As a woman over the age of 50 you may have noticed that your belly is growing despite the fact that you are eating and exercising the same. This is because when midlife strikes, so does the widening of the midsection and all of this change is thanks to the tiny hormones that are produced by your body.
The typical age of onset for menopause is 51. With menopause comes a drop in estrogen, which alters the body composition. This hormonal shift makes it easier for your body to store fat in your belly. While this does somewhat decrease fat storage in the legs, hips and buttock, belly fat is nothing to desire. And I am not talking only about appearance. Belly fat is a type of visceral fat. This type of fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers.
If you are a woman over the age of 50 with a growing belly, then use these simple eating tweaks to stop the spread.
1. Eat "One Ingredient Foods." Foods such as nuts, vegetables, whole fruits, and fish, are filling and easy for your body to utilize for energy and repair. The easier you make if for your body to digest food, the less food will be available for fat storage.
2. Eat Carbs At Exercise Time. Carbohydrates are the "go-to" nutrient your body wants for energy. You can give your body what it needs by eating carbs a few hours before you work out as well as right after a workout. This allows you to feel energized while at the same time allowing your body to burn the carbs you ate in your muscles, instead of storing them as belly fat.
3. Avoid Packaged Foods. What you get from the convenience of boxed or bagged foods is not worth the growth you will experience around your waist. Packaged convenience foods contain a lot of partially hydrogenated oils (i.e. trans fats) and refined flour. Research shows that these foods contribute to abdominal fat.
4. Eat Fewer Carbs and More Protein. Especially after the age of 50 your body has an easier time converting carbs into fat, than protein to fat. Therefore, a simple tweak to keep the belly from growing is to swap out 200 carb calories for 200 extra protein calories each day.
5. Lift Weights. Even if you have never picked up a dumbbell in your life, you can start after the age of 50. Lifting weights helps preserve and even build muscle mass, which is a great way to combat belly fat. If weightlifting is not for you, then try bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups or lunges, or even yoga. Even one day a week will help!
You do not have to settle for a growing belly after the age of 50. Follow these tiny tweaks to keep the midsection bumps and lumps away.
You can also learn what other women over the age of 50 are doing to stay slim and read their goals.
Are you curious to see how your goals stack up to theirs? I guarantee their inspiring stories will give you the motivation to reach your goal!
PLUS... you will receive my free report "How to Keep Your Body in a Fat Burning State 24/7", where you will learn how to gain control over hormones that control weight loss. Get the Free Report and Read Goals by clicking the link.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Becky_Gillaspy
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