Weight Management for Women Over 50
When you’re a woman over 50, sometimes it feels like just looking at a cookie for too long adds weight to your waistline. Many of us know how easy it can be to gain weight at this stage in our life. These eight strategies will help you to avoid unwanted weight gain and maintain the weight that’s right for you.
Drink water
Along with keeping you hydrated, drinking water can help curb your appetite. How much water is right for you will depend on factors such as how much you exercise, the weather, and your overall health, according to Mayo Clinic. A variety of sources recommend about 64 ounces a day for women (often cited as eight 8-ounce glasses).
Tip: If you drink one 8-ounce glass of water when you wake up, and one before and
after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ve easily slotted in seven of those eight.
Move more
Most of us spend a lot of time sitting; far more than our bodies were designed for. Plus, less movement equals fewer calories burned. Along with regular exercise, find ways to add activity and movement to your day: walk more, get up and stretch, do some activities while standing (e.g., conference calls).
Tip: Using a fitness tracker to record your steps can help encourage you to move more. And if moving more means walking more, you can be a bit “inefficient” to add steps to your day.
Tip: Find an activity you love. The best exercise is the one you’ll actually do.
Work strength training into your workouts
Strength training—bodyweight exercises and weightlifting—keeps your muscles firm and strong, boosts your metabolism, and helps you maintain or even lose weight by helping to reduce body fat. Most important, strength training helps you counter sarcopenia, the natural loss of muscle mass that typically begins around age 50 and can slow your metabolism, which, for some, could lead to weight gain.
Tip: Bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, pushups (modified works just fine), glute bridges, and planks are foundational moves that will help you get the strength training you need.
Rethink your diet
Avoid using short-term fad diets to manage and maintain your weight. Make time to find the eating habits that will work best for you over the long term. One approach is to use a food tracking app. The good ones help you set an accurate calorie goal, track calories, and show carb/protein/fat percentages. The generally accepted ratio of macronutrients is 45 to 65 percent of your calories per day should be from carbs, 10 to 35 percent from protein, and 20 to 35 percent from healthy fat.
You may also want to use a diet journal to track how you feel after you eat. Some foods may leave you feeling bloated or sluggish; the latter not only drags down your energy level, but also may leave you reaching for a high-calorie pick-me-up.
If managing your weight is a big concern for you, consider speaking to a dietician or nutritionist to help you determine the mix of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats that are right for you.
Tip: Cook at home more often to have more control over what goes on your plate. This should include more fresh whole food and less prepared food. But when you do buy the latter, read labels for hidden sugar and excessive sodium.
Tip: Plan your at-home meals to balance indulgences such as dining out, holiday meals, and dessert.
Tip: Find the timing that works best for you, too. Do you prefer smaller meals more often? Fewer larger meals? More calories early in the day?
Curb late-night eating
The jury is out on whether eating too close to bedtime disrupts people’s sleep—unless they wake up from something like indigestion, of course. But experts advise again late-night snacking because your body is more likely to store the calories from that food as fat, potentially causing gain weight, rather than burn it as energy.
Tip: Set a cutoff time for when you want to stop eating at night and brush your teeth at that time.
Work on your sleep quality
This can be a tough one if you’re battling hot flashes and night sweats. But there are ways to get a better night’s sleep—and it’s worth trying them all to find what works for you. Poor sleep quality is linked to obesity and can hinder your weight management efforts in multiple ways; for instance, you might lack the energy, thus the motivation, to exercise.
Tip: From creating a consistent sleep schedule to wearing socks to bed, there are numerous things you can try to help improve your sleep quality.
Be mindful when eating
It’s so easy to plow through a meal or snack and barely remember eating because you’re watching TV or working or scrolling social media. Instead, try focusing on your food as you eat. Experience it. Examine the color and texture, inhale the various smells, fully taste each bite, think about its flavor and how the texture feels in your mouth, chew it thoroughly. Doing this may help you enjoy your food more and it may help you be more mindful of when you’re actually hungry and when you’re full.
Tip: Put down the fork (or spoon) between bites. This will help you eat slower and focus more on the food that’s in your mouth instead of your next bite.
Be sure you’re hungry
Many of us eat because we’re bored or stressed or distracted. Sometimes it’s OK; hey, I occasionally enjoy mindlessly eating popcorn while watching a movie. But do it too frequently and “suddenly” your jeans are tight. If you think you feel hungry, drink water first; sometimes people mistake their thirst cue for hunger. If you’re still unsure, do what Melissa Urban, co-creator of Whole 30, recommends: Think, “Would I eat grilled fish with steamed vegetables right now?” If the answer is yes, then you’re actually hungry.
Tip: If you find yourself meandering into the kitchen, you’re probably more bored than hungry. Go for a walk, do some chores, do 10 squats—anything to distract yourself from the pantry or fridge.
Tip: If you’re reaching for the ice cream or leftover pasta because you’re feeling angry, stressed, or sad, take five deep breaths and then take a walk, exercise, or call a friend instead of eating. (Then, be sure to deal with the issue at hand.)
It’s all too easy for many of us to gain weight once we’ve hit 50. But with a bit of savvy, determination, and movement, we can manage our weight now and for the long term—and still enjoy that cookie.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to our free newsletter and be among the first to see our latest articles, exercise tutorials, assessments, and lots more.
