One of the mysteries of growing older, is how harder it seems to be to loose those few extra pounds. Your body seems to add pounds without you even noticing, until you find your clothes fitting a bit tighter, and your belly looms a bit bigger. So, for those of you that have hit middle age, and with that a few extra pounds have shown up, here’s some “Over 40 Weight Loss Tips”.
What’s happening as you grow older, is that your metabolism starts to decline in your early 30’s. For men, after you hit 40, your testosterone also declines, your blood glucose increases, and your insulin levels also start to go up. All of these things combine to cause your body to burn less energy – and by default, less fat, then it did when you were in your 20’s.
What’s important to keep in mind is, you need to do a combination of two things here. One is to boost your metabolism, The other is to refine your diet. You can’t eat like you did when you were younger. But a proper balanced diet not only can help you loose weight, it can also energize your day, allowing you to make healthier decisions, and fuel your workouts as well.
Over 40 Weight Loss Tip #1: Watch Your Calories
– Simple rule – eat less than your body burns per day, and your body will turn to fat for fuel. So, this means you need to watch your caloric intake. As you age, your body will burn fewer calories than it did when you were younger. So, you may want to take your portion sizes down a bit and drop some of those calories.
Over 40 Weight Loss Tip #2: Cut Back On Alcohol
– Having a drink or two doesn’t seem that bad. But, alcohol is full of empty calories that do nothing for you but turn to fat. And, since you’re more likely to eat more when drinking (by an average of 433 calories), cuttong back on booze can help you loose weight. Try to keep it to two drinks per week.
Over 40 Weight Loss Tip #3: Up Your Protein
– Your body loves carbs. Not only are carbs a great source of fuel, but it’s easy to digest. But, it’s also easy for your body to store that unused fuel as fat. Protein not only helps you build post-workout muscle, but your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does fat. After age 40, you can lose up to 8 percent of your muscle mass per decade, and loading up on protein help prevent or minimize age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia. Aim for at least 25 to 30 grams of high-quality protein with each meal.
Over 40 Weight Loss Tip #4: Add Strength Training To Your Workouts
– This doesn’t mean eliminating cardio from your workouts. But you need to add some muscle to reverse your body’s natural loss over time. The best wat to do that is strength training. Adding weights one or two days per week to your workouts also adds the benefit of giving you extra muscle for those long cardio workout days as well!
And, if you need some ideas for some starter strength training equipment for your home gym, visit any of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s 3 Phoenix-area locations. Our professionals can help you find the best strength training equipment for your workouts!
