Weight loss for women over 40 can be daunting. Years of habits, lack of family support, lack of time and knowledge can lead to frustration and lack of motivation. Today, I am happy to answer some of your most common questions about weight loss after 40 to help you get the results you want regardless of obstacles you may face.
How do I stop snacking at night?
Are you hungry? If the answer is no, then grab a big glass of water and drink it. Then go brush your teeth and get busy.
Snacking at night can completely crush the hard work you have put in all day. There are ways to work with your night cravings instead of fighting them so hard. Would it surprise you if I said you don’t have to cut it out completely?
I am all about working WITH your body instead of against it. When we start to work against our body, our body can turn into a rebellious teenager.
1 – Make sure you are getting the nutrients your body needs earlier in the day. Track your macros with something like MyFitnessPal. A good rule of measurement for macros to start with is 40 carbs, 40 protein, and 20 fats.
2 – Save some of your calories/macros so you can have a night snack that won’t break your bank so to speak.
3 – A good option for a night snack is a protein shake. If you choose the right brand, they taste so good you will almost feel guilty for drinking it! And, they are filling without the added calories you don’t need.
How do I find the time to workout?
How do you find the time to watch your favorite TV show? You just do it, right? When you really want to live a healthy life, you will find time to workout. Let’s start here…
Every minute of your day is already taken, so how do you find extra time for a workout? Something else will have to give a little. In the beginning, it will be difficult, I am not going to sugar coat it. This is where a very strong WHY in your heart will need to jump in to save the day.
Maybe you have to wake up a few minutes earlier, but that means you have to go to bed earlier also. Sleep deprivation cannot be how you get a workout in. Sleep is as important as the workouts.
Once you start making working out a habit, you will feel so much more energized throughout the day that you will be more productive. It’s crazy at how that works, but it really does! How many minutes a day do you spend dragging things out or sitting down watching TV? Can you spare 10 minutes? I bet you can.
Start with a 10 minute workout. I have several 30-day workout programs that can be done in that time. Plank workouts, arm workouts, abs, etc. You can even choose to do 10 minutes of one of my 30 minute workouts. From there, increase the time every few days to extending your workout time.
Sometimes you just have to make it work. It’s your health and you need to make it a priority.
How do I eat healthy when eating out?
There are almost always healthy choices when eating out. Sometimes they can be easy to find, sometimes you have to get a little creative.
Additionally, do a little homework before arriving at the restaurant, if possible. Most restaurants have their menus online. Take a look so you can decide before you arrive and get caught up in the moment and the smells of the food. If the menu doesn’t have calories for entrees, most of the chain restaurants have foods listed in MyFitnessPal for you to inspect macros and calories even before you order.
In the MyFitnessPal, just enter the meal as if you just ate to inspect to help you decide.
Andrew and I often split a meal when we go out. See if someone is willing to split the meal for half the calories!
How do I cook healthy for me but make my family happy also?
While Andrew is totally on board with healthy eating, he isn’t a big fan of vegetables. And the teenagers, well, you know how that goes. Full carbs ahead for them if they had their way.
Vegetables at our house are roasted as much as possible. Everyone will eat almost anything roasted. So easy and fast to make, too!
That leaves lean meat and salads. Again, pretty simple at our house. I have a variety of dry rubs to use and try to mix up the menu the best I can. I have started using Hello Fresh (more deets here) and the family is loving it. Calories are a little higher than our normal meal – so I tend to eat a smaller portion.
Sometimes you may have to cook an additional vegetable for yourself. Sometimes you may have to forgo the mac and cheese the rest of the family wants, but you can do it! Remember it is just food, food that will be gone in a few minutes but makes a lasting impression on your health.
I hope you won’t have to make an entirely different meal for yourself to eat healthy. Try to adjust what you are already cooking to save some time.
There are so many diets out there. How do I know which is right for me?
I am not a big fan of diets. Diets denotes temporary and as women over 40, our bodies will not react well to temporary. Maybe a fad diet worked for you 10 years ago, but chances are your metabolism has changed and if you give a diet a chance, if you do get results, they won’t last.
We are in the chapter of our lives where we have to make long time changes for better overall health. We aren’t losing weight just to look better, we want to have healthy bodies to live the best life possible.
What will happen to my extra skin after I lose weight?
This depends on several things like how much extra skin you have, genetics, age, and how long you were overweight. Of course, I am not a doctor, but I can share with you my results.
I had some loose skin after I lost over 30 lbs, and most of it has slowly tightened up. A lot of the skin elasticity has to do with the collagen in your body. Our body stops producing collagen around age 40, so if you want to help your skin (and slow down wrinkles on your face) you have to take a good collagen supplement. (Read more about collagen here)
How do I cut out the sweet treats?
This habit took me the longest to change, but it is one of the most important. Sugar is so detrimental to weight loss and good health. (These tips helped me break the sugar habit.)
Once you have sugar addiction under control, you can enjoy a treat every now and then, but daily sugar treats can’t coincide with a healthy body. The good news is there are so many healthier alternatives to curb your sweet tooth!
If you are addicted to sugar the way I was, it is a habit you should work on slowly. Increase the healthy foods and find alternatives like protein shakes and fruit to help along the way.
How do I increase my metabolism?
Metabolism is key to keeping weight off after 40. Typically, women over 40 have spent the last 15 or more years focusing on their family, putting everyone first in their life before themselves. That’s just who we are. Then, we reach 40 and realize our health has gone down while our weight went up.
Have you tried to flex your leg muscle recently? I did when I was 41 and there wasn’t much there.
Muscle toning is extremely important for metabolism. If you are only focusing on nutrition to lose weight, long term it will be extremely difficult to keep the weight off. By working out using strength training exercises, you rebuild and tone muscles you had 15 years ago when your metabolism was higher. Your body will have the ability to burn more calories all throughout the day.
Why can’t I stick with my weight loss plan?
So many women write saying they start a plan, mess up one evening and have to start all over. Don’t start over. There will be meals or days when you don’t eat right but pick back up for the next meal eating better. If you wait for perfection you won’t ever make it.
In my weight loss group, I encourage members to adapt slowly to a healthier lifestyle. All too often, if you are cutting out everything bad all at once, the cravings are too much to handle.
What’s the best workout to lose weight?
This is one of my favorite questions to answer! The best workout to lose weight is the workout you will do!
While I highly recommend you have a balance of cardio and strength training, to start with you need to do whatever will get you up and moving. I started with doing Just Dance on the Wii with my daughter. From there, I bought an elliptical and several months later began full body workouts.
How do I learn to stop enjoying food?
You don’t! I do recommend you change your mindset to think of food as energy for your body to help you make better choices. When you think of food as what your body needs, it will help you decide between the cake and the plate of roasted vegetables with protein.
There are so many healthy foods to choose from. If you aren’t a fan of veggies, you will definitely have to try roasting them! My family loves almost anything roasted – and they were not veggie eaters.
In time, you will crave the healthy foods more often than you think. You will enjoy the healthier options more than you realize right now.
I hope these common questions about weight loss and answers have helped! Did I miss one? Let me know in the comments!
