Why Midlife Belly Fat is Common and What to Do About It – Listener Q & A

May 7, 2021

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This episode: Why midlife belly fat is common, and it’s a common question for me to answer. I’ll comment on that below.

First, it’s a sign, a symptom, not a sentence.

What you’re doing isn’t working. More of that is not going to work.

What causes it, is hormonal changes.

A loss of estrogen and increase of cortisol.
Insulin resistance
A lower level of testosterone and growth hormone (sleep disruption)

But beyond that, we’re responsible, or will be when we’re informed. You can do something about it. We often resist the changes that are suggested until we pay for change. I’m giving you the answer right here!

Changing Habits is Hard

And, change is hard. So if you need support… the 10-day Hot, Not Bothered Challenge is open for enrollment. We start June 1st, but you can start right away. I’ll give you some exercises and some content to listen to so that you get the best possible experience when we do start. The exercise will be more comfortable and you’ll mentally be more ready. The link flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge will be in the show notes.

The Answer

And the very thing we say, “I’m doing the same thing I’ve always done and it’s not working” is the clue.

Your hormones have changed.

Your exercise and nutrition and lifestyle health habits also need to change.

In many cases lifestyle health habits have changed. How?

Women who gain weight naturally try to eat less and exercise more.

You increase your stress level, your blood sugar levels are up and down, and your insulin and cortisol will together increase fat storage at the midsection.

You’re drinking more wine than you did 10 years ago.

You’re enjoying more coffee or caffeine in other ways than years ago. Starbucks and Bulletproof, and mushroom coffee all became sexy.

You’ve got more to do than ever before so you’re not prioritizing sleep or if you are, there’s so much on your mind you’re not actually sleeping. Add hormone symptoms to that like night sweats and insomnia and ouch, right?

Proof Why Midlife Belly Fat is Common but NOT Absolute

Some of those things explain perfectly why, when 100 Million women in a study (ACOG 2019) proved there was NO correlation between menopause and weight/fat gain, we do, you did.

We’re causing them.

It’s not all your fault if:

you’ve been in the dark about this
you struggle with the habit gravity that is real

Decades of conditioning about how to get fit, lose weight, tone up… won’t disappear for you overnight.

But you can still do it.

So how can you support yourself best?

First…. Please watch my TEDx talk if you haven’t. It will explain a few things.

Next Use This Checklist:

Caffeine is limited to 2 cups and done by 10am
You eat a high protein meal in the morning
You do not exercise fasted (high intensity exercise)
You skip the wine until you have improved your belly fat
You do far more strength training than cardio
You lose endurance cardio completely (no more hour long+ sessions)
You do more movement (walking, nature, golfing, SUP)
You fuel your body for exercise so you increase what you burn
Low intensity exercise fuels best with protein and or fat
High intensity exercise fuels best with a bit more carb plus protein
Post workouts you get at least 30-40 grams of protein
You prioritize relaxation and sleep

What Not to Do about Why Midlife Belly Fat Struck You!

Why would you expect the same exercise to work when you no longer have the same hormones, body composition, and metabolism as you did when you were younger?

Why would you expect doing more of the same thing that ISN’T even giving you a hint of good results would help more?

One more reason why midlife belly fat is common …

Trainers are still giving exercise prescriptions that are “functional”

They’re still focused on “corrective” exercise

They’re still using research based on young male subjects to design your program

They’re often either: pushing you – to injury or coddling you – to no progress at all

You do need intensity. You just need it based on hormone balancing exercise. You need it based on research that is inclusive of your hormones, your kinesiology, your physiology, and your psychology along with your time restrictions and preferences.

OPEN Now, Begins June 1:

https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge

https://www.flippingfifty.com/tedx

https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist

Fitness Professional who wants to train women in midlife and build a business?

https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist-masterclass