Struggling with your weight since turning forty? Here are 5 weight loss secrets all women should know.
It’s increasingly difficult to navigate losing weight when you’re in your forties… especially as a woman.
Thanks to our work with thousands of women over 40, we understand how difficult it can be shift those extra pounds following mainstream diet plans.
There’s so much confusing information out there… it can be super difficult to understand what you should be listening to. From low-carb plans and shake diets… to high-intensity exercise or weight training… there’s a lot to consider!
If you’ve tried everything, you might feel a bit deflated.
Which weight loss secrets should you follow?
Most mainstream plans are designed for women and men in their 20s or 30s. This means that they might actually be doing you more harm than good…
In our most recent podcast episode, we revealed our top weight loss secrets for women over forty. Here are our exclusive tips, based on what’s worked for thousands of our clients!
Eat the right amount for you
This may sounds glaringly obvious, but this concept is key for success. This is the main reason ALL diets work… and you can’t escape the basic science of weight loss.
Calories are a measure of how much energy is in certain foods and drinks. And, in order to lose weight on the scale… you must consume less calories than you burn. It’s important to do this consistently over time – avoiding eating too much or too little.
Many mainstream diets hide this basic fact. Whether they use a points system or other rules to achieve the same thing… they all follow this principle.
For example, keto or low carb diets cut out whole food groups… which then cuts out plenty of calories from your diet. Alternatively, points systems are another way of tracking calories (although they’re less accurate).
Tracking calories is the easiest and most flexible way to eat the right amount for you. You’ll avoid eating too much, and you can simply scan barcodes or look up meals to fit this into your day!
We recommend not focusing on the finer details… just focus on eating the right amount each day. Combine this with the right type of exercise, and you’ll see amazing results!
Do the right exercises
As well as eating well, exercise should be a top priority. However, it’s important to do the right exercises as a woman over forty.
HIIT training and high-impact cardio, like running or spinning, are often popular. A lot of people believe these exercises are the best way to lose weight. However, for women over forty… this isn’t necessarily the case.
It’s important to keep stress levels under control in your 40s if you want to lose weight. Our second weight loss secret is to focus on exercise that won’t spike your stress hormones.
Low-impact strength training should be your focus. This means lifting weights in a controlled manner a few times a week. This form of exercise burns plenty of calories… and it has a number of added benefits:
- Your stress hormone levels remain low. This means your body is kept in a state where it’s easier to lose weight.
- This increases your muscle mass, in turn leaving you feeling firm and toned. Plus, it increases your metabolism!
- Low-intensity exercise increases your bone density, helping combat osteoporosis.
Consistently doing this three or four times per week is the key to seeing amazing results in the mirror… especially for women over forty!
Get your steps in
Walking might not seem like ‘proper’ exercise… but it makes a big difference when it comes to losing weight in your forties.
Many women we work with have become increasingly sedentary since their careers have taken off. It’s easy to become tied to a desk all day… decreasing your overall activity levels.
Walking an extra 5,000 steps a day burns about 200 calories! This is the same as a quick workout. The difference is, walking gets you moving in a low-impact way that doesn’t over-stress the body.
We recommend walking with a friend or listening to an audiobook to make the time spent walking even more enjoyable.
Manage your stress levels
Successfully managing your stress levels might seem like an odd weight loss secret… but it’s incredibly important.
High stress levels elevate the stress hormone, cortisol. If cortisol levels are elevated for a lot of the time, this comes with a number of negative side-effects:
- It causes leptin resistance, which leads to increased cravings.
- It causes insulin resistance, making it easier to gain weight (especially around the middle)
- It affects the thyroid, leading to a slower metabolism.
This stress response gets worse with ageing. Plus, it affects women up to three times more than men! This shows how important it can be for losing weight after turning forty.
Stay consistent
It can be difficult to stay consistent when losing weight. It’s super easy to give up on yourself if you’ve had a bad week… or to have a weekend of eating ‘off plan’.
However, socialising, enjoying food and not being perfect is just part of the process! You must learn to deal with going off track if you want to succeed.
The key is to draw a line under any ‘mistakes’, and to just focus on getting back on track as soon as possible. It’s not perfection that gets you results, it’s consistency!
This is probably one of our most important weight loss secrets for women over forty. Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint, so stay consistent to achieve positive results.
In our experience, accountability is the best way to stay consistent. Just like your boss keeps you accountable at work, even if some days you don’t feel like it… having someone keep you accountable with your health and fitness is critical! This is just one of the reasons our clients see such amazing results…
If you’re interested in finding a long-term, sustainable diet designed for women over 40, you can find out more about working with us here!
