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Weight gain gets easier as we get older, and weight loss is even harder. Maintaining health and fitness over 40 is a challenge, but with these top tips you can lose weight and keep it off.
Manage Your Metabolism
As we age our metabolic rate slows, which changes the way our bodies process energy from food and distribute fat around the body. Lower estrogen levels can magnify this effect, increasing the amount of fat stored in the body around the waistline and thighs. Menopause and perimenopause both decrease estrogen levels in the body and slow the metabolism.
To manage this problem you can add something new to your diet such as weight loss shakes. These have a balanced nutritional profile that is low in fat and high in protein and dietary fibre. With the help of a shake diet, you can reduce the amount of fat you consume while maintaining a healthy and nutritional meal plan.
Lift Weight To Lose Weight
Lean muscle mass begins to decrease as we pass the age of 40. It is estimated that we naturally lose around one percent of our muscle mass every year from ageing. This is caused by hormonal changes in our bodies. Weight lifting gives you a two-for-one bonus; you burn calories and replace lost muscle mass.
Maintaining your muscles helps protect your body for the future. Your bones and joints need the support of your muscles to work properly, a loss of muscle mass often precedes chronic joint pains in the knees, hips, and shoulders. Small weight training sessions two or three times a week can help maintain your physical fitness and protect your future mobility.
Since you are incorporating strength training, it’s imperative to optimize your protein intake. Protein is an essential nutrient for our muscles. To build muscle mass, we need to replete protein that is lost during strength exercises. An easy way to do this is to incorporate a high-quality protein powder, such as Naked Nutrition’s grass-fed whey protein powder. Whey protein before or after a strength training workout has been found to help build muscle mass faster. Remember the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.
Monitor Your Sugar And Carb Intake
The human body changes a lot as it gets older and over time it becomes more resistant to the insulin it produces to manage blood sugar levels. There are many negative health effects of high blood sugar, but it also makes us feel hungry and causes food cravings. By monitoring your sugar and carb intake you can manage your blood sugar levels, making it easier to avoid snacking between meals or overeating.
Sugar in soft drinks, tea, and coffee is the major culprit for high blood sugar levels. By taking control of your beverages you can make more space in your diet for healthier choices. Increase the amount of protein in your diet and switch potatoes and pasta for vegetables and whole grains.
Reduce Your Stress Levels
Stress causes a lot of reactions in our bodies. There is a direct link between increased body fat and increased stress. By managing our minds we can manage our bodies, and help reduce our waistlines by practising mindfulness, meditation, and yoga.
Yoga can be particularly beneficial for weight loss as it can act as either a warm-up before exercising or as a cool-down session afterwards. It also helps to relax and focus the mind and provides a period of peace and tranquility in your life. Practiced daily or a few times a week, yoga helps you lose weight and stress.
Follow these tips and your weight loss journey will begin. They are easy steps to take with some self-discipline and a positive attitude towards exercise. Take these steps forward towards a fitter, healthier, and more self-confident you.
