A growing belly is a problem that many women over the age of 50 must face. This is due to hormonal changes that change the way your body stores fat. After the age of 50 fat is less likely to deposit in the legs, hips and butt. It is more likely to settle into the abdomen. Losing belly fat after the age of 50 is possible and this article will discuss a few fixes you can use to combat the problem.
Increased belly fat is not only an issue of appearance or how well your clothing fits; it is also health concern. Fat that accumulates in the abdomen is referred to as "metabolically active" fat because it easily releases fatty acids into the bloodstream. This makes a woman past the age of 50 more prone to serious health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease, and certain cancers.
If you are a woman over 50 with a growing belly, use these tips to reduce belly fat:
1. Think Add, Not Subtract. Any time you face the need to lose fat it is common to think you need to reduce your food intake. While eating fewer calories is a good idea, it is not a good idea to reduce the volume of food you eat. This can leave you feeling hungry and irritable, which spells disaster for any fat loss plan.
Instead, you want to add "one-ingredient foods". Focus on replacing processed pre-packaged foods with foods that consist of only one ingredient, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and beans. These foods not only keep you filled up and satisfied, they help you reduce your intake of Trans fats, which contribute to cravings and belly fat storage.
2. Be Carb Smart. As you age carbohydrates are not handled by your body in the same way as when you were younger. When you were younger carbs were easily converted to energy; now at 50 carbs are more likely to be converted to fat. Therefore you want to eat them in the morning when your metabolism is naturally strong.
As the day goes on reduce the amount of carbs you eat at one sitting. This allows your body to use what is available as immediate energy or store the carbs in your muscles as a quick energy reserve. This also prevents excessive carb intake, which are likely to "spill-over" into fat storage.
3. Exercise to maintain muscle. The old saying goes, "if you don't use them you will lose them." If we are talking about muscles, this saying holds true. Muscle mass starts to diminish after the age of 50, if you do not work out against resistance.
Try different strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, an exercise DVD, strength-building yoga, or bodyweight exercises. Each pound of muscle you save will burn 50 calories each day, even on a rest day!
As a woman over the age of 50 are you clear on what your weight loss goal should be? Read the goals of other women over 50 and see how your goals stack up to theirs. I guarantee their inspiring stories will give you the motivation to reach your goal!
PLUS... you will receive my free report "How to Keep Your Body in a Fat Burning State 24/7", where you will learn how to gain control over hormones that control weight loss. Get the Free Report and Read Goals by clicking the link.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Becky_Gillaspy
No comments:
Post a Comment