If you're a postmenopausal woman, you're probably fighting the battle of the bulging tummy. Your pants and skirts don't fit anymore, and forget about wearing your favorite jeans. But don't worry -- you're not doomed to a life of oversized T-shirts and elastic waist pants. Here's what current research shows will work for taking off those postmenopausal pounds:

1. Don't blame estrogen.
Decreased estrogen levels aren't piling on those extra pounds. Food choices and activity levels have more to do with postmenopausal weight gain than estrogen.

2. Easy on the vino.
Watch out for high-calorie alcoholic beverages. A study in the journal Menopause found a strong link between alcohol use and weight gain after menopause. If you drink wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages, cut your intake by at least 50 percent. For example, instead of two glasses of wine with dinner, drink only one, or, instead of one bottle of beer on a night out, ask for a glass and share the bottle with a friend.

3. Muscle up.
Loss of muscle mass often results in increased body fat. According to Miriam Nelson, Ph.D., an associate professor of nutrition from Tufts University and author of Strong Women Stay Slim, women lose 1/3 of a pound of muscle every year after their mid-30s. That could add up to a six-pound muscle loss over a 20-year period! Lost muscle typically is replaced with an equal amount of fat, causing both weight and percentage of body fat to go up. The solution? Bulk up those muscles! Regular exercise can rebuild lost muscle tissue as it burns calories to help you lose weight at the same time.