Hormonal upheavals, aging, successive diets … After 40 years, pounds inevitably become more difficult to lose.
The body begins to change from birth! But the periods when the body and the silhouette change the most are: adolescence and The peri-menopausethat is to say for most women between 40 and 50 years. Not only the weightbut also body fat tends to increase annoyingly. From 20 to 40 years old, women take an average of 10 kilos and after 40 years50 % complain of taking at least 3 kilos more.
Women grow mainly due to hormonal changes linked to this period of life. Having too many estrogens or missing it takes weight. Basic metabolism slows down : the more we get older, the less calories we need. Stress also plays an important role and women often have good reasons to be stressed in their forties: adolescents not always easy, parents who age, a demanding work … Now, but stress Chronicle induces a flow of cortisol which stimulates insulin, which itself encourages the storage of fats, especially in the abdominal region.
So young, you lose weight by watching for a few days, over the years, the “losing machine” can tend to seep slightly, especially if you multiply the catches then weight loss. And after 40 years, if we have often got into the habit of chaining the little ones (or large diets), the body has become over time as more “resistant” to deprivation: it grows more easily than in the past (especially if you are less active), and the pounds hang on, becoming more and more difficult to dislodge: you have the impression of “taking” more easily and losing … much more difficult! Moreover, We make Yoyo even more easily Because the body has learned to operate with fewer calories (by reducing what is called its basic metabolism), but it then stores in its adipocytes the slightest surplus or cracking.
At all ages, the muscles melt when they do not work. And if they develop regularly until the age of 15, the maintenance and increase in muscle mass are proportional to physical activity. Not only should you maintain your capital, but you also have to fight against loss! Without regular exercise, the muscle melts from 1 to 2 % per year,, Or 500 g of muscles less every year! As for the fat, it increases on average by 1 g per day in women from the age of 20. Multiply by 365 days and you can imagine the result over time! In addition, to Péri-Menopause and especially after menopause, fat also tends to migrate under the influence of hormones, thighs, buttocks and hips towards the. However, this fatty distribution, which corresponds to a so-called android (or male) silhouette, is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, do not panic, half of women do not grow more after 40 years than before. Besides, no one takes on the weight of the day (except depression or specific disease). The overweight settles gradually, proof that it is due to food and a sedentary lifestyle. It is quite possible to lose this overweight, but above all to avoid growing. The best is to worry about it as soon as possible and not let the pounds settle over the years. Do not take 10 kilos before taking the bull by the horns!
In theory, weighting is done naturally. The body is a marvel of balance, but this constancy requires a perfect balance between entries and outputs. However, a sedentary lifestyle, too much sugar and fat represent excess calories which are stored in the form of lipids or fat reserves in the adipose tissue. For example, a single piece of too much sugar every day for 30 years would lead to taking 20 kilos if an equivalent loss of energy did not intervene.
- Stop restrictive regimes
If you eat too much, you grow, because of the too high intake in calories which are not offset by physical activity. You must therefore change your eating habits instead of making Yo-Yo diets that make you fattely but surely fat. THE regimes Too restrictive make muscle mass lose and as soon as you reshape “normally”, the additional calories come to nest in the fat. The body is intelligent, It stores in anticipation of famine periods.
2. Reduce your calorie intake
If the main principles are the same at any age, you have to be more vigilant after 40 years. If when you were a young girl, you could easily consume 2,000 calories or over, at 45, for all the aforementioned reasons, you must limit your contribution to 1,700 calories to avoid gaining weight.
3. opt for regular physical activity,
Guarantee of a stable and normal weight, a good muscle mass and a more toned silhouette! Because who says less muscle says more fat. The greater muscle mass, the greater the energy supplied by the body to maintain lean tissues. And on the contrary, the less important it is, the less energy you need. Finally, free yourself from stress while trying to make choices for your own well-being instead of always taking care of others. Organize relaxation beaches, set yourself realistic objectives, be more tender with yourself and do not hesitate to use appropriate techniques. Yogamassages, acupuncture, everything is good to take!
You have to choose what you eat and always favor quality and not the quantity. It is quite possible to balance your diet without digging your head too much and without restricting yourself excessively.
- We take the reflex to cook fresh products, and We compose her meals around vegetables (in quantity and with the greatest possible variety), animal or vegetable proteins (very full), legumes and complete cereals and in moderate quantities.
- We try to reduce to the maximum or even delete sweet products (No false dairy products at the end of a meal!), Which maintain an addiction phenomenon and are formidable for the line. It is not a question of depriving yourself for life, but of adopting a more “responsible” and “adult” lifestyle: more Junk Food, and much fewer snacks, less alcohol, “superfluous” nutritional … and conversely, more costs, vitamins …
Thanks to Marie Belouze-Storm for her advice. The author has participated in numerous works including “Losing weight after 40 years”.
