I’ve noticed since being in menopause, I’m finding it very hard to lose weight. I have this belly fat that I can’t seem to get rid of. I work out 5 times a week. I practice clean eating – no dairy, sugar or alcohol . I drink plenty of water. I’m a pescatarian and I eat lots of fruits and veggies. Yet, I’m still having difficulty losing the belly fat. What are some of y’all’s weight loss practices? Is there anything natural that can speed up my metabolism?
– Robin, Mesquite, TX
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Mo5 years ago
I have the same issue so if anyone has the answer or suggestions I’d welcome it too.
Gisella5 years ago
I’m in the same position, I can’t shift it even after increasing physical activity and improving my diet. If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears
Ellie5 years ago
Same here the muffin top is really getting me down ? Worse when l have a ?? it’s like a float around me!!
Michelle5 years ago
Me too!
Jacqueline5 years ago
I have the same issue and eat a pretty similar diet to you. I’ve noticed that it’s got worse over the last couple of months and has even intensified with my skin now beginning to sag. Awful! I used to do intermittent fasting and lost 7kg last year and I’ve decided to give it a go again. I’m doing 5:2 with fastIng days on Monday and Wednesday - a smoothie for lunch and omelette and salad for dinner. Paired with that I’m doing 16:8 every day (excluding Saturday - my cheat day) when I fast overnight and the following morning, only eating between 1pm and 9pm (usually stopping at 8pm). I only started last Monday and I’m hoping that this combo will have an impact. I already feel less bloated and I’m hoping I achieve some weight loss and fat. I’ll keep you posted.
Caroline5 years ago
Hi, when you are fasting do you allow yourself to drink coffee?
Lushi5 years ago
Intermitting fasting works for me. yoga and meditation is hard to fit in a busy day but it reduces stress, a big contributor to belly fat. Good sleep routine too. Now I don’t always manage, but i try my best and thats is good enough. To help with healthy gut i have introduced kefir and fermented veg in my daily diet. Would be interested to see what works for others. Best of luck.
Marion5 years ago
I totally get where you are coming from- I changed my work out regime- swopped a spin class for a step class and tried to incorporate some regular weight work - all different to my normal training regime - seemed to work for me but do find I have to watch my weight so carefully now x
Gloria5 years ago
Me too
Sally5 years ago
Same here! Also no dairy plus pescatarian diet, but cannot lose the weight!
Dawn5 years ago
I’m doing intermittent fasting 16:8 it’s pretty easy to do. I didn’t change what I eat really just when. You have an 8 hour window to eat. I’ve lost just over 2kg, really slowly. It’s also a way of eating that I can do for ever. My trouser fit properly. Hurrah! I don’t the digestive issues I was having. The belly fat is going. I drink more water. My skin looks great. Give it a try, it’s not fast but feels permanent.
Lou?5 years ago
Hi. I’ve not a clue about this fasting but I’d love to give it a try. Would you mind explaining about it a bit please. What hours you do and stuff. If you don’t mind. Thankyou
Melvina919replying to Lou?4 years ago
Try the app fastic. I also do the 16:8 intermediate fasting, but I do eat everything under the sun. I have lost some weight. The best thing about it is I feel great realizing my belly isn't bloated.
Wendyreplying to Lou?4 years ago
Look up Dr Berg’s fasting videos on YouTube, they’re very good to get started.
Paula5 years ago
I’ve been doing IF too but extending the 16:8 to probably 20:4 and some days OMAD (one meal a day) I have struggled with yo-yo dieting and needed a solution. Now I eat whatever I want on my OMAD days with a treat (dessert) I have lost 10kg and want to lose a further 3 to be within my “ideal weight range”. I think the lack of oestrogen causes us to retain belly fat. HIIT is supposed to help target this but I don’t have the energy to try this yet ? Good luck ladies
Smiler5 years ago
Me too. I remember my late mum just having sparrow sized meals and thinking how do you survive off that but I do. I fast 16:8 but sometimes only have the one meal and do regular exercises. I make sure I drink plenty of fluids and Sunday night is always ice cream night ? xx
Sally5 years ago
Keto! Forget the scales just ditch sugar and carbs, but before you start take your belly measurement! It’s amazing and your shape changes when your weight doesn’t so much, but god you look great and the energy is incredible x
Ouida5 years ago
GM everyone I have been doing Keto for 9 months now and lost 45.4 pounds in the first 5 months. I can tell u Keto works & now I’m implementing Potato salad back into my diet for the Resistant Starch. I was Perimenopause for some years and finally it stopped this year! I have had morning, noon & night hot flashes and vagina itching & some odor? Is there anything like a pill to take for the vagina odor. I don’t want to smell anything lol! Sorry to get off subject... please any suggestions are welcomed. Thank you and have an awesome day ladies♥️
Mellyreplying to Ouida5 years ago
Hi try www. canesten.co.uk, once you get an idea you could find a cheaper brand. Good luck. It will help with odour.
Sheilareplying to Ouida5 years ago
Lume is a deodorant for privates invented by a gynecologist. It’s on Instagram and Facebook
Lulu5 years ago
I have always relied on keto as my go to diet. Until Covid hit, I did it for 3 years. I got to my desired weight and then used it to balance. I have been back on it since January because I gained half a stone last year, but I just cannot make it move. I’ve been stricter on carbs than when I lost loads of weight on it. I’ve thrown stuff, screamed and still it doesn’t help ??. Can I ask how small you are and your age? If not don’t worry, just don’t know why it isn’t working anymore.
Netty5 years ago
I find reducing my food portion,exercise and gluten free Food helps
Julie5 years ago
Another vote for intermittent fasting. I eat a pescatarian diet but use the 16:8 eating window. It doesn’t shift weight quickly but it does reduce my bloating a lot.
Elizabeth5 years ago
Reading through these comments is bringing me down. I was at my lowest weight ever a few short months ago. Since menopause and pandemic entered my life, the scale has slowly but surely been going up. I’ve tried walking everyday and eating right and the pounds just keep coming. I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do anymore! Keto? Intermittent fasting? ??♀️
Amie5 years ago
I have been trying too. Intermittent fasting I think I’m doing. Just not eating breakfast. And low carb with lots of veggies, the scale is finally going down. It’s been months since I’ve been able to see it go down. I hope that helps.
Tracy5 years ago
Whilst I accept that not everyone wishes to try or amend any HRT they are taking, I have read research that seems to link the stubborn ‘front laden’ weight to oestrogen/progesterone/testosterone imbalance? It may be that this in conjunction with the heathy lifestyle you have could be the answer within any country specific treatment guidelines? I do feel envious of those commenters who say they can exercise like crazy - I have fibromyalgia too and this can affect my ability to move most days! ?
Wendy4 years ago
It is doable, do not quit, remember that our bodies need nutrients, lots of them: a good multivitamin with minerals, collagen for better movement and less wrinkles/saggy skin, omega-3, electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, calcium) and lots of water and fiber. Maybe this may give you some insight: I took the time to find an OBGYN who specializes in hormonal imbalances and also practices natural medicine along with the traditional. She tested me with the DUTCH test and had some aha’s: 1- we need to support our adrenals, we are stressed just from worrying about the difficulty losing weight plus whatever life brings. She put me on AdrenaMax by Xymogen and this actually helped me start losing weight after taking one bottle. I was already doing clean IF. 2- she also put me on a progesterone cream, very low dose. This also helped tremendously to sleep and function better. Hope this helps.
Jojo5 years ago
I have to get up early and walk my dog and go to work so I can’t do intermittent fasting or I will pass out by noon. I don’t understand how it can be healthy not to have breakfast to start your day. Am I the only one who feels this way? I suppose I could go 9am-5pm and fast the other hours, but I know that I will wake up in the middle of the night starving so I won’t be able to sleep.
Lesley5 years ago
I feel that way too! Passing out at work is not an option. But my friend swears by it. Some of us might be more sensitive to low blood sugar in the morning maybe...
Angela5 years ago
You can start slowly. I’m a nutrition coach and find IF was easier than I thought. You eat the correct amount to fuel your body but in a shorter number of hours. Angela
Natasha5 years ago
I have done it all, and nothing has helped me. I am the type of person that could go a full day without food, and be fine. That means my meals must be intentional, but I don’t eat a lot. I have always been naturally thin, but have gained 19 lbs this year. I drink so much water. I am thinking about goi g total protein for a week and see what happens.
Lou?5 years ago
Can anyone give me some info on fasting please. It sounds like a really healthy way to like detoxify your body, but haven’t a clue what these numbers mean that I keep seeing in comments. I’m very new to this site. Thankyou xxx
Beth5 years ago
I have also tried keto, IF, long fasts, paleo, no dairy.... you get the idea. Everything seems to work short term but it’s hard for me to sustain long term. I decided to embrace my “chubby tummy” and try to be neutral about it. Positive self talk when I look in the mirror or even neural talk: I have a body. This belly gave life. I also created an Instagram account that supports body positivity. I only follow people like thebirdspapaya who celebrates all figures, stretch marks, etc. I don’t have friends on that account. I just follow people who fill my cup. I can list more body positive accounts if anyone is interested. This account makes me feel seen and embraced exactly as I am. Im trying to work on: we are all beautiful now. I can work out every single day and my body may look exactly like it does now. But I know I can feel good by working out and filling my brain with good stuff like meditation, healthy body talk, movement, and by surrounding myself with regular, beautiful people who have similar mindsets. What a strange journey this is. I’m glad I found all of you. :)
Savannah5 years ago
I feel exactly as so many of you have said...I exercise and eat a healthy diet- did keto years ago and had lost weight, but now eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, no dairy or gluten; really healthy and exercise daily and have a tire around my middle that I just cannot get rid of! Just went for yearly check up and have gained 5more lbs. I am very upset about it...don’t know what else to do. Don’t really want to go back on keto, but maybe it is the answer for my body...
Wendy4 years ago
I was the same as you. Here is what I did: You need to make sure you’re getting the basics right and Rome was not built in a day, getting healthy takes time. If you do Keto, do clean Leto because eating fried foods and butter will just clog your liver further. The basics: remember that our bodies need nutrients, lots of them: a good multivitamin with minerals, collagen for better movement and less wrinkles/saggy skin, omega-3, electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, calcium) and lots of water and fiber. What worked great for me was celery juice every morning taken 1 hour before time to break the fast. It will cleanse your liver, which controls all hormones in the body, and improve your digestive system, I have no more bloating, I digest foods better and since I had fatigue, it did help regain energy, I sleep better, the months when I don’t take it, my periods are more painful. Read about it.
Micca5 years ago
I’m a Registered Dietitian and I have clients that struggle with this all the time. Once we reach mid-life and hormones start to change, weight loss/maintenance becomes more about hormone balance than calories. With that being said, restricting food groups and excessive exercise can actually further imbalance hormones and put the body into “fight or flight mode”. Balancing carbs throughout the day and low intensity/consistent movement for no more than 40 min a session has been proven to allow the body to “feel safe” to balance or burn once we reach middle age. Hope this helps!
Siri4 years ago
Hi! Can’t find any paragraphs about peeing more often than normal, so I ask here: Do any of you ladies notice that you have go pee a lot more often than before? And urinary tract sensitivity as if it hurts not it doesn’t, hope it mashed sense described this way? Hopefully some answers for this too?