The MIddle Age bloody Spread! What can we do?

[soupdragon321]

Just been looking through a thread about flat stomachs (ah, how I long for mine - from when I was a about 14!). Anyhoo. I'm coming up the the big 50 next year and have been on HRT for about 18 months. Never had much of a waist (typical apple), but now it's thickened even more and it's depressing me. Have tried lots of things but nothing shifting it, to the point I'm in half a mind just to give up and let nature take its course! I guess I'm asking if anyone else has this? I'm not prepared to spend 80% of my life trying to get rid of 10% of my weight - just seems like a ridiculous amount of effort for very little gain! Rant over!

I eat carbs daily definately eat white pasta, try to have not too many UPF but do eat bread, rice etc. Drink probrably 2 units a week. Have cake/chocolate/crisps at least 3 times a week.

Itold you did you mean to post your DCs ?
Great waist well done.

I’ve reported the extra photos 🙄🙄🙄

How do you raise kids without pasta? I have it about five times a week!

A waist isn’t necessary to be stylish! My mum lived to be 97 and hers disappeared at about the same age as mine did.
True but it's annoying as (pregnancy aside) I lived quite happily with a straight up and down shape for decades, then developed a waist in my mid 50s - partly a by product of acquiring boobs - and now, just as I've got the hang of dressing it, I can see it starting to disappear again.

This is why I always laugh when I read posts that begin, 'I'm 40 now and I know what suits me.'

I think it's tough but possible. I am less sleek than I was 15 years ago, but still wear the same size clothing. At the same sort of age as @Floisme, what works for me is walking the dog five or six days a week, Pilates twice and a few days of watching the carbs. But I do like a glass of wine, and cheese is my nemesis.

Carbs are not the issue, but a calorie surplus is. It's often the case that we are less active as we age due to lifestyle changes, so even if you're not eating more you'll slowly accumulate fat.

Hormonal changes affect where this fat is distributed but the fat itself comes from calories consumed, it's not created out of nowhere.

Strength training is very beneficial (both for body fat management and preventing osteoporosis)

OP I would recommend following Amanda Thebe on Instagram, she's fab and has lots of evidence-based advice for women in peri-menopause and menopause

I’ve never really had a waist. I have boyish narrow hips, no arse and wide shoulders. Menopause has coincided with a very active outdoor job, lots of swimming and weight training. Just about managing to keep the excess middle at bay, though it’s a bit of a fight.

I'm eating some cheese now, and very nice it is too.

I do recommend getting a taste for uber dark chocolate - I'm far less partial to cake and biscuits now because they're too sweet for me.

I have lost 8kg by following the high fat low carb threads on Mumsnet. I have always been a pear shape and had a well defined waist until my mid 50s; now over 60. I realise that to maintain I mostly need to eat lower carb with IF apart from socialising. Avoiding processed food as well. I also run/ exercise maybe 5 times a week. Feel much better without the extra spare tyre.

Don’t lose sight of the best reason to eat well, health.

Our metabolism is making free radicals every day as a bi-product of digestion & the numerous chemical reactions needed for this produce free radicals which raise levels of inflammation in the body. This damages cells which causes cancer & heart disease.

High levels of antioxidants in the diet neutralise these free radicals.

I’m the first to admit that 20 years ago when I saw colleagues my age going on health kicks I thought it a desperate attempt at clinging onto their rapidly fading youth BUT now I’m 44 I realise it’s just what you have to do to feel well & that I’m fine with ageing per se. I like reading books & doing jigsaws in the evenings. A night out drinking would be a hard no for me now. I just don’t want to heave myself out of chairs or feel groggy in the morning.

It does get harder to keep a waist as you get older, 45 is nothing....a mere youngster!
When I get fed up of lettuce & celery I always remember my dad’s old mantra..
“ don’t smoke, don’t drink & avoid fast women, you might not live any longer but it sure as hell will feel like you have”

Incidentally he had the worst diet of anyone I ever knew.
Healthy eating???
Packed lunch every day of his working ( farm) life of cheddar cheese on white bread. Came home his hand straight in the biscuit tin while the chip pan ( lard not veg oil) was heating up for his tea. Never remember him without his pipe on the go & drank a brown ale followed by a rum nightcap every night. He was built like a whippet & died last year aged 99.

I was always pear shaped but became an apple. Low carb has reduced it massively but proportionally it's still the biggest part of me.

How about trying a waist trainer?

Thanks all. Good god being a woman is a bloody pain in the arse sometimes isnt it? Not only do we have to go through periods and childbirth, but along comes menopause and screws everything up yet again! Grrrrr! What is so annoying is that I don't drink a lot of alcohol at all, don't particularly eat much, and do yoga and pilates around 4-5 times a week. So basically to make any more changes will mean eating even less and exercising even more - therefore the 80% more effort for 10% more effect! I wish I didn't care and could just get on with living life without severely restrictiing food and fun! But I do care.

I find the only way not to have belly fat at 52 is to have my weight low. If I've not got much fat, I've not got much belly fat. Its obviously a balance as too low a weight isn't great, but I think I've hit the sweet spot with a BMI of around 20.5 as my waist is down to 24 (I'm smallish) but I don't look guant (hopefully!) This is what I do:
Only rarely drink alcohol perhaps monthly.
Don't eat meat or fish
Eat around 1800 calories a day
Walk fast for 45 minutes 3-5 times a week
Since menopause I've lost a lot of my hormonal food cravings and seem much less hungry so it's not really a hardship. Much easier than in the perimenopause years, which has surprised me.

5128gap I can only dream of getting my 23” waist back .
I think even if I got my weight down my ribs have widened from two babies in my forties.
My DH at nearly 50 has exactly the same body as he had at 22, whereas I look completely different in my fifties to how I looked in my thirties, pre babies.
Hypothyroidism and babies, with two c-sections, has left me fatter and less toned, with a shelf tummy.
When my thyroid levels are ok I can slightly reduce my weight, but when they aren’t I crave sweet things and carbohydrates generally, and any weight loss is a massive struggle as my metabolism also plummets.
Hormones have a lot to answer for.

People say it’s all about dirt and carbs, but I disagree.

You see, as we age we lose muscle, unless we fight it, so you can be the same weight at 50 as you were at 30, but you’ll have less muscle and more fat.

Annoying, but you can do something about it: any weightbearing excercise or strength training will help maintain (or even grow) muscle

Doing lots of exercise such as walkin/tennis/weightlifting/PT helped me get bigger muscles and less body fat. Doing cardio helps burn excess carbs if needed

Food wise I can eat as I used to, including lots of carbs.

For me, I find “doing more exercise” is so much more of a positive goal than “eating less” for overall health and mental well-being too

So I say get active, walk a lot, lift some weights, play a sport or whatever suits you

It’s all about dirt? Lol, no, I meant “diet”

Love it that my autocorrect replaces diet with dirt

Since menopause, the old eat less move more trick isn't working. The only thing that makes a difference for me is low carbing.

Like others have said. Weight training really helps. I have a waist still… and hopefully l can keep it. I am 50 in the Autumn. I train with heavy kettle bells 4 times a week.
Sometimes… it’s boring as hell - but l have no choice!

Luckily it works for me as I love complex carbs.

@withlotsoflove

Like others have said. Weight training really helps. I have a waist still… and hopefully l can keep it. I am 50 in the Autumn. I train with heavy kettle bells 4 times a week. Sometimes… it’s boring as hell - but l have no choice!

I had a waist that was 12 inches smaller than my hips when I was 50 ...

”Wait up - does HRT contribute to middle aged spread?
Haven't started... but was keeping it in my mental back pocket as a means to smooth the ride to menopause.”

No, the middle aged spread happens all by itself. HRT actually helps, to some extent.