There are a lot of reasons why both men and women tend to gain weight as they age. The North American Menopause Society says that women may gain weight as they age because their metabolisms slow down and they don’t work out as often. On the other hand, study shows that men losing testosterone as they age can also make them gain weight.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight As You Age:
Even though weight changes during middle age, most experts agree that staying at a healthy weight is good for your health and lowers your risk of getting sick or hurt.It’s especially important for bone health to keep a good weight. Experimental Gerontology published a study in 2023 that found older people with fat whose bones got better when they worked out and lost weight .
It was found that weight loss combined with strength training was better at keeping the weight off in the long term than weight loss combined with aerobic exercise. However, both types of exercise helped keep muscle quality high, which may be linked to bone quality.
Losing Weight After 50: Common Challenges:
Common reasons why people tend to gain weight after age 50, according to Megan Lyons, a certified clinical nutritionist and board-certified holistic nutritionist based in Dallas, Texas, include:
- Decreased physical activity with age
- Decreased muscle mass (a 3% to 5% decrease per decade beginning as early as one’s thirties[2])
- Increased risk of inflammation and inflammatory conditions like arthritis
8 Ways to Lose Weight Safely After 50—And Keep It Off
Consider the following expert-recommended tips for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight in midlife and beyond.
1. Do some weights
Using resistance bands, dumbbells, and/or your own body weight while strength training can help you gain muscle mass, which can help your metabolism work properly, which is linked to healthy weight control. Obesity Reviews also looked at 149 studies and 12 systematic reviews and found that doing aerobic exercise along with weight training can help people lose abdominal fat while keeping their lean muscle mass.[3]
2. Give the Mediterranean diet a try.
A 2020 study published in Nutrients shows that the Mediterranean diet can help women who are going through menopause lose fat and keep the same amount of muscle mass as younger women, even if they don’t work out.[4]
Health and nutrition experts always say that the Mediterranean diet is the best way to eat. It focuses on eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and olive oil. It also allows dairy, lean protein, and fish in small amounts, while red meat and processed foods are avoided. Schmidt really likes fish, which is a popular food in the Mediterranean diet because it is full of nutrients.
3. Fill up your plate with more protein
Lyons says that people should eat more lean protein, like chicken breast and fish, or even a protein shake as a supplement. According to research, a high-protein diet can help people lose weight by lowering fat mass while keeping fat-free mass the same.
4. Don’t skip the carbs
Schmidt says that you should eat healthy carbs like beans, sweet potatoes, and brown rice, but only after you’ve eaten a protein source and veggies. Eating carbs later in the meal can help you better handle the insulin spike that happens after eating them. This can help you feel full faster and control cravings that can make you eat too much.
5. Take a stroll
A 10-minute walk after dinner can help your body digest food better and handle the insulin spike that happens as a result, making you feel full. A walk every night, on the other hand, will give you more aerobic exercise, which can help you lose weight by creating a caloric deficit.
6. Get enough good sleep
If someone isn’t tired enough to fall asleep, Lyons says they should talk to their doctor about magnesium glycinate or magnesium L-threonate tablets. A 2021 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who were overweight or obese lost more weight and fat when they got better sleep health.[5]
7. Don’t just look at the scale
The amount on the scale gives you an idea of your health, but it doesn’t give you the whole picture. Body fat is stored in different places, and measuring a person’s waist-to-hip ratio can give a more accurate picture of their health risks tied to their weight. When talking to a doctor about weight loss goals, these measures can be shared. For safety and long-term success, weight loss goals should not go faster than 2 pounds per week.
8. Write down your habits
Schmidt says that you should write down what you do every day in a journal. “I like it when my clients do some kind of self-monitoring,” she says. “No matter if it’s keeping track of their calories, beverages, or sleep.” Making a daily record of your health habits is another way to help people stick to a weight loss plan.