopenia @Thegreatgiginthesky ?

Just that it's unusual in the UK to be referred for osteopenia (unless you mean osteoporosis.)

I can tell you (almost) all you need to know having had osteopenia diagnosed almost 20 years ago, but made significant progress improving it including numerous DEXA scans and reports on those from experts.

I'd caution you against spending money on supplements.

Basically, you need a healthy diet, adequate calcium (not from tablets), and weight bearing exercise (including lifting weights, using bands, etc.)
And HRT is as effective as other drugs . It's the first line choice for women under 60.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society also has all the info you will need on diet- no need to see a dietician.

Many thanks for this. I think I need to start looking into supplementation. No idea why I have been referred to rheumatology, my GP referred me on the basis of a DEXA scan following premature ovarian insufficiency. I have no symptoms but -1.8/-2.3 in hip and spine. I am hoping that rheumatology might look into the causes as I would rather address these rather than just be put onto medication but I am not sure if this is how the NHS operates.

Can I ask how did you find your nutritionist? Did you look for someone experienced in bone health?