Belly fat!

No dictionary reference needed here.

Be it belly fat, pot belly, jelly belly or bane in your life fat, belly fat is not fun to have, especially if you eat well and exercise.

Are You Trying to Lose Weight After Menopause?

As woman progress in her later years, aka her menopause years, she loses estrogen. One consequence of this lost oestrogen is the normal contours of her body changes and instead of weight settling on her hips, it goes to straight to her belly.

Even a thin woman may be frustrated to discover that, as her estrogen levels decline during perimenopause, she is suddenly sporting belly fat.

For once it is not only women that suffer this fate. Men often refer to their belly fat the beer belly, beer gut, pot belly or front butt. For men, it can be due to the loss of testosterone levels that can have them suddenly developing belly fat in their later years.

Whatever the reason, belly fat occurs when excessive abdominal fat accumulates around the stomach and abdomen has built up to the extent that it is likely to have a negative impact on health.

Making it a priority and trying to lose some of your belly fat is important, not only for appearance and vanity, but also for your health with research showing the significance of belly fat and its role in the risk of acute myocardial infarctions, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as other inflammatory conditions.

Understanding the Causes of Belly Fat After Menopause

Stubborn belly fat is a major problem for many people. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to get rid of it through various diets or different exercise routines; this fat remains and seems impossible to remove. Hence why it’s called stubborn fat!

Women are more likely to gain excess belly fat, especially deep inside the belly, as they go through perimenopause and into menopause. This is due to the fact that as oestrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed from the hips, thighs and buttocks to the abdomen.

For men, the natural reduction in testosterone as they age means excess calories are often stored as visceral fat and thus the accumulation of belly fat occurs.

Stress and the cortisol connection have been attributed to the reason behind belly fat also. Research findings support the hypothesis that cortisol secretion might represent a connection between stress and abdominal fat distribution.

If you’re wondering how to lose weight after menopause, here are a few suggestions.

Simple Dietary Changes that Help Your Body Zap Fat

The number one rule in trying to reduce belly fat means that you DO NOT start by decreasing your fat intake. Not all fats are created equal and not all fats are bad fats. In fact, eating certain fats can help you in decreasing belly fat.

Good fats that you need to be adding to your eating regime include avocado, olives and coconut oil. A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that eating three 5-ounce servings of salmon per week for four weeks as part of a low-calorie diet resulted in approximately 2.2 pounds more weight lost than following a diet that didn’t include fish.

Dan Mendilow shares some fantastic points on what you need to do to turn your body into a belly-fat burning machine by replacing a few unhealthy foods with healthy foods. Dan goes on to explain the importance of eating certain fats and why you should not be shunning them in your quest to lose your belly fat.

Apple cider vinegar is a great way to kick-start your metabolism and get belly fat moving. The acetic acid in the vinegar produces proteins that can help you burn up fat.

With stress and the cortisol connection, your body starts to produce more insulin as you age, since your muscle and fat cells aren’t responding to it properly. With the increase in insulin comes fat storage, especially around your belly. A diet high in protein may protect you against insulin resistance, thus decreasing belly fat.

Customize Your Plan to Your Body and Lifestyle

Here is a great comment by Zack Arnold of Fitness in Post…

There is no such thing as the perfect diet, only the perfect diet for you.

Zack continues to explain, what works for one person perfectly may be a miserable failure for another person. Diet is based on individual tastes, ethnic background, environment, genetic makeup, as well as your caloric needs based on your level of physical (and mental) activity.

These are just a few tips to help you with your belly fat challenge. I would love to hear if you gained belly fat in your later years and, if so, do you have any tips you would like to share? Please join the conversation.