For Women in Your 40s and 50s: Signs that Your Weight Loss and Healthy Eating Plan is Working for You

What are some signs that a certain diet or way of eating is working for you in your quest to lose weight and get healthy at middle age? It’s often recommended for people who want to go on a brand-new exercise and nutrition plan, to work with a nutritionist or dietitian or health coach.

This type of health authority can guide you in your choices, provide needed information, supply you with creative meal plans and menu ideas, and help you track your progress as well as become mindful of any reactions you may be having.

That said, it’s your choice to go pro with your health goals. But even if you don’t work with a medical or health professional, there are certainly some signs that you can look out for to know whether a certain type of diet is working with your metabolism, preferences, ability to digest certain foods and so forth.

Signs that your healthy eating plan is right for you: • Plenty of energy sustained throughout the day • Feeling full and satisfied even though you are

“dieting” or limiting certain unhealthy foods • Little to no digestive discomfort such as bloating, flatulence and other signs that your food is not digesting properly • Looking forward to daily exercise • Building muscle and burning fat • Improvement in the way your body looks • Sleeping well • Clear thinking and great mood most of the time

As we age, one sign of digestive trouble that often goes ignored is an inability to sleep well or fully through the night.

Our body may not be able to break down foods we are eating. We may be eating too much sugar or carbs which can affect our sleep. Or we might wake in the middle of the night with stomach discomfort due to our food not fully digesting or irritating our stomach.

It’s not always obvious when your digestion is off. Sometimes we don’t feel anything, but yet we are unable to sleep comfortably.

If you’re on a certain diet and this or other symptoms seem to be affecting you, make a dietary change. Try talking with your doctor or nutritionist. Or, switch out foods that could potentially be upsetting your body’s balance.

Signs that You May Need to Modify Your Current Healthy Eating Plan:

Here are some signs that your current eating plan is not agreeing with you, and maybe you should think about a change to different types of foods that are also nutritious.

Digestive difficulty, discomfort or upset.

Again, digestive upset is one of the first things to take notice of especially if it’s been a month or more on the new eating plan, and you’re still experiencing tummy troubles.

Symptoms to watch out for: constipation and diarrhea. Indigestion, heartburn, burping, flatulence, stomach pain, nausea, and even headache.

Believe it or not, something as simple as adding a healthy carb to your meal such as brown rice or whole grain crackers could help you absorb whatever food you’re having problems digesting in your new way of eating and or dieting.

Feeling hungry, nervous, irritated, and unable to concentrate.

These are typical symptoms when we make a change and switch to a healthy eating plan. Our body likely expects certain types of foods, especially those that come with addictive properties, like sugar. So when we don’t receive our daily sugar fix, for a while we might experience symptoms.

These will eventually go away. If they don’t go away after a month or two, you’re probably looking at some other reason why you are reacting to whatever it is that you are eating. Consider having a conversation with your doctor or investigate the situation another way.

Not able to lose that thickness around the middle.

As mentioned, digestive troubles can be a factor if we are unable to tolerate certain foods. It’s possible that you are eating the most nutritious diet on the planet. However, if your stomach lacks the enzymes to process these foods, they could end up fermenting in your gut leading to unpleasant symptoms and bloating. They could also delay your bathroom habits, which can make it appear as though you are actually chubbier in the middle then you might truly be.

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What’s a Safe Amount for a Middle-Aged Woman to Run for Exercise?

What is a safe amount for someone of middle age to run?

However much is a safe distance and frequent amount of running to do each week depends on how used to and trained for this your body is.

With proper training, literally pacing yourself as you advance as a runner, and some expert advice with possibly some check-in with your doctor, it is perfectly safe for a woman in her mid-40s to run as much as 15 miles, assuming she’s been working up to this number gradually.

The key of course is to watch yourself, take breaks when necessary, drink plenty of water and be reasonable about what you can accomplish.

If you don’t exercise at all, you can’t expect that you’d be able to head out and jog a mile without stopping so forget about 15 miles for now. But again, it’s all about training your body, making gradual improvements, tracking your progress and also giving yourself the rest that you need to recover, build muscle and tackle the same goals even better next time.

If you don’t run at all, but want to start… wake up today, put on your

sneakers and run for half a mile. If you can’t run the whole distance, walk.

Tomorrow, do it again.

The day after that, rest if you need to. Then, pick up where you left off, and try to run or run-walk that half-mile. Next Monday, increase it to one mile of walking and running if you can.

Continue doing this until one mile feels like no big deal. Then go for a mile and a half. And so on.

Again, don’t forget to do all the things. Stretch. Wear proper footwear. Pace yourself. Drink lots of water. Talk to your doctor. If you feel pain, stop and let your body rest for a while.

The safest approach to running in your forties is to be mindful of your body sensations and give your body what you need. If something hurts, rest that body part. If you’re having trouble breathing, talk to your physician. If a healthy eating plan is something you can use, work that in.

Running helps us lose weight, and it’s easier to run when you weigh less. So try to get yourself there within a safe, reasonable time frame. Set those running goals, one step at a time!