Frickin midlife belly fat. Let’s talk about how to lose it.
+ Another round of sleep tips during this *exciting* time of life
Why we gain weight in our midsections in our 40s and 50s
Women gain subcutaneous and visceral belly fat in perimenopause and menopause due to hormones, reduced muscle mass, diet, exercise, and more. Let’s talk about how to lose it.
If you’re like me, you’ve tried all the old ways you used to depuff midsection bloat — to no avail. My belly seems to have a life of its own, just hanging out, no longer responding quickly to the fasts or cardio stints that worked only 10 years ago.
Of course it’s not. In our mid-forties, we experience so much change in the way our bodies operate that changing with it is the only way to honor our age — and see the results of our health efforts.
The belly I speak of is not the low, excess skin from babies or a C-section, and it’s not the poof you feel the morning after a sodium-rich dinner: This belly is the kind that somehow became a part of my silhouette (I’m currently 47), a no longer flat-ish core that makes oversized band Ts my most fitting fashion vibe.
P.S. Did you know?
Getting your heart pumping — not doing 100 crunches! — will help you melt away that fat. Research confirms that consistently doing moderate to intensive exercise 150 minutes per week will contribute to this weight loss over the long term. This doesn’t mean that you have to run for 2.5 hours a week; many low-impact exercises like walking, biking, swimming, dancing and more will also do the trick. The key here is consistency.
5 more tips to sleep all night — the natural way
By Sally Duffin, a leading nutritionist who’s in perimenopause herself
Getting a good night’s sleep during midlife can be challenging, to say the least. If work and family worries aren’t enough to contend with, hormonal hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, and insomnia often keep us awake.
If you already read the other 5 tips we threw down for better peri-/menopausal slumber, good news. We’ve been digging into research and have five more tips to get your best night’s sleep — even when hot flashes are hitting hard.
Why is it hard to sleep during perimenopause and menopause?
There are several different factors at play during perimenopause and menopause that can affect sleep.
First up, falling levels of estrogen affect body temperature making us susceptible to night sweats and hot flashes. The internal thermometer in the brain is highly sensitive to fluctuating estrogen and can mistakenly think we’re overheating and need to cool down with sweating and flushing. Night sweats and flashes can be accompanied by a burst of adrenaline and maybe some heart palpitations too. Then once we’re awake it takes time to cool down, freshen up, and get back to sleep.
Secondly, estrogen interacts with melatonin, the main sleep hormone, in ways that are not yet fully understood. Scientists know that melatonin levels decrease with age, and for some women the symptoms that occur during menopause can amplify this change, leading to difficulties with falling asleep and staying asleep.
Finally, other symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause like depression, anxiety, weight gain, and bladder problems can also interrupt sleep. And of course, worrying about sleep makes it even harder to get to sleep, so the whole process turns into a vicious cycle.
P.S. Should we nap during peri and menopause?
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with catching a nap if it helps you get through the day. However, some people find napping makes them feel groggy and disoriented and less able to sleep well at night. To avoid this, try following the 30/90 sleep rule.
The rule suggests napping for either 30 minutes or 90 minutes – nothing in between. A 30-minute nap allows for light sleep but no deep sleep, while a 90-minute nap allows for a full sleep cycle (light sleep, deep sleep, then back to light sleep again). Both versions prevent you from waking during the deep sleep phase which can cause that familiar feeling of grogginess.
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