5 Reasons It's Hard to Lose Belly Fat after Menopause

It’s probably the one thing you hear post-menopausal women complain about: belly fat.

You watch what you eat and exercise, but the stubborn layer of fat that covers your belly won't budge. You adjust your diet and physical activity to no avail. Unfortunately, tummy fat is the most difficult to shed for a variety of reasons.

Why is it so hard to lose belly fat? Here are some reasons, backed by science, that tummy fat is the most stubborn and the hardest to get rid of.

Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes after menopause play a big role in tummy fat. After menopause, estrogen and progesterone rise and growth hormone drops. These hormonal changes make it harder to lose tummy fat and maintain muscle mass. Plus, another hormone, cortisol, increases as estrogen and progesterone drop. Cortisol is a stress hormone and when it rises, it causes fat redistribution; fat moves from your thighs and buttocks to your mid-section. That's why so many women fight an expanding waistline during mid-life.

You don't have complete control over hormonal changes, but you can maximize growth hormone by strength training and getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night. It's during deep sleep that your brain releases the most growth hormone, a hormone released by the pituitary gland in your brain that burns fat and helps preserve muscle. If you skimp on sleep, it can lead to muscle loss from a drop in growth hormone and a rise in cortisol. Lack of sleep is another factor that boosts cortisol release.

Stress

Another factor that makes it harder to shed tummy fat is stress. Remember cortisol? When you're under physical or mental stress, cortisol goes up and it causes body fat to shift to your mid-section. So, stress makes it easier to gain weight and it changes where you store your fat too. The best way to deal with stubborn body fat related to stress is to have ways to manage it. Lengthy or intense workouts can worsen the problem, especially if you're not consuming enough calories. Add some gentle stretching exercises to your routine or add yoga to your fitness routine. Learn how to breathe deeply to relieve stress and spend 5 or 10 minutes each day meditating. Some people find writing in a journal relieves stress too.

Too Much Sugar and Ultra-processed Foods

Sugar and ultra-processed junk food cause blood sugar and insulin spikes that make it easier to store fat in the wrong locations, like your mid-section. After menopause, insulin sensitivity declines, and your body is less equipped to handle sugar and carbohydrates that cause a blood sugar spike. Sugar and ultra-processed junk food cause blood sugar and insulin spikes that make it easier to store fat in the tummy and excess weight, especially around your belly, is a huge risk factor for type 2 diabetes. So, it's a vicious cycle you can break by changing your diet if you're eating too much junk food.

What's the best way to upgrade your diet? Eliminate added sugar and choose whole, fiber-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein. Stop eating out of packages and pulling up to drive-thru windows. Sugar can also interfere with leptin signaling, which makes it harder for you to sense when you are full. Scale back and slowly eliminate added sugar from your diet.

Inflammation

Many things can cause low-grade inflammation, such as eating an inflammatory diet, an imbalance in gut bacteria, health problems, and chronic stress. Research shows that chronic, low-grade inflammation also makes it easier to gain weight and belly fat. In fact, a study published in the journal Obesity found a pro-inflammatory diet, consisting of junk food, convenience food and sugar, led to greater yearly weight gain and a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese.

One diet that seems to lower inflammation is the Mediterranean diet, an eating plan that emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods, particularly plant-based foods, fish, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. Research shows that closely following a Mediterranean diet lowers markers of inflammation in the blood and helps foster a healthier gut microbiome. It's an especially good diet to eat after menopause.

Not Getting the Right Balance of Exercise

Exercise, in moderation, helps reduce inflammation, lower cortisol, and increase insulin sensitivity, all good things for your health and waistline. However, it's important not to overdo it. Overexercising to lose weight raises cortisol and makes it harder to shed belly fat. Give yourself rest days and balance high-intensity exercise with relaxation workouts, like yoga for balance. Be sure to include strength training in your routine, though. Everyone needs strength training to reduce age-related muscle loss. Focus on compound movements (resistance) and reducing the rest intervals between sets. If your goal is to lose belly fat, aim to exercise for 30-40 minutes five times a week (three times per week is ideal).

The Bottom Line

Now you know what makes it so hard to shed tummy fat after menopause and some actions you can take to tame belly fat. Now, put them to good use!

References:

Ramallal R, Toledo E, Martínez JA, Shivappa N, Hébert JR, Martínez-González MA, Ruiz-Canela M. Inflammatory potential of diet, weight gain, and incidence of overweight/obesity: The SUN cohort. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2017 Jun;25(6):997-1005. doi: 10.1002/oby.21833. PMID: 28544794.

Endocrineweb.com. "Mediterranean Diet: Anti Inflammatory Foods Behind Health Benefits"

Sureda A, Bibiloni MDM, Julibert A, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Inflammatory Markers. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):62. Published 2018 Jan 10. doi:10.3390/nu10010062.

MedicalNewsToday.com. "What causes a hormonal belly?"

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