Fay's Flabby Meno Belly - Just Jill, Rambler Cafe Blog

Just Jill is the creation of Jill Cohen Morris. Jill is an avid rambler and mother of two from Toronto, Canada with a remarkable zest for life and a fabulous sense of humor.

Dear Just Jill,

I have entered the world of menopause and all it has to offer … Ugh!! Ok, that is not fair of me; it is not all bad.

I do need help with the bad, though, specifically the weight I have gained and redistributed.

I haven't changed my diet, and I exercise regularly, yet I have been putting on weight, and it is going directly to my midsection. I don't understand it, and I don't like it.

With that has come flabbiness. I look at my arms and don't even believe they are mine. I say to myself, what is the point of working out?

Don't get me wrong, I know the benefits of working out. It is just so frustrating for me!!

Are any other Sole Sisters experiencing this? Have you changed your workouts? How have you coped?

What's a gal to do?

Sincerely,

Flabby Fay

Sole Sister Advice

Menopause is hard, and I totally understand the issue of weight distribution and flabby arms. I had to get a different mental mindset, so I depended on meditation, and I got into yoga. I still walked and biked, but I realized I could only control my mental outlook and my reaction to my new body.
Yes, I'm exactly the same; nothing helps with meno belly.
Just remember, it's a natural process that most of our female ancestors never got to experience. Trust me, there is a whole new world on the other side. I am 61 and getting stronger all the time. Sure, I am packing some extra weight, and there is some loose skin in places I would prefer not to have, but I consider it all a "right of passage" into elderhood. Enjoy it.
Menopause hit me hard, and I've had a lot of issues. I'm reevaluating everything, including my diet, exercise routine, etc. The Galveston Diet, is gaining massive traction on social media and changing the game by raising awareness and providing solutions. I highly recommend you give her a follow.
I have always had a belly, so I am unsure if I have experienced a meno stomach. LOL. But the other day, I noticed my arms jiggle for the first time. The first time you notice an "aging thing" is always a shocker. My arms have always been the "thin' part of my body. I don't know why I thought I would be spared, but I assumed I would be. I really, really want to like yoga. Help!
Sugar (in all its forms) has become my meno-nemesis. I dropped 20 lbs a while back because I tracked my sugar intake at every meal for about 2 months. Kept it off for quite a while too. But I've definitely been consuming more sugar recently, and guess what? Weight is climbing again. I appreciate this post because it reminded me that I need to cut back on sugar again.
I've changed my gym routine to include more weights which are essential to our bone health as we age. My legs feel so much stronger, and the muscle definition in my arms makes me feel okay about the flab. I'm learning to embrace my Buddha belly, but it's a work in process. There's a fine balance between accepting my extra softness and having the discipline to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits.
Lots of great advice - I started using a yoga-based app, called Asana Rebel, and it has made a massive difference to my body and brain!! The huge dopamine rush helps with my ADD procrastination, and while the weight is shifting slowly, my body has changed more quickly. I feel like my old self again. My strength and flexibility are better than when I was in my 20s and training in dance. It's a ridiculously cheap app (£30 for an entire year) with great teaching tips. I'm unsure how it would be for those unfamiliar with yoga or with less anatomical awareness. Still, I think it is just about getting used to it. I practice most days at some point.
I also work out at the gym and get fab advice from my son, who is an S&C coach. He pointed out that I was not working hard enough (eek!) and that the body gets used to your routine, so you need to change it up (he recommends every six weeks).
Want to highlight a lesser-known symptom of menopause that I experience: paraesthesia which is a numbness/tingling in arms, hands, legs, and feet. I had never read about this, and my GP sent me for scans to check for spinal stenosis. I then woke during the night and could not move my arms or legs. I was living alone and thought I had had a stroke. It was terrifying. It took me 15 mins to get up, move, and call for help. The hospital doctor was tremendous and identified it as menopause related. It's never been that bad again, but I regularly wake with dead hands, including during the night, which is frustrating. Makes things like typing tricky as I make lots of mistakes!! At least now I know what it is, and don't panic. Please share with others so that women are more aware!
I've always been pretty fit and never had a belly, but this menopause gig is really frustrating - it's as if my stretched skin from pregnancy decided that they're no longer gonna stay "in" and has decided to rebel/party and has a wild time out.
I am about 14 years post-menopause and still have trouble reconciling with my new body. However, I appreciate that it can still take me to amazing places and is more flexible than ever before. I do have to maintain a daily 20 min yoga/pilates/stretch routine and twice weekly 30 mins of interval training. Another helpful thing is incorporating stretching, bending, lifting, and carrying into my everyday activities rather than making concessions because I am older.