How to Stay Slim After 40

By Carole Isle

Frustrated because taking weight off and keeping it off seems harder than it used to be? Mother Nature makes it tough on women, but you can succeed with these simple, smart strategies.

There was a time when I never worried about my weight. If I ate too much dessert, or too many slices of buttered bread, I didn't worry about it as it never seemed to make any difference. Even after I had my first two children, dropping a few extra calories a day over the course of several weeks was all it took to get back into my prepregnancy jeans, but after hitting 40 and giving birth to my third child it all changed and the surefire weight-loss strategies of my 20s & 30's became the not-very-effective weight-maintenance strategies of my 40s. And I realised that if something didn't change, I'd hit 50 weighing a good 10 pounds more than I weighed at 40.

For a start at this age most of us become more sedentary, it's a lot easier to stop for a coffee and muffin than to go to the gym; we also tend to eat out more, either on business or with the family. Every day life tends to be more stressful, whether it's dealing with a demanding job, kids or older relatives, leading us to binge or comfort eating. The main culprit for midlife weight gain is hormones. At around age 40 women put on weight even when they aren't increasing calories or decreasing physical activity due to hormonal changes.

3 Simple Strategies
Since metabolism and hormone function vary so much from woman to woman, and from year to year in the same 40- to 50-ish woman, even experts can't pinpoint an individual woman's likely midlife weight gain. The important thing to remember is to balance your intake of calories with your output so you come out even at the end of the day.

Keep on the move
Even if you think you are exercising as much as you used to, the chances are you're not; remember that you probably used to run around after a toddler or two all day, or paced up and down all night with a colicky baby, so instead take the stairs at work, park on the far side of the shopping mall, and do some gardening. It all adds up even if you're only burning extra calories a few at a time, it is a lot easier than forgoing food.

Lift the right kind of weights
Midlife women lose bone density and muscle tone, both of which are crucial to weight maintenance. So if you want to stay slim after 40, in addition to whatever activity you've been committed to, you should now spend at least 20 minutes twice a week on weight or resistance training. Remember, muscles burn calories more efficiently than fat cells do, which means they're working to burn calories even when you're not working out.

De-Stress
For most women, stress is an unavoidable side effect of a full, demanding life. Besides being bad for our health, stress can trigger the release of the hormone cortisol, which in turn can stimulate hunger. Avoid stress eating by finding activities that calm you down before you feel the urge to binge -- a cup of chamomile tea, a half hour with a good novel, a nice relaxing bubble bath or a good massage.

3 Eating Strategies

Make it a habit to leave food on your plate
One of the main reasons we tend to put on weight after 40 -- is that the middle classes and middle aged tend to eat out more than they used to. The calorie increasing downside of "supersizing" fast food is already well documented; what's less obvious is that a sit-down meal at a friendly bistro cafe can be equally hazardous. Restaurant food tends to be loaded with fat, and serving sizes can be sometimes two to four times larger than nutritionists recommend. The real problem is that we tend to finish what's on our plates no matter what the size is. If there's food on the plate, we'll eat it, hungry or not so one way to avoid this is to divide the meal in half and ask to take it home; if at home use smaller plates and serve portions directly onto your plate, rather than putting extra food on the table, where it can be all too easily reached for seconds.

Eat more protein
The way a healthy diet is made up changes subtly in midlife. As we grow older we need more protein to help maintain muscle mass, lean protein such as fish, skinless poultry, beans, and soy are beneficial. Protein should not exceed 25 percent of your daily calories,as excesses of protein can lead to kidney and liver problems. A side effect of too much protein can result in the depletion of calcium from the body, a particular hazard for midlife women because calcium both enhances bone density and seems to promote weight loss and maintenance.

Adopt a grazing not gorging eating habit
The hormonal changes of midlife can predispose women to insulin resistance, a tendency for blood sugar levels to spike very quickly after eating and then switch immediately into storage mode, converting food into fat. To avoid this it is far better to eat five or six small meals a day instead of three large meals, plan ahead so as not to be tempted with impulse snacks -- chocolate bars, crisps or cakes. And remember to lay off the salt: Since midlife hormone changes already increase water retention, why make it worse? A can of low-sodium vegetable soup, a handful of unsalted peanuts, a carton of low-fat yogurt, or a piece of fruit satisfies hunger without risking extra pounds.

If you follow these strategies there is no reason why you shouldn't stay slim after 40

P.S.For more relevant information on weight loss for women over 40 visit http://www.thenewslimyoulifestyle.com

Carole Isle writes articles on weight loss without dieting targetted for women over 40 based on her life experiences; Carole was a size 8 all her life till the age of 40, then she had her third child and her weight started creeping up till she was a size 14; She set out to find a way of losing all the extra weight without dieting and now at the age of 56 she is down to a size 10, to find out more visit http://www.thenewslimyoulifestyle.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carole_Isle