Losing weight is never easy. This is especially true after 50, when you are more likely to gain weight and store excess fat. This is due to loss of muscle mass and changes in metabolism, along with a tendency to make poor dietary choices and a sedentary lifestyle.
As we age, hormonal changes lead to a loss of muscle mass. From the onset of menopause, estrogen levels in women begin to decline, and men experience a decline in testosterone after 50. Estrogen and testosterone are the two main hormones that promote muscle mass.
What’s more, the loss of muscle mass is accompanied by a decrease in metabolic rate. Unfortunately, this means that even if you eat the same amount of calories as you did in your 40s, you can still gain weight.
How to Lose Weight and Maintain Weight After 50?
Age is not an absolute barrier. With the right adjustments to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle, you can absolutely lose weight and maintain a healthy weight after 50. Here are some effective, easy-to-implement strategies to get you started:
1. Make strength training part of your regular fitness routine
The more muscle mass you have, the better your metabolism will be, helping you burn more calories and lose weight.
Regular exercise is important for weight control and cardiovascular health, but it’s especially important to include strength training at least twice a week to increase muscle mass and maintain bone health after 50.
Lifting weights, using resistance bands, or doing bodyweight exercises are all great ways to build muscle. For example, just getting up and moving, walking, running, or swimming, on a regular basis, will also help build muscle.
2. Eat More Protein
Getting enough protein is important when trying to lose weight, rebuilding muscle mass and reversing metabolic decline. Good sources of protein include lean meats and fish, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy.
Experts recommend that about 30% to 40% of your daily calories come from good protein sources. Just make sure you spread your protein intake throughout the day, not all at once. If your diet doesn’t provide enough protein, a protein supplement can help.
3. Try intermittent fasting
A healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein is important for preventing weight gain. But it’s not just what you eat, it’s also when you eat it.
Research has shown that intermittent fasting can help you restrict calories, lose fat without losing muscle mass, shrink your waistline, and improve your blood pressure and resting heart rate.
Intermittent fasting is a diet that alternates between fasting and eating regularly. It works by extending the time your body burns calories during the day and starts burning stored fat.
There are several different methods you can try. One is the 5:2 method, where you limit your calorie intake to 500-600 calories one or two days a week; then eat normally the rest of the week. Another is the 16/8 method, where you only eat during an 8-hour window, such as 10am-6pm, and fast for the other 16 hours.
4. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
In addition to its many health benefits, a good night’s rest can also help you control your weight.
Lack of sleep affects the hormones in your brain that regulate your appetite. Not only does lack of sleep throw off the balance of appetite-regulating hormones, causing you to eat more, it also makes you less active. This can lead to weight gain.
As you get older, falling asleep and staying asleep can become more difficult, but you still need the same amount of sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you have trouble sleeping at night, make up for lost rest during the day with a nap.
5. Reduce stress
For many people, stress leads to unhealthy behaviors, such as emotional and mindless eating, and a lack of motivation to exercise. In addition, researchers have found that the body under high stress produces the hormone cortisol. All of these factors contribute to weight gain.
So instead of turning to food for comfort, manage your stress with breathing exercises, meditation, or even aromatherapy. It’s also important to have someone to lean on during stressful times.
Whether maintaining a healthy weight is something you’ve struggled with all your life or just in your 50s, there are plenty of things you can do to maintain a healthy, sustainable weight.
