Over the years, weight and fat tend to accumulate and the figure changes. Pregnancy and menopause are two stages in life when weight gain is important, especially in the stomach and thighs.

Work activity also changes, opportunities to get out of the house become fewer and it is easier to take the car than the bike.

Muscle mass and metabolism decline rapidly after age 50, and dieting at this age carries health risks.

So what should you do if you want to lose 10 pounds or more after 55? Here are several tips that should help you naturally…

1. Keep your good habits

Eat a balanced diet because it allows you to control your weight and lose weight when you want to. 5 fruits and vegetables a day are low in calories and contain fiber which is very satiating.

Put starchy foods on your plate (pasta, bread, rice, pulses and potatoes) at every meal; carbohydrates should represent 50% of your energy intake.

And don’t forget to eat meat (grilled or roasted), fish (in foil or steamed), eggs and substitutes once or twice a day, and to eat 3 meals a day, breakfast being more important than lunch, which is itself more important than dinner.

2. Eat protein

It is important to know that protein needs increase by 20% with age. Studies have shown that people who eat a protein-rich diet lose fat and weight more easily.

Nutrition experts recommend that you focus on animal proteins (meat, eggs, fish) because they represent 60% of your total protein intake and help preserve muscle mass and strength by providing essential amino acids.

However, if you are a vegetarian, you can choose plant-based protein sources: grains and legumes (such as mashed split peas with bread) or grains and oilseeds (such as bread with nuts).

3. Choose whole grains

If you tend to be hungry all the time, choose foods that keep you full longer. Whole grains include quinoa, brown rice, barley, whole-grain pasta, millet, bulgur, whole-wheat couscous and low-sugar, high-fiber grains.

They contain slow carbohydrates, lots of fiber, water and many essential vitamins and minerals. Snacking is less common with whole grains than with their refined counterparts (especially white rice and pasta).

4. Limit certain foods

First of all, you should limit fats (without depriving yourself completely) and prefer vegetable fats (olive oil, rapeseed oil, walnut oil, etc.) which will provide you with the nutrients your body needs to function properly.

Also limit products that contain hidden fats such as pastries, pastries, salted or sweet cookies, ready meals, salted peanuts, cold cuts, fried foods and rich sauces.

And of course, limit alcohol, which is very high in calories, and if you have a craving, choose an apple instead of a cookie.

5. Avoid drastic diets

Diets (such as Weight Watchers or chrononutrition) reduce muscle mass as well as cellulite. But with the years, the body has difficulty absorbing proteins because of the decreasing metabolism. Therefore, at the end of the diet, when you return to a normal diet, the calories ingested are again stored in the form of fat, which makes you gain weight.

You should therefore avoid all diets that eliminate foods. Instead, make sure you eat everything that is healthy and balanced.

6. Drink green tea

Green tea is an excellent fat burner thanks to its catechin and caffeine content, which increase the level of noradrenaline in the blood. And this molecule has the particularity of increasing energy expenditure and the degradation of fats.

Green tea therefore has a recognized anti-obesity effect, but be sure not to exceed 3 to 4 cups per day.

7. Be physically active

Muscle mass decreases with age and this tends to make you fat. Physical activity will therefore be important to keep you in shape and prevent weight gain, but to do so, you must have the motivation to move.

It will also allow you to optimize the effects of a possible diet. And you should know that daily exercise is also a source of longevity.

You don’t have to go to a gym if you don’t feel like it. You can be active by doing housework, gardening, biking, swimming and brisk walking, and even jumping rope or running if you feel up to it.

Anything that involves muscular effort and speeds up your metabolism is good!

8. See a doctor regularly

Before making any changes to your eating habits, talk to your doctor, as he or she will be able to detect any illnesses that may be causing you to gain weight.

Hypothyroidism (thyroid gland dysfunction) is very common after the age of 50 and is accompanied by a loss of energy, irritability and weight gain. This disease, which mainly affects women, can be controlled with a thyroid hormone substitute but cannot be cured.

9. Get enough sleep and adopt an infant’s attitude

It is essential to sleep well (between 7 and 8 hours per night) to limit weight gain. Sleep influences the production of cortisol (among other hormones), which is involved in feelings of hunger and satiety.

Also, listen to your body before you eat. Eat because you feel hungry, not because it’s noon. There is no fixed time to eat; the main thing is to eat 3 meals a day and possibly 1 or 2 snacks. So, like a baby who asks to eat as soon as his body makes him feel hungry, learn to listen to your body’s signals.

In conclusion, if you follow these 9 tips, you will be able to stabilize your weight and even lose weight after the age of 55. The most important thing is to stay motivated, eat a balanced diet, maintain a healthy lifestyle and practice a daily physical activity that is adapted to you.

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How to lose 5kg after 55 years old ?