I stand in front of the mirror wearing pants that no longer have buttons. I turned sideways and noticed soft, squishy love handles, new belly fat, and slim legs. Who is this person looking at me?
I go to the gym at least three times a week, stick to a mostly Mediterranean diet, and walk everywhere. Why did I suddenly gain weight? So where do these chicken legs come from?
As a middle-aged woman entering menopause, I knew wrinkles were inevitable. I was prepared for brain fog and facial flushing, but am I gaining weight around my abdomen? No one warned me. I tried to muster up some semblance of confidence in my body, but I couldn’t find any. Maybe it was hiding under that new belly fat.
I did what any other Gen X woman would do and looked for answers on the internet. On TikTok, a chiropractor claimed belly fat was the cause of miscarriages, while a fitness expert suggested doing endless crunches on Instagram. A doctor on FB swore that magnesium was the answer to my concerns. Soon my feed was flooded with ads for supplements and hacks. There was so much conflicting information that I didn’t know who to trust or what to believe.
So I quit social media and looked into scientific research. I have found that it is quite common for visceral fat to increase during menopause. The majority of middle-aged women gain 4 to 5 pounds over a three-year period, according to a SWAN study.
Curious to learn more, we reached out to an expert to find out why this happens and what you can do to slow your boat’s roll.
Where does menopausal belly fat come from?
“Menopausal belly fat is caused by a decrease in estrogen and an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),” says obstetrician-gynecologist Sara Szal, MD. Women, Food, and Hormones. As estrogen drops during menopause, you begin to lose muscle mass and gain fat. This creates subcutaneous fat, the soft, jiggly muffin top just beneath the skin. It also produces visceral fat (the deeper fat that surrounds internal organs, such as the liver, stomach, and intestines). Elevated levels of the reproductive hormone FSH, along with decreased estrogen, increase fat storage and slow metabolism. This makes midlife weight loss much more difficult.
As estrogen continues to decrease, fat is redistributed from other parts of the body and settles in the stomach. A meta-analysis of more than 1 million women showed that waist circumference increased by 4.6 cm and trunk fat by 5.5%, while leg fat decreased by 3.2%. “This is why your legs appear slimmer as your midsection grows,” says Salz. This explained my chicken legs.
But that’s only part of the story. According to menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver, not getting enough sleep during menopause (who doesn’t?) increases the hunger hormone ghrelin. As estrogen decreases, leptin, the hormone that tells you you are full, also decreases. So not only do you feel hungry, but your body doesn’t signal when you’ve had enough.
Stress is another cause. Salz said chronic stress increases cortisol, a stress hormone that contributes to visceral fat, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to make poor meal choices or snack on sugary foods. All of this causes inflammation in the body. Inflammation causes more belly fat, brain fog, and muscle pain.
And this isn’t just a vanity concern. It’s not just about gaining weight or going up a few pant sizes. “Visceral fat is dangerous fat,” Salz said. It can increase your risk of breast cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, and even sudden death.
How to get rid of menopausal belly fat
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce menopause belly. Forget the hacks you see online and follow Salz and Haver’s well-researched guidelines.
Follow the Mediterranean Diet
Why it works: A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, and olive oil helps reduce weight and inflammation.
Eat some protein
Why it works: Protein preserves muscle, improves bone density and satisfies hunger. Aim for 30 grams of protein per meal.
Add Fiber to Your Diet
Why it works: fiber that The super power hidden in menopausal belly fat. It helps improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and control appetite. Aim to eat 25-40 grams per day of whole plant foods, including berries, beans, whole grain oats, and legumes.
avoid sugar
Why it works: Sugar causes inflammation and contributes to the storage of visceral fat. Aim for less than 25 grams of added sugar per day.
work out
Why it works: Salz says combining high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with resistance training is the most effective way to improve body composition in postmenopausal women. You need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week and muscle-strengthening activity twice per week.
reduce stress
Why it works: Reducing stress lowers cortisol levels. Make sleep a priority and drink less. This can cause cortisol spikes that can interfere with sleep. Consider cognitive behavioral therapy. Journaling, meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises can also help.
Explore Hormone Therapy
Why it works: Hormone therapy (HT) helps redistribute visceral fat by increasing estrogen levels in the body. HT may also improve vasomotor symptoms of menopause (hot flushes and night sweats), sleep quality, and mood, all of which can help you have more energy to exercise consistently.
debunk the myth
Now that we know what causes abdominal menopause and what we can do about it, let’s hear what Salz has to say about these menopausal abdominal myths.
Myth 1: Crunches and abdominal exercises reduce belly fat. It cannot be reduced in parts. No matter how many abdominal exercises you do, you will not burn fat.
Myth 2: If you eat less and do more aerobic exercise, you will lose your stomach. Aggressive calorie restriction in midlife strips lean body mass and worsens underlying problems.
Myth 3: Hormone treatment causes weight gain. The evidence shows the opposite. Hormone therapy may have a beneficial effect on body fat distribution.
Myth 4: It’s just aging and menopause has nothing to do with it. Weight gain is mainly related to age, but fat restoration It especially occurs due to menopause.
Myth 5: Nothing you do actually works. untruth. Resistance training, aerobics, HIIT, Mediterranean diet, sleep and (if indicated) HT, exercise.
It’s time to change the way you think about menopausal belly fat.
I’m implementing many of these guidelines and slowly seeing results, but I’m still self-conscious about the middle. But there is no shame in gaining weight during menopause. It’s biological, which means it’s not your fault.
“Shame is not a useful tool, and neither is nostalgia for the body you had in your 30s. You can’t and shouldn’t want to get lost again,” Salz said.
Your perimenopausal belly represents everything you’ve gone through to get to where you are today. And if you have to buy new pants to fit every experience in life, it’s worth it.
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