Once I hit my 40s, it felt like everything got harder. I’ve got extra weight and this stomach! Where did that come from?? I don’t know – maybe it’s inevitable because I’m getting older but is there anything I can do about it? I don’t need to have my 20-something body – I just want to feel comfortable again.
(Message from a new client to me)
I get messages like this on a daily basis. Is middle-age weight gain inevitable, and should you just give up? Or can you do something about it? The good news is YES!! There is so much we can do about it. That’s what we are going to talk about in this article.
Truth is, once you enter “middle age” your body is changing. Your metabolism is slowing down. But weight gain isn’t inevitable and you can still have an awesome transformation if you do the right things.
If you want proof have a look at all the ladies on my website who have changed their bodies and lives after 40. If they can do it – you can too. These are ladies just like you only they have figured out what works and committed to the process. You probably also know women who are in their 40s and 50s who look fantastic – again proving middle-age weight gain is not inevitable.
In this article, you’ll learn what you need to do to improve your metabolism and ultimately transform your body. No silly gimmicks like drinking ice water or taking fast fix supplements. This is real world experience and science. It has work for so many of my ladies and it will work for you too.
Why Your Metabolism Slows Down As You Get Older
Before we get into your action plan – let’s quickly look at why it gets harder after 40.
The first thing working against you with age is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR is how many calories your body uses for basic functions like breathing, circulation and digestion. Unfortunately, decade by decade this part of your metabolism declines and that means you use less calories to perform these functions.
Another big challenge as we get older is that we naturally start losing muscle from our 30s and this really accelerates, as we get older. As we’ll talk about later, muscle burns more calories than fat so it’s really important for your metabolism (not to mention how good you look and how you function as an older adult).
There are also a couple of lifestyle related factors that are particularly relevant to women. The first is that we are so much less active overall than when we were younger. We’ll talk about that more later too.
The second factor – and I’ve seen this a lot in my work – has to do with your dieting history. In my experience most women can lose weight without a very aggressive calorie deficit. However, women with a history of dieting and regaining weight will find that it gets harder and harder every time. One reason this happens is something called “fat overshooting” (your body can gain more fat cells each you regain weight). If you’ve spent a lifetime dieting, it’s quite possible you’ll have a more problems with your metabolism and losing weight.
So that’s the bad news but we know not everyone gains weight when they get older and that’s a clue that there’s something you can do. Next I’m going to talk about strategies for improving your metabolism and they are all important so don’t just pick the one that seems easiest for you. If you truly want to change your body, you need to do everything that follows.
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3 Strategies For Improving Your Metabolism After 40
1. Build Muscle – It’s Key To Having A Better Metabolism
Muscle burns significantly more calories than fat, which is why your ratio of muscle to fat mass matters. Since you naturally lose muscle as you age and it contributes to your declining metabolism, the obvious strategy is to counteract that loss.
Having more muscle makes it easier for your body to regulate insulin levels too which is going to help with overall weight management but especially that extra weight around your midsection.
In my experience working with clients, muscular ladies can always eat more. Don’t worry – you don’t have to get big and bulky – I’m talking about ladies who have visible muscles but they are still very feminine looking.
Not only is building muscle going to help you burn more calories but you’ll have better posture, look younger and tighten up trouble areas. It’s a win-win so if you aren’t weight training regularly with a proper program, that’s your first step to getting a better metabolism.
“Follow along” videos, group fitness classes, or just randomly doing a few weights here and there won’t cut it. Check out my training programs to start building muscle and having a better metabolism within weeks. It’s not as hard as you think!
2. Move As Much As You Can – Increase Your Burn!
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for all physical activity or movement we do that isn’t exercise. NEAT is a huge part of your metabolism and something you can start using to your advantage. It can even be fun.
In simple terms we are talking about moving more. I could give you so many ways but here are some that I use:
-taking stairs instead of elevators
-playing with pets (I make sure I chase Nero around the house every night, playing with kids would work too!)
-vacuuming or doing some housework after a big dinner to help burn a few extra calories
-taking a quick break from work to walk around the block
-taking a few extra steps during rests between sets at the gym (don’t do cardio between sets but you can move around a bit more)
-getting up from the computer every hour or so to do a quick task (ie. hang some laundry, tidy a cupboard, etc)
Your NEAT can really add up and it could be the reason some people seem to have a better metabolism. In reality, they are simply moving more than you! So make a conscious effort to move more and you’ll definitely burn more calories throughout the day.
3. Stop Dieting (and Rebounding)
If you have a history of dieting you may struggle more than others. Dieting slows down your metabolism because of something called metabolic adaptation. When you restrict food, your body senses a threat to survival and it decreases energy expenditure because food is scarce. This means your very smart body actually burns less calories from regular activities, basic body functions and exercise when you are dieting.
I’ve seen the harmful consequences of dieting in my work with clients. Ladies who tend to jump from one program to another – losing and regaining weight again and again struggle so much more than ladies who don’t have a history of dieting.
Over the years, many people suggested that I should do bodybuilding competitions. The main reason I’ve never competed is the dieting. I have the discipline for competition but I know the negative, long-term consequences of dieting on my metabolism and have never wanted to do that to my body. Even though I’m in my mid-40s, I can still eat as much as when I was in my 20s because my caloric intake has always been so consistent (it also helps that I have a decent amount of muscle).
So, remember, when you are dieting your body senses that it’s under threat and does everything possible to conserve energy. That’s why you get stuck and rebound. If you have weight to lose, you need to follow a balanced, gentle and sustainable program so you can stop dieting for good. It’s extremely important for your metabolism.
How To Get Started Improving Your Metabolism
There are so many other strategies I could talk about including making sure you eat enough protein, using caffeine strategically before training, and limiting alcohol. All of these things will give you an edge but they won’t help unless you are doing the major things we’ve talked about in this article.
When you are online you are going to see so many different supplements and programs claiming to improve your metabolism. Some of it will help you lose weight quickly but it is often at the expense of your metabolism and health in the long run.
What you need is something sensible and sustainable and that makes sense for your age, body and lifestyle. Take care of yourself by lifting weights, training hard enough to build muscle, eating well and move as much as you can through the day. Regardless of your age – if you do these things you will have a better metabolism. If you want some help with this make sure you check out my programs and don’t hesitate to message me if you have questions!
START BUILDING A BETTER BODY with my very popular OVER 40 TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM!
