When did your waist thicken?

[Anonymous]

My mom's waist didn't thicken until well into her 60s.

[Anonymous]

I'm post menopausal. I had a complete hysterectomy at 38. I'm 50 years old. 5'5 and 115 pounds. 5 children. My waist did not thicken. It is not inevitable. I am not "lucky". I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. I have a medical condition that I could easily use to justify weight gain. I just figured out a long time ago that if I eat less than I use, I can't possibly get fat. It's simple math.

However, I certainly do not have the body I had at 20. Gravity is one thing I cannot control.

[Anonymous]

I'm 49, gained weight and thickness starting at 47 and hate it. I have always been slim and fit and when I was younger losing weight was never a problem. Boy have things changed! My old gym routine just didn't cut it so I just started working with a trainer and my routine now includes running 18 miles per week plus a mix of weights and yoga classes. I started this new routine end of December and look better in every area except my waist! I'm determined though-I'll keep you posted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm post menopausal. I had a complete hysterectomy at 38. I'm 50 years old. 5'5 and 115 pounds. 5 children. My waist did not thicken. It is not inevitable. I am not "lucky". I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. I have a medical condition that I could easily use to justify weight gain. I just figured out a long time ago that if I eat less than I use, I can't possibly get fat. It's simple math.

However, I certainly do not have the body I had at 20. Gravity is one thing I cannot control.

Deny it if you must, but compared with me, you are lucky. I eat a healthy diet, exercise three times a week, and I have a thick waist that won't go away. I do not overeat, and I'm not fat elsewhere, but my waist is thick, and that's something I have to live with. My gyn said estrogen is responsible for the curvy female figure, and when it's gone, the curves go too. That's happened with me. Are you on HRT by any chance, PP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious do you all work out regularly and watch what you eat? It is inevitable even for very fit women?

I work out an hour a day (jogging, swimming, or soccer) and am a vegetarian and I've had a 10 lb weight gain.
Ive always had a thick waist (I always thought just because my legs have no fat on them so it has to go somewhere)
and now it's fatter, yes.
I used to be rail thin (and after babies and gaining 60 lbs with each - definitely ate for 2) and now more average build.
I feel strong and healthy from the exercise though.
I'm 52 and just started the menopause thing, weight change started two years ago?

Part of it is since your ovaries aren't making estrogen anymore, body fat becomes the primary source of estrogen - thus the natural tendency to add more fat.

I'm actually in Hrt (patches) but still have the 10 lbs of Perimenopause fat. Maybe you have to start really early to preven the fat gain. I read the women typically gain 20 lbs during meno.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious do you all work out regularly and watch what you eat? It is inevitable even for very fit women?

Not at all inevitable! I'm fit, not "very fit"as I need to increase my muscle tone. That said, I have always watched what I eat - and no I don't starve myself. I also made sure that when I was pregnant with my children that I continued exercising and didnt use my pregnancies as an excuse to "eat for two".

Now I'm 50. I went through menopause at 48. My weight has not changed one bit, nor do I have a thicker middle.

Part of it is genetics but a lot is lifestyle and making sure you have regular physicals to make sure your hormone levels and thyroid are what they should be.

[Anonymous]

I'm 47 and a personal trainer and yoga instructor. I eat no fast food, very little junk, have a glass of wine only on the weekends, focus on protein and fats rather than carbs and do my own workouts on top of my teaching. Six months ago I developed a belly pooch and the cellulite in my legs increased (not visible to anyone but me when I sit down but it wasn't there before). So sure, while lifestyle factors in, there are some with hard-core healthy lifestyles whose bodies will still change beyond their control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious do you all work out regularly and watch what you eat? It is inevitable even for very fit women?

I work out an hour a day (jogging, swimming, or soccer) and am a vegetarian and I've had a 10 lb weight gain.
Ive always had a thick waist (I always thought just because my legs have no fat on them so it has to go somewhere)
and now it's fatter, yes.
I used to be rail thin (and after babies and gaining 60 lbs with each - definitely ate for 2) and now more average build.
I feel strong and healthy from the exercise though.
I'm 52 and just started the menopause thing, weight change started two years ago?

Part of it is since your ovaries aren't making estrogen anymore, body fat becomes the primary source of estrogen - thus the natural tendency to add more fat.

I'm actually in Hrt (patches) but still have the 10 lbs of Perimenopause fat. Maybe you have to start really early to preven the fat gain. I read the women typically gain 20 lbs during meno.

Forgot to say I'm on thyroid meds too - so pretty balanced. Despite that yes, my body is changing.

[Anonymous]

This thread puzzles me. Virtually every American woman, over the age of 22, I know has a "thickened" waist.

College, desk jobs, pregnancies, poor diet (too many of the wrong kinds of carbs), drinking habits, and so on...

The only people I know over 40 with great looking waistlines eat an enormously controlled diet and exercise hard. And that ain't most people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom's waist didn't thicken until well into her 60s.

My mom and her twin sister are both 60 and still tinier than me, and I wear size 2 tops. My grandma (their mom) is 92 and STILL has a defined waist.

It is 100% luck of the genetic draw though. They both eat pretty well and exercise a decent amount, but don't think twice about downing a bowl of ice cream or slice of cake if they feel like it. Looking at my dad's side of the family, I highly doubt I'm going to be so lucky!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm post menopausal. I had a complete hysterectomy at 38. I'm 50 years old. 5'5 and 115 pounds. 5 children. My waist did not thicken. It is not inevitable. I am not "lucky". I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. I have a medical condition that I could easily use to justify weight gain. I just figured out a long time ago that if I eat less than I use, I can't possibly get fat. It's simple math.

However, I certainly do not have the body I had at 20. Gravity is one thing I cannot control.

Why did you have a hysterectomy (if you don't mind my asking)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm post menopausal. I had a complete hysterectomy at 38. I'm 50 years old. 5'5 and 115 pounds. 5 children. My waist did not thicken. It is not inevitable. I am not "lucky". I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day. I have a medical condition that I could easily use to justify weight gain. I just figured out a long time ago that if I eat less than I use, I can't possibly get fat. It's simple math.

However, I certainly do not have the body I had at 20. Gravity is one thing I cannot control.

Why did you have a hysterectomy (if you don't mind my asking)?

This is an annoying post because it's saying that those of us with thick waists are responsible for our new non-curvy figures. It's unkind and untrue. Nothing I've could do, short of literally starving myself, would give me a thin waist again once I went through menopause. I finally understand why middle-aged women wear those smocky, shapeless tops! I always had a very thin waist, and I was rather proud of it. It never disappeared until about a year ago, shortly after I went through menopause. My legs and arms are actually thinner, but all the fat in my body seemed to blossom on my waist! I'm sure it's because there's no estrogen being produced by my ovaries, so my body is piling on the belly fat to force my body to produce estrogen. I know it's not healthy, but other than liposuction, or starvation, I don't know how to get rid of it. Exercise does not get rid of it, not for me.

I'm glad you're still enjoying a thin waist, PP, but please take pity on the rest of us who are not so lucky as you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread puzzles me. Virtually every American woman, over the age of 22, I know has a "thickened" waist.

College, desk jobs, pregnancies, poor diet (too many of the wrong kinds of carbs), drinking habits, and so on...

The only people I know over 40 with great looking waistlines eat an enormously controlled diet and exercise hard. And that ain't most people!

Not me, PP! I've had a thin waist for most of my life, and I'm over 50 now, with a post-menopausal thickened waist. Sucks, but that's what happens.

[Anonymous]

It thickened around 50 but with exercise and a low carb diet it went back to normal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread puzzles me. Virtually every American woman, over the age of 22, I know has a "thickened" waist.

College, desk jobs, pregnancies, poor diet (too many of the wrong kinds of carbs), drinking habits, and so on...

The only people I know over 40 with great looking waistlines eat an enormously controlled diet and exercise hard. And that ain't most people!

I know, I mean, why have chocolate if it's not meant to be eaten?