Oh! this great fat belly.

Scientists say all sorts of things we 'should' or shouldn't have, do, think.
I wouldn't mind, but it changes too, sometimes. If I lose or put on weight, I stay the same shape, just a bigger or smaller version.

oh dear

Scientists and doctors say that your waist measurement should be half your height. So a 6ft tall man should have a waist of no more than 36 ins, A 5ft. 4 ins woman 32ins. Any more and you are courting trouble , diabetes for example.

Cheeky cow!!! Not a friend at all, I suspect. We tend to forgive the men in our lives/sightlines for their huge bellies, but still worry about our own!

Same for me, wot. Years ago, my friend told me I look like Clare Rayner on Twiggy's legs!

I often give it a good, spiteful pinch! It couldn't even carry a child so it's always been useless.

I despise my fats stomach, crisscrossed with scars just looks so siy with old lady skinny legs. The only thing it's good for is if I need abreast reconstruction.

I have a fat tummy; I always have, since I was a skinny child.

Exactly Anya my downfall is fruit. But I limit myself to berries and full fat yogurt for breakfast, and now and again a fig or a peach.

Not altogether. There's carbs in nearly everything, e.g. Milk. But the simple way is to cut out sugars (i.e. cakes, biscuits, fruit juices) bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.

Cut back on fruit and carby vegetables.

Well done BBevan on your weight loss my problem is carbs I love bread and potatoes how did you do it did you cut out carbs altogether.

Wonderful BB

Not much belly fat at all now. I even have hip bones. I am on the Low carb high fat way of eating. Reversed my diabetes and gone from a size 18 to a 14. Very easy to do and no calorie counting

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I have been told by an expert on human biology, nutrition and body shape that after the menopause we need our belly fat. That's because we still need oestrogen, and once our ovaries have packed up production, some types of body fat will produce oestrogen for us. So it's natural, don't worry about it! What is unnatural and unfair is expecting older women to have the same body shape as younger women.

My problem, too. I don't mind having put on some weight over the years,except for my huge, wobbly belly, out of proportion to everything else - making dress wearing impossible. Just look eternally pregnant.

Surgery, don't mess about, "if it affends you cut it off", just don't tell anyone.

Bella ... The day we stop caring about how we look is the day we may as well die ....
I see some stunning Grans out and about ( myself included on a good day)
Why let ourselves go
And me too am struggling with the dreaded muffin top ....

Don't forget about Water Retention? And look at Lifestyle eating, I have recently done this and found Souper foods help a lot.

My fitness mad step daughter (her body is her profession) who knows how much exercise I get has told me I need to get more sleep. Apparently I don't get enough and a body that's sleep deprived reacts by storing fat on the stomach.

I've always had a biggish tummy, at the start of my first pregnancy my GP asked if I'd ever had an op because there seemed to be a bit of a gap in my tummy muscles. I'm 5ft 1in and weigh between 8st and 8st 7lb and I walk miles. Over Christmas DH was in hospital so with no-one around knowing what I was up to I ate very little (on purpose) and my tummy went down. Michael Mosely's latest Blood Sugar Diet claims that visceral fat decreases with low or non carb food.

diddy Put smaller helpings in front of him, and hide anything left in the pan so that he can't go for seconds. Stop buying peanuts and when he looks for them, tell him there are none left in the cupboard.

Buy him underwear and T-shirts one size too small that will feel too tight.

Talk to him, say you are worried about his heart and you don't want to be a widow.

I've always done loads of exercise. Walking, bike riding, gardening. Still thickened post menopause. My stomach is exactly as it was when I was five months pregnant with DS. At 39.

jessm my observation too, about exercise. I'm lazy, and make a real effort, even I I don't like exercise much.

Well done you for getting into those trousers.

In my observation most middle aged women, and older ones too, take spectacularly little exercise.There are quite a lot of retired people in my area. There is only one other woman that I see out regularly exercising by walking.
I have some trousers I bought 14 years ago (I remember that it was my sister's 50th when I got them) and they still fit fine. I'm sure they would not if i did not try to get at least 3/4 of an hour energetic walking in most days.