One thing that we seniors battle is the weight gain that sneaks up on us as we age. and this weight gain thing is bothersome to most of us. I want to point out a few facts here and then give you five tips that will get you on your way to a healthier weight.
Putting on weight does not have to be an inevitable part of the aging process. If you understand why you tend to gain weight more easily as you get older, you can do something about it.
- You can blame a lot of your weight gain on your metabolism. As we age, even starting in our twenties, our metabolism starts to slow down. Body fat tends to increase as lean muscle mass decreases. Less muscle translates into a slowing metabolism as there is not a lot of energy required to maintain that fat you are carrying around.
- The drop in hormones in women that are experiencing menopause also contributes to a loss of muscle mass and leads to weight gain.
- The facts are that your muscle mass decreases from about 45 percent of your total body weight in your youth to about 27 percent by the time you reach age 70.
The major takeaway from these facts are that as we age we burn fewer calories to do the same activities we did when we were younger. So we need to decrease our caloric intake and increase our metabolic rate. Pretty simple really as this is the basis for weight loss regardless of age.
Start by committing to change your routine. What you eat, when you eat, how you exercise and what your are doing for exercise and your body will begin to respond positively.
- Identify the triggers that lead to emotional eating. Are they when you are watching the football game? When you are feeling down? Most of our eating habits are just that, habits, that are a response to something, not hunger. We are creatures of habit but bad habits can be changed into positive habits. Identify them and change them!
- Look at what you are doing for exercise. Building muscle mass should be your first priority. And I am not talking about competing in a body building competition. Cardio workouts are fine but building muscle has a huge advantage in that your body will burn more calories just to maintain it long after your workout. I like functional training that focuses on several major muscle groups with one exercise.
- Cut out the sugar or at least wean your self from it gradually. Most people don’t realize that simple carbohydrates are just another form of sugar. Processed sugar products are the major cause of all obesity, lack of energy, diabetes and even cholesterol! Substitute with stevia products if you need a sweetener.
- Increase your protein intake dramatically. The majority of people in the developed world do not consume enough protein. Strive for half of your body weight in grams of protein. Protein has two huge advantage; it makes you feel fuller, thus helping you to eat less and is needed to fuel your new found muscle. Whey protein shakes are the best source of low calorie protein and has proven to fight the aging process. They should be a staple of any weight loss program.
- Drink lots and lots of water and cut out any artificially sweetened juices and sodas. We don’t drink enough water and our hunger can be mistaken for our bodies need to be hydrated. Drink only purified water and drink at least 64 ounces a day. Herbal teas are also a good choice. Try Pau D’Arco tea for it’s immune building properties and green tea.
If you just concentrate on these five simple steps you will be well on your way to changing your habits and start to drop fat quickly. You can do it, the benefits are so awesome of maintaing a healthy weight that you will never go back!
What do you think? Can you do it?
Source: http://richardallenmorris.com
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