How to get lean and strong in your forties and beyond.

 

   What do Hollywood stars like Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Lopez, Liz Hurley, Sofia Vergara and Naomi Campbell all have in common? 

   They all have lean and toned bodies and are all above forty.

  Most women begin to battle with the bulge when they hit the 40 mark due to slowed-down metabolism, eating the same way like they were in their 20s and 30s and being less active due to family and work responsibilities.

      But I have great news for you, it’s possible not only to get your trim body back but it can even be better than it was in your 20s and 30s.

       Follow these tips below to get started:

       Draw a plan to get to your destination.

      You need to plan, strategize and be fully aware of your strengths and weakness to accomplish anything in life.

    One of your strengths should be patience and knowledge of what works for you at this time in your life.

       And one of your weaknesses is your slowed-down metabolism, hormonal imbalance etc.

     So you will need a different fitness and diet approach from what you did in your 20s and 30s.

      Then you need to calculate how much weight you need to lose and the ideal weight for your height, bone structure, and age so that you won’t end up getting haggard.

          Change your diet.

       Reduce your carbohydrate intake. Eliminate high glycemic foods like white bread, white rice, white wheat and white sugar.

       Replace them with fibre rich foods like beans, citrus fruits, oats, bananas, almonds, kale, broccoli, avocadoes, apples, berries, pomegranates, cabbage and pineapple.

         These foods fill you up, promote gut health, reduce cravings, balance blood sugar and eliminate waste from the body which aids in weight loss.       

        Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kale and spinach are also known to remove excess estrogen from the body and aid hormonal imbalance.

        Also, include lignames into your diet too. Aside from being rich in fibre, they also help alleviate hormonal imbalance. Examples of the foods are flax seeds, chia seeds and sesame seeds.

          Increase your protein intake. Protein digests slowly just like high fibre foods so you stay fuller for a longer time. It is also crucial for building and maintaining muscle mass and the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Eat more eggs, poultry, fish and yoghurt.

        Include more healthy fats like coconut oil, avocadoes, olive oil, butter and peanut butter in your diet. These foods promote a healthy heart, hormonal balance and healthy skin.

 

            Draw up a new fitness plan.

        As you are aware, those long walks and jogs that melted the fat easily are no longer as effective as they used to be. It is recommended that you reduce your long cardio sessions to a maximum of twice a week.

           You can swap them for high-intensity training (HIIT) because they are completed in a shorter time and they burn more body fat than long cardio exercises.

            Also, include strength training and full body exercises in your fitness routine 3-4 times a week. These exercises will build muscle which in turn raises your metabolism so you end up burning more fat in the long run.

            Our muscles get stiff as we get older so it’s important to add exercises like yoga and Pilates your to fitness routine because they are good for building core strength and flexibility.

 

            Get enough sleep.

          Another very important thing to add to your weight loss plan is sleep. Inadequate sleep causes stress which can lead to elevated levels of cortisol in the body.

           Some of the symptoms of excess cortisol are:

• Muscle wasting
• Weight gain especially around the middle

Thinning 

• skin
• Memory loss    

    Ideally, aim for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep daily for overall wellbeing.

               Take supplements.

           It’s extremely difficult to get all your nutrients from food alone because we can rarely eat them in the recommended quantities, that’s where supplementation comes in.

            Take the following supplements to boost your nutrient intake and aid weight loss.

• Vitamin B complex— calms the nerves and aids the metabolizing of carbohydrates.
• Zinc – aids in balancing hormones /carries vitamin A to the skin.
• Magnesium –aids absorption of calcium
• Vitamin c- acts as an antioxidant.
• Omega 3 fish oils -- burns belly fat /promotes healthy and plump skin.
• Vitamin e --- has antioxidant properties that help reduce the amount of oxidative stress and free radicals.

      You can add these additional tips to your new diet and fitness routine to accelerate your results. Take the drink first thing in the morning before your smoothie or breakfast to aid weight loss.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Grated ginger
• ½ lemon or lime
• 24 Oz of warm water
• 1 tsp. of honey

Squeeze lemon or lime into warm water and add all the other ingredients and drink. Do this for one month and you will see the difference.

    So try the following tips are listed above and you 

will be amazed at how trim you will become.