many of you write asking what to do to lose weight after 50? once menopause sets in, it becomes harder each year to lose stubborn belly fat. many of you might think it’s only natural to gain weight after a certain age. after all, isn’t an expanding mid-section the price of getting older? but did you know that if your weight has shifted to your belly after menopause, it carries with it some serious health risks? the fat that lies deep inside your abdomen called visceral fat surrounds your internal organs and is linked to:
heart disease
type 2 diabetes
high blood pressure
abnormal cholesterol
breathing problems
if your middle section has expanded or your weight has significantly changed over the years, then it’s time to take your health seriously. weight loss isn’t solely relegated to wearing a size six! finding and maintaining a stable weight is the key to living your best life. but many of us have all but given up on losing that stubborn belly fat due to poor advice. after all, we’ve been told to cut calories and exercise more for the past fifty years. right?! wrong. while exercise is key to staying active, our diet is the most important factor to aging well. if you wonder what to do to lose weight after 50, there are a few things to consider.
balance your macros
many of you might be wondering what macros are. they’re better known as carbohydrates, protein, and fat. we need all three in our diet. carbohydrates provide fuel, the energy for your body and brain. it’s found in all plant foods, like grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and milk and yogurt. typically, i stay away from grains and get my carbs by eating fruit, veggies, and legumes. protein helps to build and repair your muscles, organs, skin, blood, and different chemicals, like hormones, in your body. it’s found in meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, tofu, eggs, and in smaller amounts in nuts, seeds, and whole grains. fat insulates and protects your bones and organs, acts as a backup fuel for energy, and helps in brain development. healthy, unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and mackerel. unhealthy saturated fats are found in high-fat beef, pork, butter, full-fat dairy, and processed foods, like cookies and donuts. these days i definitely stay away from processed foods as they are high in sugar. consuming too much sugar increases weight gain and leads to belly fat.
so if you are wondering what to do to lose weight after 50, i have a solution. i know, i know for many of you it’s easy to motivate yourself, find the right tools to lose weight, and exercise all on your own. but for others, it’s a real struggle! you’re craving the right information and tools but don’t know which way to turn. which is why i love to share FASTer Way to Fat Loss . for starters, this program is a lifestyle, not a diet. ‘cuz we all know diets don’t work. FWTFL teaches how to fuel your body and maintain energy throughout the day while you naturally burn fat. it’s a proven method of restructuring and repairing your metabolic system and increasing your metabolism – something many of us struggle with since hitting menopause and beyond! here are two comments from readers who took the plunge and signed up for this amazing program.
Wanted to say, I joined this program on your say so. I am 72 and was both curious and skeptical. Must admit I am now an enthusiastic convert. The program is completely doable, portable, and possible to do at home. The beginner exercise program was manageable for me, and I worked out in my small condo with no equipment other than hand weights. Daily accountability is another appreciated key to this program. I am in my last week of round 1. I am eating better, sleeping better, and down both pounds and inches. Money well spent. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I must thank you for telling us about the Faster way to Fat loss program. I watched your positive results and finally took the plunge and will now begin week 3. The eating program is great, and I was so surprised that the fasting isn’t a big deal. I don’t feel as obsessed with food.
me January 2018
me January 2021
what to do to lose weight after 50
FASTer Way to Fat Loss is extremely easy to follow and lays everything out step by step. during the 6-week program, you receive a full program guide complete with daily workouts, nutritional guidelines, webinars, meal plan information, and access to a Facebook group where all of your questions are answered.
FASTer Way to Fat Loss teaches how to fuel our bodies, so we become fat-burning machines. here are the key components that teach the best way to lose weight fast:
Carb Cycling and Macro Counting
Intermittent Fasting (16 hours)
Workout routines that can be done at home or the gym
what is carb cycling?
carb cycling simply means some days you eat low carb, and other days you eat moderate carbs. this ensures that you will burn fat effectively without causing hormonal damage or dips in energy.
for example, on low-carb days, i eat 50 grams or less of net carbs. net carbs are carbs minus fiber.
on regular macro days, i eat 205 carbs. this feels like a ton of food for someone who has been eating low fat or low carb for so long. some days i have trouble eating enough.
what is macro counting?
macronutrients are protein, carbs, and fat.
simply use the free version of My Fitness Pal to record your daily intake of macros. whenever you eat something, log it into MY Fitness Pal. in the beginning, it helps to plan out your meals for the week, so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute to fit in the right macros.
it’s not that hard, i promise. and you’ll be assigned a coach that can answer any and all questions you may have during the 6-week FASTer Way to Fat Loss program. plus, they provide a weekly meal guide that will help you learn to balance your macros.
what is intermittent fasting?
intermittent fasting is an important component of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, which simply means you have an eight-hour window to eat all of your meals. the other sixteen hours keep your body in a fasted state. it may sound daunting, but it’s doable, and you will get used to it. typically i eat my first meal around noon, then stop eating at 8 pm.
it’s funny; now that i have been doing it for so long, i no longer crave food at night. i don’t even think about it anymore.
intermittent fasting turns your body into a fat burner. it allows your body to utilize fat as its main energy source and can help change your overall body composition.
this program is based on eating whole, clean foods, and it’s something i can do for life. it is a gluten-free and dairy-free program, but i know lots of women who have had success without being dairy-free. and you can drink wine or a cocktail as long as it fits into your macros. eating well and not starving myself makes my body happy! ladies, the only way to age with grace, strength, and beauty is with a healthy lifestyle that starts with a healthy and stable weight. if you need help and encouragement, the next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss starts March 1st. this program will change your life. it changed mine.
is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more.
Thank you for all the tips. Some I know and need to make sure I do and others
that was something new for me and I need to follow. My husband is a junk food junkie and is skinny as a rail. Men! I need to stay away from the sugar as I know this causes belly fat and weight added.
Thanks for the reassurance.
skinny and healthy are two different things altogether. junk food just isn’t healthy period. good for you for
staying away from sugar. it’s a killer for sure.
The men thing is right! Pre-pandemic, I was doing Orangetheory (love it, miss it, starting their outdoor workouts next Friday because I refuse to go more than a year without it!) and on the screens, you can see everyones splat points and calorie burns. We’d all doing the exact same workout, yet the men would have 2 – 3 times the calorie burn over the women. So not fair!
I always come back and read about this program. I guess I hesitate because of the daily accountability. Accountability is a good thing but do I have to check in daily. I’m out of town for a week and am thinking about signing up and trying to do this even while I’m gone. Then when I get home I can really focus. I’m familiar with the my fitness pal app and really want to learn more about carb cycling and the macros. I also like the idea of the menus. I guess I’m looking for direction.
I’ve had a thyroid problem for a few months that is now under control so I think I can do this.
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
when you start to think about a healthy lifestyle rather than a start and stop program then you begin to find
ways to incorporate it into your day-to-day life whether that’s on the road or at home. and FWTFL
has upped their game by incorporating weekly menus with the program. it helps to get you on track as far as
what to eat. so happy your thyroid problem cleared up!
I am glad the FWTWL worked for you and many others. I do NOT want this to sound negative. I tried it and I had headaches and my stomach was always uset, so I quit. I think the 16 hours of fasting is what was so hard for me. I drank black coffee on an empty stomach and now 2 weeks later, I still feel bad. Just want others to know that all diets do not work for all . I will say they did reimburse me, which was a blessing! I have tried many diets, but this is the first that ever made me sick!
first, FWTFL is not a diet. and i’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you but i bet the black coffee on an empty stomach didn’t help. drinking coffee on an empty stomach increases
acidity. when there’s no food to buffer your morning black coffee it’s possible to experience harmful side effects. FWTFL is a standup company so it’s no surprise they issued a refund. onward!
I’ve been doing Faster Way for 18 months. I’ve lost a few inches, gained 10 pounds, so have not had the results most have, but still believe it’s a well-balanced, comprehensive program. I especially appreciated having the work-outs available during quarantine.
Beth, I love you and your column and I’ve been a fan for a long time. I take take exception about weight loss over 50 being so difficult. It’s difficult at every age. I am sad when I see these myths promoted, it discourages some while it gives other permission not to try or to try and fail. I know the faster way to weight loss is great but weight watchers is also great for $20 a month. At any age it takes work and smart decision making.
i think that’s fantastic that you found what works for you. it’s all about a healthy lifestyle in my book. and i would
agree that it’s hard to maintain your weight at any age. but for some reason, we seem to think it’s okay to put on
weight after a certain age or that age and weight gain are tied together. i’m all about busting those myths because
we can change our lifestyle at any point in time if we want to put the work in.
In response to the comment that “it is difficult for everyone to lose weight.” It is medical and scientific fact that after 5O, (though not impossible), hormonal changes, particularly in women going through menopause, along with lifestyle-related choices , make it even more difficult to lose weight – that is, without intentionality.
hormonal changes due to menopause might make us more likely to gain weight around our midsection, hips, and thighs.
but the big culprit is losing muscle mass that turns to fat and slows the rate our bodies burn calories.
Thank you for all the tips. Some I know and need to make sure I do and others
that was something new for me and I need to follow. My husband is a junk food junkie and is skinny as a rail. Men! I need to stay away from the sugar as I know this causes belly fat and weight added.
Thanks for the reassurance.
skinny and healthy are two different things altogether. junk food just isn’t healthy period. good for you for
staying away from sugar. it’s a killer for sure.
The men thing is right! Pre-pandemic, I was doing Orangetheory (love it, miss it, starting their outdoor workouts next Friday because I refuse to go more than a year without it!) and on the screens, you can see everyones splat points and calorie burns. We’d all doing the exact same workout, yet the men would have 2 – 3 times the calorie burn over the women. So not fair!
I always come back and read about this program. I guess I hesitate because of the daily accountability. Accountability is a good thing but do I have to check in daily. I’m out of town for a week and am thinking about signing up and trying to do this even while I’m gone. Then when I get home I can really focus. I’m familiar with the my fitness pal app and really want to learn more about carb cycling and the macros. I also like the idea of the menus. I guess I’m looking for direction.
I’ve had a thyroid problem for a few months that is now under control so I think I can do this.
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
when you start to think about a healthy lifestyle rather than a start and stop program then you begin to find
ways to incorporate it into your day-to-day life whether that’s on the road or at home. and FWTFL
has upped their game by incorporating weekly menus with the program. it helps to get you on track as far as
what to eat. so happy your thyroid problem cleared up!
I am glad the FWTWL worked for you and many others. I do NOT want this to sound negative. I tried it and I had headaches and my stomach was always uset, so I quit. I think the 16 hours of fasting is what was so hard for me. I drank black coffee on an empty stomach and now 2 weeks later, I still feel bad. Just want others to know that all diets do not work for all . I will say they did reimburse me, which was a blessing! I have tried many diets, but this is the first that ever made me sick!
first, FWTFL is not a diet. and i’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you but i bet the black coffee on an empty stomach didn’t help. drinking coffee on an empty stomach increases
acidity. when there’s no food to buffer your morning black coffee it’s possible to experience harmful side effects. FWTFL is a standup company so it’s no surprise they issued a refund. onward!
I’ve been doing Faster Way for 18 months. I’ve lost a few inches, gained 10 pounds, so have not had the results most have, but still believe it’s a well-balanced, comprehensive program. I especially appreciated having the work-outs available during quarantine.
FWTFL keeps upping their game with great workouts at home and menu planning. but if you lost inches i’d say that’s a
fantastic result!
Beth, I love you and your column and I’ve been a fan for a long time. I take take exception about weight loss over 50 being so difficult. It’s difficult at every age. I am sad when I see these myths promoted, it discourages some while it gives other permission not to try or to try and fail. I know the faster way to weight loss is great but weight watchers is also great for $20 a month. At any age it takes work and smart decision making.
i think that’s fantastic that you found what works for you. it’s all about a healthy lifestyle in my book. and i would
agree that it’s hard to maintain your weight at any age. but for some reason, we seem to think it’s okay to put on
weight after a certain age or that age and weight gain are tied together. i’m all about busting those myths because
we can change our lifestyle at any point in time if we want to put the work in.
In response to the comment that “it is difficult for everyone to lose weight.” It is medical and scientific fact that after 5O, (though not impossible), hormonal changes, particularly in women going through menopause, along with lifestyle-related choices , make it even more difficult to lose weight – that is, without intentionality.
hormonal changes due to menopause might make us more likely to gain weight around our midsection, hips, and thighs.
but the big culprit is losing muscle mass that turns to fat and slows the rate our bodies burn calories.
Thank you for all the tips