Any hope for a slimmer waist at 50?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, protein shakes are not needed unless you are seriously weight lifting and going for muscle gains. Which, I do not think you are, and the extra calories from those shakes are not helping. Eat real sources of protein and ditch the shakes for a few months.

Disagree. I’m 59, male, went w shakes, and stronger immediately, felt better. Go big into strength training… most woman don’t, “ fear of muscles”. Truth is, it’s harder that’s why women don’t do it. Muscle weighs more than fat, so focus on your shape, how you feel.

Get hard core, boot camp, or my favorite, boxing. Boxing as a workout is second to know, you also come away w swagger, and it never hurts to be able to throw a punch ( just in case).

Good for you for reaching out, there is always more to learn. Good luck

I really wish people would stop saying this. Muscle does not weight more than fat. It is dense than fat. One pound is one pound, in every medium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, protein shakes are not needed unless you are seriously weight lifting and going for muscle gains. Which, I do not think you are, and the extra calories from those shakes are not helping. Eat real sources of protein and ditch the shakes for a few months.

Disagree. I’m 59, male, went w shakes, and stronger immediately, felt better. Go big into strength training… most woman don’t, “ fear of muscles”. Truth is, it’s harder that’s why women don’t do it. Muscle weighs more than fat, so focus on your shape, how you feel.

Get hard core, boot camp, or my favorite, boxing. Boxing as a workout is second to know, you also come away w swagger, and it never hurts to be able to throw a punch ( just in case).

Good for you for reaching out, there is always more to learn. Good luck

I really wish people would stop saying this. Muscle does not weight more than fat. It is dense than fat. One pound is one pound, in every medium.

When people say muscle weighs more than fat, that is exactly what they mean -- it is denser than fat, so a muscular person can be thin and weigh the same as someone who is carrying excess fat and looks much bigger. Or to put it another way, twenty pounds of muscle won't make someone look heavier (they might look bigger in certain areas, but they won't look heavier), but twenty pounds of fat will.

No one thinks muscle pounds are somehow heavier than fat pounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, protein shakes are not needed unless you are seriously weight lifting and going for muscle gains. Which, I do not think you are, and the extra calories from those shakes are not helping. Eat real sources of protein and ditch the shakes for a few months.

Disagree. I’m 59, male, went w shakes, and stronger immediately, felt better. Go big into strength training… most woman don’t, “ fear of muscles”. Truth is, it’s harder that’s why women don’t do it. Muscle weighs more than fat, so focus on your shape, how you feel.

Get hard core, boot camp, or my favorite, boxing. Boxing as a workout is second to know, you also come away w swagger, and it never hurts to be able to throw a punch ( just in case).

Good for you for reaching out, there is always more to learn. Good luck

I really wish people would stop saying this. Muscle does not weight more than fat. It is dense than fat. One pound is one pound, in every medium.

When people say muscle weighs more than fat, that is exactly what they mean -- it is denser than fat, so a muscular person can be thin and weigh the same as someone who is carrying excess fat and looks much bigger. Or to put it another way, twenty pounds of muscle won't make someone look heavier (they might look bigger in certain areas, but they won't look heavier), but twenty pounds of fat will.

No one thinks muscle pounds are somehow heavier than fat pounds.

Oh I knew what old boy was trying to say, so your explanation was not needed. But folks indeed think muscle pounds are “somehow” heavier than fat pounds. There’s a whole Reddit group of folks dying on that hill. And there have been many a DCUM thread on it as well.

[Anonymous]

People should stop splitting hairs on that. We all know what they mean that it's based on volume, fat vs. Muscle. Really just more density which results in higher weight per volume.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s all about the alcohol. If you don’t drink and you have this waist problem, very likely you’re getting more non-alcohol calories than similar-shaped women who drink. For the women who drink, you have the solution: abstain from alcohol but don’t replace those empty alcohol calories. Alcohol is a macronutrient, even though it almost always is accompanied by carb calories, and sometimes even fat or protein (weird cocktails).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

I’ll take the belly fat over living like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I forgot to mention, I also have significant diastasis recti from pregnancies with larger babies. I've had physical therapy for it in the past, which actually did help tone and strengthen my core more. But ugh, it was so hard finding 30 mins a day to the most boring PT moves. Maybe I should replace some of my other exercise time with that instead? I already spend 2.5 hrs a day on exercise so I don't really have extra time to spare.

Ugh you are so weird. I think you need a hobby. Are you trying to humble brag about your ability to exercise for hours a day and how you have such great willpower for resisting food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

I’ll take the belly fat over living like this.

Right? The only other post-menopause woman I know who eats like that is my MIL and she has a severe disorder. Several broken ankles, and now a femur later, she still won't come to terms with the severe osteoporosis that her lifelong disorder has caused. It is not healthy. I gained about 15 lbs. over the last 5 years and chalked it up to menopause and told myself that food is an enjoyable part of life and I would just have to live with it. Then I got on the scale at the doctor's office 6 weeks ago and broke down. I was kidding myself. As a lifelong athlete and fit person, this was not good. I started really counting calories and keep it to 1500 a day, while adding a little to my daily exercising--I was already running 7 days a week and lifting 2 a week. Now I add little walks throughout the day as a break from work and a longer walk when I get home, before dinner. This ensures I'm burning 2,000 or more and always have at least a 500-calorie deficit. I lost 6-7 lbs. in the first 5 weeks. This week has been a little less, as I had a work event and wanted a glass of wine and a delicious dinner, and hadn't scaled back during the day to accommodate that. But it's fine. Some days I still have a surplus, but I am eating like a normal person. Not like the PP above. She is getting about 750 calories a day, and that is insane. Just do the deficit and eat real food to feel better. Works for me--at 57.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

I’ll take the belly fat over living like this.

This is why everyone is on GLPs. No one wants to live like this voluntarily.

[Anonymous]

Long morning walk with weighted vest, shorter evening walk when schedule and weather allow. Walk as much as you can.

Lift heavy 3x/week (see Stacey Sims or Vonda Wright)

100 grams of protein/day (including non-animal). First meal should be protein heavy. For me, it’s a shake with whey protein isolate.

Healthy fats - chia, flax, hemp seeds, nuts, avocado, etc.

Fermented food - yogurt (full fat), kimchi, tempeh

No processed food. Period. This will cut out a lot of sugar. Besides berries, not too much fruit. When you do have fruit, pair it with a protein or fat. No dried fruit.

Not hard-core IF, but keep 10 or 11 hour eating window.

Protect sleep.

Consider HRT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

I’ll take the belly fat over living like this.

Right? The only other post-menopause woman I know who eats like that is my MIL and she has a severe disorder. Several broken ankles, and now a femur later, she still won't come to terms with the severe osteoporosis that her lifelong disorder has caused. It is not healthy. I gained about 15 lbs. over the last 5 years and chalked it up to menopause and told myself that food is an enjoyable part of life and I would just have to live with it. Then I got on the scale at the doctor's office 6 weeks ago and broke down. I was kidding myself. As a lifelong athlete and fit person, this was not good. I started really counting calories and keep it to 1500 a day, while adding a little to my daily exercising--I was already running 7 days a week and lifting 2 a week. Now I add little walks throughout the day as a break from work and a longer walk when I get home, before dinner. This ensures I'm burning 2,000 or more and always have at least a 500-calorie deficit. I lost 6-7 lbs. in the first 5 weeks. This week has been a little less, as I had a work event and wanted a glass of wine and a delicious dinner, and hadn't scaled back during the day to accommodate that. But it's fine. Some days I still have a surplus, but I am eating like a normal person. Not like the PP above. She is getting about 750 calories a day, and that is insane. Just do the deficit and eat real food to feel better. Works for me--at 57.

I don't really count calories. But you had me curious. Av cal intake is 1100 to 1200 bc dinner is my most substantial meal. I also don't have disordered eating and I do exercise 30 min a day. Haven't broken a bone yet despite skiing and athletics. I also enjoy my food and cook a fair bit. But if it makes you feel better to put slender people down , to each their own.

[Anonymous]

but I am eating like a normal person. Not like the PP above.

What does this mean, PP? Because from what I can tell from the previous poster, she eats 2 meals a a day - one light, one heavier, with a mix of proteins, fats, carbs, and fiber. It doesn't seem disordered to me, as long as the quantity for calories and total nutrients is sufficient. Does "normal person" to you include daily processed foods, candy, desserts, alcohol? I think this is where people go off the rails -- by eating what used to be considered "occasional treats" on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

I’ll take the belly fat over living like this.

I'm 54, with a 30 inch waist. 160, 5'7". At the doctor today, I complained about my 20 lb weight gain over the past 2 years. She said, "You are a normal weight. Don't even think about asking for glp 1 (I wasn't), no intermittant fasting. High fiber, high protein diet, 3 meals, 2 snacks a day." My weight gain was due to stress and depression and eating chips and ice cream for comfort. According to my doctor, I should not starve myself and I don't "need" to lose weight. I want to lose at least 10 because my back and knees hurt with the extra pounds. Previous pp is starving herself and that is not good for her health or metabolism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 52 with a 26 inch waist. I'm nearly thru meno. Not on hrt yet but open to it soon. I've always eaten three meals of whole home-cooked basic food and maybe a snack once a week. I have always been slender but as I got into my early 50s I felt that three meals a day was too much food. A few months ago I started skipping breakfast and having daily brunch instead and then dinner. Bc I only have 2 meals a day, my brunch is bigger than when I had standard breakfast. And then lunch I eat around 10 or 1030am and then have a cup of afternoon coffee with cream. Unsweetened. Then dinner at 6. In the early morning I have one cup.of coffee at 7am and then food at 1030am. Works out well for me. I do a daily 30 min brisk walk and after work I do a daily 30 min home mat pilates. I do this 7 days a week.

This, we need to be very careful and listen to hunger cues. The women I know who remained thin post 50 (like my mother) eat way less than at 45 yo. She is not hungry but she doesn’t eat at all meals like she used to or out of habit. It is not an easy change to make because it is so ingrained in us that we should eat 3 meals a day and that we need as much food as we used to. But we don’t.

2 meals a day max and one of the 2 is light… (and of course Whole Foods, balanced meals etc…). Or you accept to become thicker which is perfectly fine too.

Im the 52 yo who recently switched to 2 meals a day and have maintained 26 inch waist. (Althoigh stretch marks from old pregnancies neber disappear). Yes to the 2 meals a day and zero snacks except on rare.occassion or weekend. There is no secret. It is simple. Not easy but simple. Most people can't deal with the hunger cues. If you drink water or tea.and wait they usually go away after 5 or 10 minutes
Eventually your body stops sending out hunger cues three or four times a day. Your body will become used to.and satiated with 2 meals.a day. Now when I eat brunch at 10 or 1030 I am very full. And dinner doesn't seem far off
The afternoon cup of coffee helps. Since going from 3 meals a day to two, my typical brunch is:

6oz plain whole milk yogurt, 1/2c homemade granola, berries, one slice Ezekiel with a little butter and a poached egg . Or I'll substitute the egg for avocado and a bit of olive oil and salt, red pepper flakes. Or I'll do the yogurt, granola, berries, an apple and a handful of nuts or an ounce of cheddar or brie. Nice combo with apple.

Dinner is standard. Grilled fish, rice, veg, salad (homemade dressing).

I’ll take the belly fat over living like this.

I'm 54, with a 30 inch waist. 160, 5'7". At the doctor today, I complained about my 20 lb weight gain over the past 2 years. She said, "You are a normal weight. Don't even think about asking for glp 1 (I wasn't), no intermittant fasting. High fiber, high protein diet, 3 meals, 2 snacks a day." My weight gain was due to stress and depression and eating chips and ice cream for comfort. According to my doctor, I should not starve myself and I don't "need" to lose weight. I want to lose at least 10 because my back and knees hurt with the extra pounds. Previous pp is starving herself and that is not good for her health or metabolism.

+1
I'm 58, 5'6". I'd be thrilled with 160.