With age, metabolic processes in women's bodies slow down, and physical activity decreases. These and other factors lead to the formation of excess weight and fat under the skin, which accumulates on the heart, liver, and kidneys, disrupting their function. Cholesterol clogs blood vessels. As a result, the risk of stroke, varicose veins, osteoporosis, heart attack, etc. increases.
Therefore, it is important that a woman’s nutrition after 45 years is correct and balanced. This will help maintain health and a slim, fit figure.
Transformations in the body after 40
A diet for women after 45 years of age should take into account the changes occurring in the woman’s body. In particular, this applies to:
- reducing the production of progesterone and estrogens;
- increased blood pressure;
- headaches;
- hyperhidrosis;
- loss of muscle mass;
- increased bone fragility;
- depressive states, etc.
Also, many are faced with impaired excretory function and other problems.
Weight norm, reasons for being overweight
Excess weight occurs for a number of reasons:
- slowing down metabolism;
- fast food abuse;
- sedentary, sedentary lifestyle;
- lack of physical activity;
- bad habits, etc.
To understand how to eat properly for a woman after 40 years, it is worth deciding on normal weight indicators. To do this, you can use a simple formula: weight = height - 110.
That is, with a height of 170 cm, the normal weight is 60 kg. With an asthenic body type, normal indicators are: weight - 115.
When indicators increase, nutritionists recommend reconsidering your diet and taking your health seriously. It is important to avoid fasting. You should lose kilograms gradually and correctly. Diet is stress for the body.
Key nutrition rules
When creating a daily diet for a woman over 40 years old, it is necessary to adhere to a number of key rules:
- You need to drink 1500-2000 milliliters of pure water without gas per day. The main amount is consumed before lunch. Thus, it is possible to prevent swelling of the soft tissues.
- In the morning, immediately after sleep on an empty stomach, you need to drink 200 ml of clean water. You can add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the glass. Thanks to this, the work of the gastrointestinal tract organs is started and metabolism is accelerated.
- At this age, with insufficient physical activity, the body does not need a large amount of food. The optimal serving size is 230-270 grams. Or two female fists placed side by side.
- Meals should be frequent. The number of meals is 4-5 per day.
- The final meal should be no later than 2.5 hours before bedtime.
- You need to eat food at approximately the same time.
- You can drink 200 ml of water 30 minutes before meals. The composition will take up some of the free space in the stomach. As a result, the feeling of hunger is dulled, and satiety occurs much faster.
- The amount of fats and carbohydrates in the diet should be limited.
- The diet should include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and protein. For this purpose, lean meat and fish, fresh seasonal berries, vegetables and fruits, herbs, and cereals are consumed, with the exception of rice and semolina.
- Cereals should be eaten before lunch. Preferably for breakfast.
- For snacks you can use low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt, cheese, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, and fruits. Fruits and dried fruits are allowed to be eaten only in the morning. For breakfast or lunch.
Additionally, experts recommend using multivitamin complexes.
How to properly consume carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are energy. Organic substances of the carbonyl group perform a number of functions. With age, the need for them increases. Older women are not recommended to follow low-carb diets. But you should only consume the right carbohydrates.
Fiber is coarse fiber. Contained in unrefined grains, bran, fruits and vegetables. Fiber is not digested in the intestines and acts as an absorbent. Fiber improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and regulates stool. Consumption of foods high in fiber reduces hunger and promotes weight loss.
Glycogen is a carbohydrate “reserve”, concentrated in hepatocytes and myocytes. When there is a lack of glucose obtained from food, the polysaccharide stabilizes its level in the blood.
After 40, the risk of developing diabetes increases; glycogen stores are important for maintaining health.
Muscle reserves of the polysaccharide support the health of skeletal muscles as well as the myocardium. Deficiency leads to the development of cardiovascular pathologies. The daily norm is 100-150 g. About 65% of glycogen comes from carbohydrate foods.
Important factors for losing weight
However, proper nutrition for women after 45 years is not enough. Maintaining your figure without a minimum amount of physical activity is unlikely to be possible.
To maintain shape you need:
- Spend as much time as possible outdoors. This doesn't mean you can just sit on a bench. It's important to move. This could be long walks, summer work in the garden or garden plot, cycling or swimming in the river.
- It is recommended to exercise several times a week. At this age, you can go to fitness, yoga, Pilates or the pool. In summer you can ride a bicycle.
- To keep the body in good shape, good quality sleep is important. You need to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. Additionally, during the day you can take a rest for 1-2 hours. You should fall asleep in the evening and wake up in the morning at approximately the same time. Weekends are no exception.
- Particular attention is paid to health status. If you feel unwell, you should seek help from a doctor. You should undergo a full medical examination 2 times a year.
The use of strict diets should be completely abandoned. It is much more effective to eat right. The body needs a complete, balanced diet.
Reviews and results
- Maria, 41 years old: “... I really like this nutritional system - varied, nutritious and easily tolerated by the body. It’s not always possible to abstain from simple sandwiches, salt, and cake, but in general, the diet allows you to keep your weight normal, as soon as I see a plus on the scales, I immediately start on such a balanced low-calorie menu.”
- Katerina, 37 years old: “... An ideal women’s menu, so many delicious things, it’s so nice to pamper yourself, and not eat these potatoes, bread and semi-finished cutlets that everyone is bored with.”
- Anna, 48 years old: “... Every active woman, having reached the age of over forty, is faced with the problem of causeless excess weight gain, I manage to fight it with the help of constant physical activity and a salt-free, low-carbohydrate diet. At first I lost 3 kg a week, after a month the weight returned to normal. “I think it’s important not to consume empty calories, not to overeat, and to listen to yourself.”
The most suitable products for weight loss
Before creating a menu, a woman over 45 needs to know exactly which dietary products can be included in it and which should be avoided.
A weight loss diet should include the following components:
- Fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs. They are rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and fiber. Vegetables contain a minimum of calories and at the same time have an antioxidant effect, protecting against the action of free radicals.
- Porridge. Cereals are healthy because they contain so-called slow or long-term carbohydrates. They eliminate the feeling of hunger for a significant time and provide the body with energy. Porridges are rich in vitamins and minerals.
- Nuts. Every day you need to eat 50 grams of any nuts. They are rich in Omega acids, vitamins, micro- and macroelements.
- Dairy products. Rich in calcium and lactobacteria, which help normalize the functioning of the intestines and the gastrointestinal tract as a whole.
- Sea fish. Rich in protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, iodine, potassium and other substances necessary for health.
- Seafood. These are natural aphrodisiacs that are rich in iodine and other components. Seafood has a positive effect on the digestive system and metabolism, accelerating metabolic processes.
- Meat. To provide cells and systems with protein, lean meats are included in the diet. The best option is chicken, turkey.
- Eggs. Rich in protein and fats. Consumed mainly before lunch.
- Beans. They contain vegetable protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. It is recommended to eat white beans.
- Vegetable oil. It is advisable to use olive oil. You can also add sesame, flaxseed and less often sunflower. Olive oil is added to salads. Additionally, you can drink a tablespoon to normalize intestinal function.
Sometimes it is allowed to eat dark chocolate in limited quantities. Allowed - 1-2 pieces per week.
Such products are useful. They don't make you better. Of course, with moderate use.
Eat more protein
To keep yourself in shape, do not neglect physical activity. And so that the muscles do not lose tone, do not forget about protein. Moreover, this applies not only to animal proteins, but also to plant proteins. Lean on:
- turkey,
- chicken,
- veal,
- beans,
- nuts.
Proteins will also be useful if you are recovering from serious illnesses, and will also alleviate the course of chronic diseases.
Prohibited Products
A diet for women over 45 involves excluding certain foods from the menu:
- Alcohol. Alcoholic drinks remove moisture and vitamin C from cells and tissues, and also contribute to uncontrolled food consumption. As a result, body weight increases. You are allowed to drink a glass of dry wine once a week.
- Coffee. Drink consumption should be limited. Allowed is 1 cup of natural coffee per day without sugar, cream or other additives.
- Salt. It retains water in the tissues. It is recommended to replace salt with soy sauce or fish sauce.
- It is also necessary to exclude potatoes and carrots from the diet, which are high in calories and difficult for the body. They make you fat.
Chips, crackers, mayonnaise, fast food and other unhealthy foods should be prohibited. It contains carcinogens that contribute to the development of cancer. At the same time, such products are characterized by increased calorie content and cause a blow to the figure. People of any age group can recover from them.
Calcium
As menopause approaches, osteoporosis (brittle bones) begins to develop as a consequence of the lack or absence of estrogen. You can compensate for the lack of calcium through fermented milk products. Calcium is also found in sesame seeds, almonds, and pistachios. They always fit harmoniously into all porridges and salads. It is necessary to reduce coffee consumption, as it flushes calcium from the body.
But calcium is very difficult. For its proper and rapid absorption, vitamin D is also needed. Therefore, it is important to eat:
- herring,
- salmon,
- mackerel,
- egg yolks,
- Cod liver,
- It is also less commonly found in beef and chicken liver.
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Sample diet for seven days
An approximate diet menu for weight loss for a week could be as follows:
| Day | Menu |
| Monday |
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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| Thursday |
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| Friday |
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| Saturday |
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| Sunday |
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Tea in the menu can be replaced with cocoa without sugar. You can also eat other dishes. It is difficult to recover from such a set of products. Especially if you follow the recommended dosage.
Cooking food
It is also worth paying attention to the method of cooking. For people over forty, boiling, baking and steaming are highly recommended. It is advisable to abandon other methods or reduce them to a minimum. It would seem that there is nothing tastier than a fried dish. But if you want a long and healthy life, you will have to give up such dubious pleasure. No significant losses will occur, and new taste sensations and health are guaranteed.
Advice from nutritionists
To increase the effectiveness of the diet, you should follow the recommendations of a qualified specialist:
- Once every 7-10 days it is worth giving the digestive system and the body as a whole a deload. This doesn't mean you should give up food completely. You can include kefir, buckwheat, and apple in your diet.
- To lose extra pounds, you should completely give up baking. You can eat some rye bread.
- Smoked, fried, fatty, and canned foods are completely and permanently excluded from the diet. Dishes are steamed, boiled, baked.
- Fasting is prohibited. The exception is medicinal, for which there is a doctor’s prescription.
- Drinking tea, dietary supplements and other weight loss compounds is prohibited. They do not benefit the body by removing fluid, vitamins and minerals.
Fat formation, cellulite and excess weight are a common problem faced by more than half of all mature women. However, it can and must be fought. The main thing is not to be lazy and not to break down. Proper nutrition should become the norm.
You can learn more about tips on weight loss with a sedentary lifestyle at this age by watching the video:
Avoid dietary supplements
All kinds of dietary supplements promise to rejuvenate the body, relieve fatigue, improve sleep and much more. But don't forget that this is advertising. The amount of vitamins and microelements stated on the packages may well correspond to reality. But the catch is that the absorption of such synthetic analogues is very low compared to the substances in natural products. And the cost of such drugs is quite high.
So, give up all dietary supplements and vitamin complexes and take them only as prescribed by your doctor. Useful advice for both health and wallet.
