When you enter your 40s it becomes increasingly challenging to lose weight for woman because a slower metabolism means you could be burning as many as 300 fewer calories per day now. Decreasing estrogen levels also make you sensitive to insulin, which will increase your desire for high carb, sugary food. This doesn’t mean you have to hit a weight loss wall though.
Remembering Weight Loss’ Golden Rules
The basic tenets of successful weight loss are still the same, regardless of your age. These include:
- Eat smaller portions – about 400 – 500 calories per day
- Slow and steady weight loss is more sustainable since you’re building healthy habits along the way
- Don’t skip meals because this messes with your metabolism and increases the likelihood that your glucose will crash
Rethink What You Eat
Keeping your carbs in check is important. Replace these with more protein, which helps with muscle loss and your metabolism since your body must work harder to digest these nutrients. Try to include the following in each meal:
- Half a plate of vegetables or fruit so you can feel your stomach without all the calories
- A palm size serving of lean protein
- A closed fist size serving of complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grains, beans)
- 7 – 10 grams of healthy fats
Eat Less Calories More Often
Eat three moderate size meals with two small snacks throughout the day to keep your glucose steady. This will also help stop you from snacking on junk foods, especially if you pile your plate full of low-calorie, high-volume foods (e.g. fruits, vegetables).
Choose Your Treats Wisely
To lose weight for a woman you can’t expect to eat all the junk food you did in the past. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite foods. You simply need to be mindful of what you’re eating instead of indulging on a regular basis. This also goes for alcohol. Try to only enjoy a few 8 oz. glasses per week.
Get Up and Get Moving
You can’t expect to lose weight through your diet alone once you’re over the age of 40 because your hormones dip causing your calorie-torching muscle mass and metabolism to nosedive. Now you not only need to do 30 minutes of daily activity, but you must also walk at least 10,000 steps each day and do four or five resistance training sessions per week.
Know and be Honest with Yourself
Unless a food is truly impeding on your goals, you don’t need to cut it out completely. However, when you notice that certain foods trigger you to binge, you may want to avoid those foods. While this may seem like a major challenge in the beginning, it’s really all in the way you think about it. Instead of seeing yourself as being deprived, see yourself as making a positive choice to eat foods that work for you and your goals.
As you look at your weight loss strategies, it’s important to do your best to always keep an open mind. What’s working for you today may not work for you further on down the road. This is why you should be willing to always review what you’re doing – at least once a year, if not more frequently. Doing so will show you areas where you should switch up parts of your diet or exercise plan to offer your body the challenge it needs.
Meeting Your Weight Loss Goals
It’s not as difficult as you may think to lose weight for a woman, if you’re willing to put these tips into practice. This is something you can do so start today before you have a chance to talk yourself out of it.
Picture Credit: lilie gould