Weight loss can become more difficult as we age, especially for women over 45. There are several reasons for this, mostly having to do with common bodily changes. Unfortunately, many weight loss programs promote diets and exercises that don’t take into consideration the real factors behind weight gain. These programs might promise fast results with highly restrictive diets or fat-burning workouts. But even if they are effective, the results are usually unsustainable. That’s where a hormone balancing diet might come in.
For true long-term weight loss results, it pays to take a more educated approach to weight loss. Understanding your body, and how to work with it, is key to losing weight. For instance, changes in our hormones as we age are often responsible for weight gain. Adjusting to this change with a hormone balancing diet can offer tremendous results, without any drastic lifestyle changes. But what exactly is a hormone diet, and how does it work?
What Is a Hormone Diet?
Women are more susceptible to hormone-related weight gain as they age due to decreased estrogen levels during menopause. This can lead to increased abdominal fat in women over 45, among other symptoms. It is also natural to lose muscle mass as we age, and our bodies begin to require fewer calories.
Both of these factors impact our metabolism. The decreased muscle mass means that our metabolism can slow down as we age. But there is no obvious warning sign of when this change takes place, so many people do not adjust their diets right away. As a result, many people wind up consuming more calories than they need. Their bodies will then struggle to convert calories into energy. All that extra food gets stored as fat, which is what causes age-related weight gain.
A hormone diet takes all of these factors into account. Hormone-balancing diets are designed to help the body produce the right amount of hormones, while also maintaining healthy caloric intake. Hormone diets focus on having a well-balanced diet, so there is no need to worry about severe restrictions. Here are some tips to follow when you are on a diet for hormone balance.
Hormone-Balanced Diet Tips
Healthy Protein Sources
It’s always important to have a healthy amount of protein in your diet. But this becomes even more important as we age. Many proteins promote the creation of certain hormones, which can become diminished as we age. Healthy protein sources, like lean meat, seafood, and legumes, are essential components of an effective hormone-balanced diet.
Moderate Exercise
One of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss is that it requires rigorous exercise routines. This can often do more harm than good, as the added stress can interfere with hormone levels. However, maintaining an active lifestyle is critical when it comes to boosting metabolism and lowering insulin levels. Rather than exhausting yourself at the gym, however, you might enjoy a brisk walk or bike ride each day. Consistent physical activity is more beneficial for weight loss than exhausting workout routines.
Decrease Sugar Consumption
Added sugars in processed foods are one of the leading culprits of weight gain, especially as we age. These sugars are almost always stored as fat rather than burned off for energy. As it becomes harder to lose weight with age, sugar-related weight gain becomes more of a problem. You don’t need to cut out sugar entirely, but you should be careful with how much you eat.
Improve Sleep Quality
Finally, a good night’s sleep is one of the simplest ways to improve your all-around health. Among other side effects, poor sleep can cause hormone imbalances and slow down your metabolism. Both of these factors can make it much harder to lose weight as we age.
Learn more about how to follow a hormone-balancing diet with the Metabolism Reboot.
