You’re eating all the right things and you’ve even joined that new Zoom fitness class. You’re giving it your all to get “summer-time fine,” but no matter how many planks you do, your belly fat just won’t budge! What’s going on?!
Maybe you’re thinking your metabolism is malfunctioning or maybe you’re just too old to have a six-pack. Have you ever considered that your belly is bulging from the inside out? It could be fibroids!
What Are Fibroids?
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors (made from smooth muscle and connective tissue) that grow inside the wall of the uterus. Fibroids can be as small as a grapeseed or as big as a grapefruit! While some women have one fibroid, others have as many as forty.
Who Gets Fibroids?
Any woman can develop fibroids. It is estimated that 20 to 80 percent of women will develop fibroids by
50-years old. Women who are between 30 to 40 years are more likely to develop fibroids.
However, black women are 3 times more likely to develop fibroids than white women and statistics show that black women develop fibroids as early as 25 years old. Doctors are uncertain about what causes fibroids.
However, studies have shown that fibroids may be linked to the following:
Hair relaxer chemicals
Vitamin D deficiency
Environmental and physical stress
Diets high in fatty meats and low in vegetables
Age
Genetics
Obesity
Hormonal changes
Family history of fibroids
How Fibroids Create Belly Fat
Although fibroids are non-cancerous and do not increase your chances for uterine cancer, fibroids cause several symptoms and a bulging belly is one of them. How? Studies have shown that progesterone and estrogen stimulate fibroid growth. Estrogen levels increase during pregnancy and child-bearing years, causing fibroids to increase in size.
Since fibroids are not hollow cysts, a large fibroid can weigh between 20 to 40 pounds! As the size and weight of the fibroid increases, so does the number on your scale. Large fibroids can cause bloating and create what looks to be excess fat in your midsection.
Fibroids can cause a domino effect that may lead to weight gain. Large fibroids can cause excruciating pain, constipation, back pain, and long, heavy menstrual cycles. Heavy menstrual cycles often lead to anemia, where your body doesn’t produce adequate red blood cells.
When you don’t have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen through your body, you can experience fatigue. In turn, fatigue can cause you to feel unmotivated about working out and over-eating can be a coping mechanism for managing pain. This can lead to gaining unwanted pounds, especially in the midsection.
Other Signs and Symptoms of Fibroids
Not only can fibroids lead to unwanted bloating and a fluffy waistline, you may experience these symptoms, too:
Frequent urination
Pressure and pain in the pelvis
Pain during sex
Difficulty emptying your bladder
Leg pain
Sudden sharp pain in the pelvis
If you are doing all of the right things in the gym and in the kitchen along with experiencing any of these symptoms, talk to your gynecologist about the possibility of fibroids. Currently, fibroids that interfere with day-to-day activities and quality of life are removed with surgery. However, scientists are continuing to research fibroid stem cells to develop treatment options that are less invasive.
Dr. Candace
Dr. Candace McMillon-Dantley is on a mission to inspire and educate women to health. She is the author of Woman, Take Off Your Cape!, a collection of stories that reflect the lives of real-women who put everything first, except themselves. She is the creator of The Doc Knows, a health and wellness site for women. Connect with Dr. Candace on Instagram @drcandace.
