The 'menopause middle' is a phrase that slips off the tongue a little too well, but I don’t really like it. Why? Because it makes a plump abdomen sound inevitable. Like it’s a fate we can’t dodge, that it’s inexorably entwined with middle age. But why does it get there in the first place?
In perimenopause and post-menopause, levels of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone fall, become a bit of a mess and trigger a catalogue of metabolic changes in the female body. Among these is a change in fat distribution.
Where previously some women may have laid down fat on thighs and hips (after, say, a particularly overindulgent holiday), the drop in oestrogen may cause it to settle more around the abdomen instead – not only on the outside but the inside too.
Higher levels of this visceral fat increase our risk of cardiovascular disease. I'm not scaremongering, just stating facts. Changes in those hormones will affect other hormones too (we have around 50 of them). So if oestrogen drops, so might leptin and, eek, that’s the hormone that tells us to stop eating.
"The body is only going to change if it’s forced to"
But there are other factors as to why our middles may become doughy. As well as big chemical changes, there may also be shifts in lifestyle happening at the same time.
Changes in work patterns mean fewer commutes, less walking, fewer steps, more chats/coffees/cakes with friends. You may have more stress (elderly parents, teenagers, cost-of-living crisis) leading to – naturally – more wine and crisps.
Age is a factor, too. As all of us (whatever sex) grow older, we lose muscle; anything from 1-3% a year. Muscle helps keep our metabolic rate up and this burns energy (calories) on a day-to-day basis, so as our bodies become older, less responsive and our muscle tissue starts to decline, they require fewer calories.
Which means we need to eat less food. Somehow we ignore that bit!
How to halt weight gain
Now that I have set the scene, the things you can do to get rid of or prevent menopausal weight gain anywhere on your body are these:
1. Sort out your sleep
I could count on the fingers of one hand the midlife women I know who sleep well. Bad sleep leads to stress and, potentially, weight gain.
Take steps for better quality sleep and longer shut-eye, and give it the time it deserves.
Look at our woman&home Sleep Award winners for some useful products that may help, here.
2. Eat right
Embrace all the sensible fat-loss food rules for midlifers, which I bang on about month after month. More protein to feed those muscles you’re using, better-quality carbs (wholegrain everything), good fats, piles of veg for those vitamins and minerals (our allies in the fight for energy!) and a small, indulgent treat every day. Because you’re worth it.
As an experiment, make a note of your daily protein totals. Not just traditional high-protein foods, such as fish and chicken, but take time to look at the box of oats, your bread, bag of pasta, that tin of lentils. Even a 100g broccoli tree has nearly 3g!
For muscle preservation, aim for 1g-2g of protein per kilo of your body weight a day.
3. Stop the decline in muscle mass
Build muscles up so that your body becomes a daily fire of burning calories, even at rest. Get physical!
Try yoga workouts, strength training with weights, barbells, resistance band exercises, the three all-body strengthening moves I'll show you below, aggressive gardening... anything where you’re making the muscles work against a force.
Begin gently and then, as you get used to it, start to increase weights – because the human body is only going to change if it’s forced to.
This series of effective exercises will strengthen muscles and bones, plus put fire in your belly and a glow in your cheeks. Do them in order for the recommended reps, five rounds. All you need is your best thick yoga mat.
1. Crawl forward and backward
On all fours, raise your knees 1cm off the floor. ‘Crawl’ forward by moving your left hand and right foot together, then right hand and left foot, and so on. Do six steps forward and six steps back. Rest your knees on the floor if need be.
2. Punch out
Next, get yourself into a squat position, and sit into your heels, bracing your core and glutes. Bring your hands up to your face, and then lash out with 20 quick, powerful punches.
3. Kick your legs up
Sit with your knees bent, feet together, and place your hands behind you, with your fingers facing backwards. Lift your hips off the mat and kick your right leg up, then quickly kick left leg up, keeping hips off floor. Do 10 reps.
This article first appeared in the November 2024 issue of woman&home magazine. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.
