It’s no secret that as we grow older our bodies begin to change and it can be challenging to lose excess weight, particularly after 50. As the years accumulate we’re told to watch what we eat, to workout more, and also to become more health conscious. Hectic work schedule, slowing down metabolisms, and just life in general can get in the way of any kind of diet plan. That being said, there are a few actions you can take to get on a weight loss plan after 50.
Prioritize Protein
Proteins are by far the most essential macro nutrients in your diet. It can help build lean body mass and essential for the body’s function. Unlike carbohydrates more protein is both effective and far better for your diet program. Proteins are particularly good in the morning. Ditch cereal bars or cereal for higher protein options like eggs or a high protein low carb protein bar. Peanut butter and Salmon lox are two other great sources of protein in the morning. Space out your protein intake to ensure you feel full and energized during the day. In doing so – aim for 25 – 35 grams of protein every meal. This will help you feel fuller each meal, limiting your cravings for fats and carbohydrates.
Soda, Alcohol, and other Empty Drinks
A lot of people in their 50s that think they eat healthy and get a decent amount of exercise still struggle to slim down because of soda, juices and alcohol. Most of these drinks provide no nutritional value, and are also essential empty calories. A mixed drink or glass of wine can often contain 200 – 330 calories. Juices like apple juice and orange aren’t different. Aim to limit your intake of these kinds of drinks to special occasions, and limit having them daily.
Water and Hydration
Speaking of drinks, water is by far the most vital and often looked over drinks for folks in their 50s. Drinking water before and throughout meals will help you feel full which means you eat less. One tip is to drink 1 – 2 glasses of water before your meal to help yourself feel full. Along with fullness, drinking adequate water will also help cleanse your digestive system and keep your skin looking young and beautiful.
Sleeping To Weight
As our bodies age more responsibilities whether it be at work, school, or at home can frequently lead to more stress and less sleep. Sleep is very important function of helping your overall well-being while also helping with your metabolic function. Getting at least 7 – 8 hours of sleep a night can help your body recover and your metabolism function properly. Furthermore, try not to eat large meals before going to bed as you don’t want to put your system into overdrive digesting your food when it’s really time to wind down.
Exercise – Cardio and Weights
With how busy life can be in your 50s, getting exercise in can be difficult. It’s important that you try to get at least 25-30 minutes of some sort of physical activity in at least 3 days a week. A variety of weight lifting and cardio can make the biggest impact on your weight loss and to your aging. Now these exercise sessions don’t need to be too difficult. It’s more important that you do some type of exercise every other day, as opposed to doing 1 workout 1 day a week and destroying your body and motivation. Perhaps go on a 10 – 15 minute walk after lunch and dinner. Place light weights throughout the house and lift them every time you walk past. You can even get it out of the way early by having a simple routine of push ups, squats and or sit ups in the morning. All in all getting some sort of exercise in throughout the week is essential to weight loss in your 50s.
High Intensity Workouts and Interval Training
If you want to get a good sweat in but don’t have enough time, check out high intensity interval training. Essentially short bursts of exercise without too much rest in between. This can get your heartrate pumping, blood flowing, and your body to blast fat. Here’s one particular great HIIT routine:
- 1 min sprint
- 20 arm circles
- 20 burpees
- 20 high knees
- Repeat 3 times
Friends
Finding friends especially ones that are also 50 are a good way to get motivated for weight loss. With life, sometimes kids, work and many other things that can get in the way, spending time with friends is valuable – doing it through some sort of physical activity is invaluable. Rather than to getting coffee or drinks consider going on a walk around the neighborhood, or a hike. Instead of watching a movie go for a swim or a short bike ride. You’ll see that working out with friends is both motivating and beneficial to you both – it often makes the workout less difficult and much more rewarding.
Fasting
A more modern trend in weight loss for people in their 50s is intermittent fasting. Consider restricting your intake of drinks and food (except for water-H20) to only 8 – 12 hours a day. This will allow your body to metabolize food and use stored fat for energy as opposed to the meal you just consumed. It’s also perfect for your insulin levels and hormones which are things that start to change when you get into your 50s. Restricting your eating routine will also help you curb your appetite overtime and avoid low nutrient, high calorie snacks like chips.
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