Over 40?  Finding it more and more difficult to lose unwanted weight?

Most women find that as they get older, it becomes harder to manage their weight because their metabolism has slowed. Diets that worked in the past become less and less effective. Contrary to most weight loss advice (which seems to treat everyone the same), my take is that women over 40 need to approach weight loss differently. So if you’re over 40 and want to shed a few kilos, here are some healthful and helpful tips:

1. Exercise isn’t enough.

80 % diet and 20% exercise – general rule for weight maintenance. Exercise is a must for your health and wellbeing. But it isn’t enough alone for weight loss.  Regular exercise is good for cardiac health, bone strength, flexibility and agility. It is also great for encouraging healthy eating – but not a justification for eating more!

2. You can’t lose weight as quickly as you did when you were 25.

Unrealistic expectations! If you’re 55 years old and trying to lose weight, and expect it to happen at the same rate as when you were 25, you’re asking for trouble. Unrealistic expectations mean that even when you’re making good progress, you’ll feel frustrated at the pace of your progress. This can often lead to second-guessing your approach and then finally giving up (which is what most people do).

3. You can’t turn to quick fixes …. and that’s a good thing!

This is the number one reason why women over 40 have an advantage with losing weight. (Yes, that’s right, an advantage!) You might think that it’s a bad thing that you can no longer drop 5kg in a week. But what this means is that you have to focus on making long-term changes, which is the cornerstone of successful weight loss.

Not only can you not rely on quick fixes, but you really can’t rely on dieting anymore, either.  It is about lifestyle changes for the long haul, not quick fixes that lead to the yo-yo effect.

4. Failure doesn’t make you a failure.

In most areas of life, one failure is enough to put people off trying again. Not with weight loss. Most women in their 40s either have a long list of diet failures behind them, or have never had to diet before.

The problem arises when you start thinking that since it hasn’t happened so far, it’s never going to happen. But the fact is, most people who have eventually succeeded at losing weight have a past history of diet failures. It’s certainly not a barrier to getting what you want.  It is about changing your approach.

5. The best way to lose weight is to change your eating habits.

Appetite suppressants, meal replacements, restricted calorie intake are not sustainable.  Working out your eating habits and understanding what changes are needed and why then modifying to a healthier version is the key.

Keeping a food diary is a great start, and noting how different foods make you feel can enlighten you to habits and symptoms.

6. Make small changes

How do you make it more likely that you will stick with something for the long-term?
Just make small adjustments. For example:

• Take control of your food environment, by removing unnecessarily tempting food from your pantry.
• Focus on being more mindful when you’re eating, so you eat slower, really enjoy your food, and connect with what your body wants.
• Make sure you are hydrated – sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger.

7. The sooner you act, the better.

While it’s possible to lose weight successfully at any age, there’s no denying that you’ll have a smoother ride the sooner you start. So start now!

8. Your best friend is persistence.

You can succeed at losing weight, but it means that you’ll have to be persistent. Things won’t always go your way. There may be weight plateaus and reversals. But that’s OK. Just keep focused on your goal, keep making small changes and keep going. This is the key to your success.

Looking forward to what you want – “where thought goes, energy flows….”