I’m a sixty-year-old women and I have been exercising since January of 2013. I go to LA Fitness every other day, and I do watch what I eat. I also drink a lot of water, but I cannot seem to lose this fat!! Is this because of menopause? -Audrey
If you’ve increased activity and improved your diet over the last six months without any physical results, it may be your body resisting change by some biochemical means. Hormone shifts can certainly be to blame for being unable to lose fat, typically around the mid-section. Usually, something gives with diet & exercise: blood pressure or cholesterol levels go down a little, muscle tone shows more, blood sugar stabilizes, or bone density is maintained. Hopefully, you’re experiencing other positive effects like more restful sleep, higher energy and better mood. – Debbie J., MS, RD
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The key finding was that the way fat is deposited changes at the menopause; studies indicate that this is due to the drop in estrogen levels at menopause. Irrespective as to whether women do or do not gain weight at midlife, after the menopause, women experience a shift in their fat stores to their abdomen .