Losing weight can be very frustrating and feel impossible at times. The bad news is it gets even harder and more difficult to do when you age. Your metabolism slows down naturally when you get older and, unless you respond by reducing your calorie intake or increasing your activity, you may find your weight going up along with your age. You can do certain things to increase your metabolism and lose weight even after your 40s.
Metabolic Rate and Age
The energy requirement of your body is also called your metabolic rate. Your metabolic rate depends on your age, sex, weight, height and genetics. Unfortunately, when you age, your basal metabolic rate decreases. This means that your body requires less energy to do the same metabolic processes as before. Thus, you need to either increase your activity level or reduce your calorie intake from food to prevent weight gain.
Exercise and Metabolism
Exercise is a way to increase your metabolic rate no matter how old you are. Exercise increases your body's energy need and, as a result, your body begins to burn fat for energy. However, do not be fooled into thinking that once you exercise, you can eat as much as you want. Although exercise increases your energy need and metabolic rate, you still need to get fewer calories from food to lose weight. Add regular exercise to your routine to increase your fat-burning rate and eat a healthy diet for optimal weight loss.
How To Estimate Metabolic Rate
If you have hit the wall in your weight-loss efforts, make a new plan built around your metabolic rate based on your age. First obtain your basal metabolic rate. If you are a woman, use 655.1 + 1.850 x your height in centimeters + 9.563 x your weight in kilograms - 4.676 x your age. Men can use 66.5 + 5.003 x height cm + 13.75 x weight kg - 6.775 x age.
You need to multiply this number with an activity factor to get an estimate of your daily metabolic rate. Use factor 1.2 if you are not active, factor 1.55 if you are moderately active and factor 1.9 if you are highly active.
Dieting Plan
Once you have estimated your daily metabolic rate, you can make your diet and exercise plan. Deduct 500 calories from your metabolic rate to get your daily calorie allowance for weight loss. This daily calorie allowance is the amount of calories you can eat every day to lose a pound a week. Plan your weekly menu ahead and count your calories so you know how much you are eating. Remember that you must eat fewer calories than your metabolic rate is to lose weight.
Exercise Plan
Even in your 40s, you can add exercise to your regular daily routine to increase your metabolism and improve your health. Pick an activity that you love to do. This can be walking, jogging, bicycling, hiking, gardening, dancing or anything else you enjoy. Exercise five times a week, 30 minutes a day. You can also split the 30 minutes to three 10-minute workouts. You can eat an extra snack, between 100 to 300 calories, during the days you exercise or keep your calorie intake the same for increased weight loss.
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