How to Lose Belly Fat after 50: Causes, Solutions and Why Is It Difficult to Get Rid of a Tummy?
How to lose belly fat after 50? What are the causes of abdominal fat at this age and how to find the best solutions? As we slowly enter the fall of our lives, our bodies show many signs of aging, including weight gain. While weight gain is normal for everyone, knowing what causes it and how to deal with it, is key to being healthy and thriving. For women, this phenomenon is much more common than for men. As we age and enter menopause, our bodies begin to change rapidly, resulting in many changes that can scare us. Why do we suddenly gain weight in the belly area and why is it harder to lose weight? Let’s discuss…
Abdominal Fat after 50: Causes
Let’s start by admitting that weight gain is completely normal. What I’m trying to do today is not conform to societal beliefs about a woman’s body and how thin it should be. We will therefore not approach this article in this state of mind. What I’m going to do here is reveal the causes of weight gain in the abdominal area and how to fix it, while giving you healthy tips for a better lifestyle. It is important to be healthy and to live a long life, and weight plays an important role in this, whether we like it or not. In general, with age and menopause, women can gain weight, their figure can change, their hormones too, etc. This is one of the first causes we will look at, then we will discuss other possibilities that are most likely related to this condition. Finally, I will give you useful and healthy tips to lose belly fat after 50 and lead a healthy and harmonious life. Let’s go!
Menopause and Weight Gain
Whether you’ve already gone through menopause or are just starting to feel the symptoms, belly fat is one of the most noticeable changes. You may have had a thin waist and a flat stomach all your life, but the menopause can suddenly affect this area and cause you to gain weight. First of all, there is nothing to worry about, as this is a perfectly normal change. However, trying to get in shape is essential if you want your bones and heart to be healthy. Why does this happen? At menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels drop. This is what triggers the weight gain in the belly area. This is also the reason why you cannot lose weight as quickly as before. Dramatic hormonal change is one of the main factors… However, aging is another important factor…
Why Do We Gain Weight as We Age?
With age, muscle mass decreases and fat increases. Maintaining a healthy weight becomes even more difficult as our bodies undergo changes. According to studies, obesity affects many more people in their 40s and 50s than in their 20s and 30s. So we have to be very careful about what we eat, when we eat it and how much we eat… Burning fat is much harder than it was when you were 20 and a simple crash diet can be worse than slow, steady weight loss. Continuing to eat large amounts of food can put our health at risk and shorten our lifespan. That’s why it’s so important to eat healthy and in small portions. It’s not about the way your body looks, but about health and longevity. But, then, what are the bad habits that prevent us from being healthy and lead to gaining weight?
Lifestyle and Bad Habits
We can’t miraculously stay in a healthy weight range all our lives without trying. Of course, some people have unusual genes and can maintain their figure without doing anything. However, for most people like us, it’s quite difficult. Yes, menopause and aging are closely linked to weight gain. However, habits and lifestyle in general are the driving forces.
Do you have an inactive lifestyle? Do you eat a lot of junk food? Are you always on the couch, sipping soda, wine or beer and feasting on chips? This behavior may not have had a huge impact on us when we were in our 20s, but in our 50s it’s completely different. The way our body starts storing fat and burning it changes dramatically. We can’t keep eating junk food and lying on the couch all day while considering it healthy or seeing a change. Below I will give you some very useful tips on how to change these bad habits once and for all!
How to Lose Belly Fat after 50: Practical Advice
Let’s start our journey to a better life by saying that there is not a single and magical answer to the question “How to lose belly fat after 50?” I wish there was one, but there isn’t! Our body is a real machine. We have to “oil” it, take care of it and repair it from time to time so that it works properly. Let’s quickly recap what’s to come. We’re going to see if some of Grandma’s weight loss tips and tricks actually work and why. Next, I’m going to talk about the importance of cutting back on sugar, which will lead us directly to a problem common to many people – binge eating, also known as “bulimic hyperphagia”. Finally, we’ll talk about the best course of action to take when it comes to weight loss.
Grandma’s Tips and Tricks for Losing Weight
You may have clicked on this article to discover Grandma’s miraculous trick. Well, there are some things you can do to help yourself lose weight and I’ll list them in a minute. Before that, know that even if you integrate these measures into your daily life, they will have no effect if you do not change radically… This means if you do not start eating healthy and if you do not adopt a more active lifestyle. But, let’s talk about some granny tips or how to lose belly fat after 50:
- Drink lemon water with honey. It’s actually quite healthy. The mixture of lemon and honey stimulates the metabolism, which allows the body to function easier. It’s said that by drinking this beverage, you’ll be able to burn fat faster than before. Again, you need to combine this little morning ritual with a balanced diet for it to work properly.
- Chew raw garlic. Yes, chewing raw garlic is quite disgusting, but it boosts your metabolism! Eating garlic is one of the best ways to stay healthy longer and suppress your appetite. Just be careful not to kiss anyone afterwards…
- Drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar every morning. Drinking apple cider vinegar may even be less appetizing than chewing raw garlic! However, I have good news for you! This “trick” doesn’t really work. Yes, apple cider vinegar has many benefits for our immune system, but burning fat is not one of them. It can suppress the appetite, but not for long.
- Drink a tablespoon of olive oil every morning. If you drink a tablespoon of olive oil in the morning, you will help your digestive system. For example, if you have digestion problems, it will help you tremendously. However, this will not make you lose your belly fat!
How to Lose Belly Fat after 50: Now Let’s Talk About the Biggest Problem…
Reduce Sugar Consumption
Believe it or not, sugar is our biggest enemy… And not just for weight loss, but for our immune system as a whole. Most often, we feast on large quantities of sweet foods such as cookies, ice cream, cakes, etc. Although these foods are acceptable in small quantities from time to time, overindulgence will inevitably lead to weight gain. What you have to do is adopt a caloric restriction. But beware! It’s not about eating less than 1,500 calories a day. I see a lot of diets that “advocate” low calorie intake, which in itself is very unhealthy and will lead to the yo-yo effect once you finish the diet in question. For a woman, a healthy daily calorie intake should be no more than 2,300 and no less than 1,700. Make sure you stay between the two and balance your food intake. This means you need to eat more fiber and reduce the fats and carbs you eat daily. Slowly but surely you will see positive changes in your body.
Also read: Trendy Swimsuits to Hide Your Belly
Binge Eating Disorder and How to Overcome It?
Speaking of food, we are talking about a very common problem that affects many people… This is directly caused by our unhealthy body standards and impossible weight loss expectations, which unfortunately lead to unhealthy eating habits. What you need to know about binge eating, is that it is a psychological problem. I have struggled with this problem myself and I know how difficult it is to get rid of this bad habit that slowly obsesses and ravages your life.
Binge eating is constantly thinking about food, especially in stressful situations, and eating it in large quantities. It is one of the main causes of weight gain and despite all the diets people try to follow, they all feel empty and sad without binging. Once they have eaten a lot of mostly unhealthy food, they feel ashamed and more than full. What you need to do here is seek professional help, talk to your loved ones and understand that only you can control your thoughts and that food does not control your life. It will be difficult, I know, but it’s manageable.
Lose Belly Fat after 50: Embrace an Active Lifestyle
And the final piece of the puzzle is… Active living! This is a no-brainer, but many people overlook this part when dieting. Yes, cutting calories will help you lose weight, especially in the stomach area. However, to gain more muscle, feel better, and shape your body, you need to embrace a more active lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym! You can do light exercises at home every day or go for a walk. Make it a habit and you’ll see how good you’ll feel in the end… It’s about changing negative mindsets into positive mindsets!