Getting older shouldn’t mean getting fatter. These tips will help you shed weight long after your 40th birthday.
Start Weight Training!
A little muscle goes a long way when it comes to your weight and health. Aging can spur the depletion of what little muscle tissue you have, sometimes by as much as 5 percent in a 10-year period after age 30. Fortunately, building some muscle with a light weight-training routine can kill two birds with one stone: you’ll burn some calories doing the exercises.
Keep a Journal!
Keeping a journal is great for preserving more than just memories; it’s an amazing tool for maintaining your weight loss, too. As we get older, our memories tend to become a bit less sharp, making it easy to forget those little bites of dessert we took making it even easier for them to show up as unwanted pounds on the scale. A study from Kaiser Permanente’s Center For Health Research reveals that individuals who consistently tracked their eating habits enjoyed nearly 50 percent more weight loss than those who skipped the journaling.
Take a Daily Walk!
Adding a daily walk. Middle-aged and senior women have an increased risk of hip fracture, but staying active can help you burn more calories and lower your chances of suffering an injury. Research suggests that regular exercise can reduce a person’s risk of osteoporosis. Shedding those extra pounds means you’re putting less strain on your joints, making it easier to prevent a fall that can keep you sidelined.
Increase Your Omega-3s!
Try adding some fish to your meal plan!
Research published in Obesity reveals that adding some omega-3s to your diet helps you lose more weight, keep it off longer, and limit your hunger pains. For women over 40, omega-3-rich fish, like salmon and tuna, are a particularly good choice; Studies suggest it may reduce your risk of hot flashes, too.
Turn Up the Fiber!
Hormonal changes in middle age can wreak havoc on our weight and our waistlines, but boosting the amount of fiber in your diet can help. Increasing the fiber in your meals can help combat the bloated belly and sluggish digestion that often accompany hormonal changes.
Skip the Sweeteners!
Start your weight loss today by skipping the artificial sweeteners!
Researchers at Yale University found a link between artificial sweetener consumption and an increased risk of obesity and excess belly fat. Skipping the sweeteners may have another benefit for women of a certain age, too. Artificial sweeteners can trigger hot flashes, so cutting them from your diet can help you keep your cool.
Adding a leg day to your workouts!
It will help you tone up your lower half and make it easier to shed off unwanted pounds. It will help increase your muscle tone and help you burn more calories. Individuals with more muscle tone in their lower bodies have a lower risk of falls and fractures that may keep them from getting adequate exercise for months, if not years.
Hitting the pool!
Is a great way to get your body into the best shape of your life, no matter what your age. You can expect to burn nearly 500 calories an hour swimming at a leisurely pace, adding another 200 calories by doing some faster laps. For women over 40, low-impact exercises, like swimming, are particularly beneficial, thanks to the limited wear-and-tear they cause on joints.
Stick to a Schedule!
Keeping a regular eating schedule is the key to losing those extra pounds after 40. Sticking to a consistent eating schedule can also help you fend off the hunger pangs that can prompt cravings for high-fat or sugary foods, which often get worse around menopause.
Sip Some Green Tea!
A little green tea could yield a lot of weight loss. Even better, green tea’s combination of antioxidants and caffeine can give you the boost you need to fend off those energy lulls that often accompany middle age.
Close the Kitchen!
Closing up the kitchen for the night makes it easier to shed those unwanted pounds, no matter what your age. Eating after 7:00 pm could add extra unwanted pounds.
Boost Your Calcium Intake!
Want to maximize your fat-burning potential after 40? Start by making sure you’re getting plenty of calcium in your diet. A study conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville reveals that obese women who consumed more calcium lost 11 pounds of body fat in over a 12-month period. Even better, increasing your calcium intake can reduce your risk of a fall or fracture.
Get Organic Foods!
Start by opting for organic produce. Environmental Epidemiology shows that organochlorine pesticides can change the levels of thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, potentially increasing weight gain and causing thyroid health issues. Considering that older women are already at an increased risk for thyroid problems, like hypothyroidism.
Whole Grains!
There’s no time like the present to stop those refined carbs and choose whole grains instead. Whole grains are higher in fiber, which will not only help you stay fuller longer and can also be an effective means of battling the belly-bloating effects of menopause.
Drink More Water!
What you drink is just as important as what you’re eating when it comes to weight loss. People that stay hydrated eat up to 206 fewer calories each day. For middle-aged women, staying hydrated can have profound effects. Drinking ice water is a recommended solution for those hot flashes that often accompany menopause.
Snack on Some Almonds!
Trading in your usual snack for some almonds can help you shed weight and improve your health. Loaded with fiber and protein, almonds can help keep you feeling full for longer. Adding almonds, to your diet has been known to help reduce anxiety, lowering cortisol levels and decreasing your body’s tendency to store belly fat.
Increase that Protein!
With a low-protein diet, you will lose more lean muscle. so increasing your protein you will not lose that lean muscle. If you do not eat red meat then try adding some extra beans, nuts, or whole grains, like quinoa, to your menu.
Opt For Red Wine!
If you drink wine, try red wine instead of white and you might just find yourself a few pounds, inches smaller in no time. Red wine is a good source of resveratrol, which has been deemed effective at reducing belly fat and improving memory retention in the aging brain.
Cut the Cocktails!
Say so long to those sugary happy hour drinks. A single flavored martini or blended drink can pack upwards of 600 calories per 8-ounce pour. Alcohol consumption can make hot flashes worse.
Add Some Flax to Your Meals!
Boost your fiber intake and slim down by mixing some flaxseed into your favorite food. Flax is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help reduce inflammation and promote weight loss,
Increase the Intensity of Your Workouts!
Losing weight as you get older isn’t always about how much time you’re spending at the gym. If you get frustrated with the rate of your weight loss, add some high-intensity interval training to your routine.
Snack on Some Citrus!
Oranges are the way. Oranges contain polyphenols can help undo some of the damage caused by a high-fat diet, helping you ditch those extra pounds in no time.
Get Eight Hours a Night!
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and also a surprisingly effective means of slimming down.
Figure Your Metabolic Rate!
It’s easy to figure out how many calories you’re actually burning, with the Mifflin-st.jeor equation, and even better, it’s adjustable for your age, so, unlike cookie-cutter diet plans, you can use it year after year and continue enjoying results. As your age goes up you can still use the equation.
Switch Up Your Fragrance!
Trying a different fragrance can do more than make you smell good, it can also help you shed those extra pounds as you age. Scents like apple and mint increased weight loss among study subjects, so find a fragrance product like tea tree shampoo or apple-inflected perfume.
Buddy Up!
Take a friend to workout with you. It will keep you accountable, it may help you lose weight faster as well. Bringing a friend along when you hit the gym.
Keep Your Hands Busy!
Keeping your hands busy with activities like knitting, or even fidget spinners, can stop you from reaching for a fatty or sugary snack. Using your hands to fidget throughout the day can burn upwards of 300 calories.
Skip the Salty Snacks!
Stopping those salty snacks will put you on track for more weight loss in a hurry. Salt tends to make people hungry, not thirsty.
Indulge Those Carb Cravings!
Consuming whole grains throughout the day can help you fight the bloating and sluggish digestion that often becomes an issue around menopause.
Feed Your Gut!
Improving your digestive regularity with prebiotic fiber-rich foods, like asparagus and leafy greens, may help reduce your risk of colon cancer, and can even help regulate the hormonal challenges that come along with menopause.
Cool Off!
If you’re having hot flashes, lower your thermostat and you may lower your weight, too. Research shows that sleeping in a 66-degree room can boost your metabolism and help you shave off those unwanted pounds.
Get Some Online Support!
Online social support can encourage weight loss and is just as effective as in-person meetings. Online support can help people with mobility.
Manage Your Mental Health!
If you’re experiencing serious blues you just can’t shake, you could be putting yourself at risk for pounds you can’t shake. Weight loss improves mental health outcomes, potentially breaking you out of this vicious cycle for good. Get started on the path towards a happier you.
Don’t Eat Like a Kid!
Spending time with your children or grandkids is fun and even lower your risk of dementia. Skip the chicken nuggets and the pizza which adds hundreds of calories to your daily total.
Add in some Yoga!
It is low-impact and great for improving muscle tone, reducing stress on your joints and providing support for your bones that may reduce your risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.
Get your Thyroid checked!
Women are more likely to develop thyroid health issues. Thyroid issues can lead to symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and depression.
Turn Off the TV!
One of the easiest ways to increase your over-40 weight loss is by turning off the TV. People who snack while watching TV eat 10 percent more per sitting than those who focused on their food.
Get Some Sun!
Overweight women between 50 and 75 who have adequate vitamin D levels shed more weight and more body fat than those whose levels remained low. Low vitamin D can lead to depression. So take that sun in.
