I just cannot lose my peri stomach ( and boobs)

[Gladiator552]

Hi all, honestly how does one get rid of that barrel shape look?! I’ve always been slim without effort until I was about 40. Now im a tight size 14. Im 44 now
im on HRT, active, I do something every day 10000 steps a day
I haven’t had a drink in 3 months
healthy meals- protein rich
today was Greek yoghurt with flaxseed, raspberries and chia seeds at 10am after fasting for 13 hours
then lunch was two scrambled eggs with spinach, smokerel mackerel, kale, cucumber and mixed beans salad- just a plate full no dressing
banana
hsndful of nuts
then 45 mins weights in gym, resistance machines
also had a three mile walk
dinner one plate of pasta with olives and pesto as need to food shop soon
I did have 3 small biscuits
I also swam an hour this week, a 3 mile run and walking the dog. Will have another swim and weights this week. I also do 5-10 mins core here and there
I have always been fairly active but upped my strength training as want to change my “doughy middle”
my arms and legs are fairly slim and toned, it’s just my matronly boobs and huge bloated belly I hate. I just cannot seem to lose any weight and it’s really getting me down I cannot seem to get any results or wear what I want without looking frumpy.I hate myself when I see me in the gym mirrors
anyone still reading has any advise please?

Nearly 46 here. Could always eat OK and not exercise but easily loose weight. Nowadays I have veg or salad leaves for lunch and a small dinner, I also cycle a lot.

I've put on 1.5 stone. It's thoroughly miserable. DH cannot believe how little I eat but still gain weight.

Sorry, no advice but commiserations from me.

You can fast 13 hours, so maybe try going longer. Move into a 16/8 window and see how you feel. Fasting longer does help me. OMAD is probably my future.

Have you tried slimming world? Only thing that worked for me and completely reevaluated how I lost weight (as what works for you will change).

@torridthrow is that all you ate in a whole day? For months?!

I'm perimenopausal with weight on my stomach and desperately trying to lose weight. I have really cut down my portion sizes - can't imagine eating less than I currently am and still having the energy to exercise etc. But maybe I should give it a go!

I’m also getting that middle-aged spread that will not shift… I’m allowing myself to become the matriarch I’ve always wanted to be! Ha ha

Honestly, my husband is also getting bigger. I am kinda looking forward to growing old and a bit fatter together!! Not sure I could ever give up Italian food or wine - and I don’t indulge in masses… it is just not shifting anymore!

I think it is OK to embrace it and learn to love our (new) selves.

Yep. I got so freaking fed up and had tried EVERYTHING so I went down the route of lunacy.
Weirdly I didn't lose strength though. My appetite shrunk but some days were hard

It did get rid of my belly though. I guess it was almost like a semi fast.

I'm trying to figure out next steps now. I'm eating a little more but I've realised k can just never eat the way I used to again.

I know lots of people who now only eat one meal a day now or who fast a couple of days a week.

I find fasting days don't work for me. I have to do all or nothing. Some days one way and some days another just doesn't work for me.

@Gladiator552 yes that's it. I had the book from before on my kindle and just decided to go for it. I feel a 100% better for it.

I know how you feel!

Try eating the pasta at lunchtime & having no carbs later. That way, you will burn the carbs off during the afternoon. Even better, no pasta at all.

Cut out the biscuits,especially if it's everyday.

I have found eating around 1200 calories a dsy works but I get bored and hungry after a while. ☹️

Try dropping wheat for a month - so no pasta or bread (unless 100% rye). I've also switched rice for buckwheat and quinoa. Also try pushing the breakfast back half an hour a day until you can cut it out and just have lunch and dinner.

One thing I found helped last year was a day a week with a much longer exercise period - I was marathon training and once my long slow runs went over 3 hours there was a marked difference.

@Pigeonqueen

How can you stand to live like this? There’s no joy in not being able to enjoy a pizza or some pasta.
Because the misery of being fat ended up worse for me than the misery of not enjoying food.

I love clothes and fashion and nothing worked on my size 14 thick bellied massive boobed shape. I was so miserable. So I chose my compromise

I've cut out alchohol and most carbs for 6 weeks and lost a stone

Also you can make an acceptable tray of biscuits from one mashed banana, one cup sesame seeds and one cup mixed seeds. Mix together for about 5 minutes, put dessert spoonfuls on a baking tray and flatten a bit and bake on 180 for 20 minutes.

As Kate Moss said 'nothing tastes as good as being thin'....
I haven't managed to worship at that alter yet, but I'm nodding along to many of these pp, so maybe I'll have to convert as I really hate this middle spread so much.

I’m a size 12 but was an 8 to10. The only person who I know who is as slim as when we were young and is post menopausal denies herself nothing but eats minuscule amounts. I mean actually tiny, plus she fasts which is code for cutting out an entire dinner often. @torridthrow thats the sort of amounts my friend eats. I stayed a weekend with her last year she had 3 of the small ritz crackers with around 8 grapes and a piece of cheese the size of a small matchbox. I do not eat much and much less than a decade ago. I was fine till post menopausal at 51. DH eats as much as when we were in our twenties and probably weighs about 8 pounds more, it’s bloody infuriating.

Hrt made me pile it on my tummy and boobs. Skinny legs and arms.

Came off it in September, remained the same. Hrt changed my shape very quickly…

I’m now 57 and started menopause at the magic age of 51, really lucky up until then, no peri menopause. Soon after going into menopause I was continually bloated, to the extent that my skin just couldn’t stretch any more, it was soo bloody uncomfortable. After many blood tests etc, looking for any explanation, even ovarian cancer, my G.P suggested a probiotic that she uses, it’s called Optibac. I started taking these and at the same time my first drink in the morning is a spoonful of turmeric in a little hot water with a drop of honey, I also started the intermittent fasting regime at the same time. To my surprise my stomach started to go down, no more painful bloating. I’m also on a HRT regime of estrogen patch and a separate progesterone. I don’t know if it’s all a coincidence, but it works and I have a regular order of Optibac. The turmeric makes a big difference, I’ve been poorly recently with tonsillitis and couldn’t face any hot drinks, my stomach didn’t feel so good without it. Back on it now and starting to feel the benefit again. I even take it away with me, I just won’t be without it 🤗

@TheMarzipanDildo

Bloody hell how are you alive?!

I realised I just don't need much food 🤷🏻‍♀️

I still lift heavy 4x a week. I pretty strong bench 40k, hip thrust 120kg, leg press 120kg. I do 2 x 2hour strenuous walks a week. Walk my dog daily.

I'm nearly 60. It is what it is

Nothing is diminished eg hair, skin etc. my skin is actually looking really good rn.

I just think some people just don't need much food.

Thanks. That's good to hear you didn't lose strength when you were eating like that. I too feel like I've tried everything so maybe now is the time for drastic action!

I actually think that when I was very slim in my 20s I used to fast naturally (skipping meals without even really thinking about it). In recent years I seem to feel hungry all the time. I limit myself to 3 small meals a day (plus an occasional snack).

But I guess if the weight isn't shifting then fasting or OMAD is the only answer.

Unless today’s diet is an anomaly, your eating isn’t as protein rich as you might think it is. Do you track your protein?

2 spoons of Greek yog - 15g max
chia plus flaxseed - 5g
2 eggs - 12g if large
mackeral - 20g if half a regular supermarket pack
beans - hard to know without portion but 10g max unless huge portion
hsndful of nuts - hard to know without portion but 10g max unless huge portion
dinner one plate of pasta with olives and pesto as need to food shop soon - 10g not protein rich.

82g max if protein sizes are large. So, you need to up your protein. Some of these foods are also calorie dense: mackeral, pesto, etc. You could easily make lower calories swaps.

When you’re weight lifting, do you focus on progressive overload to actively build muscle?

Yes it's mental but this if I eat what I think would be considered 'normal amounts of food' now, I would 100% be obese.

I just had to make a choice. I didn't want to be big. This is what I have to do

Its so good to hear I'm not going mad and I'm not on my own. It's exhausting having to scrutinise every sodding thing you put in your mouth. I never had big boobs - and didn't want them either - until my late thirties, always had a flat stomach until now. Fifty this year and fed up with seeing Miss Piggy in the mirror! Weirdly, I have odd days/weeks when I feel and look better but then weeks and weeks of PMT style bloating and water retention. As a PP has said, I think I'd have to eat like a toddler to go back to a size 10 again - but then how do you achieve the nutritional ideal in the numerous articles about easing yourself through peri?
I'm so pissed off and frustrated but not sure I want to be the sort of nutter who had a mug full of frozen peas for lunch.

Fucking hell this is depressing as someone said if OP is doing all of that
I am 46 and a size 16
I am always hungry
Can fast in the morning

I don't drink much at all

I'm in my 60s.

I've been going to the gym since February. My weight hasn't shifted, but it's just dawned on me that my boobs have gone down and my stomach muscles have improved. (My boobs increased in size one month after going on HRT and hadn't shifted for a decade.)

I can only do certain exercises because of shoulder and knee issues. (I've had two shoulder decompressions.)

Apart from raising small weights to the sides, my main chest exercise consists of using bands like chest expanders. I've no idea as to whether that's helped the boobs.

So far as the stomach is concerned, the only thing that I can think of is the cross trainer - it's supposed to work the core.

The only other thing that I'm doing is using body lotion to try to avoid stretch marks on those areas. Too late for my inner thighs, I fear.

Same although always been a big 10 or small 12. Now I'm a 16 and unhappy.

I'm 44 and the last 4 years the weight has slowly piled on although nothing seems to have changed?

I've tried slim fast and fasting and neither helped so after 2 - 3 weeks on each I have up.

Op I have no hope if your food intake and exercise aren't helping you.

You're not alone x

God, this thread is so depressing. 1 cherry tomato 😭😭😭