How to get rid of belly fat in women after 45 years

Menopause is a certain period in a woman’s life during which her reproductive function fades.

Due to hormonal imbalance in the body, not only changes in the functioning of a woman’s genital organs are observed, but also changes in the structure of the body.

Once you reach age 45, surges in estrogen and progesterone can affect fat deposits in the lower abdomen and thighs.

In 70% of women, a sharp enlargement is recorded in the peritoneal area and after menopause the abdomen does not return to its normal state.

Causes of abdominal growth during menopause

Experts know that menopause and weight gain are interrelated concepts.

The female body makes preparations for the mature period after 45 years. During and after menopause, weight gain is difficult to stop.

Menopause and excess body weight are a natural part of any aging process and occur individually in each situation.

However, according to statistics, significant weight gain occurs after 45 years. During this period, all processes begin to slow down due to hormonal changes.

Simple tips to solve the problem

What to do with all the above reasons and how to deal with them?

Here are some tips to help you:

Set yourself a daily routine and try to stick to it every day
Sleep at least 7 hours straight
Do physical exercise, set aside about 15 minutes for this at a time convenient for you
Try to walk outside in the fresh air more
Forget about fast food, sweet carbonated drinks, sausages, processed foods and baked goods
Take a contrast shower in the morning

When you want something fatty and extremely tasty, think carefully about whether it is necessary and possible, or find a healthy replacement.

This way you can become much stronger in spirit and return your flat tummy to normal.

A passive lifestyle will not serve you well either.

Why does a woman's figure change during menopause?

Doctors believe that in many situations after age 40, the triggers for the growth of belly fat deposits will be:

Hereditary predisposition. Many women tend to be overweight due to genetic factors. Nature already presets the amount of calories that the body can process, and the excess will be unevenly distributed throughout the adipose tissue.
Hormonal changes. More than half of women who have entered menopause will experience an increase in their abdomen in the next 6 months. Many people wonder why this happens and what it is connected with. This is due to the fact that androgens cannot quickly turn into estrogens. Most of the androgens will dissolve in fat cells, and the lack of estrogens, which are needed to quickly absorb male sex hormones, increases the size of the belly. In addition, sudden surges of estrogen can retain fluid inside the body, resulting in persistent gas formation, which causes bloating.
Inconsistency between fat and muscle mass. An increase in abdominal volume is associated with an age-related decrease in muscle mass. During menopause, regenerative processes will slow down, muscle tissue will recover more slowly, and a layer of fat will grow instead of muscles.
Metabolism failure. During menopause, due to hormonal imbalance, changes occur in the functioning of the endocrine system, and disturbances in natural metabolic processes are observed. Due to a lack of hormones, the thyroid gland is unable to cope with the regulation and distribution of nutrients within the body. Therefore, food masses are absorbed more slowly and converted into fat.
Weakening of muscle tissue. The abdomen and its stretched muscles after pregnancy support collagen, which is responsible for muscle tone. Before menopause, its production decreases.

The abdominal muscles sag and lose their firmness and elasticity. As a result, the abdominal area becomes larger in appearance.

Big belly with fibroids - treatment in Moscow

Uterine fibroids are one of the causes of increased abdominal volume. When the etiological factor is eliminated, its size returns to its previous levels. Doctors from our medical institutions perform removal of fibroid nodes in Moscow. The clinic's doctors are highly qualified specialists in the treatment of uterine fibroids. In their work, they use modern equipment necessary for accurate diagnosis and effective removal of myomatous nodes. You can learn more about the cost of treatment, as well as make an appointment with a doctor, by calling the phone number listed on the website.

Factors that cause waist growth

In addition, the following factors can influence an increase in abdominal size:

Lack of vitamins in the daily menu. Often the diet is meager and there is a lack of vitamins and microelements needed by the body. In particular, there is a lack of vitamins D and C. As a result of the deficiency, a constant feeling of hunger occurs. The body does not absorb food masses and the stomach grows due to the deposition of fat cells inside it.
Passive lifestyle. Often women after 40 years of age neglect an active lifestyle: they do not focus on sports activities, and spend less time outside. Due to a sedentary lifestyle, the cells inside the body do not receive oxygen in the required quantity, and metabolism becomes slow. Due to the decrease in energy expenditure, excess calories are converted into fat, which is deposited on the abdomen.
Changes in taste buds and unbalanced diet. During menopause, women experience changes in their perception of taste. Food products become bland and unsweetened. In this regard, there is a significant consumption of fatty and sweet foods. Along with these food products, their calorie content increases. Over time, indigestible calories will be stored as belly fat.
Diseases. Due to a sudden drop in the amount of hormones, there is a possibility of the appearance of diseases of the endocrine system - diabetes mellitus, inflammation of the adrenal glands, insulinoma, etc. A disturbance in the nutritional structure occurs, and therefore the content of cortisone, the hormone that is responsible for excessive weight gain, increases.
Psycho-emotional shocks during menopause. Initially, it may seem that there is no relationship between stressful situations and weight gain. However, this is misleading. After the onset of menopause, women’s psycho-emotional background begins to change.

In a depressed nervous state, the production of serotonin and endorphin decreases. To make up for their deficiency, a woman eats stress foods with a significant content of poorly digestible carbohydrates.

Therefore, the belly grows due to the proliferation of fat cells on its surface.

How to remove belly fat after 40, 45, 50 years for a woman

It should be noted that it will not be possible to quickly remove unwanted volumes, so you need to be patient. First of all, you need to follow a proper diet. The appearance of excess belly fat is often associated with eating high-calorie foods.

Nutrition itself plays a significant role in the question of how to remove a large belly from a woman after 50 years, however, experts do not advise going to extremes and going on a strict diet; it will be enough to reconsider your eating habits and start following these simple rules:

You need to drink enough purified water throughout the day;
exclude red meat, as well as fried and fatty foods from the diet;
eat more greens, fresh vegetables, berries and fruits;
give up confectionery and flour products, as well as sweet soda.

It would also be useful for the body to spend fasting days on cereals or apples with the obligatory consumption of kefir, but only if there are no clear contraindications.

Exercises

Performing physical exercises is the second solution to the question “How to tighten the stomach of a woman after 50 years?”, because to obtain the desired result it is necessary to increase muscle tone, thereby causing them to contract. The most effective exercises include the well-known hula hoop twist and abdominal exercises, and it is recommended to start with a hoop, since it kneads and warms up the abdominal muscles and also increases blood circulation, preparing them for more complex abdominal exercises, namely:

lie with your back on the floor, put your hands behind your head and begin to perform an exercise called “Bicycle”, alternately bending one or the other leg at the knee in the air;
Lie on your back and stretch your arms above your head. Then lift your left leg up and try to reach it with the fingers of your right hand, do the same with the other limb;
lying on your back, stretch your arms behind your head. Raise your legs and arms up at the same time and hold them in this position for several seconds and then lower them. In this case, the lower back should fit snugly to the floor.

Reading information: Treatment of urinary incontinence in men after 60 years of age

Prevention

To avoid such unpleasant symptoms as weight gain after 40 years, it is necessary to adjust your lifestyle:

Diet. The menu should be revised. Meals should be 5 times a day, in small portions. To maintain muscle mass, it is necessary to exclude carbohydrate foods and consume more food that is rich in proteins (legumes, chicken, buckwheat, seafood, etc.).
To maintain your body weight and figure at the same level, you should learn to count the calories you consume. Women over 45 years of age should eat at least 1,800 calories per day. To reduce body weight, as well as eliminate an enlarged abdomen, it is necessary to reduce the content of calories consumed per day to 500 kcal.
Normal water balance should be maintained. To speed up your metabolism and prevent bloating, you need to drink at least 2 liters of fluid every day.
During menopause, a woman often faces a lack of calcium, so the daily menu must necessarily include fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, which contain nutritional elements. Such food gives a feeling of fullness and replenishes the lack of vitamins.
Sport exercises. When nutrition is normal, it is necessary to do constant physical training. These include going to the pool, jogging, yoga, walking, and working out in the gym. Physical stress prevents the accumulation of a layer of fat on the surface of the abdomen, calories will not accumulate, and metabolism will accelerate. In addition to the above, during sports exercises, serotonin is produced, which is responsible for the psycho-emotional well-being of a woman during menopause.
Maintaining a stable hormonal balance. To control proper body weight, a woman who experiences symptoms of menopause must maintain normal hormonal balance. For these purposes, the specialist prescribes the necessary hormonal agents or their plant-based analogues.

For women with a hereditary predisposition, it is more difficult to prevent a condition such as abdominal enlargement. However, there is no need to perceive weight gain as a pathological process.

During a woman's menopause, estrogens are produced not by the ovaries, but by the fat layer in the abdomen. Therefore, a big belly is not a cause for concern.

Women's belly grows: reasons

When thinking about why the belly grows, one cannot exclude such a factor as pregnancy - in this case, the increase in the volume of the abdomen is due to completely natural reasons.

Another point is the structural features of the figure. Women with an apple-type figure tend to accumulate excess fat in the upper part of the body, including on the stomach, but their legs are usually slender.

What to do? Of course, you can’t change your natural constitution, but you can control your lifestyle and diet so that your stomach remains as slim as possible. You need to do exercises to strengthen your abs. In addition, learn to highlight your assets through clothing . And with this type of figure there are enough of them - slender legs, beautiful breasts.

Postural disorders

The reason why the belly grows in women may lie in incorrect posture. Moreover, even with the absolute absence of excess weight, a woman in this case may have a protruding tummy. The reason is that a curved spine displaces the organs in the abdominal cavity from their normal places, causing them to appear to protrude. This problem is quite relevant for teenagers, and if no measures are taken, it will only get worse with age. Often the cause of sudden weight gain is sedentary work, in which the spine is in the wrong position for a long time.

What to do? Improve posture and strengthen back muscles. very useful for this. Swimming can correct minor spinal deviations. Water relieves part of the load and allows the vertebrae to return to their correct, natural position. And this result is recorded by muscles, which are also strengthened during swimming. Over time, the internal organs will return to their natural places, and the figure, accordingly, will also become more correct.

Hormonal imbalances

Our body is a very complex system in which everything is interconnected. And changes in hormonal levels can lead to weight gain. This is the answer to the question of why the belly appears after childbirth and during menopause - the balance of hormones changes. The same applies to adolescents during puberty. Also, hormonal disorders can be a consequence of disorders of the endocrine system. Thyroid hormones are responsible for the breakdown of fatty acids. If there are too few or too many of them in the body, then the metabolism is disrupted, fats are not broken down, but settle on the stomach.

What to do? Initially, check your thyroid gland, get tested for hormones, and consult with medical specialists. It will probably be necessary to optimize your diet. A microelement such as iodine is also important - it helps maintain normal functioning of the thyroid gland.

Stress

Stress and extra centimeters in the abdominal area are closely related concepts. When the body is under stress, it actively produces cortisol, a hormone that promotes fat storage. In addition, many people tend to eat stress with not the most healthy foods.

What to do? It is important to be able to deal with stress and not run to the refrigerator at the slightest nervous tension. Drink plenty of water - it reduces the level of stress hormones in the body. Try to walk more, master breathing techniques - choose those ways to deal with stress that are right for you.

Stress in many women can cause the absorption of fat according to the male pattern, since it inhibits the functioning of the ovaries, and they cease to produce progesterone and estrogen in normal quantities. This can make your figure look like a man's, and a protruding belly will be a major sign of this.

Age-related changes

With age, your figure deteriorates - this is a consequence of natural processes. Over the years, metabolism slows down and hormonal levels change. Therefore, it is not surprising that for many women, as they age, their lower abdomen grows and it becomes more and more difficult to maintain their shape. Some people encounter this after 30, some after 40, some only after menopause - everything is individual.

What to do? The older you are, the more you need to control your diet. If you want to maintain your figure, give up unhealthy foods and go in for sports.

Why does the belly grow after childbirth?

The postpartum period is dangerous for a woman due to the following reasons:

During pregnancy, as the fetus grows, the abdominal walls stretch, and it can be quite difficult for them to return to their original state.
Hormonal levels also change, which may not have the best effect on the body.
Finally, a new mother has a lot of troubles, and she may simply have no time to take care of herself. All of these factors combined can cause your stomach condition to worsen significantly.

What to do? First of all, do not give up breastfeeding - this process has a beneficial effect on restoring your figure. Eat right and don't overeat. No matter how difficult it may be, try to get enough sleep and do not forget about physical activity. There are many options for young mothers, for example, gymnastics with the baby. And regular walks with a stroller in the fresh air have a great effect on a slightly spoiled figure.

To prevent deterioration in the shape of the abdomen after childbirth, you can use a special bandage during pregnancy.

Lack of physical activity

A very common reason why the belly grows in women. Physical inactivity (lack of movement) is unnatural for the human body. However, the realities of life today are such that most of us work in the office, sitting motionless for several hours at a time, and relax at home on the couch. This is a serious burden for the body. He does not use up all the calories he gets from food, and the excess is deposited on the stomach. In addition, physical inactivity is fraught with many other negative consequences, for example, muscle atrophy, problems with blood vessels, and curvature of posture, which we have already discussed.

What to do? Everything is trivial - find time for physical activity, no matter how difficult it may be. Ideally, it is recommended to devote at least 3-4 days a week to training , combining cardio exercises aimed at burning fat and abdominal exercises that help strengthen muscles and tighten the body. Yoga, bodyflex, and hula hoop work well.

Even if you can’t fully engage in sports yet, still try to move more. Even a couple of bus stops that you walk and taking the stairs instead of the elevator is better than nothing. Remember that without physical activity you will not be able to achieve a beautiful figure.

Nutrition

Probably, poor nutrition should take first place in the ranking of the reasons why the belly grows in women. Therefore, you need to know what foods make women’s bellies grow, and how to eat to get rid of it. The following eating habits can lead to excess volume in the waist area:

Overeating and large portions that stretch the stomach.
Uneven nutrition, when a person skips meals, but eats enough at one time.
Avoiding breakfast and eating large amounts of food in the afternoon.
Eating unhealthy foods that cause your belly to grow. These include fast food, sweets, cakes, white bread, pastries, chips, mayonnaise and other sauces, fatty, fried, salty foods - in general, all foods that do not fall into the healthy category.
Abuse of sugar and products that contain it.
Insufficient fluid intake.

What to do? Review your diet and form new eating habits that will help you lose belly fat. The menu should be built on the following principles:

Avoid strict short-term diets. Firstly, they promote weight loss through muscle and water, not fat, and secondly, as a result, the belly can become even larger, as the body begins to actively make reserves in case of the next stress such as starvation.
Eat small, frequent meals. Thanks to this, you will narrow the volume of your stomach and begin to eat less, and your metabolism will speed up. This has a beneficial effect on the condition of the figure.
Eat enough fruits and vegetables. They are low in calories, yet they contain a lot of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Eat proteins. The body spends a lot of energy on their absorption, and they are also necessary for muscles. Sources of protein are lean fish and meats, cottage cheese, eggs, and so on.
Fats cannot be excluded from the diet - otherwise the refusal will negatively affect women’s health. But you need to choose healthy sources: vegetable oils, fish, nuts.
Food should be varied. This will help you stay on track with your diet.
Snacking is okay, but snacks should be healthy. This could be a handful of nuts, fruits, vegetables, boiled eggs, or a fermented milk drink. Do not tolerate hunger - because of this, not only your mood suffers, but also your metabolism.