struggling to lose belly weight after kids and menopause

Hi! I can relate to your struggles. I’m 56, post menopausal, and have the belly fat 🙄. I was also told by my doc to get my *kitten* together (cholesterol). I’m an active member, supporter, I log daily, have an open diary and I will never judge you. I’m a firm believer in ‘do you’ however you choose/whatever works best for you. Best of luck to you!

Hi Betty! Im new here. According to my Gyn I’m almost on the other side at menopause at 55. I have struggled with my weight most all of my life. I have lost to my goal weight 3 times only to foolishly deceive myself into thinking I had it whipped and could eat the same as my slim friends do! Yeah, 3 times to learn that lesson. Now I’m older and know better but seems so much harder to lose the fat.

@bettychk
I’m a full time student, online classes, and sit all day. That is one of the reasons it is hard for me to lose weight. I’ve been active off and on since I was 18 yo (I preferred to read rather than play as a child...still do). At 18, a friend invited me to a dance aerobics class ( Jane Fonda days) and that was the beginning of my love/hate relationship with exercise. I love the feeling after completing a workout but despise getting up to do it! It’s hard to self-motivate! So my exercise has been inconsistent throughout my life. I’m now 55, 40 lbs overweight and feel like a slug. I do try to eat healthy...a lot of fruit and vegetables, fish, chicken, eggs, sometimes dairy in the form of Greek yogurt or string cheese, red meat once a week. No added salt, and I am extremely careful about eating sweet treats. I had my blood work and yearly exam a couple of weeks ago and all my numbers are normal. However, I know it’s only a matter of time before something starts going wrong if I don’t lose the excess fat. I started walking early mornings 3 miles daily 2 weeks ago and lifting weights 2 days a week. I also started weighing my food and tracking it with mfp 7 days ago. I have lost 4 lbs so far. I spend 8-10 hours + sitting and studying everyday. My body began to hurt so much that I could barely concentrate or focus on my work. I knew I had to do something. So I made time for myself. I cut 1 1/2 hours out for me everyday. Also, I take a 5-10 min break after every hour of studying to walk through the house, get more water, step out on the deck for fresh air or pick up my dumbbells for a quick set of curls or whatever. I can’t tell you how much of a difference those small changes have made for me. I don’t know your schedule or what type of workplace your job is located in, but maybe you could possibly slip a set of 5 lb dumbbells under your desk or in a drawer, walk to the bathroom at a quick pace every hour, refill your water bottle, or walk down the hallway and back. Also maybe an after dinner walk if it isn’t feasible to walk before work.