Are you distressed by the sight of your changing midsection in menopause?
Our society has taught us to value youth with its taut tummies and trim waistlines, so is it any wonder we feel like our bodies are betraying us?
Read on and you will be armed with knowledge about what is actually going on with your midsection in menopause and what you can (and can’t) do about it.
Why this Bulging Belly? 😭
As your hormones change during menopause, they cause a shift in your fat storage patterns. Before menopause, you may have stored “excess fat” in your glutes and thighs or more evenly across your body. But now you are storing more of your excess fat in your midsection and it’s bulging like never before.
The key words here are “excess fat.”
Contrary to popular belief, Menopause IS NOT causing you to gain fat or keeping you from losing fat. At this stage in life, excess fat shifts to your midsection and is stored around your belly.
How Can I Get Rid of Belly my Belly Bulge?
As frustrating as this new belly fat can be, there is hope. All is not lost. You can lose this fat if you so “choose” (more on that choice later).
Let’s start with what doesn’t work.
Fad diets and quick fixes do not work.
Anyone claiming they’ve found the hack for getting rid of belly fat with a pill, detox, superfood, supplement, or belly blaster workout protocol is either just after your money, doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or both. You didn’t get here overnight and you can’t conquer the bulge overnight.
That burning you’re feeling when you do ab exercises isn’t fat burning.
Ab exercises are awesome to build a strong core, and just like anywhere else in your body, if you want definition, you need to build muscle.
Sadly, until you remove that layer of belly fat off the top of the muscle, you will not notice any definition. A diet rich in protein is the key. This is called Protein Pacing.
Protein pacing is the scientifically proven combination of eating healthy, lean, protein foods at the right time of day to maximize health and performance.
By consuming protein throughout the day, you can maximize muscle maintenance during weight loss and muscle building when combined with exercise. Even more intriguing to those seeking fat loss, recent research suggests that protein pacing could enhance energy expenditure and improves body composition regardless of dieting.
To Lose It Or Not?
Here’s something to let your brain percolate on: Is the juice worth the squeeze?
Women in our generation have been brainwashed into believing that our weight is of utmost importance, and that the pinnacle of “fit and beautiful” is a perfectly flat stomach. So asking yourself if it’s worth it to lose that last 5 or 10 pounds of fat in your belly might never occur to you because of course the goal is a flat stomach.
The standard that we measure ourselves against is impossibly high. Even before menopause, how many of us didn’t have a perfectly flat stomach and chased it relentlessly or beat ourselves up about not having one, when in reality most everyone else didn’t have one either?
Build a Strong Core for yourself.
Flat or not, strong abs are healthy abs. Having a strong core can prevent back pain, ward off injury, and improve posture, balance, and athletic performance.
This takes us right back to Protein Pacing. You can build muscle and burn fat without severely restricting calories.
Protein intake alone can stimulate a greater thermogenic response compared to carbohydrate and fat, meaning it requires more energy to process. Protein can also increase satiation.
Protein quality is important since dietary proteins that contain a full complement of essential amino acids maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
When you choose to eat a diet higher in protein, specifically from whey protein, and pace your protein intake, you will lose more body weight, more body fat, more abdominal fat, and maintain your lean body mass. Importantly, these beneficial improvements are achieved even though total calories consumed are identical to a normal eating pattern.
In conclusion, the GOOD NEWS IS, you don’t need to do a thousand crunches per day for a strong core. Two to three sets of ab exercises, two to three times per week, is plenty. The real truth is, the strangest abs are made in your kitchen.
Menopause is a season, not a disease.
>>>>It’s not fatal.<<<<<<<
In fact, it is a good time to take stock. In the same way that a harsh winter is always followed by spring and new life, menopause can be a precursor to a fresh beginning for the rest of your life.
Now that you’re armed with knowledge, what choices are you going to make to spring new life into your journey?
Did you know our Menopause Support Group has an international team of Care Providers who are ready to walk beside you.
Visit our website, take the assessment, and get connected.
You are not alone.
Start to exchange your coping strategies with other women. Have courage to face the world knowing that you’re in good company and that these unwelcome symptoms will not last forever.
Put your shoulders back, stand tall, stick a geranium in your hat and be happy.