Women over 50 face distinct challenges regarding losing belly flab. According to MayoClinic.com, older women and postmenopausal women who want to maintain a healthy weight require 200 fewer calories per day than younger women. In addition, aging women experience a slow but steady change in their body composition in which lean tissue gradually gets replaced with body fat. This process slows their metabolism so that they burn less calories. You can reverse the effects of aging and lose belly flab by making lifestyle changes around activity and eating. Speak to your doctor regarding any concerns before adopting a weight-loss regimen.
Step 1
Add activity to your daily life. Start the day with yoga sun salutations. Walk while doing errands. Squat deeply and stretch high while working in the garden and cleaning. Take the stairs or the hilly route when possible. March in place or pace while watching TV and talking on the phone.
Step 2
Perform muscle-strengthening activities daily. You cannot target belly flab with resistance training, but building your muscles reduces your percentage of body fat and elevates your basal metabolic rate so that you burn more calories around the clock. Do deep squats with biceps curls, power yoga, lunges with pectoral presses, pushups or functional fitness training.
Step 3
Exercise moderately to vigorously every day. Brisk walking, jogging, dancing, martial arts and dynamic yoga workouts elevate your heart rate so that you burn body fat, including belly flab.
Step 4
Limit your caloric intake. Cutting 200 calories only accounts for the reduced calories older women require to maintain their weight. Trim an additional 250 daily calories to lose 2 pounds per month. Simple dietary changes that improve your health and reduce calories include switching to nonfat dairy products, drinking water instead of soda, replacing sweets with fresh fruit and snacking on fresh vegetables instead of junk food.
Step 5
Target your core with toning and strengthening exercises. Doing deep breathing while contracting your abdominal muscles and practicing proper posture both gently build core strength. More intensive exercises include doing situps on an incline board, bicycling your legs while doing crunches or doing Pilates moves.
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