How to Lose Excess Belly Fat

Hey, Golden Diva’s, you might call it The Muffin Top, The Pooch, The Menopot, The Meno-Pudge, The Gut, The Flab, The Middle Age Spread…..the list can go on forever when we’re talking about all of the excess fat that we have gained in our midsection since we started perimenopause and menopause.

Good Lawd! I was always a slender person and I remember hating that I was so small. I remember my family members telling me all of the time, you will gain weight in your 20’s, your 30’s, your 40’s, your 50’s, well…they seemed to had gotten it right in my 50’s. The weight finally came and it went straight to my stomach. By the look of things, it looks like it wants to stay awhile.

NOT!!!

One thing for sure, I know I am not alone in this new adventure and newfound shape. You know you can ask just about any woman what body part is her least favorite and if she is honest she will say her stomach. Now, don’t get me wrong I like the weight gain that came to my butt, my little legs and arms, however, since I can’t pick and choose where the weight is distributed like my stomach and my face I’m going to fight it every inch of the way.

Since I am experiencing this now, bellies can become an infuriating worry; especially when excess fat spills over the top of our jeans, creating the infamous…yes, you know where I am going with this…”The Unwanted Muffin Top!”

JUST SAY NO!!! 

I went from a size 10 to a size 14 in a matter of months. I felt a little heavier, and then I noticed my clothes were becoming tighter around my midsection. I use to pride myself on fitted tops that showed a small waistline. 

I was eating the same, exercising the same and nothing stayed the same. One day I walked past the mirror and did a double-take of frustration.

These 3 questions invaded my mind….

When did this happen?

How did this happen?

Why did this happen?

I was that girl that barely worked out, a girl that was free of worrying about what she looked like in her clothes. So I thought!

This was my wake up call. I would have been happy if the weight came gradually over the years, not boom, bam, bang overnight (so it seemed). One thing I knew for sure weight gain was not my worry, now it’s all I think about. Don’t get me wrong I know all of us to gain weight as we get older it’s inevitable, but I was BLINDSIDED!!

The question then became … “Why can’t I lose this stubborn belly fat?”

Pinch an inch! What’s that? I wish! I’m pinching a YARD!!

I guess I need to understand the root of the menopause weight gain before I tried to lose it.

First of all, I want to say to all of my Golden Divas you are not alone in this struggle I’m right here with you.

So let’s do the fact breakdown….it’s not fair, but it is the truth!

1. Women tend to have more fat during middle age than men do. Even if you don’t add pounds, you may find that clothes don’t fit because the waist is too tight.
2. We burn fat more slowly as we age. All bodies slow down over time.
3. Many women exercise less in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Busy lives and lapsed gym cards mean less muscle and more fat.
4. Falling hormone levels, plus your genes, cause your body to store fat in new places after menopause. You may have once had more padding at the hips. Now there’s more at the waist. This can shift your shape from pear-like (wider at hips and thighs) to an Apple-like (wider at waist and belly).

According to WebMD, any woman can get a muffin top. But women are more likely to gain excess belly weight; especially deep inside the belly — as they go through perimenopause and into menopause when their menstrual cycle ends. That’s because as estrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed from the hips, thighs, and buttocks (where it used to be stored as a fuel reserve for breastfeeding) to the abdomen.

Now, I have never birthed a child, so I never breastfed any baby so my hips, thighs, and buttocks are just fine mind you; however, my body doesn’t agree. I don’t want to lose the little hips that I finally garnered over the years or my butt…okay, I’m digressing.  Come on back Brenda.

WebMD continues to say that developing a pooch of subcutaneous (below the skin fat — what they call the “menopot” — is perfectly normal. But if you gain more than 2 to 5 pounds, it’s likely to go deeper into the abdomen, creating too much visceral fat. You need some fat in your belly, but when it becomes excessive, it’s called “toxic fat,” that’s because excessive amounts of visceral fat increase inflammation in the body and ultimately contribute to several conditions such as the following:

The Downside

• Heart Disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Arthritis
• Colon cancer
• Breast cancer

The Upside

1. You can do something about it.
2. Be brutally honest with yourself.
3. Get out a tape measure and measure around your waist across your belly button.
4. Set goals to lose weight and try to stick with it.

FACT: Your goal is to be well below 35 inches. If you’re 35 or greater, you have too much internal belly fat. Now your results are between you and the tape measure or you and your trainer. However, even when body mass index (BMI — a measure of body fat based on height and weight) is normal, a large waist (35 inches or more for women) along with other risks are linked to more chances of getting diabetes in women. 

Now, let’s really take a look at ourselves, no not in the mirror if you are still brave enough to look…but at how we eat.

“The Big Three: The Diet Rules”

1. Pay attention to the quality and quantity of your foods
2. Pay attention to the frequency of your meals and snacks
3. A body in motion stays in motion (to truly trim your waist, you need to use both diet and exercise).

Uh-huh…I hear you Golden Divas. You know that already… I know you do…but are you doing it? Hey, don’t kill the messenger; remember we are in this together. …so keep reading. 

Okay so let’s change our mindset regarding the matter of the ‘Unwanted Muffin Top.’ How can we shrink our midsection? Don’t get me wrong, shapewear is nice for special occasions but when you find yourself wearing it on a daily basis, or you’ve become accustomed to hiding your weight it is a different story.  

So how do you get started and stay engaged to make the muffin top disappear? Like I mentioned to you before you can rethink the matter by using the power of your mind and your body.

Here are 3 Tips that WebMD magazine suggests! 

1. Work your whole body. The magic formula for blasting body fat is combining cardio, weight lifting, and core work. The trick with the cardio is to do intervals — alternating high- and low-intensity bursts within one workout — and work up to burning 400 calories per workout, four to five times a week. Weight train twice a week, either at home or at the gym and do yoga or Pilates to trim that core.
2. Visualize your reward. Close your eyes and see yourself without the bigger belly. What do you look like? What are you wearing? How much lighter do you feel? Do this daily. Without a goal in mind, you will be stuck doing technical tasks (dieting, exercising) that might feel meaningless.
3. Combine discipline with self-love. Sure, you need the discipline to drag yourself out of bed for that early morning exercise But the stronger your self-love and respect, the more you’ll see that discipline as one route to realizing your dreams.

 Here’s a recap on keeping the unwanted muffin top away and it’s worth reiterating! 

FACT: Excess weight responds well to some effort. Here are some more tips to what helps:

1. Eat a bit less. Pounds gained now may be more likely to go right to your middle. Since your goal should be to lessen weight gain overall, eating just 200 fewer calories a day in your 50s can help. (Eat smaller meals, more often — being especially sure to eat a healthy snack after 3 p.m., when fatigue and frustration drives many women to reach for junk food).
2. Eat healthier. Food choices make a big change. In a study, women lost weight at menopause by eating a diet with more nutrients and fewer calories. They ditched sugary drinks, fried foods, meats, cheese, and desserts for fish, fruits, and vegetables (In other words, choose whole foods veggies, fruits, whole grains, and high-quality fats, carbs, and proteins).
3. Maintain muscle. Regular exercise helps boost your metabolism and burns off what you eat, and helps your body shed fat faster overall. Keeping active adds muscle mass, which also helps prevent weight gain. Walking, jogging, and strength training also helps you shed pounds.
4. Manage your menopause symptoms. Hot flashes and poor sleep can raise your stress levels. Stress packs on pounds. Exercise can help. Ask your doctor what else might work for you.

I hope this helps to start you off Golden Diva’s, remember we’re on this journey together!

What is your approach to losing your unwanted muffin top Golden Divas?

http://www.webmd.com/menopause/features/oh-do-you-know-the-muffin-top#1