How to Lose Weight After 60
These days, it seems younger people are the only ones concerned about shedding some bodyweight, but the aging population is also looking for ways to lose weight too. As people age, they tend to get heavier or develop some medical conditions and physical challenges that might get in the way of staying fit. You can shed some body weight as a sexagenarian, mostly with exercise and diet. There are a couple of factors you will be considering if you are a woman trying to lose some bodyweight, aged 60 and above. So, let’s go through 17 ways you can lose body weight after menopause.
17 Weight Loss Tips for Women Over 60
Breakfast First
You want to keep your breakfast as a highly important meal of the day. Your day should begin with a hearty and healthy meal. If there is a meal you want to skip, don’t skip breakfast. The food should be a wholesome one rich in protein and carbs, so that you can stay active and charged for the rest of the day. Your breakfast should be predominantly protein though, so you may do some peanut butter, eggs, milk, oatmeal, berries and so on.
Consume Lean Protein
For some reason, older people lose a considerable amount of their muscle mass. At 60, you might have as well lost about 20% of your body’s muscle mass, and this makes metabolism slow. Slower metabolism encourages fat accumulation too. You will need to include more lean protein to your meals as your muscle mass reduces. Add legumes, some seeds, chicken breast, beans, mushroom, nuts, and fish to your diet. Eat lean protein regularly except you are worried about some kidney disorders. You may consult your doctor to better understand the condition of your kidneys and if they can take so much lean protein.
Healthy Carbs Are Good
When working on body weight, most people avoid carbs just as they do fats. But, just like fats, carbs aren’t all that bad. You just have to choose healthy carbs. Dietary fiber is a good carbohydrate; it aids digestion, inhibits fat absorption and prevents fat accumulation. Dietary fiber meals are more filling, so they keep the weight in check too. You can stick with dietary fiber-rich carbs in your diet; some fruits, vegetables, and greens will go well with brown rice, whole grains, red or black rice, and oatmeal.
Practice Yoga
More people are jumping on the yoga train, and it’s a good thing. As you grow older, you need to develop your body and mind in such a way that you are not engaged in a demanding exercise. You should be looking at yoga as a major option if you really want to lose some bodyweight. Yoga is a light, yet effective exercise which won’t be hard on your joints or tough on your heart. You will be improving your flexibility, respiration, mental strength, and heart rate.
Drink Water
This applies to everyone who wants a healthier tomorrow. If you are looking forward to trimming down when you’re well past menopause, drinking the safest and healthiest liquid is a no-brainer. Water helps to effect metabolic reactions, flush toxins out of your body, balance your body’s pH levels, and provide cell hydration. You should consume at least 3 liters of water each day and allow frequent hydration to deal with the weight gain. Drink water as soon as you wake and just before you sleep, no matter how you drink between meals.
Consume Healthy Fats
You really need to get rid of fat, however, that doesn’t mean that you should starve yourself of fat. You need fat, but the healthy type. Your body requires fat just as it needs protein or vitamins for proper metabolism, digestion, cell development, absorption, skin development, and a couple of other things. Healthy fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids must be in your diet. Some fish oil, avocado, and nuts can help to balance the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your body to prevent weight gain and inflammation. Don`t consume overcooked, oily, and processed foods because they actively aid weight gain.
Give your Kitchen a Makeover
In these first set of advice on weight loss, we’ve concentrated on your diet for good reasons. If you don’t eat right, you can’t feel right, and you definitely won’t look all right. You need to focus on what goes into your body, from your kitchen. Don’t stack processed and fast foods in your kitchen; they aren’t great for your health and your body weight. Fill your kitchen with natural and organic sources of protein and vitamins such as fish, herbs, chicken, legumes, dark greens and spices.
Avoid Unhealthy Food
When you are in your 60`s you don’t want to risk some major illness from a batch of junk food and processed food items. You might have the habit of eating fast food and taking a liking to sugar, you need to put the brakes on it. These fizzy drinks, frozen foods, canned food items, and deep-fried foods will only add to your body weight in the most noticeable way you can imagine. Focus on organic and healthy options.
Focus on Fat Loss
Sometimes, we derail in our quest to lose bodyweight. What you want to shed is fat and not bone density or muscle mass. If you can, go to a good gym near you and check your fat percentage; it should be around 26 and 31 percent. After you start losing muscle mass as a result of aging, your metabolism will begin to slow down and you will be getting most of your food stored as fat. This is why your body fat percentage might be high. Consult a registered dietician and make a plan on weight loss which will deal with excess fat accumulation.
Sleep Better
Sleep plays a crucial role in your health status, and it can be a determining factor for how much fat your body accumulates and how this affects you every day. You must get adequate sleep, ideally 7 to 8 hours, to be able to rest your muscles and entire body system. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body’s metabolism can get disturbed as a result of insufficient rest for your body. You must see your doctor if you are struggling with insomnia and find out how you can deal with it in relation to weight gain.
Have a Positive Mindset
This is a mental approach that will have a highly beneficial physical result. When you struggle with bodyweight issues and you need to get out to work out or make a strict change in your diet, do it with an optimistic mindset. Focus on the positives, and this will make it a lot easier to go through. You can quickly make an assessment of your challenges and outline what you need to do about them. Look forward to your workouts and accept a new diet with open arms. When you have the right mindset towards the process, it will yield more favorable results than if you don’t.
Get a Workout Buddy
You will be involved in some forms of workout, and it will definitely be a great idea to have workout partners. You tend to have a better drive to achieve and do more if you have some people around you doing the same thing as you. So you may look for someone who shares your desire to lose some weight and work with them. You can also make workout buddies at the gym where you could be paired up with fellow users. Join a walking or hiking group and work with your group; this goes a long way in helping you reach your goals and stay on track.
Get a Post-Retirement Job
In other words, stay active and keep moving. If you’re retired or not really working, you might want to get involved with some work, volunteering, or consulting. You can also pick a hobby and turn it into a business venture just to stay active and fit.
Add Strength Training to your Exercise Routine
We have talked about how you lose muscle mass as you age, but you can increase your muscle mass by engaging in strength training. This will not only improve your muscle mass, but it will also increase your stamina. Stronger muscles will encourage a more improved metabolism, and this will allow your body to lose some fat. So, you can consult your doctor and trainer to know if it’s okay for you to utilize the resistance bands or lift dumbbells a couple of times.
Stay Stress-Free
Kill the stress off, it isn’t good for your mind, and it definitely isn’t great for your body. Stress can negatively affect digestion, metabolism, and fat management in your body. You should spend more time meditating, working out, and taking evening walks. Just ensure that you’re enjoying what you`re doing and get enough rest at the end of it all.
Do Foam Roller Exercises
If you have pains in your bones and muscles frequently, all you may need are foam roller exercises. What are foam roller exercises? They are easy-to-do exercises that use a foam roller to massage your body. They are simple exercises, and they take just about 10 minutes. You can ask your trainer how to do one of these or watch some of them on YouTube.
Speak with Young People
You should share your desire to lose weight with many young people. You can exchange ideas for diet, exercise, and other activities that aren’t necessarily all about weight loss. This gives you a fresh perspective and also motivates you to try new ideas.
Now that you Know…
We hope these 17 ideas for losing weight will be of great help to you. You will see positive changes and feel much better after a few weeks. Go for it!
