Random-Ass Menopause Symptom Of The Month: Belly Bloat
Aka how to look six-months pregnant when you clearly are not
I don’t like to think of myself as vain. But, as I have gotten older and see how ageist the world is, it is clear that a woman of a certain age with some fluff will not be first on someone’s dance card.
So when I started realizing that every meal I ingest will now boldly show up on my abdomen, I wanted to cry.
It’s like every time I eat, I know I’m going to have to pay for it somehow. I guess it just takes longer for my body to digest things. Sorry, oversharing.
Listen, I’m not that chick who wants to be forever young. I earned these pounds, scars, joint ailments, whatever. But it is hard for me to dress the way I want to, knowing that I have to accommodate for whatever stage my belly bloat is in. It sucks.
I have bought a host of different holistic options that, according to their marketing statements, are supposed to help me minimize the bloat and miraculously make me drop 20 pounds. But the truth is, I like to eat, hate to exercise, and think of myself as a Botticelli babe. So maybe I am not following the protocol that would actually result in some weight loss?
Anywho, I would really love to know if there is anything I can do to make this bloating stop. I mean, for real for real. Hello? Please help a sistah out and drop some answers in the comments.
I read something about how this specific lower belly bloat that comes with menopause is a healthy self protective device your body uses to generate hormones that you are losing. Or something like that! Does that help at all? If not, there is a product I swear by For hot flashes and may help that also and it's over-the-counter called Estrovers by metagenics . I think this is where I say that I do not recommend products or that you have to see your doctor or some kind of disclaimer.(And I did have one friend whose doctor told her not to take it because she had had breast cancer.) But I've taken it for and given it to many friends who have been seriously helped by it. Love you!
Oh, girl, this peri-men food baby phenomenon is so real. A couple of things that help me with the lower belly bloat.
1. I know you don’t like exercise, but a gentle walk after a meal does seem to give a sluggish system a boost. Plus you can catch up on a podcast or be the random lady in the neighborhood who walks the same route three times a day. This is not a power walk or prancersize effort, I’m talking about a 15 minute gentle stroll while someone else does the dishes.
2. Digestive enzymes. I forget to take them most of the time, but when I DO take them, my bloated subsides in less time. I get them at Whole Foods.
3. What not to do? I’ve noticed that the bloat is worse when:
A. I lie down or recline after a meal - fastest way to immediately look like I’m having twins
B. I finish my meal with sweets - sugar is my enemy once it gets past my taste buds. Sometimes it is worth it though, ammiright?
C. I snack in the day. For a while, I thought it might help to have little snacks throughout the day instead of three normal meals. Look, we all make mistakes!