Quickest Way For Middle-aged Women To Lose Weight

Weight loss becomes more difficult with age. As you age, your metabolism slows and your digestive system works differently. Based on this fact, you may notice that the diet and exercise tactics you had in your 20s and even 30s no longer work. For middle-aged women, a new plan of action is required. Overall lifestyle, diet and exercise changes are required to shed the pounds at middle age.

Step 1

Eat a balanced diet. Eliminate the processed and junk foods from your diet. Also, eliminate sugar and white flour intake. Your new diet should consist of no more than 4-oz. servings of lean meat. Fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats should also be part of your new diet. These foods will help to nourish your muscles and stimulate your metabolism.

Step 2

Watch your portion sizes. Serving sizes have become massive, and consumers find themselves getting a great deal of food for their money. However, this does not mean you have to eat the entire portion. Cut these portions in half or thirds. You can always share a meal or save it for later. An appropriate portion size should resemble the size of your fist, the palm of your hand, or be the size of a deck of cards. When you feel full, stop eating. If you are not hungry, do not eat just because the food is there.

Step 3

Count your calories. According to Mackie Shilstone, author of the "The Fat-Burning Bible," you should never cut your caloric intake below 1,200 calories per day. Drastically cutting calories can cause your body to go into starvation mode, which makes it more difficult to burn calories. If you cannot burn calories, you will not lose weight. A caloric reduction of 500 a day should be step in the direction of weight loss. A dietitian or certified personal trainer can help you determine the appropriate amount of calories for your body.

Step 4

Cut the empty calories. Drinking your calories is an easy way to gain weight that most individuals do not think about. Eliminate sodas, juices, energy drinks, teas, lemonades and alcohol from your diet. Depending on what you drink and how much of it you consume, cutting liquid diets can cut eliminate 500 to 1,000 extra calories from your diet daily. Make the switch to water. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day. Water will nourish your muscles, decrease bloating, keep you feeling full, aid in the digestive process and prevent fat build-up.

Step 5

Step up your exercise program. Try a combination resistance training with cardiovascular exercise. Perform five resistance training workouts a week for 30 to 60 minutes, five days a week. Follow this with 30-to-60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. If you burn 500 to 1,000 calories a day, you will be well on your way to losing the weight you want. Running, jogging, swimming, dancing, aerobics, exercise DVDs and cycling are all forms of cardiovascular exercise.

Tips and Warnings

Grab a pedometer, and track your steps for the day. Try to get at least 10,000 steps in a day. Regular, consistent weight loss is important for middle-aged weight loss.