Diets for weight loss after 45 years: how to improve metabolism

Age-related changes after 45 years

After forty-five years, the female body undergoes the following changes:

• menopause;
• hormonal imbalances;
• hypertension;
• metabolic disorders (metabolism);
• increased sweating;
• migraines and dizziness;
• weight loss or, conversely, weight gain;
• often the lifestyle becomes sedentary;
• psychological diseases.

All these changes become the reasons for the appearance of extra pounds and it is necessary to select a diet in order to lose weight or simply maintain a slim figure.

Weight norm

To determine whether a woman over 45 needs a diet to lose weight, she needs to know her weight and how different it is from the normal criteria. These criteria are determined using height parameters and according to the woman’s age.

To determine your ideal weight, you need to measure your height and subtract 100 from the resulting indicator. The result will be your individual ideal body weight. If the difference between the norm and the actual number on the scale is too large, you should switch to a more limited diet. It is important to take precautions so as not to harm your health.

Weight standards for women based on age

Determining the standard of slimness at such an advanced age is very problematic, since the main evaluation criterion is a woman’s height. The first step is to find out this numerical value using a stadiometer, and then subtract the constant number “100” from it. This will be the woman’s ideal weight, relevant exclusively in her case. If the result obtained is not inspiring, it’s time to improve it in generally accepted ways - proper nutrition, choosing a diet for weight loss, physical activity.

Contraindications to dieting

Women with pathologies of the digestive system, cardiac and vascular systems and with disturbances in the functioning of the excretory system (for example, with renal failure) should approach weight loss with the help of diets with caution. After recent operations or other interventions, the use of diets for weight loss is also not recommended.

A common disease, diabetes mellitus, has its own specific diet, deviation from which can even result in death. Even if there are no obvious health problems, you should consult your doctor before choosing a diet.

Contraindications and side effects

It is not recommended to indulge in diets for people with chronic diseases of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, or those who have recently undergone surgery. In these cases, drastic changes in diet should be agreed upon with a therapist or consulted with a gastroenterologist. If a person suffers from diabetes, it is vital for him to adhere to the diet indicated specifically for this disease.

Side effects may include stool disorders and headaches.

Tips for losing weight

In order for weight loss to be as effective as possible, you should adhere to the basic rules and recommendations, study the list of permitted and prohibited foods, and also perform some physical exercises.

General rules for weight loss

To lose weight without resorting to strict diets, it is important to adhere to some principles of effective weight loss.

These include:

1. The daily amount of fluid should be at least two liters.
2. Products that contain large amounts of fats and carbohydrates should constitute the minimum of a woman’s diet.
3. Fractional meals - that is, eat small portions of food 5 times a day.
4. The bulk of the total daily amount of calories should be consumed before lunch.
5. With severe restrictions, it is necessary to additionally take various complexes of vitamins and minerals.
6. In addition to changes in diet, it is important to regularly engage in at least minimal physical activity.
7. You should spend more time outdoors.

Also, do not forget about regular medical examinations in order to promptly identify various health problems.

Metabolism-boosting foods

The main principle of losing weight is to eat foods that accelerate metabolic processes in the body and stimulate fat burning.

These products include:

• fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh - carrots, tomatoes, herbs, beets and cabbage, apples and citrus fruits;
• whole grain cereals - rice, wheat, corn and buckwheat;
• legumes and nuts;
• dairy and fermented milk products;
• meat and offal;
• fish and other seafood.

Proper nutrition

The effectiveness of the diet involves another factor - proper nutrition. Its principles lie in the correct distribution of portions and products according to their composition. For example, per kilogram of weight there should be no more than 1 gram of fat.

Breakfast should be very hearty, and dinner should be light. It is better to eat protein and fiber at your evening meal. It is also worth giving up quickly digestible carbohydrates - flour, sweets, fast food, etc. The daily calorie intake should be distributed in such a way that there is no starvation or overeating.

How to cook

It is better to choose a cooking method that does not use a large amount of oil. These methods include boiling, stewing, baking or steaming. Frying food is highly discouraged. This cooking method is only suitable for non-stick pans that do not require the use of oil.

Prohibited Products

In addition to the recommended products, there are also those that, on the contrary, contribute to excess weight gain, so it is better to avoid consuming them.

Prohibited foods in the diet of women over 45 years of age:

• fatty meats and fish (pork, lamb, mackerel, herring);
• sausages, frankfurters and semi-finished products;
• sweets;
• flour products;
• bananas, figs, grapes, dates;
• various sauces (mayonnaise, ketchup and others);
• fast food;
• sweet carbonated water;
• alcohol;
• juices in packs;
• too spicy, salty food.

These foods are very high in calories and avoiding them will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the gastrointestinal tract and the entire body as a whole.

Physical exercise

An additional assistant in losing weight for women after 45 years of age will be regular exercise. They help you lose weight faster and improve your metabolism. As a good physical activity, you can do yoga, Pilates, fitness or breathing exercises. If you have the inclination and desire, you can dance.

Before each workout, you should do a good warm-up and warm up all the muscles of the body. You should exercise about three times a week for at least half an hour of exercise. It is important to follow the correct technique for performing the exercises, as otherwise you can get injured.

Lose weight during menopause: why a woman gains weight

A woman after 45 years begins to recover due to changes in hormonal levels. This can and should be fought.

Upon reaching the age of 45-50 years, almost every woman is faced with irreversible processes occurring inside her. This is the onset of menopause, which is characterized by hormonal imbalance. During this period, ovarian function is suppressed, resulting in a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone. These two “female hormones” perform several functions:

• Responsible for reproduction. Under their influence, the eggs mature and the uterus prepares for fertilization.
• Provide elasticity to the skin and mucous membranes, which allows you to maintain tone.
• Correct course of metabolic processes. This means that there is a balance between the amount of energy received and the amount of energy expended. During menopause, out of every 1000 kcal, only 300 are consumed, and 700 are converted into fat deposits.

The body strives to maintain the required amount of hormones, so they begin to be produced by lipids. As a result, there is an accumulation of adipose tissue, deposited on the sides, abdomen, and gluteal area.

Experts distinguish three main types of excess weight, depending on the area of ​​accumulation:
• Android or male – fat deposits are distributed evenly throughout the body.
• Gynoid or female - fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks, turning the figure into a “pear”, increasing the risk of developing diseases of the joints and veins.
• Abdomino-visceral – deposits form in the sides and abdomen, changing the body type to “apple”.

Losing weight during menopause is a long process, the norm for safe weight loss is 1-1.5 kg per week.

Examples of diets

The most common diets for middle-aged women are: rice, atomic, Kim Protasov’s or Margarita Koroleva’s diet. The goal of each of them is to rid a woman of extra pounds, improve metabolic processes in the body and normalize the functioning of the digestive, excretory and other systems.

Rice

This diet cleanses the body of waste and toxins. It also helps remove excess fluid. There are three options - one-day, three-day and week-long.

If the diet is one-day, then during the day they eat only steamed boiled rice and drink water or green tea without sugar. No salt is added.

If it is three days old, then prunes, apples and fresh vegetables are added to the cereal. For the weekly version, the diet is: rice, boiled vegetables and chicken, fish, quail or chicken eggs. You should not drink anything other than pure water and green tea without sugar. No salt is added to dishes.

Kima Protasova

A very strict and rigid diet. You should resort to it only if no other method has helped.

The diet is as follows:

• the first 14 days - exclusively fermented milk products with no more than 5% fat content, sometimes you can add one green apple;
• then they eat meat or fish with vegetables, cottage cheese and boiled eggs, and fruits are added.

The diet lasts about 1-2 months. You should drink more than 2.5 liters per day.

Nuclear

This type of nutrition consists of alternately (every other day) consuming proteins and carbohydrates. The number of calories per day should be no more than 1200 kcal. It is forbidden to consume sugar, salt, sweets, spicy, fatty, fried, smoked and fast food.

Margarita Koroleva

When losing weight after 45 years, this unique nutrition system will help improve your metabolism. In addition, it promotes the overall health of the body, cleanses it of toxins and excess fluid. The duration is nine days.

Diet for the diet period:

• 3 days – only rice, water and green tea without sugar, you can add a tablespoon of honey;
• 3 days – boiled chicken, water and green tea without sugar;
• 3 days – 600 g of fresh and boiled vegetables (except potatoes) per day.

This diet can be repeated only after 6 months. You should not eat sweet, salty, spicy, fatty or fried foods.

Proper nutrition

Proper nutrition means a special approach to the formation of a daily diet. This is especially important for women over 45 years of age. This does not mean that food should become meager and tasteless. With a skillful approach, it is possible to satisfy the body's needs without harming the figure. The main basics of proper nutrition include:

• refusal or reduction in the amount of sweets in the diet;
• consumption of complex carbohydrates in the first half of the day;
• replacing unhealthy snacks with healthy foods;
• eating protein and fiber for dinner;
• constant presence of berries, fruits and vegetables in the diet.

As a snack, experts recommend using foods that are as healthy as possible for the body. These include cottage cheese, nuts, fruits, vegetable salads and dried fruits. To prevent the development of osteoporosis, it is important to eat foods rich in calcium.

You should not give up animal fats. They are responsible for preserving female beauty. Foods that contain healthy fats include fish, avocados, olives, nuts and soybeans. Complex carbohydrates are also important when losing weight. They relieve the obsessive feeling of hunger and saturate the body with the necessary amount of energy.

Carbohydrate foods are consumed for breakfast or lunch. For dinner it is eaten in the form of cereals as a side dish. It is advisable to completely exclude simple carbohydrates from the diet.

Products containing them include:

• bakery products;
• sweet products;
• semolina;
• packaged juices;
• alcoholic drinks;
• store-bought sauces;
• honey.

To speed up the weight loss process, you need to control the calorie content of the foods you eat. The daily intake is calculated based on age and weight. For this purpose, specialized counters are used. For women, the norm ranges from 1200 to 2000 kcal per day.

Sample menu for the week

When choosing a menu yourself, it is important to take into account basic tips and recommendations, as well as balance the diet so that there is no starvation or overeating.

An example of nutrition after 45 years for women in the form of a weekly menu:

1. Monday: breakfast - corn porridge and green tea without sugar, lunch - chicken broth and vegetables, dinner - baked fish and vegetable salad.
2. Tuesday: breakfast - cottage cheese casserole with tea, lunch - buckwheat with steamed cutlets, dinner - vegetable salad and kefir.
3. Wednesday: breakfast - rice with vegetables, weak coffee without sugar, lunch - vegetable stew with meat, dinner - boiled fish and green tea.
4. Thursday: breakfast - boiled eggs and salad, lunch - vegetable soup with steam cutlet, dinner - cottage cheese casserole and unsweetened black tea.
5. Friday: breakfast - any fermented milk product with corn porridge, lunch - rice with chicken, dinner - vegetable salad and green tea.
6. Saturday: cottage cheese casserole and yogurt, lunch – grilled vegetables, dinner – baked fish and tea.
7. Sunday: fasting day, you can eat green apples and kefir.

You can eat fruits between main meals.

Pumpkin seeds

The peculiarity of the female body is that with age, the risk of anemia increases, which is caused by a lack of iron and low hemoglobin. To avoid this, it is important to include pumpkin seeds in your diet, which are an excellent source of iron. In addition, they contain vitamins A and E, which are necessary to slow down the aging process.

Pumpkin seeds contain essential acids that are beneficial for our body (Photo: Pixabay.com)

Dish recipes

Pumpkin puree soup

One serving – 65 kcal.

Required ingredients:

• pumpkin pulp – 200 g;
• cauliflower – 200 g;
• cream – 50 g;
• water – 800 g.

Cooking method:

1. Boil water and add diced pumpkin and cabbage. Cook for another 10 minutes.
2. Remove vegetables and puree using a blender.
3. Add broth and cream.
4. Place on low heat and cook for 2-3 minutes without bringing to a boil.

Okroshka

One serving – 200 kcal.

Ingredients:

• kefir with minimal fat content - 2 l;
• boiled chicken fillet – 4 pcs.;
• carrot;
• greenery.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the ingredients of the dish into cubes and pour in kefir.
2. Mix and let it brew.

Ratatouille

One serving – 90 kcal

Required ingredients:

• zucchini – 1 pc.;
• eggplant – 1 pc.;
• tomato – 4 pcs.;
• onion.

Cooking method:

1. Cut all vegetables except tomatoes into slices and place in a greased baking dish.
2. Chop the tomatoes and place on top of the dish.
3. Add some water.
4. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes at 180°C.

It is highly recommended not to add salt, pepper and various spices to dishes. For taste, you can add onions, garlic, basil and herbs.

How to get out of a diet

If after a diet you abruptly return to your previous diet, the weight may return even to a greater extent. Therefore, it is important to gradually add new foods while sticking to the basics of proper nutrition.

Also, you should not give up physical activity, since it not only helps to maintain a slim figure, but is also a preventive measure for many diseases, especially regarding the musculoskeletal system.

After 45 years, it is important to maintain your health and figure. For this purpose, diets have been developed aimed at improving and accelerating metabolism. In addition to diets, it is important to maintain proper nutrition and not forget about physical activity.

Choosing the type of physical activity

Physical exercise is a great way to not only lose weight, but also improve your mood, cleanse your body of harmful substances and rejuvenate.

Nowadays, there are no problems with fitness clubs even in small towns. Moreover, they are, as a rule, well equipped. To begin with, I would advise going there, choosing the following views:

1. Yoga.
2. Pilates.
3. Callanetics.
4. Bodyflex.
5. Dance aerobics.

If you do not want to attend group classes, you can sign up for individual classes to learn the correct technique. Then do the same at home yourself.

Now let’s try to figure out what type of training is right for you:

• Have you been watching your figure all your life, regularly doing various types of fitness? At the age of 45, it is still worth reducing the load, maintaining the duration of the usual workouts;
• Beginners should first go to the doctor and find out if there are any health problems and get advice from him regarding permissible loads;
• If you do not have serious health problems, but have not done anything for a long time, then you should start with small loads in the form of yoga, Pilates and basic or dance aerobics, which is very useful for losing weight;
• If you have a more or less normal figure, but if you want to tighten your body and give it an attractive shape, you will need to work out with exercise equipment. This can be done both at home (dumbbells) and in a specialized gym, which is the best option if you do not have such experience;
• If you suffer from pain in your back and legs, then the best option would be training on balls (fitball). This is both an aerobic and strength exercise.

Another option is to buy a bicycle and start riding it regularly. And the easiest way and at no cost is jogging in your free time (read more about proper jogging for weight loss). If you are shy, you can, of course, buy an exercise bike or treadmill and exercise at home. That is, there are more than enough options, the main thing is to make a choice.

And the best thing is a combination of aerobic and strength training in one workout, which will help not only lose weight, but also keep your whole body in good shape.

Athletic women, even well over 45, look very young and attractive. And they feel the same.