It is common knowledge that the older you get, the more difficult it becomes to lose weight – but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. As the body ages, it has to work harder to burn calories than it did when you were in your teens, twenties and thirties, and your metabolism slows down. Therefore, if you want to lose weight over 50, you may need to make some changes to your lifestyle.
If you want to lose a few pounds, whether for health reasons or simply to feel your best, there are several things you can do to help the scales shift. Here are three tips to help you lose weight and improve your health.
Counting Calories
Calculating your energy input and output is the easiest way to lose weight. Put simply, when you know what you’re putting into your body and what calories you’re burning, you can make adjustments to help you keep the pounds off. Experts claim that after the age of 20, a person’s energy expenditure decreases by around 150 calories a decade due to the body losing muscle mass, so you will need to consume fewer calories than you did when you were younger.
The best way to determine how many calories you need to consume and burn off is to use a weight loss tracker that takes into account your age, height, current weight and activity level. For best results, maintain a diet of whole foods, fruits and vegetables to keep you fuller for longer.
Exercising
It’s no secret that exercise helps you lose weight, but many of us are more sedentary than we realise. If you work at a desk or spend lots of time sitting at home, you won’t be burning as many calories as you were as an energetic 20-something, so you need to factor at least 30 minutes of physical activity into your daily routine. The best way to keep fit as you age is to find an exercise you love and stick with it.
You don’t have to go to a fitness class or join the gym; just 30 minutes of moderate to fast walking per day in addition to one or two yoga or Pilates sessions per week should provide all the exertion you need. You can use an activity tracker or fitness app to help you stay motivated, or join a local walking group.
Other Choices
If you aren’t particularly active and you know your diet could use some improvements, increasing your calorie expenditure by 500 calories a day (either through adding exercise or reducing your food intake) should help you lose about 1 pound per week. If you find that conventional weight-loss methods don’t work for you, however, there are other options. Consult with weight loss trainer like Z Med Clinic is one such clinic helping people achieve their wellness goals and lead a healthy life.
Many women struggle to lose weight for a variety of health reasons, so talk to your doctor to rule out any health problems or to help you manage pre-existing conditions. Tummy tucks can be extremely effective for women who want to shape up their stomachs, and liposuction removes harmful fat from the body. ‘These days lipsuction is a tremendously effective method of addressing excess body fat, ‘leading plastic surgeon Elena Prousskaia. ‘We use it particular for inner arms, thighs, stomach, hips, knees or chin. Of course it’s not a substitute for a healthy diet or exercise, but it can be a useful technique for removing pockets of fat that people can’t seem to get rid of.’
If you’ve fallen into a sedentary lifestyle or you eat a poor diet, it’s never too late to change your habits. Committing to being healthier now won’t just help you lose weight – it will also minimise your risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other long-term conditions.
