According to the National Institute on Aging, the average age at which a woman completes menopause is 51. Before that, in perimenopause, women tend to gain about a pound a year, mostly around the abdomen, according to the Mayo Clinic. While it may be convenient to blame declining hormones for the increase, the Mayo Clinic states that less exercise, increased food intake and slower metabolism are more likely to be responsible for an older woman's widening waistline.
Exercise More
To win the battle of the bulge after age 50, most women need to increase the amount of exercise they get each week. It takes 3,500 extra calories to gain a pound of weight. To lose a pound a week, women need to burn an extra 3,500 calories above and beyond the calories it takes to maintain vital functions. Add an activity that will burn about 500 extra calories a day to lose a pound a week. To lose a pound a month, women need only burn an extra 125 calories a day.
According to Healthstatus.com, activities that burn 500 calories for a 180 lb. woman include about one hour of low-impact aerobics, moderate swimming, or 90 minutes of walking at 3 mph.
Reduce Calories
If walking for an hour and a half every day is not possible, perhaps reducing calories while increasing exercise is a more convenient solution. According to BMI-calculator.net, a 5 foot 4 inch, 51-year-old woman requires about 1,500 calories to maintain vital functions such as breathing, heartbeat and metabolism. Sedentary women who consume more than the basal metabolic rate will probably see weight gain.
Reducing caloric intake can be accomplished by maintaining portion control or eliminating high calorie snacks and drinks. According to Smallstep.gov, portion control can be tricky. For example, most bagels are two servings, but most people eat a whole bagel, which can contain over 430 calories, without the cream cheese.
High calorie drinks can surreptitiously add girth to the waistline. An extra large creamy caramel coffee drink without whipped cream from a popular coffee chain can easily blend an extra 380 calories into the daily mix. Opt for the smallest size and save almost 200 calories.
Boost Metabolism
The Mayo Clinic says that women over 50 can see in increase in fat as muscle decreases. Increasing lean muscle will not only help to add definition and help support aging bones and ligaments, it also revs up the metabolism, which in turn, burns more fat.
Adding short bursts of weight training builds muscle naturally. According to the Mayo Clinic, a single weight-lifting set of 12 repetitions with the proper weight can build muscle just as efficiently as can three sets of the same exercise. The proper weight should tire muscles so the last rep is difficult.
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