Weight Loss in Women Over 40

Weight loss for women over 40 is a different story than when they were 20 and needs to be dealt with as such. Middle-aged women are not just dealing with slower metabolisms, they are often dealing with hormonal imbalances which have side effects such as poor thyroid function, bloating, fluid retention and weight gain. Furthermore, by the time women get to their forties, many are chronically sleep deprived which is another factor that affects weight gain and loss. Most of them are also shopping and cooking for family members who can often effectively metabolize foods that they cannot.

Diets or dieting for women over 40 do not achieve the best weight loss results. The best approach to losing weight for middle-aged women is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Give your body what it needs to function optimally and avoid foods that are nutritionally deficient as well as loaded with chemicals that overburden the liver. Given the eating, sleeping and exercise habits of modern women this change can be quite radical. It means avoiding packaged, processed foods that are high in sugars, fats, and chemicals and low in fiber and nutrients. This includes so-called diet products including diet sodas. Artificial sweeteners are much worse than natural sugars and can in fact be addictive.

A healthy diet for women over 40 will differ slightly to a good diet for a younger person. As we age, the body becomes less efficient in processing carbohydrates. Therefore, in order to lose body fat middle-aged women need to eat fewer carbohydrates. A diet that is high in protein, fruits and vegetables with plenty of pure water is the key to regaining health and fitness. It is also important to eat breakfast to kick start the metabolism for the day.

A number of smaller meals throughout the day are better for weight loss than three big meals. This is because larger meals release a lot of insulin into the blood which can interfere with metabolism. You will burn more fat with lower blood insulin levels. Some women may think that cutting their food right back will mean even lower insulin levels, lower calories and greater weight loss. However, if you cut back on your food intake too much you will lower your metabolic rate substantially and retain body fat. They key to losing weight is to eat only life giving, nutritious foods that your body can easily metabolize.

However, eating healthily is only the first step towards weight loss for women over 40. It is necessary to engage in regular aerobic exercise and strength training in order to increase their metabolic rate, burn fat and build lean muscle which uses more energy than fat.

Sleep is also important. Women who do not get eight hours of regular sleep a night are more likely to be overweight than those who do. If you make these lifestyle changes, yet you are finding losing weight is still difficult, you may be dealing with a hormonal imbalance. Estrogen dominance can cause weight gain which is difficult to shift. If this is the case, a natural low-dose progesterone cream may be helpful in restoring balance.

Weight loss for women over 40 does not have to be complicated. If you adopt a healthy lifestyle, you will be able to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight easily.

Recipes, downloadable nutrition logs and weight loss plans can be found on a variety of places on the web at sites such as Age-40.com