There are many reasons why you might want to lose weight after 50. Maybe you need to reduce your risk for diabetes or heart disease.
Or maybe you want to live a healthier lifestyle so that you can have the energy to play with your grandchildren and watch them grow up.
The problem is, you might find yourself feeling like you’ve hit the wall in your 50s. You may be feeling frustrated and discouraged because what worked before is no longer working for you.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way! So, what’s the best way to lose weight after 50? You can still breakthrough with some simple diet changes and exercise routines geared towards your age group!
Why Is It More Difficult To Lose Weight After 50?
When you’re wondering what’s the best way to lose weight after 50 or as a senior, you may already be realizing that it is sometimes harder to shed those excess pounds as you get older.
There are several issues at play here, and knowing what you’re up against can help you overcome all of these challenges.
If you’re a woman, then the hormonal changes that occur around this age may be affecting your body’s metabolism.
You might also be experiencing the symptoms of perimenopause, such as fatigue and mood swings. Click the link to learn more about the best way to lose weight during menopause.
Men could be dealing with lower testosterone, affecting their energy levels and overall mood.
Feeling tired or cranky might tempt you to reach for those high-carb snacks, or you might want to skip your workout.
Making the decision to stick to your healthy diet plan and exercise routine, no matter what will help you see results faster.
What’s a Healthy Diet Plan for Someone Over 50?
You’ll want to watch your calorie intake, but skipping meals could rob you of essential nutrients.
Instead, you’ll want to focus on packing as much nutrition as you can into your meals by choosing plant-based foods that are low in unnecessary calories and fats.
Here are a few tips to help you start planning a healthy diet for weight loss in your 50s:
•Choose nutrient-dense foods
•Watch your sodium intake
•Look for complex carb and low-sugar foods
•Make sure to get plenty of protein and fiber each day
Read the labels on everything you buy. It’s best if the product you are buying has no added sugars and no trans fats.
Also, the longer the ingredient list and the more ingredients you can’t even pronounce, the more likely that product is unhealthy for you.
Download this cheat sheet to learn the secrets to go from busy and out-of-shape to energetic and fit!
What Should People over 50 Know About Switching to a Plant-Based Diet?
You might have noticed already that focusing on eating mainly plant-based foods checks off all of the items on the list of what’s the best way to lose weight after 50.
However, you’ll also want to note that simply switching to a plant-based diet doesn’t always mean that you are cutting empty calories.
It is easy to make the mistake of loading up on sugary fruit drinks or trail mix (since they are plant-based). This can stall your weight loss.
While it is perfectly fine to have an occasional snack, it is best to keep your portions reasonable.
Keeping this in mind helps you remember to vary what you eat at your meals.
What you need to do to fill yourself up during meals is eat a lot of vegetables.
Always strive to have half your plate be vegetables, one-quarter be protein, the other quarter be complex carbs, and sprinkle some healthy fats.
How Can People Over 50 Get Proper Nutrition While Dieting?
Simply being over the age of 50 puts you at a higher risk of malnutrition, but this is easy to mitigate by making sure that you eat.
Shifting your mindset away from dieting and towards mindful eating helps you take in the right amount of vitamins and nutrients to meet your body’s needs.
This does require making a few conscious choices if you choose to eliminate meat from your diet. For example, you’ll want to make sure that you get enough protein.
Spirulina and chia seeds are good sources of protein that you can add to many of your favorite plant-based recipes.
Powdered peanut butter is simple to add to your morning smoothie, and tofu provides both calcium and protein.
What Does a Good Exercise Routine For People Over 50 Include?
Diet and exercise go hand in hand with helping you to find what’s the best way to lose weight after 50 (click the link for workout ideas).
If you haven’t exercised in a while, then it helps to follow these tips.
1. Start With a Checkup
Going to the doctor helps you ensure you don’t have any underlying issues that could worsen with additional movement.
Your doctor will check that your joints are healthy enough to withstand your preferred type of exercise during your checkup.
They’ll also check your blood pressure and vital signs and give you a baseline for your target heart rate.
2.Choose Low Impact Exercises
The recommendations for BMI don’t change with age for older adults, and being overweight puts additional stress on your joints that increases the risk of injuries.
You also want to avoid overdoing it too soon since muscle soreness could cause you to want to skip a workout.
Walking, indoor cycling, and tai chi are a few low-impact exercises that help you get your body used to moving without straining your muscles and joints.
Swimming and water aerobics are excellent choices if you love the water.
You can gradually add higher-level intensity exercises as your body adjusts, as long as your doctor approves.
3.Remember to Include Strength-Training
Strength training is also important. You can do bodyweight exercises to strengthen your muscles or use light weights.
Building muscles helps you to burn more calories and prevent age-related bone loss.
4.Prevent Low Blood Sugar
People with diabetes will need to be mindful of their blood sugar anytime they change their diet or exercise plan.
Even if you don’t have diabetes, you’ll want to ensure that your blood sugar doesn’t dip too low.
Eating a light snack before or after your workout can help you have the energy you need for exercise while preventing dips in your glucose levels.
You’ll want to experiment with different snacks to find your best fit.
On a plant-based diet, a small pre-workout meal might include a bowl of oatmeal or a PBJ sandwich. Smoothies are a great post-workout snack that helps you to rehydrate.
What Else Can Older Adults Do to Stick to Their Weight Loss Plan?
Knowing what’s the best way for people over 50 and seniors to lose weight puts you at the starting line for lowering your BMI. Now, you want to focus on making your plans stick.
- Find an accountability partner. A best friend, spouse, or sibling are all wonderful people who can help you stay motivated to eat healthier and exercise more.
- Cook at home. You will save tons of calories every single day. Schedule a time during the week to think about the meals you want to cook so you can prepare. You can even batch cook your meals to save time.
- Share recipes with others, or plan to meet up for a workout with a friend. You’ll build stronger relationships and boost your health along the way.
Conclusion
It can be tough, but not impossible! So, what’s the best way to lose weight after 50? Diet changes and building up strength with resistance training exercises are essential.
Because your metabolism is slowing down, you may need to cut on how many calories you consume each day.
Also, make your that you are cooking healthy meals at home and cutting back on processed food.
Be sure that your doctor approves of your new diet and exercise routine. You can do this!! Don’t give up. If, along the way, slip-ups happen, just get back on track!
What has your biggest challenge with losing weight after 50 been so far?
Lily
Hi, I'm Lily! Like you, I have struggled with my weight. It was not an easy journey but I was able to lose 40 pounds and have kept it off for 14 years. My goal is to share with you all the research, tips, and tricks that I have learned over the years to help you lose weight also.Download this cheat sheet to learn the secrets to go from busy and out-of-shape to energetic and fit!
