If you have a large peri-menopausal tummy...

[BansheeofInisherin]

what BMI do you need to be for it to shrink?

Lost some weight recently with incredible difficulty, and I am now 5 '7 and 10.5 stone, which puts my BMI at 23.3. But I still have a massive tummy, as all the extra weight clings to my midsection. If I lose weight, it just goes off my butt. I have this feeling I will have to get down to 21 for it to disappear, which is hard to do in your 50s.

I am also S Asian, so genetically predisposed to store weight around my tummy, I think. :( My mum is a size 8, but with a tummy too!

Plan to start either swimming or Pilates to see if that makes a difference.

If success is possible, I think it's going to be more to do with what (and when) you eat rather than what your BMI is.

Isn't a tummy related to too much stress, too much sugar, too much fizzy pop, bloat etc?

My diet is exactly what Michael Pollan and all the fashionable gurus recommend: eat real food, mostly plants! In fact, only plants, no meat. Minimal sugar except for a couple of Rich Teas, reduced carbs, zero processed food, zero fizzy pop. No eating after 7.30 pm on most days.

Not trying to be holier than thou; it's the way I was brought up. Everything cooked from scratch.

The usual amount of stress that comes in your 50s, nothing untoward I think.