Why am I fat around my middle?

[PearlHare]

I’ve always been slim, size 6-8, but in the last year I’ve suddenly started retaining fat around my middle which is concerning. I’ve been to the GP about some other issues and nothing ‘wrong’ per se.

I’m always on my feet walking, do around 10,000 steps a day but I have a bad back so I don’t do any weight stuff which I know I should.

Example of a daily diet and I don’t eat huge portions:

breakfast: Fage yoghurt, kefir, banana, blueberries and raspberries with milled seeds

Lunch: halloumi salad wrap

dinner: small bowl of homemade vegetable and chicken curry (no rice, no naan etc, just the curry)

snack: then I had a slice of sourdough with aioli because I hadn’t had enough at dinner like an idiot.

Surely this is fine? I have my 30 a week so I know my diet is varied. But my belly is getting bigger, I’ve had to start wearing the next size up in underwear and I don’t understand?

Middle age spread. It gets you eventually.

Your bad back may be a result of not doing any work on your core. Go to a good yoga or pilates class and it should help strengthen all your muscles in the pelvic platform, support your back better and tone your stomach.

This is happening to me at 50. I’m lighter than I have been since having my first DS 11 years ago yet I still can’t get into pairs of jeans I wore 8 years previously.

gangly arms and legs and a thicker middle. Not a fan.

How old are you? Unfortunately it’s pretty normal for women to gain weight around their middle as they get older. It’s partly hormonal in my case but I also don’t sleep well and this is also a factor. I have slim arms and legs and a fat middle. It’s really hard to shift as well.

Perimenopause, most likely.

It's happened to me too. Slim everywhere else but a definite belly; I, too, am not a fan.

Trying to make my peace with it but it's not easy!

Everyone saying it’s inevitable, it doesn’t have to be if you exercise. Weights and Pilates are great for it

It's not inevitable but for some women their bodies are primed to hold on to belly fat after a certain age. I do exercise, and I know a lot about fitness and strength; I have been extremely fit in my time and have never had problems before but my body has definitely reset itself lately and the things I usually do don't work at all. I am right in the middle of extremely severe hormonal shifts and my body is doing its own thing.

I’m 37. I read that middle aged spread was a thing but it’s not safe so I’m concerned. I started doing some home workouts but they were so bad for my back that I stopped. There is only one Pilates teacher local to me and classes are all during the day when I’m either caring for small children or at work!

It's definitely a thing sadly

You can look up videos online to follow in your own time, I did pilates that way during lock down. I know its easy to say, but at your size I wouldn't worry too much.

It’s not unsafe if it’s just related to age.

Yes Pilates is brilliant, I have older friends in their 60s who do a lot of core exercises and crunches and don’t have the fatty middle. I do mine at home on YouTube

It can also be related to stress and poor sleep which increases cortisol and abdominal fat storage. Also insulin resistance, hormones, other metabolic conditions. Might be worth getting blood tests and check your thyroid and blood sugar. I've had a bigger belly since 18, my mum used to tell me I looked 3 months pregnant, but I also have diabetes in immediate family and I was prediabetic a few years ago at 40.

Also alcohol is a disaster for it.

It might be a genetic issue. My excess weight always goes around my middle and boobs. My paternal aunts and gran were the same.....thanks Dad for leaving me that legacy.

It's always been that way for me though, possibly still a genetic trait for you.

I'm the same shape as you.
For the past two years I've been doing weights and lots of floor core work twice a week. I've still got a bit of a tummy but it's smaller.

Yes weight training helps. And sorting out any insulin resistance issues which will encourage fat storage.

I don’t drink alcohol!

I wish some of it went to my boobs, but they were always small and since having kids you’d need a microscope to see them!

Thanks everyone, I will look into some form of weights and Pilates.

I started gaining around the belly after turning 45. Pissed me off so much that I started training more. I am a typical pear, always had a flat belly but larger tights. Taking care of my core solved the problem, pilates and Les Mills Shapes (which is a hardcore version of pilates) worked for me. I was able to grow a six pack despite being over 45, so I don’t think the middle spread is inevitable at this point in my life.

Strong core is simply just great to have, vanity reasons aside. It solved my back problems, helped me sail through pregnancy without any issues, my diastatis recti after this pregnancy was minimal, my overall posture improved, I became a better runner too. No cons, only pros.

Loss of muscle mass as we age. Muscle is more metabolically active. That's a really low carb diet so probably not enough to build muscle.

Insulin resistance also worsens as we age.

Strength training is really helpful For both.

Yea I did two cycles of yoyo dieting in early and late 30s - lost so much muscle mass from these! Then got in the gym and started lifting and rebuilt core and muscle. Upshot is that I am losing weight (excess fat) on 1800 cals a day which isn't really a diet at all, but this time round I am going to lift weights too so as not to destroy my hard earned muscle.

Insulin resistance? If so it's very easy to fix.

What does this mean? I’ve not heard of it before

There's a lot out there about it at the moment. Weight loss injections have the effect of balancing blood sugar which is why they were originally for diabetes. The glucose goddess is an influencer who recently had her own TV show for a few episodes on channel 4.

I am only slightly overweight but I discovered I had it last year, sorted it out and lost 3kg in a month without changing anything else. Honeslty, i believe it is probably very common and the weight we carry around the middle is impacted by our insulin sensitivity