I have good news and bad news. Let’s get the bad news over with first, shall we? The bad news is, as we age, our metabolism tends to decelerate by about 5% for every decade of life past age 40. In other words, if your resting metabolic rate is 1,200 calories per day at age 40, it will be around 1,140 by age 50.

Now, enough of all that gloom – let’s focus on the good news! The good news is that after age 40 (and yes, even after menopause), you can definitely lose weight and burn off the middle age spread that you may be noticing. While it’s true that losing weight does get harder and using the same old tricks may no longer work as well – there are specific steps to take to stay thin and fit… any age, any stage.

What to do to lose weight at age 40 and beyond

Go lean, go green: There are two key components that are “musts” in your daily diet as we age – lean proteins and leafy greens. Proteins will help you to fill up, balance blood sugars and curb cravings. Options include chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, tofu, lean beef, turkey and protein powder. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach and broccoli are low in calories, have anti-inflammatory properties and add essential fiber to your meals to fill you up.

Move it, so you don’t lose it: Muscle burns three times as many calories as fat. After age 40, doing strength-building exercises is a game changer. It is one of the few ways to increase your resting metabolic rate.  Yoga, pilates, weights, circuit training…there are many ways to keep your muscles fit. Choose an exercise you enjoy and you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

Eliminate processed foods: Processed foods are filled with sugars and flours that raise blood sugar, cause cravings and promote belly fat storage (a.k.a. the muffin top look or middle age spread). There are several options these days that can help you to avoid processed grains and sugars. Options include sprouted-grain bread, whole grains, quinoa and brown rice. For natural sweet options that will not affect your weight, click here.

Stop yo-yo dieting: Quick-fix diets that are too high in protein and too low in calories or fat often do not prove to have long term effects. I cannot tell you how many clients I see who need to lose weight because they have tried one too many “quick fixes.” When you decide to lose weight – commit to making it a long-term approach that will work for life. Overly restrictive, non-realistic approaches often result in temporary weight loss and an eventual slowing of your metabolism.

Identify food allergies: While there is no hard-core research to support the idea of food allergies interfering with weight loss – after my 12 years working with clients in the weight loss world, I find this often to be true.  As we age, our tolerance to digesting foods such as wheat, gluten and dairy drops. If you have tried everything to lose weight and nothing is working for you – try eliminating wheat, gluten or dairy for a two week period to see if it has a positive effect.

Sleep it off: Sleep helps to control appetite. A lack of sleep can heighten cravings and the desire to over-eat. As we get older, estrogen and progesterone begin to decline while the hormones cortisol and insulin (the fat storage hormones) rise. This leads to belly fat storage and interrupted sleep patterns. In order to re-train your sleep patterns and lose weight – sleep in a completely dark and cool room, try to go to sleep at the same time each night and consider supplementing with naturally calming herbs and minerals such as chamomile and magnesium.

Other tips to losing weight effectively as you age:

• Drink green tea and white tea regularly. Both types of tea help you to lose weight more effectively and burn belly fat.
• Eat breakfast. Research is very clear – people who eat a balanced breakfast lose weight more effectively.
• Lighten up at night. The old saying of “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper” works for weight loss. Make most dinnertime meals grain-free and filled with protein and vegetables.
• Cut your caloric intake mildly. One of the largest bodies of research we have in the nutritional world is that mild caloric restriction helps to prevent disease. I don’t want you to be starving – but leaving a few bits on your plate goes a long way.
• Switch up your exercise routine. Trying new activities builds new muscles and help to burn more calories.

Courtesy Dr. Joey Shulman
www.drjoey.com
@drjoeyshulman