It’s no secret that losing weight after 40 can be difficult for some women. As you age, you begin to lose muscle mass, causing your metabolism to slow down. Add to the slow metabolism a dose of wildly fluctuating hormones and you have the perfect recipe for weight gain. Weight gain after 40 no longer translates into only a tight-fitting pair of pants. You are now at increased risks for a wide range of diseases, including depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
If you are trying the same tricks and tips you used in your 20s and 30s, you will find they no longer work. Cutting back on dessert and spending an extra hour in the gym would result in a five pound weight loss. It seemed effortless, but why don’t those tricks work for you after forty? Your body doesn’t respond the same way it did as in your 20s.
Here are seven steps required to successfully lose weight after age 40.
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1. Lift Weights
Why it works: As you age, you begin to lose muscle mass. Your metabolism, the rate you burn calories, is tied directly to muscle mass. A pound of muscle, at rest, burns about six calories per hour.Compared to the measly two calories a pound that fat burns, you can see why retaining as much muscle mass as possible is vital in losing weight.
Furthermore, lifting weights has the extra benefit of helping women maintain bone density during menopause.
One of the best ways to increase your muscle mass is to lift weights. Don’t worry. Lifting weights will not give you a big, bulky look.
Instead, your muscles will tighten and you will achieve a slimmer appearance. Also, don’t be afraid to lift heavier weights. You do not need to stick with the little pink dumbbells.
How to do it: Lift weights three to four times per week. Alternate the targeted muscle groups. For example, if you lift weights for your arms, shoulders, and upper body on Monday, dedicated Wednesday’s weight lifting session to legs and lower body work.
Don’t overlook the convenience of body weight exercises. Squats and lunges can be performed in your own living room without any special equipment. Push-ups and pull-ups are also good alternatives to weight rooms and gym apparatus.
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2. Eat Real Food
Why it works: It should come as no surprise that processed foods are generally higher in calories, unhealthy fats, sodium, and sugar than whole foods.Eliminating processed foods can have one of the largest impacts on your weight. Skip the fad diets and simply eat whole foods.
Whole foods are foods that have not been overly processed or have added additives or artificial ingredients. For example, skip the breaded, frozen chicken nuggets and opt for a simple grilled chicken breast.
Typically, foods full of sugars and starches are often processed. Skip the sodas and sugary drinks and stick to water. You don’t need to shy away from dairy.
In fact, current research is showing that higher levels of dairy intake help prevent weight gain in middle-aged women.
How to do it: Instead of thinking about cutting out foods, change your mindset so you are thinking about adding healthier foods into your diet.
You may find that your cravings for carbohydrates and sugary foods wane as you opt for healthier alternatives. When you do make changes to your diet, do so gradually and in small increments.
Remember, you are working on developing a lifelong habit of healthier food choices, not jumping on the next bandwagon diet.
3. Pay Attention to Portion Sizes
Why it works: Portion sizes have greatly increased, and in some cases, it has doubled and even tripled! As portion sizes increase, so do waistlines.However, as you age, you actually need fewer calories. As creatures of habit, you tend to eat the same foods in the same amount. An extra 100 calories per day can translate into a ten-pound weight gain over the course of the year.
How to do it: One of the easiest ways to limit your portion sizes at home is to use smaller dinner plates. Just like the growing portion sizes, dinner plates have grown.
Utilizing the smaller luncheon plate gives you a more accurate estimate of proper portion size.
When eating out, split your meal, order from the children’s menu, or even pack half of your entree to-go and save it for another meal.
Consider using one of the popular food tracking apps to keep a food diary. They make keeping track of calories easy and can provide more in-depth information such as your highest caloric foods, what time you tend to eat the most, and other useful data.
Slow down your eating. Take your time chewing your food. Sit around the table with family and friends and enjoy a leisurely meal.
This will give your stomach more time to let your brain know when it is full. Also, avoiding the TV during meal times will help you consume less food.
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4. Take Long Walks
Why it works: It’s a common misconception that you have to be engaged in a high impact activity to get aerobic benefits. As a matter of fact, walking is one of the best exercises for you.It’s low impact so it is easy on the joints and it engages the major muscle groups in your body. Too much sitting is bad for you and contributes to weight gain.
A good way to counteract all that sitting is by walking. Walking after your meals also aids in weight loss and helps control blood glucose levels. Furthermore, walking can help alleviate, or at least ease, body aches and pains.
In particular for middle-aged women, walking is associated with less weight gain and even mitigates the effects of aging.
How to do it: You already know how to walk, so this becomes a case of how to fit more walking into your already busy day.
Start with the obvious and easiest tips: park farther away, take the stairs, take the dog out for an extra walk.
Research is beginning to show that using an activity trackers combined with an online social network can increase activity and enhance weight loss.
Popular fitness tracking devices, like Fitbit, allow for competition among your friends to see who can take the most amount of steps per day.
5. Supplements
Why it works: For a myriad of reasons, you are not getting all the nutrients you need out of your food. Perhaps your diet isn’t as healthy as you would like.Maybe nutrients were lost during the ripening and delivery process. For whatever reason, supplementing your diet with vitamins can be a boost to your weight loss.
Solid research is coming out that is very convincing of the need to supplement with a vitamin regime. Omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in fish oils are shown to have significant health benefits, including those associated with heart disease.
As women age, the need for calcium is actually increased to help prevent osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. This is also good news for women looking to lose weight.
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