10 Tips for Weight Loss After 40

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com

Every year, it seems, the needle on the scale is a little harder to budge. You cut back on portion size; you say, “No, thank you,” to dessert; you sign up for an aerobics class — and yet your jeans size goes up and your energy level goes down. What’s going on?

Starting in our early 40s, our bodies go through a series of changes that affect the very core of our being. Thanks to hormonal and other changes, the very growth rate of our cells slows down. Some of these changes are the result of the natural aging process. It’s just something we have to learn to work around.

Sometimes, though, something’s gotten off track, metabolically speaking, and there’s an underlying medical issue that needs to be dealt with before the usual weight-loss measures will have any effect. Here’s a ten-step plan for understanding the challenges that prevent weight loss over 40, and for learning how to overcome them.

1. Get to know your body’s new biological rhythms — and adjust to them.

In long-ago times, older didn’t necessarily mean plumper. Think of those icons of the American prairie, the sinewy pitchfork-wielding farm couple pictured in American Gothic. But today, those of us over 40 face a twofold challenge: We’re living longer, and we’re no longer out there pitching hay to the cows at 5 a.m.

When it comes to burning calories, it’s a fairly simple equation. What goes in must be burned off, or it sticks to our ribs. Acquiring weight is absurdly easy — eating just 100 extra calories a day (100 more than what your body burns) will lead to a nine- to ten-pound weight gain over the course of a year, experts say. How much is 100 calories? Not a lot: A can of Coke contains 155 calories, a chocolate bar more than 200. Of course, that cola or chocolate chip cookie is no problem if we’re walking or running it off. But after 40, our activity level tends to decline, too. So the challenge is to bring the two into balance.

Look back over the past year, and think about when your weight seemed to be holding steady and when it seemed to be trending slowly upward. What were you doing during the good weeks? What sabotaged you the other times? Make a list of what works for you, and what throws you off. Your own healthy habits in the past are the ones most likely to work for you now.

10 Tips for Weight Loss After 40 originally appeared on Caring.com.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jewels S.

8:06PM PST on Nov 26, 2011

I had the same problem for 5 yrs. I did all the right things but found out I had food allergies. I had to stop eating all wheat products and high fructose corn syrup. You can also try doing jumping jacks or trampoline jumping. Our lymphatic system gets sluggish as we age and makes lossing wieght harder but I keep things moving by doing 3 sets of 20 jumping jacks a day. That splashes the lymph fluids back up into the upper part of the body. Also eating 4 or 5 small meals a day keeps blood sugar level and that was a problem too.

send a green star

Julie V.

10:27AM PST on Nov 16, 2011

Sorry for the errors. I walk 3 miles a day and strength train 3 times a week for 1 hour. I have been doing this for 3 months.
Still have not lose weight.

10:24AM PST on Nov 16, 2011

I walk miles a day ,Strenth training hour times a week. Eat under 1200 calories a day. I still cant lose weight????

Emma S.

4:35AM PDT on Oct 23, 2011

Thank you for this - I need to lose some weight so have saved the information.

Pam H.

9:41AM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

It would have been far more help for me if you'd actually listed the 10 fat burning foods, since I literally can not exercise and am over a barrel so far as most "lose weight" advice.

Gwendolyn n.

5:16PM PDT on Oct 4, 2011

Thanks for the common sense information.

Michele W.

2:55AM PDT on Sep 15, 2011

Thank you

Tim C.

11:02AM PDT on Sep 13, 2011

thanks.

Shah Jehan K.

6:02AM PDT on Aug 25, 2011

hye i have lost 20 kg weight in 2 months by doing excercise i want to lose 15 kg more plz help me abt the diet plan and excercise and tell how much calories i have burn daily my age is 20 and height is abt 7 feet. i also want to know what i have to do to maintain my weight now my weight is 95.5 plz send me email abt this on my email id as soon as possible i am waiting for ur responce

Darla G.

11:59AM PDT on Aug 4, 2011

great tips... thanks