Out with the Old

Update on my last post:  The bad news is I didn't stick to my IF schedule, because I would just get too hungry in the afternoon.  The good news is I haven't had any Scottie dogs in the afternoon, or any candy for that matter. When I got hungry, I'd eat some beef jerky, some apple slices, some pumpkin seeds, or something like that to tide me over until dinner.  So I guess that's a win.  

Earlier this week, I started thinking about all the clothes I have in a closet in the basement.  Clothes I haven’t worn for years, taking up space.  Suits and slacks and blazers, because when I wasn’t wearing my uniform, I used to have to dress up for work.  Now that I work in an offsite building and have different duties, for the most part no one sees me except coworkers.   I absolutely hate waistbands now, so I mostly wear leggings and tunics.
 

I asked my husband what he thought I should do with all those old clothes.  He said, get rid of it all!  So I spent the weekend looking through everything I haven’t worn in ages.  I ended up taking 3 huge boxes to Goodwill this morning.

The suits and slacks were from 10-15 years ago.  The pants were all wide legged and out of style!  Before I put them in the boxes, though, I did try on two pairs of the suit pants, size 10, and they fit.  So my waist size hasn’t really changed that much.  On the other hand, the blazers and jackets were too tight in the arms and across the back.  I also looked at a bunch of my fancy evening clothes, dresses and such. Again, some of the fitted tops and dresses just didn't fit right. It appears I'm more broad shouldered than I was just a few years ago, no doubt from lifting weights.

It felt good to get rid of all those old things that weren't right for me anymore, and I hope someone else will get some use from them.  It's really nice to have room in my closets to see what I have and to know that what's there is something I might actually wear.  Plus now there's room for new stuff (lol)!  
    

Yes, my waist is approximately the same size as 15 years ago.  But...as I’ve aged and I'm now 66, I definitely don’t have the "defined" waist line I used to have.    It's weird.  How can I still wear the same size pants but have (what appears to be) a thicker waist? 

The fact is, I have a layer of fat around my middle and it sticks out in front, and I hate it.  It's not really soft, it's kind of sturdy feeling, but it's definitely fat.  So I'm thicker around my middle.  I think it’s called visceral fat, and I have a lot more than I used to.  Thanks, Mother Nature!   My understanding is that as women age, hormonal changes cause belly fat to increase.  As much as I work out and eat right, it’s frustrating and in fact, visceral fat is a more dangerous type of fat.    I’m pretty good at disguising it, but I know it’s there even if no one else does. I would never have liposuction, so I guess I’m stuck with it.  

I know you can't "spot reduce," but has anyone had any luck with reducing their belly fat?  I need to be careful about getting too restrictive with myself, because that has its own dangers.  So I'm not sure that eating less or more exercise are the answers for me.  

But I'd be happy to add something more to my routine.  Any vitamins or supplements that might help?  Maybe less weight lifting and more cardio?  Any ideas?

No, this is not me. It is Marilyn Monroe, who was so beautiful and had a belly! I'd love to look like her.