Did you know that the average woman gains between 12 and 15 pounds between the ages of forty and fifty five? Here is a list of facts and some potential solutions for age-related weight gain and loss.
40 Plus Fat Gain Fact: Body stores fat more easily
As ovaries produce less estrogen, the body attempts to find the hormone elsewhere i.e. fat cells. The body becomes better equipped at converting excess calories into body fat.
Solution: Get your portion size right
The body will only store calories as fat if there is any surplus of it: avoid eating more than you actually need. Here are some suggestions on serving sizes:
- Milk, yogurt, lettuce or green leafy vegetable = 2 handfuls
- Cooked pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, couscous, bulgur wheat, beans, pulses, fruit or vegetables = 1 handful
- Bread = the size of your hand
- Meat, chicken, fish, poultry or cottage cheese = the size of your palm
- Potatoes, bread = the size of a clenched fist
- Nuts and seeds, hard cheese = the size of 2 fingers
- Margarine, butter and spreads = the size of the tip of your thumb
40 Plus Fat Gain Fact: Metabolic rate decrease
The body's metabolism slows down by 5% during each decade: we burn around 100 fewer calories a day at 35 years of age and 200 fewer at 45.
Solution: Increase your muscle tone Losing muscle mass is one of the main reasons for a decrease in metabolism. "It is always best to stick to big movement patterns as opposed to working individual muscles out" - says Dan Roberts http://www.danrobertstraining.com/ , our fitness expert. "The squat, lunge, bench press ups, pull ups/ lat pull down and bent over row are the best 5 movements to maximise metabolic affect of resistance training. Do 4 sets per movement."
Dan also recommends: "For weight lifting... dumbbells are the best: they should be heavy enough that you can’t do 20 repetitions and light enough that you can do 8 repetitions. For most people, I would recommend total body workouts every other day and doing cardio workouts in between."
40 Plus Fat Gain Fact: Increase in appetite
A natural drop in oestrogen and progesterone production that occurs around 40 and after will increase your appetite by up to 67% (according to a recent study conducted at Oregon Health and Science University).
Solution: Foods high in 'Satiety Index' (“SI”)
Created by researchers at Sydney University, 'Satiety Index' was tested on over 200 different types of foods to identify which ones were more filling:
- Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, pulses, fish, chicken and meat were far better at curbing appetite than any other foods.
This is either due to their fibre, water or protein content:
Fibre (fruit, vegetables etc.) curbs appetite by slowing the rate at which we digest food
Water (fruit, vegetables etc.) adds bulk and volume helping to feel fuller for longer
Protein (beans, nuts, fish, chicken etc.) triggers the brain to feel full far sooner than fat or carbohydrate
40 Plus Fat Gain Fact: Hormonal changes
Research shows hormonal changes leading to breast soreness, bloating, hot flushes, insomnia and chronic tiredness. The changes above can result in women becoming far less inclined to exercise around this time of life.
Solution: Less is more
According to the Women's Health Study* those who choose not to cut back on calorie intake need to do at least 60 minutes of exercise a day to prevent weight gain.
Eat less and do 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity – brisk walking, cycling, swimming or running – so that you will not find it that hard to lose extra pounds and maintain your weight control.
*The study examined the diet and exercise habits of over 34,000 women.
“Weight-Loss” Fitness Tips by Dan Roberts
Highly qualified and with years of experience in providing personal training worldwide - Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, New York, London - Dan Roberts is a fitness journalist, presenter, tutor & assessor on the expert panel for Women's Running magazine, consulting expert to a current Channel 4 TV series, consultant and trainer to fashion modelling agencies worldwide.
Purifyne is pleased to be working closely with Dan Roberts who will be providing our clients with fitness advice and expertise: · Training before breakfast assists weight-loss: Hormonally, we are in a state where we tend to burn off a higher percentage of fat than at any other time in the day.
· Best way of losing weight in the gym: Split your session into two for the best impact - cross trainer is usually the best one for fat burning
o Do resistance training only on the biggest muscle groups during the first half.
o Do interval training on a radio machine during the second half.
· Running for both toning and performance: 'Fartlek interval training' is randomly mixing up speed while jogging. Walk, jog and sprint – mix it all as it is fun to do! When sprinting do at least 10 sets when you go out.
