By There are quite a few myths that need to be addressed regarding age and gaining weight. These concepts have been significantly magnified without underlying explanations regarding hormones and the natural progress age brings.
It’ is most definitely normal at any age to have weight sneak up on you, despite having the same kind of diet. Your body can change shape, and you may lack energy, drive and not feel the same as you did many years ago. This is all normal, but it’s not set in stone for the rest of your life. Most people assume that as you age, things start to go down south and everything just get’s a lot harder. Perhaps this is a reality for a lot of people.
In order to understand why this happens, we need to go through some changes that occur at each stage. Here is the deal guys.
6 ways to fix ageing weight gain, and take back control of your body.
- Elevate your metabolism to burn more body fat, instead of storing it, with weight training.
Metabolism slows down with age, and yes, it’s because of hormones to an extent. Lower levels of estrogen also contribute to the mix of metabolism slowdown.
Fat may suddenly accumulate around your midsection, even if you’ve not had a problem with this before. This is a mix of pre-menopause and also menopause contributing to the difference of fat accumulation on the body.
The only way to keep a trim body, and inhibit most of the fat accumulation on your body, is to be active, mainly strength training. Weight training increases and also maintains your muscle mass, which is a major contributor to elevated resting metabolic rate. It will also improve your bodies ability to burn stored body fat, decrease your stress levels and help you sleep a lot better. There is also the winning factor of creating a nice fit, and toned shape as you age. There is nothing better than looking as great as you can, no matter what age.
Strength training requires constant attention, 3–4 times per week, and structured correctly in order to get the best results. Seek the help of a personal trainer if you are starting off. - Combat insulin issues and resistance by intermittently fasting.
Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining your weight, and increasing your longevity and vitality. It’s very important to consume the accurate macronutrients on a daily basis, to lose weight. If you are gaining weight as you age, your body will begin to ignore insulin. As your blood sugar elevates, your cells aren’t absorbing it. The result may be increased hunger, cravings and extreme exhaustion. This is a cascade for disaster! Reason being is it puts you at risk of type 2 diabetes.
One of the best ways to combat insulin resistance, and stop the cycle, is to fast intermittently. Not only will you allow your body to re-set it’s insulin sensitivity, you will also lose those unwanted pounds, increase your longevity, energy and feel like a new person. It will be similar to the unveiling of a new life! I highly recommend you try this, but do consult your doctor first, in case you may have any underlying reasons why you cant. Fasting is good for everyone, because we all tend to eat too much food, in fact, a lot more than we need. Giving your cells and body a break will help you to heal, decrease inflammation and repair any damage to your body. - Change your diet, especially if it’s not working for you.
Maybe you are still eating the same food as you did when you were 20, but perhaps the food you were eating wasn’t really all that good anyway! When we age, things tend to disrupt our digestive systems a lot more, and we cannot seem to shake how hard it is for our bodies to cope with it. If your diet is not working for you, then it does need to change, and quickly!
You must fill your meals with cruciferous vegetables, plenty of high grade protein and limit your carbohydrates. The more active you are, then you will be more inclined to burn carbohydrates instead of storing them in your fat cells. I’m not going to go in depth with diet, but you must focus on vegetables, organic meats and limit your carbs. - You must get enough sleep as often as possible.
Now we are older, it’s very difficult to burn the midnight oil, even if we think it’s not going to affect our wellbeing. Sadly, it does and that needs to be taken into consideration. Sleep is a vital part of our lives, and we need it in order to allow our bodies the time and space to regenerate and replenish.
One thing that will help you increase your sleep quality, is exercise. Therefore, it’s important to stay active on a daily basis, and avoid caffeine and alcohol when you are close to bed time. Allow at least 1 hour to wind down before sleep, if you do find it extremely difficult to settle your wondering mind. Opt for some magnesium before bed, or have a relaxing bath with essential oils. A good massage before sleep is actually a pretty good way to relax. - Avoid refined carbs and junk food at all times.
When we are sleep deprived, a lot of us make poor food choices in order to elevate our energy levels. Junk food also causes insulin spikes, that increases our chances of storing body fat. Therefore, lack of sleep and junk food are a toxic mix, for any age. Opt for eating all your good quality carbohydrates (such as sweet potato, oats, basmati rice and root vegetables) post workout and at dinner time. Eating carbs at dinner time increases your chances of sleep. Do watch your portion sizes though. - Eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass and increase your metabolism.
As we age, our need for protein increases slightly. When we build muscle, we need protein, but we also need it to maintain what we’ve got. This is the only way to elevate our metabolism as we age. As said in the first point, strength training is key, but we also have to make sure we eat enough protein too. Make sure you are having 1.6 grams per kg of body weight. This is about 100g for a woman of average weight (being 63kg).There is hope in maintaining your weight throughout your lifetime. You do have to experiment with food, exercise and lifestyle. My biggest win is getting right into intermittent fasting on a daily basis. If there is one thing you can do, try that and see how far you can go with it. I am 41 and have never looked better.
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