Can't fight my Post menapause pouch.

marinawalker2015

hi all, I'm 52 and and have been in menapause for the past two years. I've put on about ten pounds despite picking up my exercise programs and watching my diet. The most frustrating thing though is that all that weight has attached itself to my middle. I've never had so much belly fat. I really hate it and can't seem to make a dent. I walk or ride a bike every morning for 45 minutes. Strength train with my husband three times a week and swim for 30 minutes after weights. My most recent attempt is to add the Daily Burn 365 workouts into my schedule (a 30 minute full body workout every day). I've been doing these for six weeks and haven't lost a pound!!! Help. Im so frustrated.

trjjoy

Do you weigh your food on a scale? Do you choose the correct entries from the foods database? Are you losing centimeters?

Sued0nim

Are you on a progressive strength training programme ?

Structured online programmes
http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-week-guide-starting-strength

If you can swim for 30 mins after strength training as a beginner I would wager you're not doing it right

Weigh and log your food accurately to a calorie defecit as you can't out exercise a bad diet and it really is down to calorie intake

It is possible, it takes focus and putting your effort in the right place

@middlehaitch ..care to comment?

farmerpam1

trjjoy wrote: »

Do you weigh your food on a scale? Do you choose the correct entries from the foods database? Are you losing centimeters?

^This. The sad thing I've learned is that you can't spot reduce. Keep at it and you will see results though. My "Mum tum" is slowly deflating, I do some sort of core exercise every day, just out of habit. Feels good to know there's muscle under that layer.

middlehaitch

Hi, @marinawalker2015

Apologies this is longer than I thought it would be.

There is a reason you are starting to gain around your middle.
During menopause two things are happening.
Your estrogen levels start to decrease. With this comes a decrease in subcutaneous fat storage, where women tend to store more fat. (You may notice the skin on your arms and legs looking a bit striated.)
Your testosterone levels start to increase. With this comes an increase in visceral fat storage, fat around your organs etc, where men tend to store more fat.

As well as the wonderful hormonal shift mentioned above, our organs drop a little too. This is in part due to the fact that as we age we naturally slow down and our muscles weaken not giving the organs the support they need.

Diet, will get rid of the excess weight. Your BMR has only dropped 50-100 cals a decade since your twenties.

You didn't give your stats, but I am thinking, from what you said in your post, that you don't have much to lose.
25-50lbs to lose, aim for 1lbs a week.
Under 25lbs aim for 1-.5lbs a week. .5 lbs for the last few pounds as you are close to your goal.

Enter your stats, eat the calories MFP gives you, and be sure you are eating back 50-75%of your exercise calories. Your deficit is in your goal cals, MFP expects exercise calories to be eaten as part of a healthy weight loss plan.

Exercise really will help, what you are doing sounds great. Cardio will help burn some of that visceral fat as well as diet.

@rabbitjb has posted some good lifting programmes for you to consider. Because they are compound lifting programmes your abs will be strengthened. I will add the one I am doing which is AllPro. I like it because it ups reps before weights and being a petite woman on the wrong side of sixty working out alone I prefer to err on the side of caution when it comes to moving things that are heavy for me.

Two funny things that I found really got me in-touch with all those muscles surrounding my abdomen were belly dancing, (boy does it ever give an incredible ab workout. You can find your inner and outer abs as well as your obliques and everything you never knew was there. Highly recommend at least one series of classes if you can.) and stomach vacuuming (link below) I never knew this was an exercise. I was taught it after childbirth 40years ago. Strengthening the core muscles will improve the look of your mid section as you lose weight because the visceral fat and your organs are being better supported.

To show that it is possible here is me at 54 in the throws of menopause and a couple of weeks ago age 62. It is not a 22 year olds body, but it does show that you can lose it.



Yoga on Sunday




Cheers, h.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ms-fit5.htm

scolaris

haitch, you rock!
Listen to her & rabbit, OP. It can take more time & finesse than when we were younger but it can be done.
Also, I'm now done with menopause & feel it's all a little more responsive.
Just stick with it.

minniestar55

Great info. Thanks, ladies! Middle hatch, you look amazing!

ilex70

haitch you do rock! Hadn't seen your pics before. Thanks for sharing.

MelaniaTrump

Food is 90% of the battle (opinion). Get that food scale.
Do not eat back all your exercise calories. Many people just eat half of those.

middlehaitch

Eating back exercise calories is important. In the short term you feel fine, long term and energy levels start to flag and lethargy starts to interfere with every day life. Eating back at least a portion will make your efforts sustainable as a life style rather than a means of losing weight. MFP tends to overestimate so 50-75% is good. If you have a tracker they are supposed to be much more accurate so it is much more 100% or your discretion.

Cheers, h.

Thanks for the complements.

marinawalker2015

Thanks everyone. Really great info. So much to think about. Helpful to hear it doesn't have to be permanent.