It’s never easy to lose weight and belly fat, but it can be especially difficult for seniors. As we get older, our metabolism slows down, making it more challenging to keep off the pounds. This is why many people struggle with losing the extra pounds after 60 years old. The truth is, it’s never too late to live a healthy lifestyle.
It may be harder as you get older, but you can do plenty of things to help yourself out! In this blog post article, we will discuss some tips and tricks that will help make your journey back into shape easier than ever before!
Why Is Losing Weight Over 60 More Difficult?
There are many circumstances, factors, and issues that might be causing you to have trouble shedding the pounds. A good weight loss journey starts with understanding your unique situation and why you’re struggling.
Here are a few of the reasons why it might be very challenging to shred the extra pounds after 60:
Slower Metabolism
Metabolism is the speed at which your body converts food into energy. One of the main reasons people gain body weight as they get older is that their metabolisms slow down and burn calories slower. This means it will be much more challenging to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle if you’re in this category.
But there are still things that can help increase metabolism rates, like drinking enough water throughout each day or eating high protein foods. We can also try to keep our bodies active at least three times a week by doing activities such as brisk walking, hiking, and jogging.
Muscle Loss
We lose muscle mass and bone density as we get older, which makes exercise more challenging. As we get older, our body doesn’t create the same amount of protein to maintain muscles and keep us active throughout daily life.
This means we burn fewer calories when doing everyday tasks like walking upstairs or even just standing still. There are many ways to keep this from happening. We must understand first what’s going on.
There are some things we can do to slow down this decline. For example, regularly eating calcium-rich foods like yogurt or milk helps maintain bone health and strength. We can build muscle mass and bone density by doing specific workouts, which we’ll discuss later.
Lack of Energy
As we age, our energy levels decrease so that even a small amount of activity can feel like too much work. This can lead to a mindset of feeling like there is no point in even trying. The best way around this situation? Commit yourself for five minutes at first – then it becomes easier with time.
Lack of sleep can also lead to lethargic feelings. You’re not going to get anything done if you don’t catch up on your sleep each day. Try getting 8 hours every night and see what a difference it can make in how quickly you feel energized throughout the day.
Menopause
Generally, as we age, our bodies produce less estrogen. Estrogen is a part of the steroid hormones group responsible for metabolizing fat and may help prevent weight gain in women. It’s also normal for menopausal women to feel fatigued or experience hot flashes or night sweats, all of which can make dieting more difficult.
“As estrogen levels drop, we tend to gain extra fat in our bellies and waist,” says Dr. Donna Ryan on the Mayo Clinic website. However, it is possible to lose weight during menopause by eating a healthy diet and working out regularly.
Basically, what is mentioned above are physiological challenges associated with aging, but your attitude has everything to do with how you feel about yourself. But don’t worry, there’s no need to be discouraged and give up.
You have all the opportunities in the world to get back into shape. We know that you’re already tired and overwhelmed trying. That’s why we want to show you some of the many ways so it will be easier for you.
How to transform your body at 60?
Let’s look into some of the practical ways to get fitter. We will explore key areas such as over 60 diet and exercise. Before you start, we recommend that you consult your doctor to ensure that you’re healthy enough for the suggested workout routine. We recommend starting with a diet program because your eating habits will be the most significant influencer in your journey.
Eat a Balance diet
The most accessible area for improvement is in the diet. The only way to lose fat and not feel hungry is by eating a balance of foods at every meal.
Follow these simple tips and that there will be no imbalances or deficiencies during your day: have lean protein for breakfast, vegetables with lunch, and fruit or other fiber sources as snacks. Why this works is that it is the best way to feel full with fewer calories. Plus, it is easy to remember the simple guideline.
Some advantages to these types of healthy, balanced eating include reducing weight gain and improving cholesterol levels. It also improves your mood by lowering the risk for depression which can lead you back into unhealthy food habits like binging on the junk or processed food.
If you want to experiment with popular diet programs, here are some balanced diets examples: Mediterranean diet, Paleo Diet and Vegetarianism. All include vegetables at every meal (lots), whole grains for carbs which helps fill you up faster with fewer calories per serving, plenty of fiber, and beans to replace meat protein (if that’s your preference).
If You Can’t Lose Weight, Check If You Are Making These Mistakes
One mistake people make when they go on diets is avoiding carbs (whole grains, beans) or fats. They don’t realize that they miss out on the vital macronutrient the body needs: the fat. Avoiding carbs also means they do not get the most accessible energy source to perform daily tasks. Their digestive health also will be impacted. Please don’t fall for this trap, and we watchful for these deficiencies by regular checkup with your doctor.
Some of the common dietary errors made by senior citizens are: not eating foods from all four food groups and skipping meals, so try to schedule breakfast, lunch, and dinner even if you do not feel hungry.
Eating in small quantities is better than skipping that meal altogether.
Excessive sugar consumption is also typical amongst seniors. Be mindful that sugar can easily cause excessive calorie intake because it hides in various forms, especially processed food and drinks. Sugar has also been proven to be the #1 reason for excess belly fat gain.
Another common mistake is not consuming adequate protein, which is a critical macronutrient contributing to weight loss. Protein also helps with the growth and repair of muscles.
As we get older, our metabolism slows down; therefore, we should get plenty of protein to maintain muscle mass and keep the metabolism active. Protein also helps to curb your appetite, and it aids in digestion.
A few ways to increase protein intake are adding more nuts, eggs, or beans into your diet and changing up traditional dishes by using ground turkey instead of beef. You could also drink a high-quality protein shake each day as a supplement.
Exercise Regularly
Maintain a daily habit of exercising, even if it’s just walking or light aerobic exercise for 30 minutes. Physical activity is another crucial factor in countering the metabolism slowdown.
A good way for seniors over sixty years old is walking or swimming. It’s a low-impact aerobic exercise that can help you burn calories while toning your muscles at a moderate intensity level without straining the joints.
For those with osteoarthritis, exercise is the best non-drug solution to reduce the pain and improve your movement. Here are other examples of physical activities that could do:
Yoga For Seniors
Yoga is suitable for seniors because it’s a non-impact, low-intensity workout that helps relieve stress and anxiety while giving you some flexibility training. Yoga is also great for those recovering from injuries or surgeries as it can be modified to accommodate your needs in terms of postures. Beginners should start with gentle Yoga like restorative poses before moving into the more advanced poses. Learn from a qualified instructor or begin with a yoga DVD.
Take a Walk Outdoors
Get out and enjoy being in Nature, whether you take a walk outside with your dog or plant some flowers on an empty lot near where you live! Immersing in Nature has been shown to help promote feelings of well-being that can translate into greater physical activity levels for seniors who’ve stopped their formal exercise routines due to health concerns.
Resistance Training
Resistance strength training is excellent for maintaining muscle mass and strength that will otherwise deteriorate as we age. Resistance training helps build bone density better than most other forms of exercise, which may reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bone-related injuries.
Training with resistance bands like those from X3 company is a great alternative to weight-lifting, which is injury-prone. It also trains major muscle groups, which leads to a more significant metabolism effect and growth.
Keep Hydrated
Always keep drinking lots of water and avoiding sugary drinks like soda and fruit juice. This is important because the more water you drink, your body will have to work less hard on digesting food. For example, One glass of cold tap or filtered drinking can help curb cravings for a snack and make it easier not to overeat at mealtime.
Remember to stay hydrated as much during the winter months when our bodies lose fluids more quickly. Water also helps to regulate blood flow in the body and reduce inflammation.
It is also important to avoid soda, fruit juices, sugary beverages, and too much alcohol: Too many sugary drinks can cause weight gain over time by raising insulin levels, leading to excessive fat storage. Alcoholic beverage like beer is also high on calories even if it doesn’t seem like a lot.
Get Enough Sleep
A good night’s sleep helps to avoid feeling tired during the day. You will feel more energetic if you get enough hours of sleep. According to a study from the National Sleep Foundation, adults over 65 needs about eight hours of sleep per night.
As you age, it is harder for your body to maintain deep levels and stay asleep through the entire period. The National Sleep Foundation also recommends that older people have a bedtime routine to help them fall asleep as fast as possible.
Avoid habits that can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. For example, try to avoid drinking alcohol as it can make your sleep light and less deep.
Don’t drink anything caffeinated afternoon because caffeine is shown that keep people awake for hours on end. Other tips to get undisturbed sleep are minimizing the use of electronic devices before bedtime, avoiding napping during the daytime, and not eating less than two hours before going into sleep.
Ensure you are getting plenty of physical activity because it has been shown that people who get little exercise have more trouble sleeping through nights.
Be Socially Active.
As we age, our social interactions decrease as well. Loneliness is associated with an increased risk of health problems such as obesity, stroke, and heart disease. The best thing you can do is to focus on what’s in your control. Don’t get stressed about something that you can’t change. Instead, put all your energy into making a difference with the opportunities you have now.
The best way to distract yourself in a good way and lose extra pounds at the same time is by being active. What’s better than joining a gym or participating in a fun activity with like-minded seniors. A study by the University of Florida showed that older adults who were more socially engaged had lower body Mass Index (BMI) measurements.
Try to have meaningful conversations, join a club, or volunteer for organizations that work on causes you’re passionate about. Make an effort to talk with friends, family members, or neighbors daily about anything besides the weather – it could be a simple telephone call where you say “hi” for five minutes every morning before your brekkie. Or reach out on Facebook Messenger. In this day and age, we have many problems, and figuring out how to reach out to others is not one of them.
Maintain a Positive Attitude
Someone called Joan Collins said age is just a number, and she was right. If you want to become fit and lose weight, it’s not about how old you are but rather what we do with our time. No matter our age, the important thing is to have a positive attitude and make sure we don’t stop doing what makes us happy.
If it helps, try something calming daily such as meditation, yoga, gardening, or walking in the park. If it’s not your thing, try something else that you enjoy and use this to bring back any positive vibes into life. Try listening to uplifting music or one that brings back great memories.
Let’s stop being so hard on ourselves and start doing the things that make us grow instead. We can’t control what happens to us but how we react is much more important! Let’s have a positive attitude and forget about our problems for one day at least because when you live in negativity, it will affect your health.
Special Tips To Get Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat After 60
For seniors concerned about belly fat and their waistline, there are some helpful approaches they can take to slim down where it matters.
But first, please understand that spot reduction does not work, and this article explains why. So, seniors, you will not reduce fat in your belly area by doing ab exercises. However, following the weight loss tips given above can help shrink your stomach eventually. In this section, we want to add extra information that could speed up belly fat loss.
Tips#1 – taking probiotics with your meals can help with digestion and reduce bloating. Research has shown that they play an essential role in helping the body break down and digest food. Proper digestion gives the maximum amount of digestible energy and minimizes the energy lost in the feces. Digestible energy also helps with metabolism and provides more opportunities for an active lifestyle. You can find probiotics in supplements and fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, or sauerkraut.
Tips#2 – The following is a little-known tip that originated from Yoga but can also be found in Japanese Okinawan practice called Hara Hachi Bu. Hara Hachi Bu is a Japanese term that means eat until 80% full. It means Stopping before the first feeling of fullness. Why Hara Hachi Bu effective is that ‘fullness’ or satiety is just a feeling. It’s not an actual physical state like hunger or thirst. We can trick our body with the sensation of fullness without overeating, which will help reduce bloating and make fat loss easier. Here is how to practice Hara Hachi Bu and lose belly fat effortlessly:
- Eat slowly. Don’t rush. Eating too fast can result in overeating.
- Focus on the taste of your food. Chew every bite. This will increase satiety and improve digestion.
- When eating, turn off other distractions like TV. Otherwise, you tend to eat more when watching your favorite show.
- Use smaller plates and a bowl. The meal size will appear to be significant, and you will automatically prevent overeating without trying.
Getting Back In Shape Is a Choice
If you have made it this far, you have no doubt decided to prioritize your health and get back in shape. You know that the fat loss journey is not an easy one, but with patience and perseverance, anything can be accomplished. The tips included here are just some of the many ways you can achieve your goal. We hope that by reading this article, you have found some inspiration to get started.
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