Stress Or Menopause Which One Is Causing Your Belly Fat

Ever feel like you’re doing everything “right,” clean eating, cutting sugar, keeping up with workouts, but your stubborn midsection just won’t budge? In this episode, I share my story of how stress, not lack of willpower, was secretly fueling my menopause belly. I unpack the three biggest mistakes I made that kept my body in chronic alarm mode, leading to weight retention, and reveal the gentle shifts that finally helped me let go.

Tune in to learn why your midlife metabolism responds differently to calories and stress, how cortisol sabotages your waistline, and simple strategies to restore metabolic safety. If you suspect stress might be sabotaging your progress, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on and how to start feeling good in your own skin again.

What You'll Learn:

1. Why aggressive cardio can worsen menopause belly by spiking cortisol: the science I wish I’d known sooner
2. How busyness and chronic multitasking keep your nervous system in alarm, making fat loss nearly impossible
3. The vital role of restorative sleep in flushing cortisol and repairing metabolism
4. Simple stress management tools like 4-4-4 box breathing and gentle walking that signal safety to your body
5. Why treating your body as a partner (not an enemy) is the real key to releasing weight during menopause 

Music:

Title: Ambient Music by MomotMusic

Title: Relax by SyncLabMusic 

Call to Action:

Don’t miss my anti-stress morning routine, linked below, plus free resources and a supportive community at https://createthebestme.com 

Have you experienced stress belly or noticed your weight won’t change despite healthy habits? Comment below, I want to hear your story! 

Like, share, and subscribe for more transformative women’s wellness strategies. 

📕 Resources: 

https://createthebestme.com/ep149  

Related Episodes:

🎧  Listen to these episodes: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1949561/episodes/18414779 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1949561/episodes/18261094  

Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or care. Please consult your healthcare provider about your specific health needs, especially regarding menopause and stress management.

#menopausebelly #cortisol #stressweightgain #womenover50 #menopauseweightloss #CreateTheBestMe

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Chapters

• 0:00 Is it Fat or is it Stress? (The difference)
• 0:57 Stop "Punishing" Your Body (Why diets fail)
• 2:08 The "Survival Mode" Trap (Understanding Cortisol)
• 3:23 The "Cortisol Flush" Technique
• 4:13 Moving from Fear to Safety (Mindset Shift)
• 4:50 Your Anti-Stress Action Plan

Transcript

0:00

If you have been eating clean, cutting out sugar and exercise, but your midsection just won't budge, I want you to stop beating yourself up right now. Because I used to be exactly where you are, and I thought I just lacked willpower. I thought I had to try harder. But I wish I had known years ago that in our fifties, our body stopped reacting to calories the same way they used to and they start reacting to stress. I am not a doctor, but as a transformational coach, I learned the hard way that my go-go-go lifestyle was keeping my body in starvation mode. Today, I'm sharing three major stress mistakes I made that kept the weight on, and the simple, gentle shifts that finally helped me let go. Mistake number one was believing that more sweat equaled more success. I used to think if I wasn't gasping for air on the treadmill, it didn't count. But here is the science I missed: high-intensity cardio can spike your cortisol levels. When we're young, our bodies recover from stress quickly. But during menopause, our adrenal glands are already working on over time. When I pushed my body to the limit, my brain didn't think, "Wow, what a great workout!" It thought,"We're running from a tiger! Store fat to protect our organs!"

The shift : 1:41

I stopped pushing my body, and I started walking. It sounds too simple, right? But studies show a 20- to 30-minute brisk walk actually lowers your cortisol. I swapped the "boot-camp" mentality for a gentle strength training and walking. I did less and my body finally felt safe enough to release the weight. Mistake number two was treating busyness like a badge of honor. I was proud of multitasking. I thought stress was just a "part of life." But here's the truth: your nervous system doesn't know the difference between"I'm excited about this project" and"I'm terrified I'm going to be late". It registers both as stress. I was living in a state of chronic, low-grade alarm. And a body in alarm mode holds onto belly fat as fuel for the energy that never ends.

The shift: 2:50

I had to learn to create internal "off switches." I started by doing something called 4-4-4 box breathing. You breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds and exhale for four seconds. It literally tells your nervous system,"You are safe." And I didn't need a spa day; I just needed five minutes of doing nothing to signal safety to my body. The third mistake was the biggest one. I used to stay up late to catch up on things, or just doom-scroll because I was too wired to sleep. I treated sleep as a luxury. But sleep is the only time your body fully processes and flushes out cortisol. If you aren't sleeping, your cortisol level stays high and your belly fat stays put. It's biological. The shift I made my bedroom a sanctuary. No phones, cool temperature, and a consistent bedtime. I realized that protecting my sleep was more effective for my waistline than cutting carbs ever was. It wasn't lazy; it was metabolic repair. Here's the transformational takeaway I want you to leave with. This journey isn't about looking 20 again, and it certainly isn't about punishment. It's about safety. Your body is your partner, not your enemy. It's holding onto weight because it thinks it needs to protect you. The way to lose weight isn't to attack your body — it's to show your body that it is safe to let it go. Treat yourself with kindness. Prioritize your peace. That is the real secret. If you suspect that stress is your culprit, you need to start your day differently. I have an episode right here or here on my anti-stress morning routine, that will help you lower your cortisol before you even have your coffee. Click right here, here or down in the show notes, and I'll see you over there to help you start your day with peace, not panic. If you would like to read more about today's episode, you can find that at createthebestme.com/ep149. Until then, thank you for watching. Catch you next week. Bye for now.