LSpaulding08

There it is in living color: BELLY FAT. Please…say it isn’t true. Desperate to find an authentic article I could trust, I came across the Mayo Clinic website.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM03913

Most everything else that has to do with older women and weight gain is trying to sell products: colon cleanses, tonics, supplements…I know. I inhabited that world for many years…and now I’m a fully-converted skeptic.

Here’s the skinny (oops): This visceral fat, aka “belly fat” accumulates in our abdomens (bellies, ladies), between our organs. Subcutaneous fat, on the other hand, is the fat you can feel if you pinch some skin and tissue around your middle. It’s the invisible fat, the visceral fat, that puts us at greater risk of disease, such as heart disease, breast cancer (been there, done that) and diabetes—more than does excess subcutaneous fat.

As we age and our metabolism slows down, the amount of fat in our bodies slowly increases. Here’s the kicker: Women experience an even greater fat percentage increase than men do. Then after menopause (yours truly), our body fat distribution tends to shift—less in our arms, legs and hips, and more in the abdomen.

Unfortunately, space necessitates brevity. In a nutshell, these abdominal fat cells are no slouches; they’re actively producing hormones and other substances that can affect our health. Here’s what scientists have discovered: ”...some fat-cell-produced hormones can promote insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes; others can produce estrogen after menopause, which may increase your
breast cancer risk.” One this for certain: Excess hormones affect overall health and too much visceral fat can disrupt the body’s normal hormonal balance.

My food plan is pretty simple: small protein; spring greens w/beets and olive oil/balsamic drizzled over; veggie & starchy side. It doesn’t change much, so it can truly become tiresome. When desperation sets in, I look, naturally, to EatingWell.com. The newsletter that dropped into my email inbox today featured some dandy low-cal, low-fat, high fiber recipes. I took a look at Turkey w/Blueberry Pan Sauce. My daily diet includes dark berries over just about everything, but blueberries and turkey? I had to check this out. It’s definitely a winner. The recipe suggests barley for the starchy side, but over the holiday weekend, I discovered Kashi’s 7 Whole Grain Pilaf. It’s awesome, ya’ll. I’ll use it with this easy dish and get more fiber. Those berries for dinner will be a new twist.

Thanks to Evernote, I re-discovered a WebMD article called “Is Weight Gain Common During Menopause?” I’m able to use it in my final project but, the point is, I’m in trouble. Remember those 15 pounds I’m determined to lose? Well, seems there’s truth in my doc’s words when he said “Women your age…blah, blah, blah…” The article by Wendy Fries said that one study found that women gain an average of 12-15 pounds during this phase of life. Drat! Is that why these 15 pounds are being so stubborn? And, yes indeedy, my once pear-shaped figure is looking apple-like. I swear! This can only mean….No, I refuse to speak that ‘A’ word. Well, last time I checked, I still have a brain (of sorts). Thanks for everyone’s support; keeps me from grieving over lost youth.