The Secrets To Burning Fat Over 50
Does your mood feel as if it’s going haywire after reaching the golden age of 50? Do stairs seem a bit steeper and your joints weaker? Fat loss harder than ever?
Burning fat and maintaining strength can be difficult during midlife, but newsflash:
This doesn’t have to be YOUR new normal!
When you hit the over 50 mark, your body’s natural rhythms begin to slow and shift in different aspects. Your hormones are fluctuating and the metabolism also starts to lose speed and efficiency, which means the exercise or food routines that used to work perfectly fine stop working!
In other words, you feel frustrated and stuck.
Good news!
We see your struggle and are here with science-backed principles to bring your body and your health back in sync. It’s time to start working WITH your natural body instead of against it.
Read on to find out how.
Menopause, Hormones, Fat Retention, Oh My!
What are hormones and why are they such a factor when it comes to burning fat over 50?
Hormones are chemical messengers that not only control your metabolism but the way your cells and organs function. They play crucial roles in mood, weight, energy levels, and more! When you have a balanced hormone profile you feel energized, strong, lean, and emotionally uplifted, with each type of hormone housing different responsibilities.
Consequently, when your hormone profile is knocked askew due to the natural patterns of midlife, it greatly impacts your body’s ability to burn fat and maintain a sense of emotional stability.
For instance, progesterone acts as a calming neurotransmitter for the brain and as an immune response agent. During perimenopause, the amount of progesterone in your body decreases due to less frequent ovulation. In reaction, various symptoms can occur such as mood swings, difficulty sleeping, decreased stress resilience, and increased autoimmune flares.
How To Start Burning Fat Over 50
To re-align your hormone profile and re-engage your body for optimal fat-burning power, there are 4 main principles to follow: exercise with an emphasis on strength training, sleep combined with relaxation, participating in Intermittent Fasting, and consuming healthy meals focused on whole food nutrition.
Want to know more? Keep reading!
Exercise And Strength Training
As you age, it's important to remain active, most especially through strength training. Working out with weights and consistently engaging your muscles this way helps to promote various aspects of your overall wellness and physical health such as:
Sustaining lean muscle mass
Maintaining overall strength
Increasing metabolism efficiency
Promoting bone and joint health
Re-establishing hormone balance
It’s been shown that after we hit 50, our muscle mass decreases by about 1-2% PER YEAR and our muscle strength declines by about 1.5-5% per year. This process is known as sarcopenia and leads to a slowed metabolism, which generally results in increased fat retention.
BUT, when you prioritize strength training, you’re able to counteract these symptoms in a powerful way! With just 30 minutes a day, you can decrease your body’s insulin levels, the chemical that tells your body to hang on to fat and also increases dopamine in the brain. Increased dopamine acts to reduce stress which in turn helps to improve your overall wellness.
Another fun fact? Strength training is low impact - which means all ages can perform it successfully and safely.
Sleep And Relaxation
Though getting more sleep and keeping more chill may seem counterintuitive to burning fat over 50, they’re actually extremely important for your overall health and wellness. Sleep and relaxation don’t just sound lovely - they play an important role in maximizing positive fat loss results and health outcomes during midlife.
For instance, in increased amounts, the stress hormone cortisol can create a variety of symptoms such as:
Fatigue
Depression
Cravings
Fat retention, especially around the waist
Suppressed immune and metabolic functions
However, when you have a commUNITY to lean on like at the FASTer Way, and prioritize sleep every night, you’re laying a strong foundation for physical and mental health. With your stress down and a well-rested head on your shoulders, your fat-burning power and muscle gain can only go up.
Plus, don’t forget: a stressed body can’t burn fat.
Take deep breaths, get some sunshine, and use the support of others to celebrate your goals. As we emphasize at the FASTer Way, its progress over perfection that matters!
Burning Fat Over 50 Through Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a healthy way of consuming your meals within a certain time frame, usually within an 8 hour window, to increase fat loss and boost your overall wellness.
For instance, during fasting, insulin levels drop. Low insulin levels cause fat cells to release stored sugar that’s actively used by the body. This not only encourages fat burning, but helps prevent chronic diseases as well!
Other benefits of intermittent fasting include:
Balancing the “hunger hormone” (ghrelin levels): this helps control your appetite and/or cravings
Promoting the human growth hormone: this encourages fat burning, lean calorie building muscle, and aids anti-aging in the body
Now, we know not everyone loves the idea of fasting. Many have concerns or even an initial reaction of fear due to notions set by the media. However, we’re here to take away that fear and assure you that there’s no reason for anxiety or any other ill-feelings over the process.
We only offer fitness tactics that look out for your optimal health and wellness!
When done right and with the proper guidance, intermittent fasting is a highly effective way of losing fat and creating lean muscle. (Not to mention it promotes longevity and can help prevent disease.) We’ll show you how to implement the process safely, gradually, and most importantly in a healthy way, until it almost becomes second nature.
Whole Food Nutrition
Most processed foods, or foods that “don’t have a mother or come from the ground,” as we like to put it, are high in calories but low in vital nutrients like protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. In other words, they’re “empty calories,” and when in the throes of menopause, it's crucial to replace these with nutrient-dense whole foods to promote your overall wellness.
For instance, fiber helps increase estrogen clearance from your body and healthy fats are the building blocks of hormones. Carbs and protein are also imperative to include in your meals when trying to get healthy over 50 and re-balance our hormones. Keep reading if you want to learn exactly how these vital food groups improve your health!
Protein, Protein, and More Protein!
Protein is the most important macronutrient for women 50 and over. as carbs with an amazing ability to build and repair tissues, help increase muscle mass and bone strength, and facilitate hormone synthesis.
Other benefits of protein include:
Curbing cravings
Maximize effects of exercise
Prevent or reverse muscle loss
Combat naturally occurring decrease in estrogen
Burning fat over 50 using Carbohydrates
Carbs are not evil! You heard that right. Carbs are actually extremely important for your health and especially a balanced hormone profile. They help regulate cortisol (stress), melatonin (the chemical that helps you sleep), and hunger hormones. Foods containing carbs such as fruits and vegetables, have key vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for your body’s health!
Healthy Fats Are Your Friend!
Fats often get a bad rap, but healthy fats are actually extremely important for your overall health! Being the densest macronutrient, they help to regulate satiation levels, stopping you from overindulging and keeping you fuller for longer.
They further support your overall wellness by working to:
Support cell growth
Protect vital organs
Regulate hormone production
Transport essential vitamins and minerals
Decrease inflammation through high amounts of omega-3
Both types of fat, saturated and unsaturated, provide these benefits and more depending on the type.
However, unsaturated fats are known to be especially conducive to fat loss and a healthy body composition. They’re present within different oils, such as olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts, and various seeds. By decreasing inflammation, improving cholesterol levels, and containing a variety of vital antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, unsaturated fats are known to promote longevity and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Burning Fat Over 50 With The FASTer Way
Trying to burn fat over 50 can be discouraging when you follow outdated advice or rely on methods of the past. After all, there is a LOT to think about. However, we are here to get rid of your stress and help you to re-balance your hormone profile for a healthier, happier, and more energized you!
Join the next FASTer Way round to get a new lease on your fat loss journey! As a part of our program, we provide customized 30-minute workouts, personal 1-on-1 coaching, community support, daily easy-to-follow meal plans, and more to guarantee your success!