Anyone doing low carb to help with belly fat?

baileysmom4

I've been doing south beach for a week and was down a few pounds but of course the superbowl came and I ate way too much fatty salty food - only had 3 sesame crackers tho so stayed low carb. I'm just wondering if anyone else has tried this and been successful with losing the belly fat that has come with peri-menopause?

I know one person I've talked to is successful, just wanted to see others on here that are doing it? I have found the first week to be hard on exercise as I've had a couple good headaches and been kinda tired. I don't want to do a high fat diet so that is kinda hard for me to not have ranch dressing with my veggies! LOL

Give me some inspiration cause this belly fat is driving me nuts!

baileysmom4

Anyone? Would love to see this group get more active!!

Sabine_Stroehm

I'm not doing low carb, but I would characterize my eating as slow carb, or low glycemic. I know many women of a certain age IRL who eat slow carb, as well as many women, on here and IRL with PCOS who eat slow carb/low glycemic.
It seems to help me at least maintain, and did, I think, help me lose 5LBS that were hanging around.

And, fwiw I don't think of South Beach (especially phase 2 and 3) of being low carb. Slow, yes.

baileysmom4

Thanks for replying. Hoping to get some others opinions on this. I have noticed since I started phase 1 I am not bouncing up and down but am steadily starting to move down again! And I have lost an inch on my waist, bust and hips! YAY!

Thanks again Sabine for helping me get started!

Sabine_Stroehm

Thanks for replying. Hoping to get some others opinions on this. I have noticed since I started phase 1 I am not bouncing up and down but am steadily starting to move down again! And I have lost an inch on my waist, bust and hips! YAY!

Thanks again Sabine for helping me get started!

Hey thats a good thing! Well done! Hope others reply. :-)

trixiemou

Hi
I have noticed that when I attempt low carb I see a significant drop and most definitely a loss of the dreaded bloat. I do however find it difficult to sustain but I think that is my general lack of commitment and low will power at the moment. I do however keep on trying.

Sabine_Stroehm

Hi
I have noticed that when I attempt low carb I see a significant drop and most definitely a loss of the dreaded bloat. I do however find it difficult to sustain but I think that is my general lack of commitment and low will power at the moment. I do however keep on trying.

Smiles, I know that feeling. I notice an improvement if I just stop eating bread for a week, and have done that before snug dress events.:flowerforyou:

Bernadette60614

Ah, the "menopot'!

My gynecologist says that this is just a natural result of estrogen dropping and it inevitable. I have found that when I eat simple carbs that pot gets bloated, and fewer simple carbs and it is smaller.

I would suspect that Pilates would help with the menopot. I accept that part of it is natural aging, but I would speculate that at least some of it is that with 50 plus years of sitting under our belts ...our midsection musculature is weakened.

tashiaberman

I gained over 60 lbs of unwanted belly fat after quitting smoking and going through menopause. I did low carb diets, low calorie diets and exercised 6 days per week with no luck, just continued gaining belly fat until my knees began to suffer and I was having trouble continuing my exercise.

Finally, I found out about the science of food combining and was able to begin actually losing some of the weight, after 6 years of gaining. I tried balancing hormones, getting medication for my sluggish thyroid, low-calorie diet and exercising 6 days per week for over a year. Only low-carb dieting would keep me from gaining any additional weight, but didn't help me lose, even with exercise.

I have long been interested in Suzanne Somers books about balancing hormones and read one of her diet books about her diet called Somersize. It's very similar to the Atkins induction diet, yet combines low-glycemic index foods with the science of food combining. You don't have to count calories and can eat as much as you need to feel full. She has some great recipes for things you would really feel deprived of on a diet -- desserts, bread substitutes, etc.

I started on her diet in November, just before Thanksgiving. As of this morning, I have lost 19 lbs. and all this without exercising. I don't have anything against exercising and intend to start back as soon as I have lost enough weight that I'm certain I will not further damage my joints. At present I am looking forward to spring and summer, so I can have longer days and time to go walking after work.

On this diet, there are a list of what she calls "funky foods" that have too much natural sugar or combinations of carbs and fats, that should not be eaten at all. A lot of these foods were some of my basics on my low-carb diet. As for the rest, she recommends eating real fats, olive oil, real butter, etc. and not combining fats with carbs. You can eat the allowed carb foods as a separate meal, but not with fats. Fruits are separate from either the protein/fats or carbs and can only be eaten a certain length of time before or after one of the other food groups.

The rules are a bit confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, learn some of the recipes and throw out all the foods you can't eat, it's easy. Yesterday was Valentines day and all the candy, cookies, donuts, etc. made the rounds in the office. I was feeling a little deprived when I brought it home for my kids to eat, so I went into my kitchen and made myself some mini chocolate cheesecakes! They are allowed on the diet and were yummy -- no longer deprived!

You can search up the Somersize support group on Facebook if you want more information. They are a great bunch of people, eager to share their success stories, recipes and help keep you on track. Good luck!

barbpol62

Interesting information, Tasla. I am perimenopausal and hypothyroid. I've lost 30+ pounds twice in the past on a low carb diet, so here I am...to try it again. I have gained 13 pounds in the last 2 months just watching calories, so I'm convinced that I need to pay more attention to what I'm eating and not just how much. I exercise regularly taking a spin class 4x a week and doing light weights 2x a week. I am beside myself right now feeling like I have no control of what my body is doing.

Sabine_Stroehm

Posting again, because she's smart.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Momma_Grizz/view/menopausal-weight-gain-war-zone-576021

edmic1764

I don't want to say I have been dieting since May of 2013 but I have changed my lifestyle since then. I am turning 50 in July so I gave myself a little over a year to reach my goal weight. I joined a gym and have been mostly sticking to the 1200 calories cheating a little here and there. I am down 45 pounds and still have 30 more to go. I find myself at a plateau so I was considering going low carb but I find it very hard to stick to because I love my carbs but I need something to jump start my weight loss. I also am getting bored with my food choices. Any ideas?

kellyb63

Hello ladies, Im back again after two years of being off and recovering from surgery, new job etc. With this I have managed to gain every pound back and plus some! Now that my schedule is more consistent, I have time to exercise and became extra motivated after seeing my recent pic with my daughters! 50 yrs old, post meno, and the belly fat has to go. Im sporting a five star "menopot", great apple shape here. Has anyone tried Estroven?

I have been researching the paleo lifestyle diets and cooking, I am making the transition. I have thrown away all processed frozen foods, no more Eggos, frozen pizzas, stouffers dishes etc. The only thing in my freezers will be meats, homemade soups, etc that I have cooked. I consciously look at foods differently in the grocery store. I dont know that I will ever be able to eat paleo 24/7/365 however, 3-5 nights a week is a start. No lone loves bread more than me.

I need to lose 60 lbs badly, I refuse to let menopause get the best of me. I;ve started wogging again to get back to running, that helped me tremendously 2 years ago.....

Looking for friends and motivation.....

baileysmom4

Well I made it two weeks of South Beach and then went to a bed and breakfast and in the room were cookies, then dinner was steak, potatoes with cheese, veggies, salad and then a huge piece of chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Breakfast was stuffed french toast.... I've been hooked back on carbs since! I had lost about 4 pounds and it came right back so I'm thinking it was water. I'm feeling rather defeated these days. Not sure what to do. I did really well when I did the 1200 calorie MFP way and I guess its true what everyone says about it being too low cause now I have gained back 10 of the 33 pounds I lost and can't get it back off for nothing.


It doesn't help that we have had the coldest snowiest year I've ever seen in my lifetime! I am in the midwest. I've been out twice to walk this winter! And we are supposed to get another round of snow on sunday. Talk about SAD!!!!! I'm just hoping I can maintain this weight until it warms up and I can get my bike out.

Really helps to hear from others going thru this. Thanks for all the responses to this post.

kellyb63

This is the coldest and rainiest winter NC has experienced in many years. We actually had two snow events, I am ready for Spring! Winter is depressing, who wants to exercise then, January after New Years is tough!

I went to Costco today, bought one of their Pilates exercise DVDs with a ball and mat for 16.99. I'm self employed and have a nice office with room to stretch so I figure Im going to make myself do this every other day. I feel like I need some strengthening, I know a few other meno ladies who toned up doing Pilates, do Im going to give it a try. I do not do gyms for sanitary reasons.

I'm doing 1450 calories a day, this Im content with, until I drop 25 lbs, then I may try to go lower.

Gosser

I changed the food on my plate from carbohydrates to vegetables. I hated it at first, I was craving carbohydrates but it is so natural now that I don't even think about it.

Curry with a large pile of steamed veg instead of rice, you can't beat it.

Exercise is how I try to control the tummy, crunches and the like

jchrisman717

I am two years into this journey. I'm still trying to find my niche as to what will work for me because what used to work, doesn't anymore! I've gained and trying to keep my spirits up and my motivation up in spite of that is hard. I have a cousin who is about 5 years older than me and she has gone through this all. And now I remember when she put on the extra weight, she was always pretty slim. She said you just can't give in to it even when you aren't seeing the results that you want. After she went one year without a period she started seeing the weight come off. Now she is back to her normal weight. So I keep telling myself to keep my eye on a few years down the line. Instead of letting myself go completely because of being discouraged that at least I will not have so much work to do when I have completed my menopause. So I just keep on trucking. I'm at the phase where I will have a normal period for two months, then nothing for two months, then a period that feels like its ripping out my insides. I do not want to use any hormones and so I've been doing as natural as I can. I have been using Estroven for weight loss in the mornings and it does seem to help me have more energy.

What I have found is that carbs are not my friend any more. When I eat carb heavy (pasta, pizza, mashed potatoes, fried foods), it sends me into a carb frenzy craving. So though I try to not cut any one thing completely out of my diet. I do find that if I splurge on carbs it takes me longer to get back to eating healthier.

Sabine posted a link to a blog that was right on. I copied it and saved it and I am going to read it every day to remind myself. I have just started doing more walking (relaxation walking), hitt type running exercises and New Rules for Women which is a weight lifting program that usually has me in and out of the gym in 20 min. So it was encouraging to read that I am doing the right things.

I bought a fitbit to help me with moving more and accountability and it seems to be helping keep me on track. Its hard at this age, at least for the majority of us. I am not within the 10% or whatever it is of women that don't gain and lose by eating and exercising moderately.

Hang in there and know that it will come to an end!

littleandysmom

Tried low carb / high protein for about 3 weeks and for me it was unsustainable. I gave into my cravings on the weekends and it was hard to stop eating. I exercise quite a bit, yet the belly fat is still the last to go. Changed my eating schedule to 6 small meals a day mon-thurs 1500 calories and then fri-sun @2000 calories. Plus started running between 2-3 miles a day. Since I've been doing this, have really started noticing my stomach tightening up. Since June 2013 I've been attending bootcamps almost everyday and we do lots of core exercises....it helps build muscle in my stomach area yet it didn't get rid of the fat. Seems like the running is really helping though and eating many small meals throughout the day so I'm not feeling hungry.

aprilmccurdy64

great info..
thanks

aprilmccurdy64

I had a hysterectomy in 2010 and I have gained 60 lbs since I have tried everything pills, doctors, eating right exercising just wont leave my belly so now im going to have to try something different. its so discouraging to continue to see my weight increase. I dont know what else to do. I have spend so much money on gimmicks. i cant afford that anymore.. I just got to get more active and keep eating my greens and fish:frown:

aprilmccurdy64

thanks I may need to start eating the 5 to 6t small meals a day as well and running may help