Weight Loss Tips For Over 40s

Nobody said this stuff gets easier. You're 40, you're wiser and by now you should know yourself.

You're working hard everyday providing for your family or even just starting one and everything is running like clockwork. Then, seemingly overnight, you realise that you're not waking up like you use to, not feeling as sharp or even bouncing back in quite the same way that you did in your 30s.

If it seems that something important has shifted, you're right.

The truth is your metabolism is slowing, and your muscle mass is decreasing. I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but there are some new tricks for you to learn to keep feeling good for years, even decades to come.

We've listed a few ways for you here so you can tackle 40 the best way possible.

Between work and family life you can often put a squeeze on mealtime. When that happens it gets in the way of losing weight, because we're not giving our stomachs time to register that we're full.

Your best bet is to slowdown at dinner time and interact with your family, kids or partner and be in the moment. Be mindful of how fast you're eating and take small breaks to talk to those at the table.

No one is counting the calories from leftover sausages or cold chicken nuggets eaten while you're cleaning up dinner. Hate to be the barer of bad news but those little habits add up and we are all guilty of it. When you eat, sit down to your own plate of healthy food and leave the kiddie foods to the kids.

Now that you're an "adult" and being 40 means that you have a lot to deal with over the course of a given day.

The best way to keep yourself from spiralling out of control on a crazy day is to always be prepared by keeping healthy snacks on you, at your desk, in your truck or anywhere you may need it.

Keep things like almonds or other unsalted nuts, apples, bananas, chia bars, protein bars, or other fruit and nut bars close at hand. If you do this then there is a much better chance you won't run to the vending machine for chips or make that last-minute pitstop at the servo to panic eat stuff you really don't need.

As life goes on it's natural for many people to become more sedentary as they age because the effects of injuries and impact on us overtime.

That's why taking a dip at the local beach or jumping in the pool is a great workout. The fact that it's low-impact is just one reason and it also builds endurance and can take the pressure off any niggling injuries or pain you might have in your body allowing you to move more freely.

On top of that it's a good way to feel fresh when you're not feeling on top of your game.

I know we bang on about sleep and it's for good reason, It's critical for weight lost and overall health.

We know that can be tricky between long days on site, getting the kids to footy training, fixing the leaky tap and paying attention to the mrs. But if you can focus on the amount of time you spend in the sack, you'll enjoy one of the most best ways to keep your metabolism revved all day long.

Give it a crack and aim to get between 7 and 9 hours' sleep.

This one is really easy. As you get older you need muscle mass long-term and those muscles needs fuel. Eat more lean meats, fish, and Greek yogurt, and you'll put the brakes on the deterioration of your fat-burning engines.

Much of retaining muscle mass is dependent also on exercise so if you're not doing any it's time to start looking at it.

Want to sleep better and lose more weight? Have more sex — yep, it's science!

A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine shows that for every extra hour of sleep women got, their sexual desire increased accordingly so that's a good reason to tell the wife to have an early night.

Even better there was a separate study that showed the more sex you get, the better you sleep, and the more weight you lose. Do I need to go on?
 

Although you shouldn't go to bed starving (that presents its own sleepy time problems), you also shouldn't hit the sack completely stuffed.

When you eat too much before bed, your body works to digest it long into the night — and if your body is still worked up, so are you. The later you fall asleep, the less rest you'll get, and you'll wake up feeling groggy and more likely to reach for calorie-dense items.

We know that you're not your parents and eat dinner at 4pm, but having dinner on the earlier side could be a huge boost to your weight loss goals.

When you get older muscle becomes more important and it's just that the goal posts are moving and we are going after something different. Muscles are what keeps our metabolism high and as we age our muscles slowly start to get smaller, therefore allowing our metabolism to slow down.

To combat this it's simple: start lifting weights.

You won't get big and bulky or even think about being one of those young muscle heads taking selfies in the mirror. In fact, you'll stay lean. That's because weight training causes you to burn more calories per workout than cardio sessions, and you continue to burn them post-workout.