By Maybe it takes us, women, a bit longer to lose weight – but here’s how to supercharge your weight loss results. Have you, too, found that as those years start to climb upwards, the weight seems to accumulate as well? I know the feeling, as I often tell myself that my body doesn’t look as it used to. But, for anyone that’s super fit, it can be quite a rude awakening of the fact we are coming of age. I’m certainly not the type to accept my age -and I’m not inclined to believe we lose control of our bodies after the big 40. Women have to work on health and wellbeing every day, and I suspect that the responsibilities of children and the home (not to mention work) are more than likely resting on your shoulders. Being everything to everyone can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. So perhaps the only time to ourselves is when we can get to the gym or in the office. Although we may be frustrated and tired at the best of times, we can do a few things to stop the weight gain trail that can take us by surprise. I won’t lie, it takes conscious effort every day, but it’s worth it. Your health is the most valuable commodity you have.
Lesson one: Eat more high fibre foods with every meal
We don’t eat enough vegetables and fibre-rich foods. Too often, we sacrifice fibre for protein when necessary to feed your healthy gut bacteria and eliminate toxins. If we don’t take care of our gut, we won’t be able to absorb the nutrients from our food. That leaves us susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. On another level, we may experiences challenges with weight control and even building & maintaining muscle. Therefore, I strongly suggest making fibre your go-to food source in every meal. Consider the highest value in vegetables, seeds, flaxseeds and even a natural supplement.
Lesson two: Strength train at least 3-4 times a week
Weight training will help you build muscle mass and assist your body use fat stores for energy. The stronger you are, the more mobile and active you will become throughout your life. Think of all the energy you will have and how much this can empower your life as you get older. We want to have as much energy as possible to enjoy the things we love every day. Weight training can help you achieve this.
Lesson Three: Take hold of your stress levels
Stress isn’t suitable for any gender. Think about how it makes you feel, such as lethargic, depressed, inability to think, irritability, and it stops us from living the best life that we can. I can tell you to stress less, but it’s not going to be much help. However, if you can do certain things during the day when stress starts to take hold – such as practising your breathing, taking a walk in the park, playing with your dog, or even doing a bit of yoga – you will notice the impact begins to lessen as time goes on. The strategy behind this is to do something pleasant when you feel stressed. At first, it might take some time to calm the overwhelm, but this will become a habit to use over time when stressful situations come up again. Call it your mini meditative state.
Lesson Four: Limit too much fruit & healthy carbs
We want to try to limit the possibility of insulin rises that can cause you to feel hungry. What happens, as insulin rises, we tend to become hungry. No matter how healthy foods are, eating more than we expend will put us in a fat accumulation state. Stick to low GI fruits like berries as a snack and sweet potato as a carb source. But, again, watch your portions, and go easy on your carbs (if you are finding it hard to maintain or lose weight).
Lesson Five: Protein at its higher quality
Managing your blood sugar levels during the day, high levels of satiety, and eliminating the need to snack between meal times is your mighty fight against weight gain. Use your palm to judge how much protein you need, and that’s a fair amount for women’s needs. However, if you are keen on losing a few extra KG’s quite fast, pick low-calorie protein sources like eggs, fish and chicken. These have always worked for me, no matter what age. Take away: As women come of age, we find ourselves in the middle of hormonal changes and become a lot more susceptible to weight gain. The fat accumulation can develop all over the body, but it’s usually apparent in the midsection during menopause – which puts our health in a dangerous position. The goal here is to ensure that we get hold of our nutrition and activity throughout any hormonal shifts to flourish instead of succumbing to the setbacks of older age. Unfortunately, we have to pay more attention to these aspects now than we did in our youth – but that’s part and parcel of growing up and taking complete control of our health and wellbeing. Live life and don’t let anything get in the way.