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?

This is the conclusion I've just come to after a year of living on 1,200 calories a day and maintaining on that.

This last week I've been having one egg or half a tin of tuna and some salad leaves, 4 cherry tomatoes and a bit of cucumber for lunch. No breakfast and try to keep that lunch at bay until 2pm. Dinner is one slice of toast with marmite or a bowl of greek yoghurt. Go to bed hungry.

I've shifted 3lb so far, but its hard.

Good to see the pro anorexia posters are out in force 🤨

Op what you eat sounds fine, our body's change as we get older 🤷‍♀️

I finally found a Dr to help. I was barely eating and training my butt off..only it was growing. Went from size 8/10 to 16/18 and growing. I have insulin resistance. Apparently hits in peri. I’m on (coming off now) ozempic (became borderline diabetic) and on metaformin. I’ll have to stay on metaformin as my levels still high despite losing nearly 26kg. I’d seen every specialist, nutritionist, counted calories, macros etc and ran marathons/and half’s. It’s so frustrating when you do everything right and it doesn’t work.

No advice - just solidarity from another mid 40 year old with an increasingly barrel shape. Used to be a 10 in my 20s, a 10-12 in my 30s, now nearing a 14 and it's all round my middle. I've never had to diet before so finding it difficult to know how to get on top of this - thanks for the thread.

You’d rather be slim and miserable than fat(ter) and miserable. What a choice. What a time to be alive.

kindred spirits here! This weeks low was that my boobs and belly are getting in the way at Pilates. I nearly suffocated myself in downward dog as I didn’t have the right bra on. 😫

Nothing to do with weight unless you are fat. Only way to get rid of it is serious weight training.

Go to bed hungry.

How do you sleep?

OP low testosterone is supposed to make you add fat around your torso so maybe have a chat with your gp/clinic to add some to your hrt regime.

Don't mess around taking extra hormones for vanity.

Late 40’s here. Also suffer from larger boobs and belly if I’m not really careful.
What I find works best is day to day no refined sugar or processed carbs and no alcohol. No banannas, no white potatoes and no rice. No high sugar fruits including raisins or dates.
Keep blood sugars as even as you can.
Meals would look like
B- 1 egg, veg or avacado and protien like fish or ham or chicken.
L homemade chicken soup or salad with protien and small amount of nuts or seeds.
D: lean Unprocessed protien with veg or salad.
snack- Greek youghurt with berries.
Few Almonds Or walnuts.
veg sticks with occasional hummus or Mayo
Stick to it. Day in day out.
Occasional lunch out or dinner out for special occasions fine but just stick to that day to day.
Strength training when possible 10 mins core / abs every day.
Absolutely no pasta or bread or sugar at all when at home.
It’s brutal but if you want to stay a slimmer size in peri / menopause it seems to be what’s needed

What do you mean by that?

I get a bloated belly easily nowadays (50 this year) and I’m wondering whether I’m developing food allergies. Maybe to gluten?

My belly was so bloated last month but is much flatter right now. I’m not sure what I’m doing differently, tbh. I do swim and walk regularly, swimming works wonders for my belly.

Maybe try substituting some of your foods and see what happens.

@BruFord interesting you should say that. I have always had an intolerance to some dairy products but the only reaction when I was younger was in my nose, throat and skin. Now, if I even eat a spoonful of cream with a dessert I get horrendous stomach pains and if I eat any amount of dairy rich foods - like a creamy sauce or milk chocolate I get terrible bloating for days. I used to avoid excess dairy and avoided certain things that made me react worse (raw cream and milk being the worst), but now I have to be pretty much dairy free otherwise I feel and look awful

Hello, no advice.
Feel your pain.

Right? I'm just waiting for someone to come along with tips for how to induce vomiting after eating your single cherry tomato to save on the calories, or wearing elastic bands around your wrists to ping to distract from the hunger pains.

This is depressing.
That can't be enough food.
Maybe we're just not meant to be a size 10 at 40+?

Can't imagine a man ever saying this.
It's sad women are made to feel like this.

Are the people who have stopped eating not worried that they’re fucking up their metabolism?

Hate to say it but cut the carbs. Pasta and biscuits, gone. In fact, no snacking at all.

If you can fast for longer each day -16 hours - that will help too.

See if that makes a difference.

Don't forget also that your muscle tone declines with age so you need to work twice as hard at stomach exercises to keep it all toned and holding itself up

I'm older than you and currently doing fast800 to get rid of a bit of my stomach blobby bit so I can fit in my summer clothes.

For maintenance I need to do fast800 every few weeks for a couple of weeks. I'm going to add in a couple of 24 hour fast days a month now too but that more for kick starting cell regeneration to try to reduce cancer and Alzheimer's risks.

Aargh this is the most depressing thread ever! I have been meaning to start a proper exercise regime but what us even the point when those who do so are still struggling? I already walk everywhere and have a good diet. Don't really want to go to bed hungry and eat two grapes!

I think people do tend to find it’s food ( or lack of!) that shifts the chub rather than exercise sadly.,

It is much harder to lose weight once into per. I totally agree and am in the same boat. The only way I can get into shape is by tracking my calories and macros rigidly- abstaining from alcohol and 5 days a week heavy lifting . I can’t do that all the time as holidays/ social life gets in the way and I pack any fat lost back on

I do recommend reading / listening to Stacy T Sims. I have done one of her online courses to learn more about female athletes in menopause. This book is not as intensive as the course but gives a great overview into how things work in our bodies at this stage of life and what might work. Worth a read www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394337866240

It’s not about vanity. I’ve put on just over a stone in a year and I can feel it slowing me down. Bending is harder, exercising is harder, playing with the children is harder. I don’t necessarily need to get back to an 8 but I definitely don’t want to get any bigger.

Honestly I have a really good diet. I eat the proverbial 30 veg a week, don't drink, don't eat sugar or UPFs ever... Not because I am denying myself but because I enjoy a veggie Asian diet. My vice is rice but have even reduced that drastically.

I don't starve myself though will occasionally fast. All this is keeping me a size 12, but I still have a belly.