The 20 Best Ways to Lose Weight After 50

Though weight loss can be challenging as you get older, modifying your diet and lifestyle can help you lose weight at any age. Habits like staying hydrated and practicing mindfulness can help.

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For many people, maintaining a moderate weight or losing excess body fat can become harder as the years pass.

Following a mostly sedentary lifestyle, making low nutrient dietary choices, and experiencing metabolic changes can all contribute to weight gain after the age of 50.

However, with a few simple adjustments, you can lose weight at any age — regardless of your physical capabilities or medical diagnoses.

Here are the 20 best ways to lose weight after age 50.

1. Learn to enjoy strength training

Although cardio gets a lot of attention when it comes to weight loss, strength training is also important, especially for older adults.

As you age, your muscle mass declines in a process called sarcopenia. This loss of muscle mass begins around the age of 50 and can slow your metabolism, which may lead to weight gain.

After age 50, your muscle mass decreases by about 1% per year (1). Adding muscle-building exercises to your routine is essential for reducing age-related muscle loss and promoting a moderate body weight.

Strength training, such as bodyweight exercises and weightlifting, can significantly improve muscle strength and increase muscle size and function (2). It can also help you lose weight by reducing body fat and boosting your metabolism, which can increase how many calories you burn throughout the day (3).

2. Team up

Introducing a health-promoting eating pattern or routine physical activity, such as an exercise routine, on your own can be challenging. Pairing up with a friend, co-worker, or family member may improve the chance that you stick to your plan and meet your wellness goals.

For example, research shows that those who attend weight loss programs with friends are significantly more likely to maintain their weight loss over time (4). Working out with friends can also strengthen your commitment to a fitness program and make exercising more enjoyable.

3. Sit less and move more

Burning more calories than you take in is critical to losing excess body fat. That’s why being more active throughout the day is important when trying to lose weight.

For example, sitting at your job for long periods of time might impede your weight loss efforts. To counteract this, you can become more active at work by getting up from your desk and taking a 5-minute walk every hour.

Research shows that tracking your steps using a pedometer or Fitbit can aid weight loss by increasing your activity levels and calorie burning (5).

When using a pedometer or Fitbit, start with a realistic step goal based on your current activity levels. Then gradually work your way up to 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day or more, depending on your overall health.

4. Bump up your protein intake

Getting enough high quality protein in your diet is important for both weight loss but also critical for stopping or reversing age-related muscle loss (6).

As you age, you gradually lose muscle mass and strength. However, eating a protein-rich diet can prevent or even reverse muscle loss. Numerous studies have also shown that increasing dietary protein can help you lose weight and keep it off long term (7).

5. Speak with a dietitian

Finding an eating pattern that both promotes weight loss and nourishes your body can be challenging.

However, consulting a registered dietitian can help you determine the best way to lose excess body fat without following an overly restrictive dietary plan. They can support and guide you throughout your weight loss journey.

Research shows that working with a dietitian to lose weight can lead to significantly better results than going at it alone, and it may help you maintain the weight loss over time (8).

6. Cook more at home

Numerous studies have demonstrated that people who prepare and eat more meals at home tend to follow a more health-promoting diet and weigh less than those who do not (9).

Cooking meals at home allows you to control what goes in — and what stays out — of your recipes. It also lets you experiment with unique, nutritious ingredients that pique your interest.

If you eat most meals outside the house, start by cooking one or two meals per week at home. Gradually increase this number until you’re cooking at home more than you eat out.

7. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Vegetables and fruits are packed with nutrients that are vital to your health. Adding them to your diet is a simple, evidence-based way to help drop excess weight.

For example, a review of 10 studies found that each daily increase of vegetable servings was associated with a 0.14-inch (0.36-cm) waist circumference reduction in women (10).

Another study involving 26,340 men and women ages 35 to 65 years associated eating fruits and vegetables with lower body weight, reduced waist circumference, and less body fat (11).

8. Hire a personal trainer

Working with a personal trainer can especially benefit those who are new to working out. Personal trainers teach you the correct way to exercise for promoting weight loss and avoiding injury.

Plus, they can motivate you to work out more by keeping you accountable. They may even contribute to improving your attitude about exercising.

9. Rely less on convenience foods

Regularly eating convenience foods, such as fast food, candy, and processed snacks, is associated with weight gain and may hinder your weight loss efforts.

Convenience foods are typically high in calories and tend to be low in important nutrients like protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. That’s why fast food and other processed foods are commonly referred to as “empty calories.”

Cutting back on convenience foods and replacing them with nutritious meals and snacks that revolve around nutrient-dense whole foods is a smart way to lose weight. However, that doesn’t mean you need to cut convenience foods out entirely — consider enjoying them in moderation.

10. Find an activity that you love

Sticking with physical activities, such as an exercise routine, can be difficult. This is why it’s important to engage in activities that you enjoy for long-term consistency.

For example, if you like group activities, consider signing up for a group sport like soccer or a running club so you can engage with others on a regular basis. If solo activities are more your style, biking, walking, hiking, or swimming may be more suitable options.

11. Get checked by a healthcare professional

If you are finding it difficult to lose weight even though you’re active and follow a health-promoting eating plan, ruling out conditions that may make it difficult to lose weight — like hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) — may be a good idea.

Tell your doctor about your symptoms so they can decide the best testing protocol to rule out medical conditions that may be behind your weight loss challenges.

12. Eat a whole-foods-based diet

One of the simplest ways to ensure that you give your body the nutrients it needs to thrive is eating a diet rich in whole foods.

Whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, poultry, fish, legumes, and grains, are packed with nutrients essential for maintaining a moderate body weight, such as fiber, protein, and healthy fats.

In many studies, whole-food-based diets, both plant-based diets and those that include animal products, have been associated with weight loss (12).

13. Eat less at night

Many studies have shown that eating fewer calories at night may help you maintain a moderate body weight and lose excess body fat (13).

A 2014 study found that people who ate more calories at dinner were significantly more likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions including high blood sugar and excess belly fat. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke (14).

Eating most of your calories during breakfast and lunch — while enjoying a light dinner — may be a helpful method if it fits your lifestyle.

14. Focus on body composition

Although body weight is a good indicator of health, your body composition — meaning the percentages of fat and fat-free mass in your body — is important as well.

Muscle mass is an important measure of overall health, especially in older adults. Maintaining muscle mass and losing excess fat are primary goals (15).

There are many ways to measure your body fat percentage. While some scales have features that can estimate your body fat percentage, you can also speak with your doctor about getting skin caliper testing or a DEXA scan.

15. Hydrate the healthy way

Drinks like sweetened coffee beverages, soda, juices, sports drinks, and pre-made smoothies are often packed with calories and added sugars.

Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, especially those containing high fructose corn syrup, is strongly linked to weight gain and conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver disease (16).

Swapping sugary beverages with healthful drinks like naturally flavored water and herbal tea can help you lose weight and may significantly reduce your risk of developing the chronic conditions mentioned above.

16. Choose the right supplements

If you feel fatigued and unmotivated, taking the right supplements may help.

As you age, your ability to absorb certain nutrients declines, increasing your risk of deficiencies. For example, research shows that adults over age 50 are commonly deficient in folate and vitamin B12, two nutrients that are needed for energy production (17).

Deficiencies in B vitamins like B12 can negatively affect your mood, cause fatigue, and hinder weight loss. For this reason, it can be a good idea that those over age 50 take a high quality B-complex vitamin to help decrease the risk of deficiency.

If you’re considering taking supplements, it’s typically a good idea to always speak with your doctor first.

17. Limit added sugars

Limiting foods high in added sugar, including sweetened beverages, candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream, sweetened yogurts, and sugary cereals, is critical for weight loss at any age (18).

Because sugar is added to so many unexpected foods, reading ingredient labels is the best way to determine if an item contains added sugar.

Look for “added sugars” on the nutrition facts label or search the ingredient list for common sweeteners such as cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and agave.

18. Improve your sleep quality

Not getting enough quality sleep may harm your weight loss efforts. Many studies have shown that not getting enough sleep increases the likelihood of obesity and may hinder weight loss efforts.

For example, a 2016 study spanning 2 years showed that those who slept 7 hours per night or more were 33% more likely to lose weight than women who slept less than 7 hours per night. Better sleep quality was also associated with weight loss success (19).

Experts advise aiming to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. To help improve your sleep quality, they recommend minimizing light in your bedroom and avoiding using your phone or watching TV before bed (20).

19. Try out intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern in which you only eat during a specified period. The most popular type of intermittent fasting is the 16/8 method, where you eat within an 8-hour window followed by a 16-hour fast (21).

Numerous studies have shown that intermittent fasting promotes weight loss (22). However, much of the research has been done on men. Some studies have shown that intermittent fasting may adversely affect female hormones.

20. Be more mindful

Mindful eating can be a simple way to improve your relationship with food, all while encouraging weight loss.

Mindful eating involves paying more attention to your food and eating patterns. It gives you a better understanding of your hunger and fullness cues, as well as how food affects your mood and well-being (23). Many studies have noted that using mindful eating techniques promotes weight loss and improves eating behaviors (24).

There are no specific rules to mindful eating, but eating slowly, paying attention to the aroma and flavor of each bite of food, and keeping track of how you feel during your meals are simple ways to introduce the practice.

The bottom line

Though weight loss may seem to get more difficult with age, many evidence-based strategies can help you maintain a healthy body weight after turning 50.

Cutting out added sugars, incorporating strength training into your workouts, eating more protein, cooking meals at home, and following a whole-foods-based diet are just some of the methods you can use to help improve your overall health and lose weight.

Consider trying the tips above and before you know it, weight loss after age 50 will seem like a breeze.

Posted : 2024-08-29 10:50

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