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Is it Possible for an Overweight Person to Lose Weight in Their 40s and 50s?
If you’re middle aged, and weigh more than you like, you may wonder: how hard is it to lose weight in your 40s and 50s?
A lot of people think they’re stuck with the body they have right now. Maybe they chalk it up to heredity.
While it is true that our tendency to hang on to extra weight might have something to do with genetics, it doesn’t mean that all is lost or that you shouldn’t even try.
We can always be healthier than we are today. It is never too late to change our habits and re-frame what we thought we knew about food, nutrition, exercise, and treating our bodies well.
If you’re over 40 and feeling out of shape, overweight, tired, and hopeless about the possibility of positive change, think again.
Midlife can be a time of transformation in any woman’s life. While the hormonal shifts at this time do present certain challenges, you may very well now have the advantage of more time to take care of yourself Fat Redistribution Can be a Problem for MiddleAged Women
Are you thinking of starting a fitness program in your 40s or 50s? Beginning at about the mid-40s, women’s bodies undergo gradual changes as they move toward the end of their reproductive years.
At this age, you might notice a thickening of the middle, finding it more difficult to keep your waist slim.
This has to do with a few different things. First, middle-aged women are more likely to retain water. This could be due to a change in kidney function that causes the body to hold on to liquid, giving the appearance of a thick waistline.
Changes in kidney function during the menopausal transition: Menopause
This condition may exacerbate the third week of the menstrual cycle or what would have been the third week if you have stopped getting a period. The problem is in part due Also, with lowered estrogen levels, middleaged women may be more prone to storing fat in the middle as do their male counterparts.
Other hormone-related possibilities that could be contributing to your thicker waistline include a slow thyroid, insulin resistance, and high leptin.
It may be beneficial as your estrogen and progesterone fluctuate toward gradual reduction at this time, to look into natural sources of these hormones which can benefit your body as well as improve how you look and feel.
Some women find that increasing their consumption of soy, plantbased foods, foods that are rich in minerals such as seafood, seaweed, sweet potatoes, and legumes seems to improve their energy levels, appearance and keep the weight off their middle.
Another common issue that shows up at middle age for many women is changing digestion. You may need to get yeast under control to help
reduce the middle-age bulge.
Adding plain yogurt and probiotic supplements to your daily diet can help with digestion, so that foods which give you problems will move more quickly through your digestive tract.
Staying regular is important for everyone, and it is often an overlooked problem that does cause women in their 40s and 50s to have what appears to be a thickening waistline.
Finally, an expanding midsection, for women in their middle years, can be related to high cortisol levels in the bloodstream caused by stress and hormone imbalance. This causes fat to collect around the vital organs.
If high stress and poor sleep habits are a problem for you, you might try talking with an endocrinologist, as well as reducing stress or even managing anxiety with medication. Look into ways to keep your digestive system working at peak performance if you want to display a slimmer look as well as maintain high energy levels over the course of your day.
Hotter in Your Forties and Fifties? Yes, It’s Quite Possible.
One of the benefits of being a woman in the autumn of her years, is that she may bloom into a more mature yet attractive version of what she once was. Many middle-aged women exhibit a more sculpted and toned musculature once they have begun focusing on nutrition and exercise.
Why does this happen? As estrogen levels decrease with approaching menopause, we lose that extra layer of all-over body fat that young women have which signals fertility and femininity.
This can be a good thing if you embrace fitness at this time. A woman in her 40s or 50s, with some dedication to eating right and exercising, can transform into a lean mean fitness machine!
In fact, some middle-aged women might very well end up looking hotter than they have in their entire lives!
Additionally, because of these hormone changes, it is now more important than ever to nourish your hormones. Focus on daily consumption of healthy foods. Mitigate stress. Get enough rest, and include exercise as a part of your daily regimen.
Fitness for Women Over Forty: Do it For Your Health
Women who reach menopause are at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. This is not to say that it will happen to you or anyone you know. But it’s just a reminder of the really big reasons why it’s so important to keep yourself healthy and in good physical shape.
What should your health goals be as a woman who is in her 40s or 50s?
Find the right health and fitness plan for you, and stick with it.
Obsession is never a good thing, but dedication and commitment are. One thing to keep in mind as you focus on weight loss and good health at middle age is consistency.
This means settling into a routine that works for you. It means following through, and staying committed to the actions, habits and daily choices that bring healthy weight loss results.
Most importantly, it means moving toward improved blood work numbers, which is the best way to know if you’re doing the right things for your body.
You will have the greatest positive effect on your health and physical condition if you stop viewing it as a “diet” or temporary thing. Good health at middle age should be about permanent lifestyle change.
How will you know what kind of healthy weight loss and fitness plan is right for you?
Not every woman will choose the same eating habits to experience the same desired results. It’s important to keep this in mind, because you might have to shift into trying and doing different things as your body reacts.
Consistency with health goals doesn’t mean that you should adopt a dogmatic view of how to be healthy. Instead, notice when repeated habits seem to produce desired results. Figure out what you’re doing that works to increase feelings of good health and well-being, as well as improves your appearance.
If something you’re doing seems to be resulting in weight loss, a fitter body, and increased well-being overall, continue that good habit for a while. Then if you’re not seeing the results you want anymore, or if you experience undesirable symptoms or other problems, change it up and see what happens after that.
Keep doing this until you find your happy medium – the balance of habits and practices that fit your needs best. Each person is different – from blood type, to heredity, to lifestyle, to the types of stress faced each day, to their eating habits and style of exercise.
Also, your needs may change over time. Expect to make adjustments as needed.
Really, the idea is to get educated on health and wellness, and do whatever is best for your body.