Let’s talk about some of the best ways to lose weight after 50. Did you know your body goes through a few metabolic changes around age 50?
As you age, a process called sarcopenia (decline in lean muscle mass) starts to occur. Each year after you turn 50, your muscle mass decreases at a rate of 1-2% per year, and your strength can decline anywhere from 1.5 to 5% per year.
As you may know, lean muscle mass is a key component to maintaining a healthy metabolism. As your overall muscle degenerates, your metabolism slows as well, no wonder it’s harder to maintain your figure!
So What Are Some Of The Best Ways To Lose Weight After 50?
Tip # 1: Incorporate Resistance Training
The BEST way to combat this is through resistance training. Not only does resistance training help prevent age-related muscle loss, it helps promote a healthy body weight, increases strength and also your overall quality of life!
Imagine getting all the groceries into the house in one trip without feeling like your shoulders are about to unhinge under the weight of your Costco boxes! Not to mention, strength training also boosts your metabolism, and increases how many calories you burn at rest, both of which greatly lead to a reduction in overall body fat! This is why strength training is imperative when it comes to staying fit & healthy.
Tip # 2: Hire A Personal Trainer
If you have any past injuries or are unsure how to get started, hiring a trainer in your area would be the best route to take. Having a professional in your corner to help answer questions, demonstrate proper form, and encourage you will ensure you get results faster and more safely than if you were to try on your own! Not to mention having a nice trainer you get along with will make you look forward to your workout sessions, and enjoy your new active lifestyle!
Tip #3: Eat More Protein
Another way to avoid muscle loss due to ageing is to ensure you are fuelling your body with the correct building blocks for muscle, ie. protein! The recommended amount for folks over 50 is 1-1.5g of protein per day, per kg of body weight.
For example, if you weigh 160lbs (73 kg)
You would calculate 73 x 1 = 73g a day MINIMUM of protein or
73 x 1.5 = 109.5 g per day on the higher end.
An easy way to ensure you’re getting adequate protein is to plan every meal around your protein source and build around that. For example
Breakfast Protein source : 3 eggs (18 g protein)
now you can add in toast, or veggies to create an omelette
Lunch protein source: 1 oven-roasted chicken breast (31g protein)
Now you can add a field green salad, or soup and crackers
Dinner protein source: 200g lean ground beef (28g protein)
Now you can add roasted veggie or whole grain pasta as a side, resting easy knowing you hit your protein goal for the day!
If you’re not sure about the amounts of protein in certain foods, you can read the nutrition facts label, or use a free app such as MyPlate to log your food intake for accuracy. If this all still feels confusing to you, it may be worth your while to look up a nutritionist or health coach in your area, and meet with them for a consultation so they can guide you step by step on proper food choices that align with your goals.
Tip #4: Cook Meals At Home
Another great way to ensure your nutrition stays on track is by cooking your food at home.
This way you know 100% of the ingredients going into your meal, and you can easily track your food via MyPlate this way. Finding or creating recipes of your own will help you feel empowered when it comes to healthy food choices. Prepping healthy meals in advance will be especially helpful to lower the chance of gravitating towards fast food when you’re short on time. Preparedness is the key to success! Many people don’t realize how much hidden fat and sodium there is in a restaurant or fast-food meal, so eliminating these as much as possible will not only help manage your weight but your blood pressure too!
Tip #5: Find Active Hobbies
Participating in active, fun hobbies is a wonderful way to add extra movement to your day without even realizing it!
Tip #6 Reduce Stress
Cortisol (the stress hormone) can wreak absolute havoc on our bodies if left unchecked. If you constantly feel under pressure or stress in your daily life, your body will be more likely to crave salty and sugary foods, and gain weight. This is why you want to feel at ease and relaxed, so your body can do its thing and work with you, not against you! Some simple things you can do to try and reduce stress:
- Reduce caffeine intake – High doses of caffeine can make you more anxious and stressed
- Laugh – Laughing is a great stress reducer. Try watching something funny or hang out with people who make you laugh
- Practice yoga and meditation
Those are just a few ways to try and reduce stress among many. I will make a separate post on ways you can reduce stress coming soon!
Tip #7 – Prioritize Rest & Recovery
Sleep is when recovery (and fat loss!) happens. Not giving your body the precious time it needs to rebuild itself and rest, leads to a slew of difficulties when it comes to fat loss.
Researchers found that when dieters cut back on sleep over a 14-day period, the amount of weight they lost from fat dropped by 55%, even though their calories stayed equal. They felt hungrier and less satisfied after meals, and their energy was zapped.
This is why prioritizing adequate sleep is super important!
Tip #8 – Resolve Any Lingering Traumas Or Emotional Unrest
Here is a quick excerpt from psychologyofeating.com
“For those with trauma histories, weight gain can be the result of high amounts of cortisol in the body, and a function of a psychological boundary that the body creates when the conscious mind cannot directly address a traumatic issue.”
I would highly recommend giving that great article by the Institute For The Psychology Of Eating a read. It has great information on how trauma can impact your weight loss journey. Just click the hyperlink above.
Tip #9 – Get Clear As To WHY You Want To Lose Weight
Is it to play with your grandkids all afternoon? To have more energy for your work or extracurriculars? To feel strong in everyday life? Maybe you want to spice up your stagnant sex life?
Whatever the Why behind your goal is, get clear about it and find ways to constantly remind yourself about it!
Make a vision board
Journal your intentions/write a letter to your future self
Share your goal with someone you trust to keep you accountable
Losing Weight After 50: Success Stories
If you still need some inspiration to get you started, here are some wonderful resources to help inspire you!
Meet Joan, the 74-year-old with an amazing weight loss transformation
The Stories of 8 women who lost weight after menopause:
If you need further assistance please don’t hesitate to reach out via the CONTACT ME page and we can set up a free consultation!