How to deal with weight gain as you age. Yes it's harder.
Ask the average woman over 40 and she will tell you that losing weight is not what it used to be. Back in the day she could drop 10 pounds overnight and didn’t have to work that hard to do it. Now, a 10 pound weight loss can take months, sometimes longer and that can be very frustrating. I work with countless women who share their internal struggle with weight gain over the years. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel like there’s no one else out their struggling like you but trust me, you are not alone. The reality is that as we age, weight gain happens for a variety of reasons like perimenopause, medications, stress, the daily demands of life. If you find that the weight is creeping up steadily, here are some tips to help you get things back on the right track.
Tip #1: Do a sleep check. A sleep study was done by the Nurses’ Health Study and investigators found that the risk of weight gain increased steadily for those women sleeping 5-6 hours a night. At first glance, this doesn’t seem to stand out. However, if you think about your busy life over a period of years and the associated weight gain, you have to consider your sleep habits. Do a 1-2 week study of your sleep habits. Log what time you go to bed, when you wake up and any times you wake up during the night. There are plenty of sleep tracker apps that As you look at patterns and your energy level, you can make some adjustments to your sleep routine to increase the amount of shut-eye you get each night. Aim for seven hours and see how you feel.
Tip #2: Check your eating habits. Are you eating when you’re not hungry? Do you stress eat daily? Look at your daily routine and see if there’s any change in your regular eating habits. Eating with friends can also be helpful especially when you add laughter, social support, and connectedness. Ideally, you should stop eating when you feel satisfied. Sucking on a mint after dinner is a great way to shut things down.
Tip #3: Practice self-compassion. According to authors of the Confidence Code, self-compassion says, “Don’t beat yourself up; put yourself in the broader human condition, and accept some failure.” (Kay & Shipman, 2014). This is a powerful statement. It’s so easy to berate yourself when you struggle with weight loss. Instead of focusing on the negative, give yourself time and remind yourself that daily wins are to be celebrated. If you have a not-so-good day, remember there’s tomorrow and it will be okay. Focus on the healthy choices you make and practice positive self-affirmations like, “I can do this” and “Stay focused!”
Try these tips to get you moving in the right direction. Remember, consistency is the key. Look at patterns and see what small things you can tweak to improve your health. You can do this!