If anyone has lost the saggy menopausal belly , how did you do it ?

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I'm specifically putting menopausal belly because I know lots of people say the hormones affect the way fat is laid down.

It;s the saggy apron flappy skin and bloaty belly that stares back at me .

I;m 56 and menopausal .(2 DC but not CSection)
I don;t drink or smoke
I cannot do the high fat/low carb because it will give me extreme pain.

I;m not even contemplating HRT or surgery but I know many have found success there .

I lost a stone last year through extreme ill heath (in a month ) but this has likely crept back .

I'm not looking for a miracle , but I don;t want to just accept it and I know as I get older its more difficult , plus the diabetes risk is higher .

Any tips ? Excercise specific to my abdomen ?

TIA

My flippant answer is covid! I was very ill over Xmas last year and shed several kilos of belly fat which I am managing not to put back on. I wouldn't recommend it, but it has taught me that the fat is not inevitable and that my body will burn it, if it is put into a situation where it has to. I have cut down on the 'essential' cakes and sweets that I used to eat and I try to exercise but I no longer believe that I am meant to be a little barrel.

Early 50’s here.

I lost 2 stone in weight and started doing body pump (resistance training with weights) 3 x per week.

I had flu the past two weeks and completely lost my appetite. Lost nearly 2 kg. It's scary how few calories my body needs in peri.

Can easily do without sugar or alcohol, but I often think a life without rice or rotis is not worth living:(

You can't do exercises to purely reduce fat on your stomach-you need to try and reduce fat/weight all over your body. If you are overweight I would start using My Fitness Pal app and truthfully tracking all your food and taking it from there. You can easily calculate your target calories for the day.
I found when I cut out bread/pasta and switched to lactose free milk (Arla brand) my stomach bloating disappeared.
Agree with weight training. Much more important than cardio when you are over 50. Try Caroline Girvan's free workouts on YouTube maybe 3 to 4 times a week.
Also why no HRT? Our hormone levels fall to 2 to 5% of our premenopausal levels after the menopause so our bodies will be crying out for these essential hormones. Will help give you energy to exercise, lift your mood, improve sleep and protect against osteoporosis in later years.

I haven’t gained any weight at 46 but I eat an un-processed diet due to a cows milk allergy. I use a cross trainer at home but not consistently.

I think processed food fucks us up a bit after 40. Alcohol is my nemesis now.

@StClare101 which wraps do you recommend please?

I think processed food fucks us up a bit after 40

I agree/ there's a lot of 'hidden sugars' in processed foods.

Would love to know more about your wraps @StClare101 please!

Ashtanga yoga and hardly any sugar made mine disappear

Tummy tuck...

I'm beginning to see a change to my horrible overhang menopause body.
I've cut heavily processed foods so I still eat, say peanut butter but not biscuits.
I have gone heavy with my weight training also doing it 4 to 5 x a week either before or after work plus some cardio. I like cycling.
I'm feeling and looking to look so much better.
I'm on hrt and 58.

Following with interest. Piled on so much weight in the last year that i hardly recognise myself.

Mines finally reducing a bit through minimal carbs.
I've actually cut down my exercise a bit as I was spending time doing Zumba which tired me out but didn't seem to make much difference. So I do a lot of walking and parkrun and a couple of exercise classes which gives me a bit more time to prep lunches and breakfast when I'm in the office.

Haven't cut alcohol out entirely but a couple of glasses of fizz these days makes me feel like a bender used to do many years ago, so it's hardly worth it.

I'm 48 and on HRT, I've noticed a huge improvement in my belly just from cutting out bread! Not low carb, I still eat potatoes and pasta (although I have switched to gluten free pasta as I find it doesn't make me feel as 'full') but simply cutting out bread has made a difference.

I also do IF so I only eat 2 meals a day. Most lunchtimes I'll have what would be considered a breakfast - a kefir yoghurt with some (defrosted) mixed berries, dried prunes, chia seeds and small bit of granola stirred in. I cut down on alcohol a while ago as I just don't seem to be able to tolerate it as much anymore. As others have said, I think you should consider HRT it's been a lifesaver for me! I don't understand why you can't do intermittent fasting - cutting out one meal will instantly reduce your daily calories even if you make no other changes, you can be flexible about the timings and don't forget that the 'fasting window' includes the hours you're asleep in bed.

Finally I agree with others that weights or resistance training is what you need. I workout 3 times a week with weights & resistance bands and even though it's not solely focussed on abs work, I have a much stronger core and definitely see a difference in my shape overall including the dreaded belly.
Good luck OP!

@FlowerArranger thankyou so much for recommending Lucy Wyndham on YouTube, I've been doing 3 of the videos daily & already noticing a difference

This thread is so helpful to know it is just an age thing & I can do something about it!

I'm glad you like Lucy, @Neveragain85 . She is perfect for beginners.
3 a day is impressive 😎
Have fun!!

Roar by Stacy Sims is a worthwhile read for any woman, particularly those dealing with perimenopause/menopause weight gain - it explains why your body is doing what it is doing - laying down fat, why you are metabolising food in a different way, why your usual exercise regime is no longer working and how you can counteract these things

Highly recommended

Thanks for the recommendation, @highfidelity - I think I remember Roar being mentioned somewhere.

Anyone still reading this thread - try this:

Do it once a day for a month and you'll notice a big difference. Just 3 minutes a day for a tight core! 😎

Am not a fan of planking, so do instead. They can be done with two or just one kettle bell - in the latter case, hold your free arm at a 90º angle/arm horizontal to the floor

Oooh I like that, love a plank

Oh yes, @highfidelity , the overhead marching is great do. I do this kind of thing while I wait for the kettle to boil!

This is great for building strong abs and strengthening the core:

It's 10 minutes, but if that's too much, do half one day and the rest the next day 😀

Roar is great but she has a new book out called Next Level which is all about peri-menopause, menopause and beyond. It’s really insightful. Working my way through it!

Ordered!

Thank you!

Ah great! It’s really very good. I keep recommending it to all my friends..

@Delatron There's a dearth of misinformation/not enough information about menopause/physiology, diet and training, and Roar really surprised me as it's one of things I have read that know what it's talking about with regards to menopause and its affect on our bodies/training etc.

Really looking forward to seeing what Next Level brings to the table.

I am 51, and find the only way is to attempt a really positive approach to life in general (fake it till you make it), getting active and into sport, find something you like, anything, walking or swimming, tennis, yoga, dance fitness, Nia, Zumba, couentry walks… then start doing it religiously twice a week. Then build up to 3, then 4-5 times a week

now it has become a habit

to be able to enjoy these activities you need to fuel your body right, so don’t think about restrictions but rather think about a nice combo of carbs, protein and fibre

now healthy eating (not massively restrictive, just generally more healthy whole food choices) has become a habit

stuff happens, you go out with friends, you drink an entire bottle of wine and a large pizza

but it does not matter, it’s just one day , you have not “ruined everything”

you find after a few years that you have more muscle, less fat and better health , less belly

but it’s a mindset change that is needed, thinking about fun things you could do, and lovely (but healthy) things you can eat.

so many people talk themselves into miserable diets, that just makes them want to rebel

so for me, the above worked. But it took time. Getting knocked down, then getting up again.

but I’ve become someone who loves exercise, and who thinks pasta with spinach and mushrooms is more delicious than a takeaway

(I used to love takeaways and restaurant food, lots of drinks and sleeping late, and it showed)

good luck