what is happening to my midsection ?!

[Anonymous]

There is an excellent Mel Robbins podcast on bloat… you might find some really good tips there.

In general, to maintain a healthy weight during perimenopause, the advice seems to be fairly simple:
Drink less alcohol (or none)
Drink lots of water
Eat tons of lean protein, legumes, and fruits and vegetables
Keep your carbs whole
Avoid sugar and processed foods

Exercise a lot, including weight training.

There are some doctors that recommend a more keto or paleo like approach and some that recommend IF, but the rules above seem to be the consistent ones.

[Anonymous]

I would get a colonoscopy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42, 5'3, size 6, lift weights 5 days a week (Peloton classes), my arms and legs look pretty toned. "Normal" diet cook my own meals mostly, probably similar to a Mediterranean diet, I don't go out of my way to avoid fat or sugar. Office job, pretty sedentary, getting about 5k steps a day.

Just in the last 6 months I'm noticing this ballooning out of my midsection. My waist went from 29 to 31 and I'm having a hard time fitting into my pants. I guess it's a combination of holiday-related overeating and middle age body changes?? But it's really throwing me for a loop and I'm feeling really powerless to arrest it.

Is there something I can do 1) immediately feel better, reduce bloat, like you know a juice cleanse type thing (not THAT I know...), 2) forever changes that are sustainable? I appreciate good food and I don't think I can cut sugar entirely or sustain anything drastic like that. Help!!

This is the next thing to do at your age. Cut out simple carbs and sugar. I had the same problem. I eat a near paleo diet now. I’m 53 and I got back to a 27 waist

Yeah but now you don’t eat carbs and sugar so you can’t enjoy food.

[Anonymous]

Perimenopause you could have early menopause

[Anonymous]

Welcome to perimenopause/menopause. It sucks!! I’m very similar. 52 size 4 work out 6-7 days a week fairly intensely. My waist has recently gone up an inch and I’ve had to buy new pants (not all but some cuts no longer fit). Just embrace it-I know harder than it sounds but buy some new pants and move on. One strange thing I’ve noticed is my arms and shoulders are slightly bigger as well. Some of my shirt sleeves are slightly tight. Very bizarre and annoying. My arms are exactly the same, mayvbe slightly less musculaI’ve been slacking but shirts are tight.

[Anonymous]

This seems young for peri or menopause related changes like this. This didn't happen to me until post-menopause. I agree with other posters that you may want to visit a doctor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to perimenopause/menopause. It sucks!! I’m very similar. 52 size 4 work out 6-7 days a week fairly intensely. My waist has recently gone up an inch and I’ve had to buy new pants (not all but some cuts no longer fit). Just embrace it-I know harder than it sounds but buy some new pants and move on. One strange thing I’ve noticed is my arms and shoulders are slightly bigger as well. Some of my shirt sleeves are slightly tight. Very bizarre and annoying. My arms are exactly the same, mayvbe slightly less musculaI’ve been slacking but shirts are tight.

You are a full decade older than OP. Not "similar." The delusion is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to perimenopause/menopause. It sucks!! I’m very similar. 52 size 4 work out 6-7 days a week fairly intensely. My waist has recently gone up an inch and I’ve had to buy new pants (not all but some cuts no longer fit). Just embrace it-I know harder than it sounds but buy some new pants and move on. One strange thing I’ve noticed is my arms and shoulders are slightly bigger as well. Some of my shirt sleeves are slightly tight. Very bizarre and annoying. My arms are exactly the same, mayvbe slightly less musculaI’ve been slacking but shirts are tight.

You are a full decade older than OP. Not "similar." The delusion is real.

It should be easier for OP than that PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Up your protein and limit carbs, sugar and alcohol. Try to eat as little as possible every day. After a few months, it should start to make a difference.

😂

[Anonymous]

Stop consuming ultra processed foods (think cereals, bread, chips, frozen entrees etc); especially anything with seed oils. Focus on meat (80-20 fat to protein ratio) and sparingly consume veggies, fruits and dairy. Your mid section will shrink in a week - 50 year old who reversed T2D and lost 60 pounds and kept it off following this way of eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an excellent Mel Robbins podcast on bloat… you might find some really good tips there.

In general, to maintain a healthy weight during perimenopause, the advice seems to be fairly simple:
Drink less alcohol (or none)
Drink lots of water
Eat tons of lean protein, legumes, and fruits and vegetables
Keep your carbs whole
Avoid sugar and processed foods

Exercise a lot, including weight training.

There are some doctors that recommend a more keto or paleo like approach and some that recommend IF, but the rules above seem to be the consistent ones.

I stopped drinking at age 25, ate lower carb ish since 35, and weight train, still gained 15lb since peri 😥😥😥

[Anonymous]

Bottom line: Eat less. Move more.

[Anonymous]

Did you start a new medication? Don't want to scare you, but that is how my massive weight gain began when I went on antidepressants.

[Anonymous]

It probably wouldn't hurt to get more steps. 5k/day is really low. It's great that you're lifting weights but you might need to burn more calories, and cardio could help. And yeah, this is likely peri. I never had a belly before but at fifty it started being an issue.

[Anonymous]

I posted on a thread about wearing bikinis that I stopped due to changes in how my stomach looks as I age even though my weight isn't much different.

So yes OP it could just be age related but it wouldn't hurt to get checked by a doctor if you haven't recently.