Weight loss and staying fit and healthy as you age may seem like an uphill battle, but with a few common sense tips and know-how, you can seamlessly keep looking and feeling great as the years tick by.
Diet and exercise is the magic combo. When you were younger, you may have been able to cheat the system, by relying on your fast metabolism or the muscles you built on the college swim team to keep you fit. But now, you’ve got to pay a bit more attention. The main key for weight loss is to get moving! But you must adapt your exercise routine as your body changes. If you were a runner in your younger years, take up walking, cycling or swimming. Running puts too much pressure on your joints, and you’ll want to switch to something low impact to protect your body.
The body’s metabolism also naturally slows down as you age, so making small changes in your diet is the key to the weight loss process. Don’t try to make all your changes at once—that is a guarantee for failure. Start with small things like substituting low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings and spreads for your usual choices. This is a good and almost painless way to start. You may miss the flavor at first, but your taste buds will adapt quickly, and it is well worth it.
Another positive step to do for weight loss is to add a serving of vegetables to almost everything you eat. Veggies fill you up, and add powerhouse antioxidants and fiber that keep you healthy, and your body running smoothly. Having a can of soup for lunch? Cut up a bit of sweet pepper and add it to the soup. You can do the same with your scrambled eggs in the morning and your green salad at night. Protein is the other magic ingredient. Protein keeps you feeling full, and is necessary for building and maintaining lean muscle mass, which you lose at a more rapid pace as you age.
Weight loss is a slower process and gets more difficult as you age, which discourages many people, and they end up feeling lost and defeated. But fear not! There are many tricks of the trade to keep your weight down, and to assist in weight loss as you age—the key is to be informed, which we are here to help you do!
