Turning 40 is a milestone in many women’s lives. While you might be successful in your career and within your family life the same cannot be said about your efforts to lose weight.
Actually, you might be battling your weight right now more than ever. And if that is true you are not the only one: Almost 40 percent of women in the United States aged 40 and up are obese based on the 2013 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Unstable hormones are often to blame for weight gain during this age group explains Sylvia Garcia MD a physician at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier California. And don’t forget, what you’re taking what you’re eating and how much stress you’re experiencing can also affect the number on the scale.
The good news is that there are numerous strategies for fighting weight gain in your 40s. Take the following tips to maintain your slim shape for years to come.
- Look to your meds. Beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure and some antidepressants and diabetes medications have a weight gain effect, according to Robert Ziltzer MD an obesity medicine physician with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center in Arizona. If you feel your medications are causing you to gain weight talk to your doctor and ask if there are any substitutions. Keep in mind that over-the-counter medications can contribute to weight gain too. For instance antihistamines for allergies containing diphenhydramine cause hunger and weight gain according to Ziltzer.
- Manage perimenopause. The hormonal changes that take place during perimenopause (the years before menopause) can bring on hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, and – guess what – weight gain. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, bring it up with your doctor to discuss hormone therapy, which can regulate your sleep patterns and anxiety, and subsequently, your eating habits, says Dr. Garcia. Just be sure to ask him or her about the risks to make sure they outweigh the benefits for you.
- Meal plan. “If you actually have a plan for what you will eat, it will be easier to deny the unhealthy additions,” suggests Debra Anne DeJoseph, MD, an internist at University Hospitals in South Euclid, Ohio. Decide on your meals for the week, make a shopping list, and then choose a day to go shopping, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Drink water first. Scientists discovered that when obese individuals consumed 17 ounces of water (roughly the size of most water bottles) before eating, they lost almost three pounds more in a 12-week period than those who simply fantasized about being full before they ate, based on a study published in the journal Obesity in 2014. Begin to make it a habit to drink a bottle of water prior to every meal and you just may discover that you are consuming less.
- Load up on vegetables. Challenge yourself to have at least half of every plate be vegetables at each meal, advises Dr. DeJoseph. Why: Vegetables are packed with fiber, which makes you feel full for a longer period of time. And they contain fewer calories.
- Reduce carbs. You don’t need to eliminate carbs from your diet completely, but peri- and postmenopausal women fare better on weight loss and maintenance when consuming a low-carb diet, DeJoseph advises.
- Get in the weight room. Muscle mass and function decrease as you age – a condition called sarcopenia – and it actually starts about age 40, says the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). Besides hampering your ability to function with daily activities later in life, sarcopenia also raises your risk for fracturing and causes you to gain weight. When you lose muscle, you gain fat and fat doesn’t burn as many calories as muscle, says DeJoseph. Aerobic activities such as walking, biking, and swimming will burn calories and ward off sarcopenia, says the IOF. But you must also include weight training in your daily routine to maintain strong muscles.
- Restrict technology at night. Your body burns the most fat when you are exercising and sleeping, according to Ziltzer. But few people catch as much sleep as they need. Why? They use technology at night, according to Ziltzer. Electronics disrupt your sleep cycle because they give off light that tricks your brain into thinking it’s daylight. Shut your gadgets down an hour and a half before bedtime so you can catch some z’s without any trouble, he recommends.
- Rethink your priorities. Too often, women put everyone else first, and that causes them to skip meals, stay up late, and forgo exercise, which inevitably leads to weight gain. Sound familiar? “First, it’s important to recognize that you’re putting other people first,” says Ziltzer. “And that’s not necessarily the best thing for your health and likely not the best thing for the health of your family.” Second, begin changing your healthy ways. That can mean standing up for yourself by saying no when someone needs something from you or asking someone else to do something for you.
- Do downward dog. Perimenopause symptoms and lifestyle demands, including kids going off to college, work stress, aging parents, and money worries, can cause life to be stressful. And stressing too much can cause overeating. To ward off emotional eating, de-stress by doing yoga and practicing relaxation techniques such as guided meditations, Garcia recommends.