Achieving the 40 years milestones comes with many benefits like increased self-awareness, self-confidence, and more earned wisdom. However, it may be tough adjusting to some of the physical changes that tend to occur.
Are you looking to lose weight faster?
After 40, trying to lose weight may feel like a lost cause. A downshift in metabolism often makes weight maintenance a bit trickier and more challenging. However, it is not impossible to lose weight, regardless of your age. You can do so while concurrently enhancing your overall wellness.
Below are some tips to help you lose weight faster at 40 years and above.
1. Watch your Diet
You need to observe your calorie intake to adjust to your slowing body metabolism. Strive to go for nutritious food that contains fewer calories per bite as this will still help you feel satisfied and full.
Consider replacing the calorie-dense foods like high-fat meats, cakes, cookies, and fries with less calorie-dense nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, salads, fruits, soups, and bean dishes. The high fiber and water content of these foods increase their volume, giving a satisfying feel for fewer calories.
Ensure that your meals and snacks contain lean, low-fat protein sources and that your starch portions like pasta, rice, and cereal are regulated. Try to have a mix of food groups in your meals; for example, instead of having a bowl full of cereal and milk, try a smaller cereal amount with a blend of fruits and nuts.
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2. Incorporate some physical movements
Losing and achieving a healthy weight as we age calls for us to incorporate physical exercise and movements into our daily lives. Your movement portfolio could include walking, going for a run, riding a bike, or even resistance training exercises.
It would help if you reduced the time spent on sedentary activities like watching the television and focused on these activities, which help boost your metabolism and maintaining body mass. Have a workout plan in motion and set a reminder to ensure you don't get carried away by your busy schedule to miss your walk or run.
3. Stress management
Pressure tends to pile up as you reach your mid-life. Think of usual stressors like financial burdens, caring for your kids, ageing parents, and dealing with your job demands. When your body is experiencing stress, it responds by producing a hormone called cortisol.
High cortisol levels may set off a series of biological events that may cause an increase in appetite with cravings and a tendency to store fat in your belly. Try relaxing your body by trying diaphragmatic breathing, which involves deep inhalations and exhalations. With your body feeling more relaxed, the production of cortisol is controlled.
You can also explore stress reducers like participating in a yoga class or even just carving out a few minutes of your time to think about the things you are grateful for.
4. Good sleep habits
The appetite-regulating hormones tend to be short-circuited when you are under-rested. Your appetite goes up, and the hormones that alert you you're full don't kick in as promptly as they should. Some studies also suggest that a sleep-deprived person looks at food differently and has stronger cravings for sweets and less healthy stuff.
One way to improve your sleeping habits is by having good stress management techniques. Additionally, allow yourself at least 30 minutes for unwinding and being disconnected from your digital devices before bed. It would be best if you also were proactive about sleeping and waking up at the same time most days.
Skipping long afternoon naps and cutting down on caffeinated drinks past mid-morning can also help with improving your quality of sleep.
5. Watch Your Alcohol
Most people over 40 don't see the scale go down until they take a break from drinking or cut down on the alcohol. It is essential, therefore, that you watch your alcohol intake when trying to lose weight fast.
Heavy or binge drinkers have an increased obesity rate hence why you need to practice moderate alcohol consumptions, which translates to only one drink a day. Several issues come into play if you are downing a whole bottle of wine most nights.
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Alcohol stimulates appetite, which means that you may end up most likely mindlessly eating. It also becomes the top priority for your body to break down, and the food consumed becomes less likely to be burned.
Too much alcohol consumption can also disrupt sleep, directly tied to weight management, metabolism, and belly fat accumulation. If it does not sound realistic for you to cut out alcohol consumption altogether, it would be wise to commit to a drinking strategy.
You can cut back gradually by limiting your alcohol consumption to weekends only or be disciplined enough to have one drink a day!
6. Reduce, but don't cut out carbs
After the age of 40, your daily carb requirement may decrease. Eating large carb portions at this age will either gain you more weight or have you struggle with losing some. It is crucial, however, to note that you should not cut the carbs off entirely. Doing so will deprive your body of essential nutrients and lead to uninvited side effects like fatigue, constipation, and irritability.
The best option for you is to try and optimize the quality of the carbs you are eating. For example, substitute processed bread with, say, butternut squash. Remember to think of your carbs not as the main attraction but as a small ass-on to your meals.
7. Consume less soda
Soda is just empty calories from sugar that has no nutritional value to add to your body. Consuming simple sugars can easily spike blood sugar and insulin levels which causes your body to store more fat.
Instead of downing a soda, swap it for a naturally flavored seltzer or freshly squeezed fruit juice.
8. Add hormone-balancing foods to your diet
As earlier mentioned, it is no secret that hormone levels change as you age past 40. For women especially, as menopause sets in, there is a decrease in the hormone estradiol, which helps regulate metabolism.
A decrease in this hormone may lead to weight gain. However, paying attention to your diet does help with the hormonal changes. Experts advise having foods rich in phytoestrogens like sesame seeds, dried fruits, soybeans, and flax seeds to help offset the hormonal change.
Conclusion
Losing weight past 40 may seem complicated, but it is not entirely impossible. Coupled with discipline and consistency, the tips above should help you shed some weight faster. Are you still wondering how to lose weight faster after 40? I bet not.
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