Beat weight gain—
Hormone Changes, Inactivity, LIFE –Oh, My!
Weight gain past the age of 30 is common for both men and women. As you get older you may become busier with work and family responsibilities, which can leave little time for exercise or making healthy meals. Metabolism starts to slow down after age 30, meaning you burn less calories than you did in your 20’s. For women, the hormone changes mostly following pregnancy, and menopause also adds on the pounds.
Stress Less
For many people, their 30s are a time to focus on career goals, getting married and starting a family. Major life changes can be stressful. Researches believe there may be a connection to stress and gaining weight. The hormone cortisol releases when you are under stress. Cortisol, according to some studies, contributes to weight gain. Some people cope with stress by eating. Rather than snack, reduce stress by doing activities you enjoy such as reading, watching a funny movie or playing with your kids or dog. Take the dog for a walk, call a friend or listen to some music write out some goals you would like to achieve…. put them up where you can see them as a eminder of what you would like to achieve each day, week, month or year.
All Calories Are Not Created Equal
The days of eating an entire bag of cookies while still fitting into your jeans may be over. As your metabolism slows, it may mean that you need fewer calories. Limit foods which are high in sugar and low in nutritional value like most cereals, juices and regular sodas, as well as too much fruit… fruit is good for you and has good nutritional value but, too much sugar IS too much sugar. Also watch your fat intake…. be smart, chose fats that are healthy and nonhydrogenated, like olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, avocado, olives, flax seed & nut butters. Stick to a high-fiber diet which will fill you up quicker. Eat lean meats such as grilled fish and chicken, extra lean ground turkey and beef. Add foods containing antioxidants to slow the aging process. Good choices are blueberries, tomatoes, spinach, and nuts.
Give Your Metabolism a Boost With Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is important to everyone but especially important to people over 30 because it boosts metabolism. Not only do you burn calories while exercising, but cardiovascular exercise boosts metabolism for about 24 hours after you workout if done with good intensity. Find an activity you like so you’ll stick with it. Some ideas are biking, spin classes, sprint work on a treadmill, kickboxing and power-walking uphill. Do some form of cardiovascular exercise four to five times a week and shoot for a 40-minute workout.
Use it or Lose it
After the age of 30, the average person loses about 1/2-pound of muscle and gains one pound of fat per year UNLESS they are eating enough protein and by enough I mean at least their body weight in protein per day, as well as a good hard weight training regimine. That means by age 40 you’re looking at a weight gain of 10 pounds and an increase in a size or two in clothing. Luckily, muscle loss slows down with weight training. Doing some type of resistance training helps you maintain and even improve your muscle mass. The more often and the smarter you train, the less likely you are to lose muscle. Weight train three to six times a week, working all major muscle groups. A day of rest between workouts allows the muscles to recover so always give yourself at least one day off.
Age is a number… don’t succumb to it-
June 10, 2009 at 2:07 pm
thank you Shannan!
June 10, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I read somewhere that the reason people’s metabolism slows down and they gain weight isn’t really due to the aging process, but is actually because of the muscle loss due to physical inactivity that begins to take over as the years go by, since like you said jobs, kids, life takes over…so we do have control over it in a sense, and really there is no real reason to think that older age = weight gain
June 10, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Well put! Thank you Shannan for another fabulous blog.
June 11, 2009 at 2:58 am
Age is a number !!!yes that is what i also think of it ,and know what??…EVERY day i say ,i am young,and me body react like it’s young ,and guess what !i think ,its working also ,that mind training,to feel ,and (hmmm …stay young ) !
June 11, 2009 at 8:54 am
You are right Arm&Fabulous !! But as I wrote, it is normally due to getting older not by age so much as in the sense of more responsibility, and less time for exercise and focus on diet… people as they increase in years get jobs (careers) families, obligations that keep them from being able to keep at a consistant program. When one is young and free so to speak, we have time for whatever we want.
June 11, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Aging scares me for the very facts you mentioned…weight gain and muscle loss!! But I love how you ended this post…age is a number - I will not succumb!! THANK YOU SHANNAN!!