Weight Loss for Middle-Aged Women  

(Jayne Freeland - Sept 2009)

I’m not a big fan of defining a person based on their age. “Middle-Aged” sounds so depressing. Why don’t we call this age category “True Divas”? After all, we are savvier, wittier and more confident than we used to be! Can you tell I’m 37? I’m quite convinced I won’t refer to myself as “elderly” either when I hit the golden years. Nevertheless, if I wanted you to find this article, I had to use the most commonly used term to describe this age group! (Check out “Weight Loss for Older Women” to see what I’d rather call this group as well!) 

Okay, on to the task at hand. You are right to search for age-specific weight loss advice because age changes our bodies and how they respond to weight loss measures. As well, our activities change as responsibilities grow. I know when I was a teenager, I ate pretty much what I wanted and never gained a pound. I continued this way of eating throughout my 20’s and woke up some time after my 30^th birthday realizing I had several areas on my body that had grown, seemingly overnight! 

For the most part, your body can take a great deal of abuse before it begins to show the effects. All of the fattening foods you ate as a teenager were easily burned due to a higher metabolism and a younger, more efficient body. However, your metabolism naturally slows as you get older IF you do not make an attempt to boost your metabolism.  

Your caloric needs change. When you use an online calorie calculator to find out your daily needs, one of the factors used to determine this number is your age. We use less and burn less as we get older, so you simply do not need the same amount of calories.  

Hormonal changes lead to weight gain as well. During perimenopause (stage lasting up to 15 years prior to true menopause), oestrogen and progesterone levels drop to lower levels during cyclic fluctuation. In menopause, they drop to low levels, but remain steady. In both cases, weight gain can occur possibly due to an increase in leptin during low phases of oestrogen and progesterone. Leptin is a hormone that makes us feel hungry and encourages fat storage. If you’re in perimenopause, you might have noticed odd times where you feel hungrier than normal. You might have cravings and binge on a bag of crisps or biscuits whereas normally, you have a bit more control. 

As mentioned, our activities change. You may have less time for yourself with all the daily demands of being a middle-ag…erm true diva, that is. You probably don’t spend as much time at sport or active “play” as you once did.  

So, let’s look at what you can do to improve your chances at weight loss.  

1. Boost your metabolism by grazing on small portions of healthy foods throughout the day. 
2. Drink green tea to boost your metabolism as well as plenty of vegetables. The antioxidants increase metabolism and optimize your health. (They also fight aging!) 
3. Start with smaller portions and wait 20 minutes before eating more to see if you are really still hungry or if you can do without the extra. You’ll retrain your stomach and brain to be satisfied on less. 
4. Healthy foods will help you stabilize your hormones, but Mother Nature has a way of intruding anyway. Take note of the times during the month when you feel hungrier than normal and plan for it. Try to get in extra exercise and avoid things like caffeine, alcohol and sugary foods (all of which wreak havoc on hormones). 
5. Take time for YOU. Cut back on some of your chores, hire a sitter or trade off and on with another mom to ensure you allow time for physical activity. Try a dance class or take up kick-boxing! 

Learn how you can make healthier choices by empowering your mind to want to rather than have to… 

 
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