One of the biggest reasons we put on weight as we get older is because our metabolism slows down.
However just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you can’t stay in shape and keep the weight at bay.
In fact, according to the decade diet, simple adjustments to your diet and exercise routine can leave you looking great no matter how old you are:
- Your 20s
This (and your teens) is when your body is at its best. Your youth will soak up the bad days and keep the fat off your stomachs. However this isn’t an excuse to binge and drink too much. Even at this age, overeating can lead to weight gain.
To keep your weight in check avoid refined sugars (sweets and biscuits) and alcohol (particularly wine), and learn good posture. Combined these will help to strengthen your stomach muscles. Simply keep your chest out, your shoulders back, your stomach tucked in and your back straight.
- Your 30s
When you enter into your 30s your metabolism will start to slow down and fat will be more easily stored around your middle.
To keep the weight off make sure your meals consist of mainly vegetable based meals with a palm-sized helping of protein i.e. chicken, fish, eggs or meat, and that you take a fish oil supplement (these supplements will help your body to metabolise fat better).
At the same time you should limit your carbohydrate and refined sugar intake as these will increase insulin in your body leading to more fat storage.
In terms of fitness, to keep your metabolism revved up you should mix up your exercise so one week you go swimming, the next cycling and the next zumba, but also incorporate relaxing exercises such as yoga to keep your stress levels down.
- Your 40s
It’s a well known fact that the more lean muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism is and the more calories you burn. However, once you reach your 40s your lean muscle mass will naturally start to decrease causing your metabolism to slow and the weight to pile on.
To combat this loss of lean muscle mass, the simplest thing to do is eat less, limit your carbohydrates and sugars (eating less of these will limit your loss of lean muscle) and up your protein and fibre intake (protein is needed to build muscle).
Fitness wise, the biggest piece of advice trainers give is to do more strength training and flexibility exercises as these will keep your muscles flat and toned.
- 50+
Once you reach the 50+ mark the easiest way to manage your metabolism is to eat little and often (5-6 small 300 calorie portions), structure your meals around colourful vegetables and lean proteins, continue taking fish supplements and up your dairy content.
Exercise – experts suggest focusing on resistance based exercises, light weight training and Pilates as these all help to increase your lean muscle mass.
Managing your metabolism
Starting early and taking care of your body can ensure that you never become victim to a slow metabolism; however if you are struggling to keep your weight at bay, there are a number of fat burning supplements you can use which can lend you a helping hand.
Some use a combination of cyclic AMP enzyme boosters to raise your core body temperature, increase your metabolic rate and suppress your appetite so you burn an extra 270 calories a day.
There are a number of natural fat burners that can help your metabolism to overcome aging and keep your body in shape.
So if you’re worried your age is making it harder for you to lose weight, bear in the mind the above points and make sure you use the right supplement for you.
