Having a healthy weight is necessary for people of all ages. While it may be easier for young people to lose weight, it becomes difficult to lose pounds when aging strikes you.
There could be several reasons for this. One of the reasons is that you lose around 10 percent of your muscle mass by the time you reach the age of fifty.
Muscle mass is associated with more calorie consumption. Since you lose your muscle mass, you tend to burn fewer calories.
The number of calories you burn while doing nothing, also known as resting metabolic rate, may decrease with age. A slower metabolic rate may lead to weight gain.
Hormonal changes such as a decrease in estrogen and testosterone levels may result in the accumulation of fat tissues in the body.
An inactive lifestyle and changes in your sleep cycle could also be the reason for your increasing weight.
After the age of 50, it might be challenging to lose weight, but you may do it by incorporating some changes in your lifestyle and habits.
Simple Strategies To Lose Weight At 50
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Include More Fruits And Vegetables In Your Diet
Fruits and vegetables are extremely good for your health. As our body ages, the requirement for nutrition increases.
Vegetables and fruits are high in nutrition and low in calories making them worthy of being included[1] in your diet.
You could quickly meet your daily requirement for nutrition without putting on many calories. Eating fruits regularly may improve your muscle function.
Fruits like berries, apples, and pears are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals.
The fiber you may obtain from these fruits will help you keep yourself satiated for a longer time.
Incorporating fruits and vegetables are the easiest way to start your weight loss journey. Water-rich fruits could also be one of the options.
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Increase Your Protein Intake
After attaining the age of 50, an individual requires more proteins. This is because aging could lead to a decline in muscle mass which is further related to weight gain.
High protein intake may enable you to gain muscle mass which could improve your metabolism.
A high protein diet in combination[2] with low-calorie consumption may help older adults to lose the extra fats accumulated in the body.
In addition, it was found that our body consumes more calories to break down and digest proteins which could further cause weight loss.
By adding food items like eggs, cottage cheese, lentils, yogurt, and fish, you may easily increase your protein intake which might help you to lose weight.
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Manage Stress
By 50, the day-to-day lifestyle becomes hectic with work, home, and reducing energy levels.
You tend to compromise your mental health[3] and sleep to meet daily schedules.
This could lead to stress and anxiety. An individual tends to eat more when he/she is stressed as it is the most accessible comfort one could seek to escape from the stress.
Often, people choose readily available packaged foods packed with unhealthy fats, sugars, and several other unhealthy compounds harmful to your health and may cause weight gain.
Therefore, it is crucial to managing your stress to keep you mentally as well as physically fit.
You may also find it challenging to take time for workouts and exercise, but you should include it as a part of your daily routine.
Young adults who engage in some or the other kind of physical activity daily lose more weight and are less likely to develop illnesses as compared to those who do not.
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Maintain Proper Sleep Cycles
Due to stress, your sleep cycles may also get affected. An individual needs at least 7 to 8 hours of proper sleep.
If you are engaging in workout sessions[4], you need quality sleep to let your body recover.
We also burn calories while sleeping, and lack of sleep could hinder the results of your efforts to lose weight.
Older adults might witness changes in hormonal levels, which could disturb their sleeping patterns.
Avoid staying in lights such as that on the phone or television so that you may sleep adequately. A good diet and workout could help you to sleep qualitatively.
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Consult A Dietitian
Each body type is different. The number of calories an individual cannot be the same as the other. People often tend to follow more than one online source to lose weight.
This may lead to excessive calorie restriction, which may eventually cause nutritional deficiencies.
Several factors, including your specific age, sex, height, weight, and the amounts of calories you spend in a day, determine the results of your weight loss efforts.
The dietician may help[5] you to recognize the workout and diet plan which is best for your body type.
The dietician may also help you to recognize and acknowledge stress eating and your nutritional deficiencies which will enable you to be conscious of what and how much you are eating.
Dietitians also generally recommend maintaining decent levels of Omega 6. They advise not to completely block omega 6 from your diet but to maintain a balance.
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Avoid Added Sugars
Foods high in sugars have a lot of calories in them which may cause weight gain.
Sweetened drinks and foods do not satiate your appetite as a result of which, you tend to eat more to fill your stomach.
Most packaged[6] foods contain a lot of sugar which could be a reason behind causing diseases. Even many of the juices available in the market have a lot of sugar.
It is advisable to eat whole fruits instead of juices because whole fruits also give you the additional benefits of fiber.
Fibers may fill you full easily for a longer time which results in a reduced calorie intake. In addition to this, by the age of 50, our bodies find it difficult to process sugars due to declining insulin sensitivity.
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Enjoy Workout And Exercise
It is crucial to bring out variation in your exercise and workout routine to keep yourself going for a longer time.
For this, you may do alternate sets of upper body and lower body exercises. Enjoying your workout is necessary to see good results.
Find out your favorite exercise to keep yourself moving. It may be challenging for you to get up every day and begin to work out.
For this, you could team up with your friends or family members to make your exercise routine regular and consistent.
Ensure to engage[7] with the muscles on which you are working. You may find enjoyment in daily activities such as climbing stairs as well.
Climbing stairs could raise your heartbeat and this may further help your joints to stay energized and moving.
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Eat Whole Grains
Instead of using processed flour as an ingredient, whole grain is a better and healthier choice. Whole grains contain more fiber content which makes you feel full.
Aging might make you vulnerable[8] to diseases. If you are suffering from hypertension, whole grains could help to reduce your bad cholesterol levels.
It was also found that if you replace refined grains with whole grains, you may be at a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes which is a major concern among people over the age of 50.
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Start Yoga And Meditation
Many older adults tend to develop pain in their knees and joints due to declining bone density.
Yoga is a form of exercise that may help you to lose weight without hurting your knees and joints.
Meditation may help you to concentrate[9] your mind better which will help you to reduce stress.
Yoga and meditation significantly enable weight loss for those people who find it difficult to do cardio workouts or high-intensity workouts.
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Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting may help older adults to lose weight. It refers to eating in a specific time window and fasting for the rest. Fasting helps you to control your appetite[10].
People who follow 24 hours of fasting often eat more on non-fasting days. To avoid this, you may try 16 hours of fasting and allow yourself to eat during the rest of the 8 hours.
Weight loss is more substantial during the first few weeks of starting to fast but gradually the rate of weight loss decreases.
A macro diet is also one of the ways to manage weight effectively.
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Hydrate Yourself
Keeping yourself hydrated is the key to weight loss not only for those who are trying to lose weight after the age of 50 but for any age group.
It has 0 calories, and it helps your body to burn fat more efficiently. It improves your digestion which could further help in weight loss.
Most of the drinks available[11] in the market, including protein or sports drinks, juices, and soft drinks, are incredibly high in sugar which adds unnecessary calories to your body.
Replacing sweetened drinks with water may promote weight loss as you will consume fewer calories.
In addition to this, if you drink water before your meals, it could reduce your appetite, and eventually, you will consume fewer calories.
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Replace Processed Snacks With Nuts
Processed snacks have high amounts of unsaturated fats and trans fats. They just satisfy your cravings with no nutritional benefits at all.
On top of that, they add extra calories. Nuts on the other hand are highly nutritious. They are rich in fibers, proteins, potassium, and several vitamins and minerals.
They may help you to lose weight and shed those extra calories accumulated[12] around the belly region.
So, including nuts such as almonds and walnuts is a healthy and delicious way to satisfy your taste buds and promote weight loss at the same time.
Walnuts may be your best friend as it is a great anti-aging food because of the presence of Omega-3 acids in them.
Conclusion
Losing weight after 50 may be a bit difficult but by incorporating certain lifestyle changes, you may lose a significant amount of weight.
Including simple but effective methods of weight loss like keeping yourself hydrated and doing some or the other form of exercise regularly could help you to live a healthy life both physically and mentally.
Sources/References
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines, and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight. Date of Publication: June 3, 2022. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/fruits_vegetables.html
- Heather J Leidy, Peter M Clifton, Arne Astrup, et. al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jun;101(6):1320S-1329S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.084038. Epub 2015 Apr 29. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25926512/
- Niovi Xenaki, Flora Bacopoulou, Alexandras Kokkinos, et. al. Impact of a stress management program on weight loss, mental health and lifestyle in adults with obesity: a randomized controlled trial. J Mol Biochem. 2018; 7(2): 78–84. Published online 2018 Oct 3.
- Jean-Philippe Chaput, PhD and Angelo Tremblay, PhD. Adequate sleep to improve the treatment of obesity. CMAJ. 2012 Dec 11; 184(18): 1975–1976. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.120876.
- Lauren T. Williams, Katelyn Barnes, Lauren Ball, et al. How Effective Are Dietitians in Weight Management? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Healthcare (Basel). 2019 Mar; 7(1): 20.Published online 2019 Feb 1. doi: 10.3390/healthcare7010020
- James M. Rippe and Theodore J. Angelopoulos Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding Nutrients. 2016 Nov; 8(11): 697.Published online 2016 Nov 4. doi: 10.3390/nu8110697
- Carla E. Cox. Role of Physical Activity for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance. Diabetes Spectr. 2017 Aug; 30(3): 157–160. doi: 10.2337/ds17-0013
- Kevin C. Maki, Orsolya M. Palacios, Katie Koecher, et. al. The Relationship between Whole Grain Intake and Body Weight: Results of Meta-Analyses of Observational Studies and Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2019 Jun; 11(6): 1245. Published online 2019 May 31. doi: 10.3390/nu11061245.
- Romy Lauche, David Sibbritt, Thomas Ostermann, et. al. Associations between yoga/meditation use, body satisfaction, and weight management methods: Results of a national cross-sectional survey of 8009 Australian women. Nutrition. 2017 Feb;34:58-64. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2016.09.007. Epub 2016 Sep 30. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28063513/.
- Teresa O’Driscoll, MD FCFP, Robert Minty, MD CCFP FCFP, Stephanie Welton, MSc, et. al. Intermittent fasting and weight loss. Can Fam Physician. 2020 Feb; 66(2): 117-125.
- Simon N. Thornton. Increased Hydration Can Be Associated with Weight Loss. Front Nutr. 2016; 3: 18. Published online 2016 Jun 10. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00018.
- Chandra L Jackson and Frank B Hu. Long-term associations of nut consumption with body weight and obesity1,2,3,4. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul; 100(1): 408S–411S. Published online 2014 Jun 4. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071332.
- About the Author
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.