Losing weight is easy, right? All you have to do is heed your physician’s “sage” advice: “Eat less and exercise more.” However, we all know that there is nothing easy about losing weight, especially for people who are transitioning through their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Why is losing weight so difficult after 50, and what can we do about it?
First, a few words about the importance of weight loss for those of us who are overweight. From a medical standpoint, serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, colon cancer and a number of other life-threatening conditions are linked to weight problems. Psychologically, when people are overweight they often feel a lack of self-confidence and low-energy levels, and they cannot wear the types of clothes that make them feel good about themselves.
Most of us can attest to the fact that losing weight becomes much more difficult after the age of 35 or so. Here are several reasons: 1)”Metabolism” (the rate at which our internal chemical reactions take place) slows down leading to less rapid breakdown of the foods that we ingest. 2) Arthritis and other orthopedic problems can lead to situations where people are unable to exercise as much as they could previously. 3) Hormonal and other chemical changes occur that may result in carbohydrate cravings, muscle loss and fat gain.
Here are some suggestions if you are battling weight problems:
*Do not rely on “fad” diets, such as the no carbohydrate diets, because studies consistently show that people cannot adhere to those types of very restricted diet plans for long periods of time. Although weight loss may be impressive in the early stages with these types of dietary plans, the long-term results are poor. Therefore, choose a diet plan that allows choices from all different food groups.
*Make a conscious effort to keep high caloric products out of the house. If the bag of chips or ice cream is not in the house, you have to go through extra effort to obtain them.
*If you feel that your metabolism is unduly slow or you have uncontrollable cravings for sweets or carbohydrates, visit your physician to see if you have low thyroid levels or other types of chemical imbalances that can be treated.
Schedule your exercise times in advance as opposed to looking at exercise as something you will do after you have completed all of your other daily tasks.
*Keep beer, wine and mixed drinks to a minimum. Although alcohol is used by many as a form of relaxation, drinking alcohol is very detrimental to your weight loss efforts and is full of empty calories.
*Yes, it is more challenging for people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s to lose weight and keep it off, but by no means is it impossible. Your feelings of renewed self-confidence, high-energy and overall physical and psychological improvement will make it worth your efforts. You can eat less and exercise more because you are in control. At our Serotonin-Plus Weight Loss Centers we have been able to help thousands of women in their forties to eighties lose weight safely and effectively, and in the process, we see improved self-esteem, increased confidence and increased energy in our clients.
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