As we get older, things seem to become much tougher than they used to be. I'm not talking about holding down a career or raising a family, i'm talking about how our bodies change as we physically become a bit older.

You know when you wake up in the morning with more cracks and pops than ever before. Joints aching after an over zealous workout, and of course the never ending struggle to lose weight. But, how come the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to lose weight?

 

Well, in this blog we're going to explain some of the reasons why everything just becomes a little more challenging as we approach mid life. And if this does sound like you, listen in as I'm gonna explain a few strategies that you can implement that will make everything you're trying to achieve a little bit easier.

 

So, pop your slippers on, put the zimmer frame to one side and let me explain to you why life really does begin at 40. You never know, you might be able to show the youngsters a thing or two, as well.

 

1. You become less active.

 As we get older, there's a tendency for us to become less active. Remember when you were 20, you'd run around with boundless energy, be partying all night and then roll into work the next day without a care in the world? Then your thirties hit - hangovers now last a whole week and finding time to exercise has dropped down to the bottom of the list.

 

For sure, as we get older our priorities and attentions change. We end up with more responsibilities like a mortgage and family and life becomes just more ‘grown up’. Yeah, you still want to look great and be in shape, but your motivations change.

 

To put it simply, the realities of growing up often make it harder to lose weight once we hit 40 and this is mainly because our activity levels decrease. And as I'm sure you know, as activity decreases, so does the amount of calories we burn.

 

Having daily step targets or being more active with the kids or your partner are just a couple of ways that you can ensure that you keep your activity levels high.

 

2. Hormones

So, ladies let's start with you. The menopause can wreak havoc with your hormones. The reason this affects weight loss is that you’ll experience a significant loss in estrogen which affects your fat distribution. What this means is that you’re more likely to see more fat distributed around your midsection.

 

So, you could well be in a calorie deficit and losing body fat from the whole body yet seemingly gaining around your stomach area. This is just a redistribution of body fat from other areas.

 

For the fellas out there as well, we don’t exactly get off scot free either. As we get older, our testosterone levels drop which in turn may have an impact on the gains.

 

When it comes to solutions for dealing with our hormones, stick to proven training methods that aid fat loss which you might already be doing. Outside of specific hormone replacement therapy, focus on resistance training, maximising sleep, and maintaining a healthy diet in order to maximise your results.

 

3. Calorie deficit

When it comes to losing body fat, a calorie deficit remains a key focus regardless of what age you are. So, calculate how many calories you need to eat in order to lose weight and stick with it for long enough to start seeing results.

 

As well as this, be sure to monitor and adjust that number in the first few weeks so you know that the body is reacting to the amount of calories that you’re consuming.

 

As well as a calorie deficit, adequate protein and resistance training will both help to retain muscle mass which will in turn keep the body burning more calories. Hopefully, some of the training and nutritional habits that you benefit from now will also help you in the future.

 

Trying to lose weight you hit 40 does come with additional challenges, but it is still very much possible to live a lean and healthy life at any age.

  

Despite some of the challenges that I’ve just mentioned, the most basic principles to dieting and healthy living still apply. A calorie deficit, combined with a diet rich in nutrients is always going to give you the most significant results.

 

As well as this, don’t forget your resistance training and protein to help maintain your muscle mass.

 

After that, it’s all down to time and patience which is always the most frustrating part no matter what your age!