HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AROUND THE MIDDLE FOR WOMEN OVER 40
If you’re a woman over 40 and are struggling with weight around the middle, you’re not alone. Whilst it may look unsightly, the real problem is it can take years off your life. Even if you’ve always had a slender waist, you’ll probably find it started to thicken as you reached 40 or beyond. Your metabolism naturally slows down with age, this means your weight will creep up even if you continue to consume the same amount of calories each day. As oestrogen levels decline with the approach of menopause, you have proportionally higher levels of testosterone, which in turn changes the way fat is distributed around your body and you end up with more fat around your middle than your hips.
Other key factors that often lead to weight gain around the middle are erratic eating habits and a stressful, hectic lifestyle. Levels of the hormone cortisol are triggered every time you feel hungry or anxious and over time this causes the body to store fat around the middle as a source of energy in case of an emergency. Because most stress is psychological – the ‘emergency’ never arises, so the fat store is never used and continues to accumulate.
There is no magic remedy to this problem and if you are a woman over 40 and want to lose weight around the middle you must take a look at your diet and lifestyle, then make changes that will not just benefit your waistline but your long-term health.
Make sure to have a balanced diet. Eat more fresh fruit, vegetables, lean protein, such as fish and chicken as these help to slow digestion and encourage fat burning; and whole grains such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, which take longer for your body to digest. It’s not just what you eat that matters but how you eat is equally important; Little and often is best, small amounts every three hours is idea to prevent spikes in levels of cortisol, which encourage fat storage; this is why yo-yo dieting has such a disastrous effect on your waistline.
Avoid stress. As much as possible as it’s not just bad for your waistline but it can play havoc with your health. Take a look at what’s causing you stress in your life and what you can do to ease it. Simple relaxation methods, like having a warm soothing bath, going for a brisk walk in the fresh air, talking things out with a friend and having plenty of sleep can all help you cope with everyday stress.
Keep moving. Exercise releases feel-good chemicals that relax your body and mind, it also burns fat and helps to speed up your metabolism. In order to lose weight around the middle, focus on resistance exercises with weights, rather than cardio, this way you will turn your body into a lean, fat-burning machine. Try walking lunges with a full litre bottle in each hand; Do this four times a week, along with as much brisk walking as possible and you should see a result in just two weeks.