If you’re a woman who wants a flat stomach after 50, this article will show you how to lose belly fat after 50 for women.
Many factors contribute to the post-menopausal weight gain most women in their 50s experience.
The main cause of the belly fat gain is the changing levels of hormones. Another factor that makes it hard to lose belly fat after 50 is metabolism, which dips with age.
You may also find it hard to lose belly fat after 50 because of the degeneration and loss of lean muscle. In fact, scientists say that we lose 3% muscle every year after 35.
All these factors make gaining belly fat easy and losing it an uphill task. Sometimes you may even accumulate fat around your midsection while the rest of your body remains largely unaffected.
So, where do you start if you are very intent on shedding off the annoying belly fat?
How to Lose Belly Fat After 50 for Women
1. Stay Active
Your muscles wear out with age, and you might find that you feel more tired than you used to. Running becomes less of an option because joint pains and other pains are holding you back.
All the same, do not spend your days resting, however tempting it may be.
Instead of resting because you lack energy, use physical activity to boost your energy. Even simple exercises like walking can make you feel energetic.
Consider taking on this walking challenge to stay active. Whatever you do, make sure you wear a pedometer to show you how active you are.
2. Think Outside the Gym
You have to come up with creative ways of staying active, that do not involve going to the gym.
You must get rid of the thought that fitness can only happen within a gym and incorporate physical activity within your day.
Use these non-gym activities to burn more calories every day.
3. Eat Better
Because your metabolism has slowed, the diet that worked for you before might not apply in the face of low estrogen levels.
You need now, more than ever, to eat healthy and nutrient-dense foods. This is no time for fad diets, those never end well.
Instead, get yourself a nutritionist/ dietician to help you come up with a suitable meal plan, tailored for your specific needs.
In the meantime, implement proven weight loss habits like eating veggies in every meal, drinking water before meals, and consuming at least 25 grams of fiber every day.
4. Focus on Strength Training
You must add lean muscle to your body given that your body now prefers to deposit fat around the belly.
Strength-training has been found to build lean muscle to replace the muscle you are losing through the natural aging process.
Complement it with cardio exercises for better results. These short home workouts are the perfect combination of cardio and strength training.
5. Try Safe Exercises
You have to acknowledge that your body cannot take a beating like it used to. So much as I advocate for strength-training, I advise that you take care not to harm yourself as you work out.
Avoid exercises that strain the joints, knees, and back. If you experience pain after a particular exercise, ditch it and do not feel bad about it.
Also consider exercising in water, as it helps with your buoyancy, which leads to less strain on the joints and limbs.
6. See A Physician
Seeing a physician is very important if you wish to lose belly fat after 50.
Your belly fat could be a pointer to underlying health issues. Diabetes and sleep apnea are just two of the conditions that could be stealthily causing belly fat.
7. Make Lifestyle Changes
There are some painful sacrifices that have to be made in order to lose belly fat after 50, and one of them is ceasing to be the life of the party.
Reduce your alcohol intake or cut it out completely. If you love wine, stick to one glass a day.
Alcohol is very apt at supplying extra calories even when taken in small amounts. The last thing you want is excess calories that will be converted into fat.
8. Get Enough Rest
You might find that the quality of your sleep gets affected by intermittent hot flashes and sleep apnea, which is very common among women this age according to research.
However, make a true effort at getting enough sleep. Enhance your ability to sleep by taking natural foods that promote sleep such as watermelon, figs, and cantaloupe. Refrain from over-the-counter sleeping pills.
9. Kick Out the Stress
Stress and belly fat go hand-in-hand. The more stressed you are, the more likely you’re to accumulate belly fat after 50.
Shut off the things that cause stress, and be more accepting of those that you cannot change. Worrying about them, after all, does not make them go away.
What are some of the habits that have helped you relieve stress in the past? Make them part of your lifestyle again.
10. Engage in Activities You Enjoy
Yoga and meditation are some of the mind-relaxing, tension-releasing practices that relieve stress and help women lose belly fat after 50.
For you, it might be gardening, walking pets at a local shelter, or volunteering in causes that are close to your heart.
They are also a way of remaining active without doing actual exercise.
11. Seek and Accept Help
You might have the will to do every single thing we have listed, but your body just says no.
Don’t worry, lack of motivation is a plaque that visits people of all age groups, you just have to change the way you respond to it. You need a companion to help you and motivate you through the motions of the day. It could be a co-worker, a family member or a friend to help you remain accountable to your goals.
This research has in fact shown that reaching your weight loss goals is easier when done with a partner(s).
12. Eat Belly Fat Burning Foods
Diet will come handy if you wish to lose belly fat after 50. Mindfully eat foods that will help the body get rid of the visceral fats.
Switch unhealthy beverages for drinks such as yerba mate and green tea that are effective in torching belly fat.
Here are the belly fat burner foods to add to your diet.
The Bottom Line
Most women in their 50s tend to give up on their bodies and let nature do whatever it pleases.
However, giving control to the forces that are clearly against you might not be a wise decision.
Maintain a healthy, active life to not only cut out the belly fat but to ward off lifestyle diseases too.
The best part is you can do these fat-burning workouts even if you’re over 50.
Here’s what one woman over 50 had to say:
I really like the daily workouts and I do them 6 days a week! I usually take off on Sunday. And now I have almost reached my goal of 10lbs weight loss. I need 2 lbs to go. My endurance is must better and I have lost inches around my waistline and thighs! I like the variety of workouts and I feel like I’m getting a whole-body workout. At age 68 I am able to keep up with almost all of the workouts. The only one I have to modify is the burpee. I will break them up and finish all the reps by the end of the workout. My arms are getting stronger, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to do more of them. Overall, I’m so glad I started this system. It works!
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