5 proven ways to loose weight, get stronger and feel fit over 50

byNicolaPowles

96 followers

4 years ago

5 proven ways to loose weight, get stronger and feel fit over 50

You may well be struggling with a slowing metabolism, more sedentary behaviour, or you’ve let your eating habits slip, but as you hit the age of 50 and beyond, weight loss and lack of energy can become challenging.

Combine those factors with common injuries like back issues or medical and hormone problems, then the task of exercises like long walks or hitting the gym to maintain your waistline might feel downright impossible.

Please don’t despair! Research shows that weight loss after 50 is still possible by acquiring new healthy eating habits and with short bursts of regular exercise, among other smart choices. I personally know this to be true.

Here I share 5 proven ways to lose weight, get stronger and feel fit over 50

1. Eat out less.

As we grow older, we are at higher risk for weight gain, due to our metabolism decreasing and hormones changing,

Certain foods need to be avoided. Foods that spike your blood sugar.

There are also social barriers over the age of 50 that can prevent us from losing weight, as well.

Start by making healthy changes now and form new healthy habits to prevent weight gain from happening.

People over the age of 50 tend to go out to eat more frequently because there’s less of a need to cook due to children being grown up and out of the house.

However, this leads to higher consumption of processed foods and high-fat foods, so it’s much better to cook and eat at home whenever possible.

Tip: Rely on meal planning as a tool each week I can help you stay on track with your diet.

Wondering what safe exercise you can do? I can give you a one on one consultation to get you started on the right path as all needs are different.

2. Add whole foods, protein, fibre and “good” fat to your diet, especially in the morning.

According to most health and wellness research food is about 85 percent of the battle when it comes to weight loss—so getting your intake just right matters.

Consuming a well-balanced diet and eating regularly throughout the day will help with keeping your metabolism high and aid in weight loss.

Eating more whole foods, such as high fibre vegetables, and consuming more protein to build strong muscles to support your system and limiting processed foods will help your body slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream, which decreases the risk of accumulating extra fat. Remember, you can’t eat like you are 20-years-old anymore! So, get rid of the junk food in your cupboard and make small changes to add more whole foods to your diet. The fewer ingredients a food contains, the better it is for your health and weight.

Its all About Breakfast!

You must make sure that you’re getting enough protein, as most people over the age of 50 do typically eat a decent amount of protein, but not always early in the day when they most need it.

The same is true for calcium and vitamin D

Some research even indicates that a high-protein breakfast can directly impact weight management or weight loss, too.

Eat a properly combined breakfast with protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals for optimum health and energy.

Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day and helps with metabolism. An example of a healthy breakfast is one cup of 0 percent fat yogurt with half a cup of blueberries and a dash of honey or an egg white omelette with half a small avocado and a slice of multigrain bread.

Forget Low-Fat

Our bodies need healthy dietary fat, like avocados, olive oil, and butter, but low-fat products often increase sugar—which, by now, most of us realize isn’t good for our health. Also watch portion sizes when it comes to good fats like avocados or nuts.

3. Strength train, as part of a regular exercise routine.

As you age, you will need to hit the gym a little differently than the 25-year-olds.

When you were younger, you would have been much more flexible, had more lean muscle mass, and heart and lung health is typically stronger.

Now you should take approximately 20 minutes to warm up and stretch prior to starting weight training routines to try to eliminate or reduce injury.

Strength training increases your muscle strength and improves your mobility.

Strength training is more effective than cardio for the 50+ crowd, especially those looking to slim down in a sustainable way.

Although cardio is super important for heart and lung health, it is not a great way to lose weight and keep it off.

When you stop doing large amounts of cardio, the weight will quickly return. Having cardio as part of your overall fitness routine is a must; however, strength training should be the first factor when you hit the gym. Strength training not only increases your muscle strength, but it will help to improve your mobility and it is also the only thing (along with proper nutrients) known to increase bone density which is so important as we age.

Lift Heavy

However, do understand that it may seem harder to gain muscle as you age due to hormone changes, age-related illness, and even social factors like a busy schedule.

Cardio will burn off fat, but to build sturdy muscles, choose heavy weights with a small number of reps or lighter weights with more reps. Also, remember diet and exercise go hand-in-hand for overall health and strength, especially for the over 50 crowd.

Weight-bearing exercises help with building and maintaining muscle mass, as well as building bone strength and decreasing your risk for osteoporosis.

Many people over the age of 50 stop exercising regularly, due to pain in their joints or back or injury, but don’t give up! Find a professional that can help get you back on track, to help maintain your muscle mass and a healthy weight.

Strive for a combination of aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, or dancing each day with strength training exercises three times a week. I also love yoga for balance, stretching, and relaxation.

Start with a little and gain momentum. Listen to your favourite music. Use time blocks such as cooking or brushing your teeth to do a little jig.

Always get instruction from an expert when contemplating lifting weights.

Skipping meals is most likely the main cause of a decreased metabolism.

As we age, our hormones change oestrogen and testosterone gradually decrease over time, which leads to fat accumulation due to the body not processing sugar, as well. We also lose more muscle mass as we age, causing our resting metabolic rate to decrease. However, skipping meals can cause you to be deficient in important key nutrients needed as we age, such as overall calories and protein. Eating regularly throughout the day and getting enough calories/protein will help with higher energy levels and maintain muscle mass, which means a higher metabolism.

5. Make sure that you get enough sleep.

One of the biggest complaints of those over the age of 50 is lack of sleep.

Sleep is key to healthy weight since two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, are released during sleep and they play a major role in appetite regulation. Lack of sleep disrupts the process and causes metabolic dysfunction in which the body confuses fatigue with hunger—not a good thing! My recommendation is to get seven to eight hours of sleep and, if needed, take a low dosage of melatonin for help.

Let go of old “rules” about weight loss and cultivate a new mind set of wellness.

Age does impact weight loss for both women and men, and that’s because metabolism slows down, hormone levels decline, plus there is a loss of muscle mass.

But that doesn’t mean that losing weight over age the age of 50 is mission impossible. Diet and exercise are key; however, the common mistake is that people eat and work out in the same exact way that they did when they were younger and wonder why they don’t see results. Those over the age of 50 cannot eat and train in the same way they did when they were 30. You have to shift your mind set to get different results.

Luckily, diet and exercise changes are generally within your control, make gradual adjustments to promote balanced eating, rather than falling prey to fad diets, and remind yourself of the benefits of exercise for your heart, digestive tract, and mental health, in addition to weight management.

Create a mind-set of wellness, being over the age of 50 is not a death sentence in fact, many of us now have more time to take care of ourselves. Having a healthy weight, eating properly, not smoking, and limiting alcohol consumption is all super important. We are not getting any younger, but we ain’t dead yet.

Take your fitness to the next level now. Make the decision to commit to your future fit over 50 self.

Join me and begin your journey.