How To Lose Weight For Women Over 40!!

That's typical of the 40s.

It is also typical for us that we recently need glasses, get hot flashes at night, torment ourselves with muscle tension, our periods cause problems, we are exhausted and less stress-resistant, we are more difficult to cope with alcohol, have less desire for sex and more Wrinkles and gray hair. I'll stop the list here ... you know what I mean ;-).

And many women over 40 have something else in common: they struggle with their weight and the rolls on their stomach and hips drive them in and again into despair.

And with that we are right in the middle of the actual topic.

Why do women over 40 have such a hard time losing weight?

The strategies that were great for losing weight in your 20s and 30s no longer work. FDH for a few days, a cabbage soup diet or jogging ... it doesn't affect your body at all. So please don't blame yourself for being too undisciplined and weak-willed.

Read More: How to increase your metabolism rate to faster weight loss at the age of over 40??

Your body (weight) now follows different laws. And it's time you got used to them.

1. The metabolism becomes slower

The metabolism becomes slower. That means you lose muscle mass (2.3 kilos per decade of life) and store more body fat. At the cell level, your mitochondria get tired. You may know them from your bio class.

There are hundreds of thousands of tiny power plants in almost all body cells that convert food and oxygen into energy. You decide how effectively you absorb nutrients and how much energy, i.e. fat, you burn.

2. Hormone chaos perimenopause sends its regards

Have you ever heard the term "perimenopause"? It describes a period of 4 to 10 years before you finally hit menopause, i.e. your last period was a year ago. Perimenopause begins on average at 45, menopause at 52.

In recent years, the average age has shifted more and more downwards, so that even women in their late 30s notice hormone problems or enter menopause early.

Sex hormones:

The perimenopause is the time when the hormone estrogen rides a roller coaster and fluctuates wildly - hot flashes, water retention, depressive moods send their regards: - ((.

In 80% of women there is a relative excess of the hormone estrogen, especially in the first few years of perimenopause.

There is not too much of it, because the estrogen value decreases more and more on average. But there is too much of it in relation to its counterpart progesterone.

Because progesterone sneaks off the stage much earlier than estrogen. In this case, we speak of excess estrogen or estrogen dominance .

And this then ensures, among other things, weight gain. So be careful when taking estrogen supplements.

Many doctors only see the low estrogen value, but do not put it in relation to progesterone. In that case, the estrogen dominance would increase.

At some point around 50, when ovulation or periods become less and less common and finally dry up completely, no more progesterone or estrogen can be produced in the ovaries.

The body continues to produce some progesterone in the adrenal glands.

Only for estrogen production could he really have chosen a better place.

The ... FAT CELLS are now responsible for them. And they are now beginning to split wildly and expand with the "well-intentioned" intention of producing as much estrogen as possible.

And a particularly large number of these estrogen-producing cells are located in the abdominal area. And now you also know what the "menopausal stomach" is all about: the pear becomes the apple shape - .

Thyroid hormones:

Incidentally, fluctuating sex hormones also slow down the thyroid. As you know for sure, the thyroid is important for our energy metabolism. If you produce too few thyroid hormones, your metabolism goes on the back burner. You store fat and store water. Didn't we already have that?

Stress hormones:

As you can see - a lot of hormones fluctuate in women over 40. There is one more hormone that we should be really good with: cortisol, our stress hormone.

The effects of stress are extremely underestimated in our society: career, performance, perseverance, competition are virtues. Breaks, time-outs and nap are for the lazy. Many women in their 40s find that they are no longer as stress resistant as they were when they were 30.

On the one hand, this is due to the fact that our adrenal glands sometimes weaken after years of continuous operation. Small children, job, household chores, lack of sleep, taking care of a sick mother….

Over the years, this overwhelms our adrenal glands, which are responsible for regulating stress. On the other hand, fluctuating or falling estrogen and progesterone levels no longer keep cortisol in check.

We are no longer as stress-resistant as we used to be. Have you noticed too, haven't you?

Chronic stress leads to:

• Digestive problems

• sleep disorders

• Thyroid problems

• Indigestion

• Chronic inflammation (see 4.)

• Cravings

• Alcohol, coffee and sugar need

• Exhaustion and listlessness.

In the hormone race, cortisol always wins in the end. It is our survival hormone. In stressful times, it dominates our entire hormonal system. No wonder stressed women struggle with fertility problems or with menopausal symptoms and weight problems.

When we are under stress, our body slows down the function of the ovaries, thyroid and digestive organs. Energy is saved and fat stores are replenished. In stress mode , nothing works.

By the way, if you want to find out whether it is your hormones that are responsible for your weight gain, I recommend my free self-test, which you can simply download by clicking on the green button.

3. The garbage disposal is on strike

The intestines and liver are our main detoxification organs. They play a vital role - not just for our overall health, but also in weight loss. When toxins and excess hormones cannot be safely evacuated, the body deposits them in its own landfill - our fat cells.

That is why we absolutely have to support our intestinal flora and our liver. In this way he can dispose of his garbage and is ready to break down fat tissue in the first place.

By the way, it has now been found that estrogens can also be formed in the intestine - provided that your intestinal flora is healthy.

When your estrogen levels drop, it is surely a better place for estrogen production than our fat cells. So if you want to keep your stomach slim, keep your gut healthy.

4. The blood sugar rises

With age, blood sugar levels rise and our cells can no longer absorb insulin as well. Insulin is the hormone found in the pancreas. It ensures that sugar (glucose) is transported from the blood to the cells.

If there is too much glucose in the blood, more and more insulin is produced. Unfortunately, the cells become more and more insensitive and insulin resistance can slowly but surely develop, which is the preliminary stage of type 2 diabetes.

Insulin is a fat storage hormone. So if we want to lose weight, we have to take care of a balanced blood sugar level.

5. The immune system works overtime

Inflammation is a normal response of the body. They take place continuously in miniature format - namely whenever the immune system has to react to external stimuli and attacks. These can be viruses and bacteria. But every time we eat something, it also triggers immunological inflammatory reactions.

As long as the body can clear these little foci of inflammation every time, everything is fine. But when the inflammation spreads and the immune system can no longer cope with so many construction sites at once, then chronic inflammation develops.

They are like a conflagration that is becoming independent. The result: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, muscle and joint pain, depression, autoimmune diseases, and fertility problems.

Ok my love I am aware that none of this sounds good at all. And now you know why I really wanted to say at the beginning how GREAT the 40s are ;-)). The good thing about it is: You now know where the hare is.

You now know that it has nothing to do with you, but with your hormones. So now I'm going to show you what you can do to make losing weight work. And maybe in the end you will notice that I won't say a word about calorie counting here

The Best Weight Loss Strategies For Women Over 40

1. Does your metabolism slow down? Now is the time for strength training!

More muscles mean: less fat, more testosterone, more growth hormone, more drive, more assertiveness, firmer connective tissue, more youth. Any other objections?

For women who have not played any sport before:

I know that if you are not used to exercise and training, it takes a lot of effort to start with. But you will not be able to avoid moving daily. I'm not talking about training here.

Only from MOVEMENT: Climbing stairs, going to work on foot or by bike, playing badminton with the children, walking during the lunch break, hiking on weekends. Be the woman who moves a lot every day.

A pedometer is a great thing! Start with 5000 steps a day and climb to 10,000. Maybe you bring your girlfriend or your partner on board and you make a challenge out of it ?! When you get used to moving more, take the next step towards muscle training….

For women who are already training:

Women like endurance sports: walking, jogging, exercise bikes, treadmills, steppers. You are welcome to continue doing that. BUT ... you have to incorporate STRENGTH TRAINING in order not to lose even more valuable muscle mass.

It doesn't have to be time consuming exercise. For example, 10-20 minutes of circuit training 3 times a week with your own weight is sufficient: 15 squats, 15 push-ups at the table, 30-60 seconds. Forearm support, an abdominal and a back exercise - the whole thing 2-3 rounds - done. If that's too much for you, start with fewer repetitions and slowly increase.

For women who are already doing strength training:

The body adapts very quickly. For this reason, you should make your training as varied as possible. Always try new classes in the gym.

For example, go to the climbing hall or mountain biking. The main thing is to get the body out of its comfort zone. That pushes muscle building and fat burning.

2. Hormone chaos perimenopause sends its regards? Get out of the constant stress!

When women are exposed to high levels of stress for years, they sometimes don't even know what it feels like to be relaxed. A friend was just telling me that if she had to do breathing exercises or relaxation exercises, she would freak out.

THAT stresses them out. It is a sign that your nervous system is under a lot of stress.

I don't want to give you a long list of relaxation exercises here - that would be worth an extra contribution. At this point, it is important to me that you deal with your stress triggers and deal with your energy more carefully.

All of life always consists of two sides: light and dark, loud and quiet, yin and yan, day and night, activity and relaxation. This is the only way to create harmony - also in the nervous system.

You can't just be in the hamster wheel all the time You're going to break it. And that is of no use to anyone. Not your partner, not your children, and certainly not yourself.

Find something that really relaxes you, where time flies by and you don't think about problems and to-do lists.

When I asked said friend, where she would really relax: "Oh, I love to just sit alone for 2 hours in the café, drink a latte macciato and watch other people. That's when I really switch off. ”Voila!

3. The garbage disposal is on strike? Support your gut and liver

A healthy endocrine system is based on two important organs: the intestines and the liver. The intestines absorb the nutrients, break them down, and then through the blood they reach the liver. It checks whether it contains toxins before they are then transported to the body cells.

A healthy gut produces around 20 different hormones that not only affect your body but also your mood, e.g. 95% of all serotonin. You need a good intestinal flora so that all vitamins, minerals and thousands of other substances get into the bloodstream and thus into your cells.

Without sufficient nutrients, a creeping malnutrition occurs, which has consequences for all hormonal and metabolic processes. How do you know that your bowel is not doing so well? For example, constipation, greasy stools, food intolerances and allergies, gas, and the use of antibiotics and painkillers are typical symptoms.

To support the bowel, you can do the following:

• Probiotics as dietary supplements or in the form of fermented foods such as apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, tempeh.

• Daily fiber from plants and vegetables, flax, chia or psyllium husks. Adding 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your muesli a day will help maintain the estrogen balance. If you suffer from constipation, it is very important to get your digestion going again.

• Because if excess estrogen cannot be drained sufficiently, it promotes estrogen dominance. This increases the risk of breast cancer. Please drink at least 2 liters of water daily, otherwise the detox won't work.

• Avoid industrially produced foods, table sugar and wheat if possible.

The liver has to work hard to get rid of all the environmental toxins from plastic packaging, cosmetics, cleaning agents, but also drug residues. It has to work perfectly. Because these toxins disrupt our hormonal system tremendously. The liver plays a special role in the thyroid function.

Because the inactive thyroid hormones are converted to active hormones in the liver. If the liver is overloaded, that doesn't work. When women over 40 are still under constant stress, the hypothyroidism is no longer far.

How to support your liver:

• Avoid coming into contact with toxins and use cosmetic, care and household items without harmful fragrances, parabens or hormone-active substances. With the free CodeCheck app, you can scan barcodes and display harmful substances.

• Have a glass of warm water with lemon juice in the morning

• Eat plenty of green vegetables, dark salads, and herbs

• ... and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi or radishes.

• ... as well as bitter substances such as radiccio, dandelion, rocket, grapefruit, artichoke, turmeric

• Eat protein-rich, animal products if possible only in organic quality and not every day

• Avoid alcohol, convenience foods, refined sugars, and sweeteners!

4. The blood sugar rises? Eat enough fat, protein, and fiber

When blood sugar is stable, your hormone levels are also more stable. The blood sugar curve rises particularly sharply with sugar, fruit and carbohydrates such as cereals, pasta or bread. A strong rise is followed by a strong fall.

At the lowest point, we feel hypoglycemic or hungry, even though we have only recently eaten. The body then has to release a lot of insulin to keep the blood sugar stable. High levels of insulin prevent you from losing weight.

How to keep your blood sugar stable:

• Cut down on processed foods high in carbohydrates like: pasta or bread.

• Take only a small amount of side dishes such as pasta or rice and combine with good fats, e.g. avocado or olive oil, protein, e.g. fish, and fiber, e.g. vegetables.

• Fat, protein or fiber keep blood sugar stable. A filling meal that keeps the blood sugar stable would be quinoa or whole grain rice with wild salmon and spinach. Or for breakfast: full-fat yogurt with oatmeal, nuts and berries.

• Eat regularly and fill yourself up with main meals. Many women eat far too little for fear of gaining weight. As a result, they are constantly hungry and / or snack all the time. Try not to eat anything at least 3-4 hours between meals, but try to drink a lot.

• If you still need snacks in between (this happens when you are chronically exhausted or your blood sugar is unstable), eat snacks that you combine with fat and protein: almonds and apples, yogurt with oatmeal, bread with avocado, dates with almond butter or dark chocolate.

• Reduce your coffee consumption and only drink it with meals, not separately.

5. Does the immune system work overtime? Soothe your sources of inflammation.

In principle, you can get inflammation under control if you follow the four points above: reduce stress and get enough sleep, support the liver and intestines, omit industrial food, eat a lot of vegetables and low sugar.

In addition, I would like to introduce you to a few important nutritional supplements that every woman over 40 should take. Stress, inflammation, hormone preparations and medication deprive us of essential vital substances. But we urgently need them.

They reduce inflammation, support hormone production and have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Here I am linking products * with which I have had good experiences. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for use:

• Vitamin D3 / K2

• Omega 3 fatty acids

• magnesium

• Vitamin B complex

Bonus Tips:

Click here to know exclusive bonus tips, That will help you to weight-loss without exercise and diets.

Pin 📌 for Later