How to Lose Weight After 35: Effective Strategies to Overcome Metabolism Slowdown and Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals

How to Lose Weight After 35

Overcoming Weight Loss Challenges After 35-40: Tips and Tricks for Success  

It may seem like the forces of the universe have conspired against us, but don't despair. We explain why it becomes difficult to lose weight after this age and offer ideas to get back to your old self (and yes, one of the tricks is eating greens).

Understanding Weight Gain in Women Over 35-40: Metabolism and Lifestyle Factors Explained

Most women reach the age of 35-40 and start to see the scale move up without really understanding why, as everything in their life remains the same. However, there are small ‘details’: we become more sedentary, we don't have time to go to the gym religiously, we finish our kids' plates to avoid wasting food, and we help finish off the packet of cookies ‘so as not to fill the bag with crumbs’. The bad news is that from this age onwards, everything counts. And who is to blame? You can point the finger at your metabolism. As we age, our metabolism slows down, we lose lean muscle mass and gain fat mass. Our energy needs decrease, so we need to eat less.

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Understanding Menopause: How Hormonal Changes After 45 Impact Weight Gain

As if having a slower metabolism wasn't enough, after 45, the specter of menopause begins to loom. With it come hot flashes, mood swings, and a larger abdominal circumference—a euphemism for that (darn) roll of fat forming around the waist that wasn't there before. “The hormonal changes of menopause make women more prone to accumulating fat, especially around the abdomen. We might have the same weight at 20 and 50, but the fat percentage will always be different,” reminds Maria João Ibérico Nogueira.

Sustainable Weight Loss After 40: Why Quick Fix Diets Don't Work and Healthy Habits Matter

And if at 20 it was enough to avoid sweets for 2 or 3 days to get back to normal weight, at 40-50 that trick no longer works. Avoid doing drastic diets like eating cabbage soup for 2 weeks to lose 2 kg because no one can (or should) stick to that menu for life. What happens? As soon as you start eating normally again, you regain the lost kilos (and double them). Remember that persistence is a virtue, and bad habits don't disappear overnight. So, let's look at the basic rules to lose the extra pounds.

Avoid Starvation: The Importance of Balanced Meals and Healthy Snacks

“The worst thing you can do on a diet is to starve because sooner or later you end up eating everything in sight. Have 3 main meals, and remember that mid-morning and afternoon snacks should be very light to keep us going until the next meal. Fruit is a good option, and it allows for variety. Eat 2-3 pieces a day,” recommends the nutritionist.

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Light Evening Meals: The Role of Soup and Protein in Weight Loss

Since you are less active at night, you need less energy. You can have just a soup, and with that “you will certainly lose weight. If this doesn't happen, it's because you eat too much during the day to compensate, or your metabolism is very slow and you need physical exercise to gain muscle mass. But is soup enough? Add a protein, but instead of accompanying it with rice, pasta, or potatoes, choose vegetables.”

The Importance of a Hearty Breakfast for Weight Management

“Studies show that people who have a good breakfast are slimmer than those who don't. It has to be filling, with complex carbohydrates (whole oats or a mixed powder), cheese or yogurt, fruit (blueberries, raspberries), or nuts, tea, coffee without sugar. If you prefer an English breakfast, leave the bacon out. Make scrambled eggs, add a slice of dark bread, and add tomatoes or mushrooms.”

Moderation, Not Deprivation: How to Enjoy Treats Without Derailing Your Diet

Don’t permanently cross anything off your list; the forbidden fruit is always the most tempting, remember? But of course, the major sins – sweets, sausages, alcohol – should not be part of your daily menu, only occasionally and in small amounts. Eat your favorite sweet but not more than once a week and in a small portion. “Very few people who regularly eat sweets have a healthy weight, even if they exercise. If a muffin has 200 calories, you need to run for an hour to burn that energy… and the muffin is eaten in 5 seconds, but running for 60 minutes is tough…”

Boost Your Metabolism: Exercise Strategies to Counteract Age-Related Slowdown

This is achieved mainly through exercise. “It’s the most effective, direct, and healthy way to counteract the slowing of the metabolism. There may be foods that speed it up a little, like green tea, for example, but it’s not very significant. The gym is an option because it allows for intense cardiovascular exercise for an hour, 3 times a week. Walking is also effective for boosting the metabolism, but it has to be done daily for an hour, and not everyone has time for that,” laments the nutritionist. Find a way around the problem. Take advantage of lunch hours and the time the kids are at judo or swimming to take walks, use weekends to ride a bike, or stop using the stationary bike as a clothes hanger and watch your favorite series on the tablet (just get a stand to hold it) while you pedal.

Track Your Eating Habits: How Food Journaling Can Double Your Weight Loss

As we tend to underestimate what we eat, it helps a lot to write everything down, so we have a notion of what we actually consume, as well as the hungriest times, to later understand what to cut or replace with something healthier. A study by the Kaiser Permanente Health Research Center in Oregon, which followed more than 1700 volunteers for 6 months, found that those who kept a journal lost 8 kg, while those who didn’t lost only 4 kg.

Reduce Plate Size to Cut Calories: Insights from the Smaller Plate Study

Plate Size: Swap for a smaller one. The Smaller Plate Study, conducted by Brian Wansink, founder of the research center at Cornell University, Food and Brand Lab, and author of the book ‘Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,’ revealed that people who reduced the plate size from 30 cm to 25cm consumed 22% fewer calories and didn't feel hungry, which would correspond to a loss of 8 kg per year on average. But don’t choose plates below 22cm, because in that same study they found that people would go for second helpings.

Healthier Alternatives to Common Foods: Make Smart Swaps

• Juice: Don’t drink it; prefer to chew the fruit, as it has fiber that makes you feel fuller.
• Sugar: Try replacing sugar with cinnamon, in oatmeal, coffee, or ricotta cheese…
• Popcorn: If you can't do without popcorn when watching a movie but don’t want to gain weight, buy corn and make it at home with a Lekue Popcorn Maker; it doesn't need oil, just add spices or herbs.
• Soda: Scratch it off your list, prefer water with a slice of lemon.
• Rice: Wild or brown instead of white, it has more fiber, makes you feel fuller, and is rich in antioxidants.
• Cereals: How about whole oats instead of the more sugary breakfast versions?
• Snacks: Forget the packets of cookies, instead take blueberries, raspberries, cherry tomatoes, tangerines, clementines, 5 or 6 olives.
• Ice Cream: They’re irresistible if you have them at home, so it’s better to leave them at the store. To satisfy the craving, cut a banana into pieces and put it in the freezer; when you feel like it, blend it and eat it immediately—it has the consistency of ice cream and is healthy.
• Potatoes: In soup, prefer zucchini or chayote to make it thicker. Instead of mashed potatoes, make cauliflower mash: roast two cloves of garlic with salt and pepper and cook the cauliflower until tender. Drain well, blend, and gradually add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened Greek yogurt, until smooth. Add the roasted garlic and season to taste. Serve with chives.

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Practical Tips for Healthy Eating and Weight Management

• Drink Enough Water: If you ate an hour ago and are ready to grab some cookies, drink a glass of water (or unsweetened tea). Sometimes we confuse thirst with hunger.
• Choose Your Indulgence: Can’t do without it? Choose one day a week to indulge, but be careful with the amount. The keyword is moderation. Then go for a good walk or bike ride to burn it off.
• Revamp Your Pantry: Get rid of fatty and sugary snacks. If you don’t buy them, you won’t eat them.
• Focus on Flavor: Bland meals are a surefire way for your diet to derail. Invest in spices and herbs to make everything you eat bursting with flavor.
• Moderation: At the restaurant, don’t order dishes that come in a pot, you’ll eat too much. Order half portions or share with someone.
• Fiber is Key: Women need to consume fiber—25g per day until the age of 50 and 21g after that. Your shopping basket should always have vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain bread, oats, nuts, and seeds. A medium apple has about 3.5g of fiber.

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Weight Loss Disclaimer:

The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or weight loss plan. Individual results may vary, and it is important to consider your own health needs and consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet or exercise program.