Alicia64 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 My childhood and young adulthood: heavy, often becoming 50 lbs. overweight. Teased, whole gamut. Early 40's: Lost weight w/ Weight Watchers. Have kept 45 lbs. off 48 -- Hit menopause so I'm guessing that means low to no estrogen. 50 in July -- my tummy is taking on a "pooch." I haven't gained any weight and I'm not overeating, but my weight seems to be redistributing. I've been reading that women in my age range need more protein, less carbs. And more protein/fiber for breakfast. So I'm trying to do those things. Does anyone have other tips? After four decades of being overweight and then finally losing it all -- only to end up with a pooch is very irritating. I should add that my petite grandma ended up with a very large middle age spread. My mom vowed that wouldn't happen to her and she has worked out since her mid-40's religiously. She's now 70 and is in full middle age spread mode. I'm built more like the other side of the family so I'm hoping I'll avoid the situation. I feel overly vain even bringing this up, but if someone has found an answer to the pooch problem -- besides Spanx -- I'm all ears!!! Thanks! Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I don't think it's vain (of course I have similar concerns :) ). I put my tummy down to my pregnancies but maybe it's my age. I'm 51 but no menopause. I'll be following this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I really think the key is watching those carbs. Limit bread and potatoes etc... Goes without saying to cut out the sweets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Weight training. Weight training tightened my everything, even my face and hands. I know women older than you with those 3 lines down their tummies because they weight train. You can get a personal trainer at a gym, or get a DVD program to use at home. I like the products made by Beach Body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Okay, what's wrong with vanity? :tongue_smilie: And btw I've seen a picture of Negin and she's gorgeous :D OP, I'm not much help with your actual questions but instead wanted to offer a shift in perspective. Being teased about your precious body during childhood and young adulthood must have been awful :grouphug: There is probably some healing needed there. Other than that I've got no advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I want the all carb plan darn it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Is there a low carb plan that includes Sweet Tea? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I don't think you are vain. Abdominal fat isn't good to carry around. My doctor tells me he doesn't worry too much about BMI but he does take a hip to waist ratio of everyone at all visits. That is a better indicator of potential health problems. For me, well, as I get older the sad truth is that I just can't eat like I used to. My calorie allotment has gone way, way down. Even with daily exercise I don't need very much food. I am petite, hardly 5 feet tall, and if I stray above 900 calories a day the weight scale starts to move up quickly. The good news with that is that it forces me to be a very healthy eater. I simply don't have the room for unhealthy treats in my diet. The bad news is that I have to say 'no thank you' to almost everything. I was talking to my SIL, the tall and used to be a natural bean pole type. Now that she is in her 50s she is having to exercise portion control for the first time in her life. I hadn't said anything about my food habits and she says "I have discovered that once we get to middle age we just don't need that much food." So true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Larger pants. The alternative to Spanx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I've been dealing with it, too! Like an ostrich. With my head in the sand. Don't want to face reality. I used to have a nice flat stomach. I used to have to take in the waist of my pants. Not so any more. I need to deal with this, but my hormones are so incredibly out of whack due to peri-menopause, that I just can't deal with yet one more thing. Peri-menopause stinks, that's all I can say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 There is some evidence showing that the 1lb a year after age x weight gain has to do with muscle atrophy, which lowers your overall metabolism. Keeping up your muscle mass helps keep up your metabolism, as it requires more calories to maintain muscle mass than fat. So I agree with above poster who said to look into exercises that help build muscle mass. If you don't want to go to a gym or buy any equipment, take a look at the book Body By You- it is all bodyweight exercises. There is a great app by the author called You Are Your Own Gym- it has videos of all the exercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 The other explanation for a pooch without other weight gain is a weak inner core. There was a great thread on here recently about fixing diastasis recti (separation of the abs) and how the core needs to be rebuilt from the inside out to eliminate the pooch that many (otherwise thin) women have even many years after child birth. A number of women on the thread recommended a program called Mutu System, and it does look really good. Apparently it will be on sale on July 6th. I'm planning to get it then. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartosunshine Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Less carbs, more Pilates. I have a ways to go yet, but I see a difference! I started with this video every day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_-GIeHQf4&list=PL48E457427E65B379 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 There is some evidence showing that the 1lb a year after age x weight gain has to do with muscle atrophy, which lowers your overall metabolism. Keeping up your muscle mass helps keep up your metabolism, as it requires more calories to maintain muscle mass than fat. So I agree with above poster who said to look into exercises that help build muscle mass. If you don't want to go to a gym or buy any equipment, take a look at the book Body By You- it is all bodyweight exercises. There is a great app by the author called You Are Your Own Gym- it has videos of all the exercises. absolutely! My bean pole sister is a perfect example of this. She has always been thin and has never done anything to maintain her physical health. She equated skinny with healthy. Now she is in her 50s the weight is really going up. They went on a 2 week bike tour of Italy and everyone in the group but her came back thinner. She gained several pounds. She just doesn't have the muscle to burn calories. And I can tell by just looking at her that her core is super weak. I have been a lifestyle exercises for years, but even I have noticed the scale creeping up a bit in the last couple years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 absolutely! My bean pole sister is a perfect example of this. She has always been thin and has never done anything to maintain her physical health. She equated skinny with healthy. Now she is in her 50s the weight is really going up. They went on a 2 week bike tour of Italy and everyone in the group but her came back thinner. She gained several pounds. She just doesn't have the muscle to burn calories. And I can tell by just looking at her that her core is super weak. I have been a lifestyle exercises for years, but even I have noticed the scale creeping up a bit in the last couple years. This is my sister exactly. She's literally walking the Grand Canyon these days trying to pull off the creeping pounds. I think it has a ton to do with portion control and she has no experience w/ dealing with that. (She's actually always been quite fit: cross country in high school etc.) I'm great at portion control, but have a super weak core. I hate working out, but have had a paradigm shift of late: I need to work out whether I'm loving it or not. Love the pilates you tube sent -- thank you!! Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 What weight training DVDs do you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 And btw I've seen a picture of Negin and she's gorgeous You are so sweet Shuriyya, thank you :grouphug:. I want the all carb plan darn it! Me too :lol:. I tried low-carb for a while. I felt awful and it's so hard to do here in this part of the world. My doctor tells me he doesn't worry too much about BMI but he does take a hip to waist ratio of everyone at all visits. That is a better indicator of potential health problems. Agreeing with your doctor. I thought the same exact same thing since I saw this thread. BMI is rubbish really. Waist measurement is far more important. Not that mine is good at all or anything. I'm a mess these days :(. I think I have to really and truly start watching my portions. The whole thing blows. It really and truly does. I have little patience for not eating this and not eating that at this point in my life. I need to find the discipline to control my portion sizes and to eat more slowly. Larger pants. The alternative to Spanx. Yes! :lol: Spanx feels horrible in the climate that we live in. :cursing: Less carbs, more Pilates. I have a ways to go yet, but I see a difference! I started with this video every day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_-GIeHQf4&list=PL48E457427E65B379 Thanks for the video. I have so many Pilates DVDs that I need to do more often. I need to remember your post "Less carbs, more Pilates". I can handle less carbs, but there's no way I could handle very low-carb or no carb at all. I love this thread and am learning a lot. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Agreeing with your doctor. I thought the same exact same thing since I saw this thread. BMI is rubbish really. Waist measurement is far more important. Not that mine is good at all or anything. I'm a mess these days :(. I think the ratios can be as dodgy as BMI, to be honest. BMI is a decent measure for me (averagely muscled and averagely boned - BMI of 22). But waist to hip ratio is not great. I don't carry much fat around my waist, but I have long legs (inside leg in flats 32"; only 5'4") and a short torso, so my body doesn't go in much between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my hip bones - there's just not enough height at that point to do it. My ratio puts me at 'moderate risk', but it's just a function of my proportions. Doctors need to be better at looking at the person in front of them, rather than relying on just one measure: do a few measures then make a judgement. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I'm only 44 and this has started to happen to me. I have a long torso, so I never saw this coming. But clearly my body is determined to store weight here at this point in my life and I'm running out of room, lol. It is a little scary that shirts no longer float away from me, but cling in two lumpy rolls. Ironically I can still stuff my behind into any pants I want, no problem, lol. Just like a man. If I had the money I would do liposuction, because I do diet and exercise and and doing my best. If you can afford it, I would look into it, honestly. I am a new business owner and can't see doing it, but you should if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I think the ratios can be as dodgy as BMI, to be honest. BMI is a decent measure for me (averagely muscled and averagely boned - BMI of 22). But waist to hip ratio is not great. I don't carry much fat around my waist, but I have long legs (inside leg in flats 32"; only 5'4") and a short torso, so my body doesn't go in much between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my hip bones - there's just not enough height at that point to do it. My ratio puts me at 'moderate risk', but it's just a function of my proportions. Doctors need to be better at looking at the person in front of them, rather than relying on just one measure: do a few measures then make a judgement. L I've read that they are now recommending just a waist measurament, not the ratio, because what really matters is the abdominal fat, not whether you have more leg/thigh fat. However, even waist measurement is going to need a doctor to modify. A petite woman is going to have a smaller waist than a tall woman, proportionately so she may meet the cut-off for waist measurement (under 35 inches) but actually be carrying ab fat. Maybe they'll replace BMI with a height and waist chart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I'm only 44 and this has started to happen to me. I have a long torso, so I never saw this coming. But clearly my body is determined to store weight here at this point in my life and I'm running out of room, lol. It is a little scary that shirts no longer float away from me, but cling in two lumpy rolls. Ironically I can still stuff my behind into any pants I want, no problem, lol. Just like a man. If I had the money I would do liposuction, because I do diet and exercise and and doing my best. If you can afford it, I would look into it, honestly. I am a new business owner and can't see doing it, but you should if you can. I've read that liposuctioned fat can cause an increase in fat outside of the liposuctioned area and if you gain weight after liposuction, you can gain weight in exactly the same place. (Your body can make new fat cells.) They can also only take out a relatively small amount of fat at a time. So maybe you're lucky that you can't afford it right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Agreeing with your doctor. I thought the same exact same thing since I saw this thread. BMI is rubbish really. Waist measurement is far more important. Not that mine is good at all or anything. I'm a mess these days :(. I think I have to really and truly start watching my portions. The whole thing blows. It really and truly does. I have little patience for not eating this and not eating that at this point in my life. I need to find the discipline to control my portion sizes and to eat more slowly. It really does suck. It just does, and you can complain to me about it because I will have endless sympathy. Wait, make that empathy. FWIW, it is a process. It's not something I did overnight. But a food journal helps, I use fitness pal, and a scale and measure spoons/cups are my best friends. I weigh and record almost everything. Some people don't have to, but I do. I will overestimate portions and snack and nibble every single time. I try to remind myself that this is one way I take care of my health. I have a strong tendency to gain weight, always have, and my family history tells me that I have to be extra vigilant to reduce my risk for some real health problems. I know that some people who don't know me prob think that I am just weight obsessed, but this is a real health issue for me. I think the ratios can be as dodgy as BMI, to be honest. BMI is a decent measure for me (averagely muscled and averagely boned - BMI of 22). But waist to hip ratio is not great. I don't carry much fat around my waist, but I have long legs (inside leg in flats 32"; only 5'4") and a short torso, so my body doesn't go in much between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my hip bones - there's just not enough height at that point to do it. My ratio puts me at 'moderate risk', but it's just a function of my proportions. Doctors need to be better at looking at the person in front of them, rather than relying on just one measure: do a few measures then make a judgement. L Absolutely. My doctor uses it to start a conversation, not make pronouncements. You know what I find frustrating? That no matter how hard I work, how clean my diet, I am still overweight. My BMI is just into the overweight category and my waist to hip ratio is riiiight at the limit of what is considered healthy. And knowing what I see around me, my 50s and 60s will come with a weight gain. I have gained about 10 lbs in the past two years despite being a consistent exerciser and being vigelant about portion control and food choices. I try to keep in my mind that my blood chemistry is fantastic. My BP is super low and I have good cardio health. So, I try to tell myself that if I wasn't working this hard things could be a lot worse. But sometimes it does get to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 For me, well, as I get older the sad truth is that I just can't eat like I used to. My calorie allotment has gone way, way down. Even with daily exercise I don't need very much food. I am petite, hardly 5 feet tall, and if I stray above 900 calories a day the weight scale starts to move up quickly. The good news with that is that it forces me to be a very healthy eater. I simply don't have the room for unhealthy treats in my diet. The bad news is that I have to say 'no thank you' to almost everything. And this is what I struggle with. Facts are facts and I accept that, and if my body needs a significantly fewer amount of calories then that's not something I'm going to be able to change. And I also realize there are a lot of things in my diet that I can change without killing myself, but... What it's going to take to make a significant change in my weight.... I just struggle with. That's what I'm almost paralyzed by, really. I enjoy cooking and I enjoy eating. To me, that is part of my quality of life, and to have to go down to a 1300 calorie/day limit, because that's what it's going to take.... I am having a really hard time. And I do try to exercise, but I hate exercising. And I know.... excuses, excuses.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Less carbs, more Pilates. I have a ways to go yet, but I see a difference! I started with this video every day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_-GIeHQf4&list=PL48E457427E65B379 I tried this video with her suggested modifications and I love it. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Following and sighing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 So I measured my waist and did that pilates video (on top of my run and kettlebell). I'm giving it 6 weeks of being done 4x/week. Let me say at this point I do not like pilates :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Following and sighing. Me too. I did email a local lady about taking her Pilates class as a result of this thread. I tried to do that Pilates video that was linked above. My core is so weak, that I couldn't do the exercise like she did. Hence the reason I need to take some classes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartosunshine Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 So I measured my waist and did that pilates video (on top of my run and kettlebell). I'm giving it 6 weeks of being done 4x/week. Let me say at this point I do not like pilates :laugh: My kids laugh at me because I grunt & groan while I'm trying to do the exercises! (Key word: trying!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I've got to figure this out too if I'm going to continue to get onstage with an exposed midriff. I can see a little 'mass' creeping onto my midsection. It's never been there before and I don't care for it to continue on this path! I have a very strong core from bellydance, but I'm 42 and nature can be unkind. I may have to suck it up and add some weight training and/or cut back on carbs and dairy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 nm nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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