I am probably one of the few lucky people who eat a lot yet do not gain weight. I am 24 years old, a mother of one, and weight 102 pounds. I did gained weight when I got pregnant but I easily shed it off after a few months of giving birth. My mom told me she was just like me when she was my age, and that she started gaining weight when she reached 30. I was so scared because aside from the fact that you can’t wear everything you want when you are fat, it also pose risk on one’s health. If the above sounds familiar to you then relax, get a glass of water and learn how to lose weight for people in their 30’s and above.
How to lose weight at 30 and above
It is true that the metabolism slows down as people gets older. This is because the aging process doubles the proportion of one’s body that is made up of fat and decreases muscle mass. Since fat burns fewer calories compared to muscles, the metabolism slows down causing more calories to be stored in the body as fat deposits. Though it is physiologically normal to gain weight at 30 and above, you can still do something about it. If you make the commitment to yourself “I want to lose weight” then there are ways to reverse the situation.
Live an active life
Studies show that people tend to live a sedentary lifestyle as they grow older. Though you may feel some aches and pains here and there, it should not stop you from getting those muscles to work. Heading out to the gym can greatly help in keeping one’s body slender and healthy despite of age. If you find workouts boring and tiring, it is a good idea to bring along a friend or enroll in special classes that interest you; men usually prefer boxing, mixed martial arts, and basketball while women likes dancing, yoga, and step aerobics. It is important to engage in activities that are not only good-calorie burners but will allow you to have some fun as well.
Lower calorie intake
The body needs calories from food for energy as it needs air for oxygen. As a person gets old, his body needs fewer calories because of decreased muscle mass and decreased activity level. This means, if you continue eating the same amount of calories, you will definitely gain weight because your body has a decreased calorie requirement for your age.
For example, an average woman at the age of 20 needs 2205 calories/day; when she gets at the age of 25, her calorie requirement will decrease to 2168 calories/day, and by the time she gets to 30 she only needs 2095 calories/day and this will continually decrease as the person gets older. In every 3,500 excess calories you take in, you are adding a pound to your weight. Lowering one’s calorie intake to the amount that is just enough to how much your body needs will help in managing weight at the age of 30 and above.
Get adequate and quality sleep
Sleeping and losing weight are not commonly written in the same sentence, but do you know that sleep can actually contribute to weight loss and weight gain? This is all because of the hormones Leptin and Ghelin. Leptin is the appetite- suppressing hormone which is produced by the white adipose tissues, it then travels to the brain through the blood and tells the receptors in the hypothalamus, the satiety center of the brain, that your body is full, thus you do not feel the sensation of hunger. Ghelin, on other hand is the opposite of Leptin, it is the appetite- stimulating hormone that is produced by the cells of the stomach and the pancreas and also travels to the brain through the bloodstream and tells the hypothalamus that you body needs food, thus making you feel hungry.
Physiologically, Lack of sleep decreases the body’s Leptin level thus you do not feel satisfied with what you eat causing you to eat more. Also, not having enough sleep increases your Ghelin level thus sending a hunger- message to your brain causing you to eat.
Some physical changes caused by aging like the wrinkling of the skin and the growth of gray hair are inevitable, however gaining weight at 30 and above is something that anyone can manage. Losing weight may be harder as one gets older but if you work hard in managing your calories, losing weight is not impossible. Be inspired by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who is 38 years old, Ashton Kutcher who is 32, Penelope Cruz who is 36 and the sexy Angelina Jolie who is 35 years old.
