Why it is difficult to lose weight after 40
Women after 40 notice a noticeable increase in fat around the belly. This is a result of the body trying to re-balance fluctuations in estrogen and stress hormones. There is, indeed, a marked change in fat storage for women from the hips to the waist after the age of 40.
Declining estrogen levels as menopause approaches means women tend to move towards a pattern of weight gain in the stomach area closer to that of men.
Losing weight becomes an increasingly difficult task over time. The reasons why this happens vary from case to case, but most of the time, the cause is the natural evolution of the body itself.
After 40, the rate of metabolism decreases, resulting in you burning up to 300 fewer calories per day. Also, as you approach the menopause stage, hormonal changes become more intense and affect indicators such as sugar, and at the same time, the size of adipose tissue increases and the accumulation of abdominal fat is now visible.
Lifestyle plays an important role. Growing older, men and women tend to exercise less, while weight fluctuations are influenced by stress, eating habits, and, of course, sleep. Fatigue is more pronounced, and as experts report, “all people tend to eat more when they feel exhausted.”
How to lose weight after 40
Exercise before breakfast
The time you exercise can make a difference in your body weight and belly fat. A study conducted at Skidmore College in New York revealed that the fat-burning benefits of physical activity differ for men and women depending on the time of day they exercise.
For women, going to the gym for an hour between 6.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. and before breakfast had better results compared to those who exercised between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Focus on regular core exercise
Fat accumulates around the waist in an attempt by the body to maintain its estrogen. While cardio is good for weight loss, the squats and lunges video below will help you deal with that pesky belly fat.
Try these foods
There are four important and economical foods to combat the slowdown of our metabolism. It is therefore essential to include the following foods in your daily routine and they are:
Avocado: Women who add avocado to their daily diet could experience a reduction in dangerous visceral fat around their organs and a positive change in how overall belly fat is distributed throughout their body. This is supported by nutritionists at the University of Illinois. What are you waiting for? It’s worth a try.
Oolong tea: it contains polyphenols, which help block fat-producing enzymes. This amazing tea is low in caffeine, so you can drink it 2-3 times a day for continuous results. Research even shows that our metabolism will increase for two hours after every cup of oolong tea.
Hot peppers: they contain the alkaloid piperine, which helps speed up our metabolism. If you even add hot pepper to tomato juice, you will achieve a double effect of boosting the metabolism. After all, tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect our mitochondria.
Beans: they contain large amounts of soluble fiber and can help reduce insulin levels. So that you store less fat in the body while at the same time feeling full. Cook two cups of red, white, or black beans to get your recommended daily fiber intake of 25 grams.
Do yoga two times a week
Stress hormones such as cortisol affect fat distribution, causing fat to be stored centrally around the waist and organs. Yale University researchers showed that thin women with high levels of stress hormones were more likely to have excess visible belly fat.
Add yoga to your daily routine to lower your stress levels and tone your waistline at the same time.
Drink more water
Water is extremely important for losing weight, eliminating toxins, and improving our health. As a society now, we have replaced water with various types of unnatural beverages. Including soft drinks (plain or diet), “vitamin” drinks, and energy drinks.
You either forget to drink water regularly during the day or many people avoid it because they might not like it. But it is very important for your body to drink 8 glasses of water (2 liters) daily. This amount will hydrate you, make you feel full, and flush toxins from your body.
Get a sleep routine
Research has proven the correlation of sleep quality with diet, and it has been shown that women face more problems in their sleep routine.
Short hours, disturbed sleep, and other factors that indicate poor quality lead to disordered eating behaviors. So, if you want to lose weight after 40, it is essential to create a good sleep routine and stick to it. Set your bedtime and wake-up times and stick to your schedule without losing sleep to watch an episode on Netflix.
If you have trouble sleeping at night, you should consult your doctor first. He may recommend lifestyle modifications or run tests to rule out certain health factors.