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Weight gain is more common among older women as factors like hormonal changes before, during, and after menopause, muscle mass loss, and other factors get in the way of living a healthy and active lifestyle.
While menopause doesn’t directly cause weight gain, its symptoms, including decreased estrogen levels, make women more susceptible to body fat, especially around the belly area. It also affects sleep quality and energy levels, which can also lead to weight gain.
So, what can women over 40 do to lose weight in a healthy manner and keep it off?
Below, we’ll guide you on how weight loss for women over 40 works and what you can do to give yourself a better chance at maintaining a healthy weight in your 40s and beyond.
Hormonal Changes and Their Impact on Weight
Hormonal changes during your menopausal years can make losing weight a struggle. But at the same time, your new daily routine might also be partly to blame.
For example, you may already be an empty nester, so you’re no longer as busy with household chores and other non-exercise activities. You might be more inclined to take up non-active hobbies, go on more vacations, and eat out more often.
Addressing these small but impactful lifestyle changes by adding more physical activity to your daily routine can make a big difference in your weight.
The Effect of Slower Metabolism After 40
According to the United States Office on Women’s Health, the average woman gains five pounds post-menopause.
Hormones are the biggest reason why menopausal women gain weight. Estrogen, in particular, regulates your hunger, metabolism, insulin sensitivity, glucose, and body weight. Lower estrogen levels also encourage fat build-up around the stomach area.
Research is ongoing about whether aging or menopause is more to blame for slower metabolism.
12 Strategies for Losing Weight After 40
1. Eat More Vegetables and Fiber-Rich Foods
Fiber-rich foods are good for the body for several reasons: they’re more filling, which helps keep you satisfied and prevents overeating, and they’re also usually lower in calories and richer in nutrients.
Fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grain breads, nuts, and seeds also take longer to digest, helping you maintain more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day.
2. Incorporate More Whole Grains
The best tip for weight loss for women over 40 is to never deprive yourself, especially, of carbohydrates.
In fact, completely avoiding carbohydrates is bad for your body.
Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates aren’t the enemy. They’re good for you. You just have to make sure that you get your carb fix from the right sources, specifically whole grains like whole-wheat bread, quinoa, rye, and barley.
3. Focus on Lean Proteins for Muscle Maintenance
As you age, adopting a protein-rich diet may be good for you. Lean protein is good for weight loss because it contains fewer calories and more nutrients, and is great for muscle building.
If paired with weight training, you can help offset age-related muscle mass loss, allowing your body to continue burning calories even when doing nothing.
Examples of lean meats are poultry, seafood, tofu, and eggs.
4. Reduce Refined Carbs and Sugary Snacks
Carbohydrates are our energy source, but they’re also one of the main reasons we pack on weight. When we consume more carbohydrates than our bodies can use, it will store them as fat.
Refined carbohydrates and simple sugars are notorious for this. Candies, cookies, and ice cream provide energy, but if your body can’t process them into energy, they just become fat, which isn’t good for you.
While you shouldn’t altogether avoid sugary treats, you might want to consider healthier alternatives.
5. Include Healthy Fats for Hormonal Balance
Your body needs fat. It’s important for hormone regulation. In fact, as you age, fat will be responsible for producing most of your estrogen, the primary female hormone. Fat also produces leptin, an appetite-suppressing signaling protein that gives your body more energy and encourages it to burn more unhealthy fat.
But just like carbohydrates, not all fats are made equal. Diets like the Mediterranean Diet are famous for containing healthy fats.
6. Drink Plenty of Water and Limit Alcohol Intake
Did you know that drinking more water is the easiest way to promote weight loss without doing anything?
Studies show that the body burns up to 30% more calories some 30 minutes after drinking 500 ml of water. But that’s not all. According to another study, drinking water before meals can reduce calorie consumption by as much as 13%.
7. Manage Stress with Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Stress can make you lose and gain weight, both in unhealthy ways. You need to learn how to manage stress to maintain a healthy weight.
Yoga, pilates, and weight training all have positive effects on stress. You can combine it with mindfulness exercises and journaling to combat stress's unwanted effects on weight and health.
8. Get Quality Sleep to Support Metabolism
While scientists continue to research sleep's impact on metabolism and weight loss, it’s generally accepted that quality sleep is important for better overall health. Even before menopause, adopting healthy sleep habits might be a good idea. Sleep deprivation’s impact on your body will only worsen as you age.
9. Prioritize Strength Training to Preserve Muscle Mass
As your body loses lean body mass in your 40s, you’ll feel weaker, become less active, and start burning fewer calories at rest. Adding strength training to your workout routine can help combat this.
Resistance-based workouts, like Reformer Pilates, are also good for your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and bone health, which is especially useful during your menopausal years.
10. Incorporate Daily Movement and Low-Impact Cardio
You literally can’t outrun your weight gain in your 40s. Your body can no longer keep up. It takes longer for your body to recover, and you won’t have as much energy anymore. Plus, your metabolism isn’t what it used to be. But does that mean you should limit your daily activities and resign to the reality that you will gain weight regardless of what you do?
Instead of running, consider low-impact cardiovascular exercise alternatives. Walking is a good example, but other more involved exercises better suited for women aged 40 and up are also worth considering.
11. Plan Meals Ahead for Better Control Over Calories
Planning meals gives you control over the ingredients, cooking methods, and portions, allowing you to meet your nutrition needs. For added precision, you can use measuring cups, spoons, a food scale, and appropriate storage containers.
12. Track Progress and Adjust Your Plan as Needed
Tracking promotes awareness and accountability. It also helps you stay motivated since you can see how much you progress weekly.
If you record your hard work, you can adjust your daily routines, identify patterns for what works for you and what doesn’t, and make better, educated decisions to sustain your weight loss progress.
Weight loss tracking apps like Reverse Health are great for this.
When to Consider Weight Loss Medication or Professional Guidance
Understanding When Medical Intervention Might Be Necessary
Rapid weight gain or rapid weight loss are both reasons to go to the doctor to get yourself checked for underlying conditions.
However, you should visit your primary care physician at your age more often. As you approach your menopausal years, your body will undergo significant changes. You need proper guidance from experts to navigate this decade-long transition and minimize the complications commonly associated with menopause.
Exploring Options Like Medications and Counseling
Weight loss medications work provided you’re supervised by a healthcare professional for proper dosage and maintenance.
If you’re hesitant about weight loss injections and other weight loss medication, you can try counseling.
How to Lose Weight After 40: A Recap
Weight loss is tricky when you’re 40 and will only get more difficult. You’re fighting against your body, which, because of menopause and hormones, now needs more nutrients and minerals than ever but has less energy and slower metabolism and takes much longer to recover after physical activities.
Simply put, weight loss for women over 40 is challenging, but it isn’t impossible.
Summary of the 12 Strategies
Weight loss for women over 40 is achievable through a combination of strength training, stress management, proper hydration, quality sleep, meal planning, and eating healthy meals that include healthy fats, dietary fiber, and lean protein.
If you follow the 12 strategies we gave you, you’ll age gracefully through your golden years.
Encouragement to Implement Changes Gradually
High physical activity has been shown to reduce menopausal symptoms and positively impact your health through your later years.
So, while weight loss will take time, the good news is that the earlier you start, the better it is for your body. And if you’re only starting today, don’t worry. There’s no better time to live a healthy and more active lifestyle than now.
FAQs
How does a woman in her 40s lose weight?
Losing weight in your 40s requires a combination of strength training, a balanced diet rich in protein, and proper hydration. Women in their 40s often experience hormonal changes that slow metabolism, so focusing on muscle-building exercises and increasing fiber intake helps maintain a healthy weight. Prioritizing sleep and managing stress are also crucial to weight loss success.
Why is it so hard for a woman over 40 to lose weight?
Weight loss becomes harder for women over 40 due to hormonal shifts, like reduced estrogen, which can slow metabolism and increase fat storage, particularly around the abdomen. Muscle mass naturally decreases with age, further reducing calorie burn. To combat this, women over 40 should focus on strength training, maintaining a calorie-controlled diet, and increasing physical activity.
Can a 40 year old woman lose belly fat?
Yes, a 40-year-old woman can lose belly fat by focusing on a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Strength training, cardio exercises, and a diet high in lean proteins and fiber help target belly fat. Additionally, reducing processed foods, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep are essential, as belly fat is often linked to hormonal imbalances and stress in women over 40.
What is the 30 30 30 rule for weight loss?
The 30 30 30 rule involves 30 minutes of strength training, 30 minutes of cardio, and eating 30 grams of protein per meal. For women over 40, this rule is especially helpful as it promotes muscle retention, boosts metabolism, and helps with fat loss, which becomes more challenging with age.
What is the 80 20 rule to lose weight?
The 80 20 rule means eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods 80% of the time and allowing 20% for indulgences. For women over 40, this balanced approach helps maintain consistency in weight loss while managing cravings, making it easier to stick to a long-term plan despite hormonal changes or a slower metabolism.
