Why women over 40 gain weight and what they can do to lose it

Yes, hacking into one’s metabolism is one of the most difficult tasks to achieve. With increasing age, our body is unable to build muscles the way it did when young. The muscle mass tends to become less, and the body is now capable of comparatively burning fewer calories. In women, this fluctuation in hormones causes a flurry of changes – from decreased bone density and leaner muscle mass to lower sex drive and severe (also unpredictable) mood swings.

  Menopause also slows down metabolism. But that doesn’t mean it’s an impossible task to achieve.

What is the secret to losing weight after 40?

To jump-start a healthy weight loss, you should focus mainly on the lifestyle choices (that, unlike biology) are totally within your control. Here are a few steps that would help you do that:

1. Load up on a healthy diet: Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and packed with essential vitamins and minerals. According to health experts, these are rich in fibre and help in effectively maintaining your portion control strategy as well.
2. Never skip breakfast: The golden rule of eating breakfast like a king applies here too as for ageing women, especially a breakfast rich in lean protein, fibre, and plant-based fats is the best option for curbing hunger and cravings throughout the day.
3. Watch your dinner: It’s a myth at eating at night can lead to weight gain. However, it is more about what you eat. Toss up a healthy salad or soup to consume a moderate amount of calories. Make sure to eat smaller portions and track calories with a food app or a diary.
4. Cook healthy meals: A lot of extra calories are added to food from the way it is prepared. Instead of frying try baking, air frying, grilling or broiling which makes the dishes appetising and flavoursome.
5. Make time for exercise: Most women over 40 tend to neglect this aspect of life, getting busy with kids, work and social life. No matter what, take out time to exercise and work out for at least 30 minutes every day to keep the metabolism going.
6. Do not stress: However common it is to stress on small things, it leads to bingeing on unhealthy and calorie-laden foods that make it harder for the body to break down fat. Try some meditation and deep breathing techniques or read a good book to ward off the stress.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

 

 

6 Ways to Feel Better After Overeating

Whenever there is a party or a festival, when we meet our friends and relatives, a big feast is spread out and invariably in such social circumstances, seeing so many goodies, we all tend to over eat, as we keep talking, so we forget the quantity. When we tend to overeat, it does cause indigestion, bloating, heartburn and at times nausea. But there are ways to overcome the same.

According to the USDA dietary guidelines, the recommended daily amount of calories is about 2,000 for women and about 2,600 for men – referring to individuals of both sexes who lead moderately active lifestyles. Exceeding these boundaries occasionally is not a reason for concern, according to dietitians. 

 1. Don’t Stress Too Much
Some of us have a tendency to feel very guilty and beat ourselves up after eating a larger-than-usual meal. If it’s a rare occurrence, it won’t cause you to gain weight or any other long term consequences. Associating guilt with food, however, may lead to unhealthy eating patterns over time. Instead of stressing over what cannot be undone, plan what you’re going to do to better your feeling in the days that follow.

2. Don’t Lie Down
A big meal often makes us feel tired and sleepy. It’s best if you try and resist the urge to take a nap. Lying down makes it more likely that you experience acid reflux, as it puts pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is the muscle responsible for preventing stomach acids from going back up. Moreover, even doing a small task while standing upright, like doing the dishes, may help burn some calories.

3. Stay Hydrated – But Be Cautious! 
What causes the feeling of being bloated after a big meal is the intake of sodium. Drinking water may help flush out some of the excess salt from the food you consumed, but remember – small sips are the keywords. Limit yourself to about 8 ounces (one cup) of water after a meal, and drink it slowly and moderately. Continue to sip throughout the day. If you chug a large amount of liquids, it can expand your stomach even further and give you a stomachache.

4. Avoid Fizzy Drinks
When drinking carbonated drinks, you swallow gas, which can fill up the digestive system. Your system is already strained with the burden of the meal, so until that excess gas is released, it will only worsen the ‘heaviness’ that you’re feeling. In 2017, researchers found that sugar-sweetened drinks decrease fat oxidation, and thus, the body stores more fat, especially if you drink them with or right after high-protein meals.  

5. Take a Walk​
It may not help you feel less bloated and full, but walking can help the stomach empty more quickly, according to studies. A walk that is at least 10 minutes long can aid digestion, as well as balance blood sugar. When blood sugar spikes, which is likely to happen after a rich meal, a hormone called insulin is released. Insulin removes excess sugar from the bloodstream in two ways – it can either be burned as fuel or stored as fat. Balancing the blood sugar by walking can help you avoid storing a lot of extra fat.

6. Plan Next Meal
Once we've eaten in excess, without fretting, one can easily plan the next meal, which is light, but at the same time healthy. You can even make just one dish, which has carbs, proteins, vitamins, fibers. Such a meal is vegetarian biryani ( you can see the recipe in my recipe blog), vegetable pulao or vegetable kichdi/ pongal. As you can incorporate a lot of veges, dals, nuts, best is to have a raita, i.e., a dish made with curd to which you can add cucumber / tomatoes / onion or all combined finely chopped and seasoned to taste, makes a complete meal.
for such healthy recipes, feel free to view my recipe blog

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement