How to lose weight if you are over 40 years old: 5 nutritionist tricks

Reaching 40 has a lot of advantages (I say this from experience)… You have many resources; you know what you want (and what you don't want); you have managed to make a hole to practice that sport that you like so much; you organize yourself so well that when the day is over you are not able to understand how you managed to get there; there is no one who will give you a hooligan … But it costs you more than before to maintain a healthy weight! Yes, now that you are going faster than ever… your metabolism is slowing down! But don't worry, it's normal. What can you do if you want to lose a few kilos after 40? Our nutritionist, Dr. Mª Isabel Beltrán, an expert in the treatment of obesity and overweight, offers 5 infallible tips to lose weight healthily if you are over 40 years old . Sign them up!

Control the quantities

Be very careful with the amounts you put on your plate! To stay at your healthy weight you must be aware of the amount of food you put in your mouth. Many times we "eat through our eyes" and we eat too large portions. Not to mention the times we raid the fridge and go biting throughout the day without even realizing it.

What are the appropriate amounts? The Harvard plate method can be of great help in distributing quantities. This system recommends occupying half of the with vegetables; a quarter with proteins in the form of eggs, fish, meat or legumes; and the remaining quarter, with carbohydrates, pasta, rice, legumes, preferably whole grains.

On the other hand, to control your diet and be more aware of what you eat, you can spend a few days writing down everything you eat. It is not about torturing yourself with what you eat, but about knowing your habits better to modify them. Many times we eat by inertia and with this simple exercise we can eliminate or reduce many calories that are not even giving us satisfaction.

Another detail that can help you is asking yourself often if you really need a drink. Listening to your body is key to identifying the feeling of hunger and knowing how to differentiate it from others such as thirst (sometimes our brain confuses appetite with the need to drink water), anxiety or boredom . Perhaps at first it will be difficult for you to do this exercise of “mindful eating” (conscious eating), but it will not take long to internalize it and it will help you to enjoy food more and lose weight.

Keep schedules

If you have decided to lose weight, you should start to establish relatively fixed times for your meals. Many studies argue that what we eat is as important as when we eat it. Maintaining some routines and respecting the time for breakfast, lunch and dinner can have as positive effects on your weight loss process as the food and calories that your menus contain.

This is what is extracted, for example, from a study carried out by scientists at the University of Lübeck, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocronolgy and Metabolism , which also highlights the importance of providing the highest number of calories at breakfast and reducing them in the following meals.

Nor should you forget to go to sleep without a full stomach. Going to bed without having digested could slow down the process and, in addition, negatively influence the quality of rest, which is also key if you want your body to function well and not lose its rhythm.

Choose seasonal products

Our grandmothers already said it, nature is wise … And so much! In each season, nature offers us a selection of foods that are perfect for the needs of that moment. For example, in autumn and winter citrus fruits and cabbages predominate, rich in vitamin C and great allies against colds and flu. Fatty fish with a high vitamin D content are also abundant, which we must ingest to a greater extent as we cannot sunbathe as much (the main source of vitamin D). For their part, the warm months bring us a lot of products rich in water and lighter, which help us to stay well hydrated and reduce our caloric consumption .

In summary, betting on seasonal foods will help you to prepare delicious menus with which you can obtain all the nutrients that your body needs.

Move 30 minutes a day

Training 30 minutes a day will help you keep your metabolism active. You don't have to become an elite athlete, just walk briskly for 30 minutes and incorporate some strength exercise into your day to day. From the age of 40, the production of certain hormones begins to decrease and muscle mass is significantly reduced. What happens then? That the basal metabolism plummets and, with it, the number of calories your body consumes while at rest. To compensate, you must keep your heart active (with cardio exercises) and build more muscle (with strength routines), since good muscle mass will help you burn more calories . And this will only be achieved by practicing some exercise!

Eat what you like

It is more than proven that if you do not enjoy what you eat and do not stop putting limitations on yourself, you will end up frustrated and ruining your diet. Forget going hungry, always eating the same and having forbidden foods. Start enjoying your food at once!

Banish the idea of "going on a diet." This expression that you have been hearing all your life has such negative connotations … You better think that you are going to introduce some changes in the way you eat that will allow you to be healthier, have more vitality and stay at your healthy weight. Record yourself in blood that to lose weight you don't have to suffer . On the contrary, not enjoying the process would be counterproductive. It is essential to feel good, organize your menus based on your tastes and, why not, indulge yourself from time to time. You deserve it!

Don't even think about bingeing, please, but an ounce of chocolate, a sweet, or a slice of pizza every now and then doesn't have to hinder your weight loss process . And it can look good on you!