5 Ways to Lose Weight When Above 40

Guest Post by Rachel Davis

There are many reasons to hate growing old, but the most aggravating of them all is that you start looking different and you begin to gain weight. It’s no secret that your metabolism slows down and you start packing on the pounds around your waist, hips and other parts of your body. However, if you’re aware of the problem and you take active efforts to prevent gaining weight, it’s easy to stay slim and feel healthy and young. So as you near your 40th birthday, here are some of the things you can do to lose weight and keep it off as you grow older:

1. Stick to your exercise routine: No matter how difficult it seems, it pays to stick to your exercise routine. If you’ve been involved in a sport or if you hit the gym regularly, growing old is no reason to stop or slow down unless your doctor has asked you to do. The more regularly you exercise, the easier it is to keep your metabolism up and your weight down.
2. Workout with weights: When you include weight training in your workout, you gain more muscle and naturally boost your metabolism. Your body is toned, and you remain fit and healthy. Weight training also strengthens your bones and prevents fractures and osteoporosis, a common complaint, as women grow older. Include simple exercises like squats, lunges and leg lifts in your exercise routine, and use small dumbbells to train your upper body and sculpt your arms and shoulders.
3. Take stock of your eating habits: If you feel yourself putting on weight in places that are normally slim, like your arms and around your waist and hips, start taking a closer look at what you’re eating. Avoid snacking at odd hours, include more fruits and vegetables in your meals and less of carbohydrates and fats, and eat less than you normally do. Satisfy your hunger with healthy fruits and juices and soups that are free of sugar and low in salt and additives.
4. Stay busy: One of the best ways to boost metabolism is to stay active – continue to do your household chores, take the stairs whenever possible instead of the elevator, and walk around instead of taking the car even for short distances. The more active you are, the more energy you have and the less old you feel.
5. Get checked regularly: This is for women over 40 – as you near menopause, your hormone levels swing wildly and you tend to gain weight because of this imbalance. Periodic medical screenings helps you eliminate such problems and avoid weight gains that come with hormonal irregularities.

Weight loss does get harder as you grow older, but if you set your mind to it and apply your body, it becomes easier by the day.

Author Bio
Rachel Davis writes on the topic of Radiology degree. She welcomes your comments at her email id: racheldavis65[@]gmail[.]com.