How Do I Lose Weight After 40?

It's one of the most frequently asked questions across all our social platforms: how do I lose weight after 40? Believe it or not, your metabolism didn't go completely to hell in a handbasket after 39, but it can definitely feel that way. The truth is, for most of us, the change happens slowly but the realization can seem jarring. One day, you could zip up your jeans and the next, you couldn’t shoehorn yourself into them even if you greased your ass with coconut oil. 

How Do I Lose Weight After 40?: Face the Change 

Everyone, male or female, goes through hormonal changes. Granted, women more so than men. Women go through seven notable hormonal changes in their lives. You read that right: seven. That's seven notable changes to your body's chemistry that can impact your ability to function in day-to-day life and lose weight and keep it off. These changes include:

  • Puberty (9-12 years old)
  • Adult Menstrual Years (21-35 years old)
  • Pregnancy (varied ages)
  • Post-Partum (varied ages)
  • Perimenopause Phase One (35-45 years old)
  • Perimenopause Phase Two (45- 55 years old)
  • Postmenopausal (55 +)

Perimenopause is a particularly noticeable change because our estrogen starts to decline in these years, and less estrogen can result in eating more and be less physically active. Lower estrogen levels is also associated with a slower metabolism. What's more: declining estrogen may inhibit your body's ability to use starches and blood sugar, which increases fat storage...especially around your midsection. Men aren’t exempt from this unfortunate phenomenon. Testosterone levels drop for men around 40, causing what pop-culture has so ironically named MENopause. You can read more about that here

So there's the hormones. There's also the fact that we lose muscle mass as we age, and since muscle uses more energy (i.e. calories) than fat, this loss means we our resting metabolic rate declines.

All hope isn't lost though: you're simply going to have to change up your lifestyle a bit. Or a lot. It all depends on how you're living now. 

Don't panic and keep reading. Here are 5 ways to keep the bulge at bay, from perimenopause (or MENopause) onward.

How Do I Lose Weight After 40?: 5 Amazing Strategies

  1. Lift Heavy, Lift Hard

Like we said, muscle mass decreases with age, but training each muscle group twice a week can help stall this process, while also helping to boost your metabolism. You don't need to commit hours a week to training: high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a brilliant way to see serious lean muscle gains in precious little time. Around 20 minutes 3-5 times a week. That's all it takes to enjoy noticeable perks of this practice. 

How heavy is heavy?

Heavy is a relative term, and what is heavy to you during your first week of working out is not going to be the same as week five, or even three. So, get equipment that can grow with your gains so you won't have to keep buying new gear every two months. Our top recommendations are our dumbbells and Sculpt Bar, which both come with plate weights so you can add or remove resistance as you need it. The dumbbells and Sculpt Bar can also be used for total body training.  

Good news: You can score our dumbbells FREE when you buy our Sculpt Bar and weights. So, you get 65lbs in interchangeable resistance and $124 worth of fat-burning, muscle building power for free. The offer is only valid for a limited time, though, so hustle for the muscle! Add this bundle to your cart and use code 'FREEDBS' during checkout.

HURRY GET YOUR FREE DUMBBELLS NOW

Relative Weight

When selecting a resistance, keep in mind that your lower body will be able to lift more than your upper body. This said, there is no universal 'right' weight. As long as you are lifting properly and can repeat the exercise for the desired duration (reps or time) for at least the first round, you're doing great. If you don't feel the burn and/or aren't getting fatigued, however, you're going to have to load up. Remember: lifting is supposed to be challenging. It’s the challenge that creates the change.

  1. Try Intermittent Fasting (IF)

You may have been maintaining your weight by eating small, mostly healthy, and frequent meals throughout the day for years, and then, suddenly, this method stopped working for no apparent reason. Or you may have been able to eat whatever you wanted with no weighty repercussions. And now, that's over. The change is likely related to (you guessed it) your hormones. Because IF can help you reset and balance your hormones, it is arguably the most effective and easy lifestyle change you can make to fend off post-40 fat gain.

What is IF?

Intermittent fasting uses short, sustainable periods of fasting (~16 hours) followed by shorter periods of eating to help you burn more fat, build more muscle, sleep better, improve your mood and balance your hormones. And it works. It's worked for thousands of years for countless people, including many members of our #FitFam who have combined our Fast & Furiously Fit ebook with Sean's Fast & Furiously Fit workouts in Sweatflix. The ebook provides all the science behind IF as well as our ShredFast program for max fat loss, including recipes for 40+ delicious meals, snacks and desserts. Here's the refreshing part of IF: there is nothing—absolutely NOTHING—you can't eat when you IF. Yes, you want to be eating mostly clean foods and a balanced diet, but you can eat carbs. You can eat ribs. You can eat ice cream and burgers (recipes for all of these in the ebook!). With IF, the primary emphasis is on when you eat more than what you eat. 


Sounds good, right? Of course it is, especially considering when we start gaining weight we always think we're going to have to eat less...particularly less of the foods we love. But when you IF, that’s not the case. See for yourself. Score 30% off the Fast & Furiously Fit ebook when you use promo code FASTED30, and you can do Sean's challenge for free when you join Sweatflix for a 30 day free trial

  1. Avoid/Limit Booze

Regardless of your age, drinking any amount of alcohol stalls out your fat burning abilities, since processing alcohol and getting it out of your system is your body’s top priority, from the moment you ingest it. As we age, however, our bodies process alcohol even more poorly, leading to lower tolerance and an even longer period in which our fat burning engines are spinning their wheels. 

Then there's the evidence that shows that alcohol messes with our hormone levels, disrupting sleep, and increasing hunger—especially the day after over-imbibing. Let's be clear: we include this point about alcohol to educate you, not chastise you. Deciding to drink or not drink is not a question of morality, but of what you want from your body and life. As trainer Lisa-Marie says, "I don't drink—I was teaching step when I was a teenager and feel I missed the window to start. Now, I don't see the point. I'd rather eat my calories." She adds, "If you drink, you just need to be aware of those calories. Account for them."

And be aware that booze doesn’t offer your body any nutrition. Again, we're not trying to shame anyone. We all have our indulgences. By her own admission, Lisa-Marie is up to a jar of almond butter a week—but she’s honest with herself about that. And she makes room for that indulgence in her diet.

  1. Sleep!

Sleep is an unsung hero of fat loss and we can't tout it enough. Sleep resets your hormones—including the hormones that control hunger and satiety. When you're tired, you feel hungrier because of this imbalance. One day of feeling tired won't break you, but being chronically exhausted will definitely affect your body fat percentage.  

Aim to sleep at least 7 hours, every day. Get your sleep hygiene in order to promote ideal slumber. This means:

  • No tech in bed or around your bed.
  • Sleep in complete darkness.
  • Sleep in a cool room (~67 degrees F or ~19 degrees C).
  • Avoid screens for about an hour before you fall asleep.
  1. 90/10

You likely know about the 80/20 rule: eat 80% healthy, whole foods and you'll be able to manage your weight. The other 20% of your diet can constitute of processed foods. As we get older, that number may have to change to 90%. This is not about eating less—just about eating better. So, instead of your mid-day chewy granola bar and blueberry yogurt, you could eat an apple and 10 raw almonds. This has all the energy of the granola bar and yogurt, but packs more of a punch in terms of nutrients and uses cleaner fuel for a leaner body.

How Do I Lose Weight After 40? Create Your Own Plan of Attack!

But here's the thing: you may not have to adopt a 90/10 diet. Maybe intermittent fasting will be enough and you'll see amazing results from that. Maybe loading up that Sculpt Bar and those dumbbells will give you the lean gains you're after. Maybe cutting down or cutting out your nightly glass or two of wine is all you need. Or sleeping more. Maybe you need to adopt all of these strategies or only a few of them. Maybe it’s none: maybe you’re doing everything right and you there’s something else at play: a deeper metabolic or thyroid issue for which you should see your doctor. The point is, you won't know until you do something. What you do know is that your body is changing, and if you don't like what you're seeing, you're going to have to take action. 

Take us up on our offer. Shop the Summer Sale. Grab the Fast & Furiously Fit ebook with promo code FASTED30. Try Sweatflix for 30 days, absolutely free. If you're unhappy, don’t sit around complaining about it. Do something.

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12 simple exercises to develop “phenomenal memory”:

1. Improve the memorization process

When memorizing something, you need to think about the action, draw parallels with your life. Let’s just say, the more associations you make, the more you will be able to remember what you want.

2. Try to remember yourself

There are times when you forgot your partner’s phone number, or the name and patronymic of a person with whom you have an important meeting, etc. Do not rush to open your notebook just to read the necessary information. Try to remember it yourself. This information is already “on the shelf in your head”, you just have to find it.

3. Create similar looks

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When you want to remember important information, try retelling it, or explaining it to another person. The memorization process becomes better when you speak the information received.

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When you have nothing to keep yourself busy in boring and long lines, try to start solving very simple arithmetic problems in your head. For example, multiply the number of legs of those red chairs by the number of flowerpots on the windowsill. Or count the sum of numbers on the numbers of passing cars … This practice is actually an excellent memory training. 6. Remember what happened to you during the day

Before going to bed, after the day, scroll through all its details in your head. What did you do throughout the day, what would you do to improve some points. Think back to your day. From now until awakening. Believe me, this is not an easy task! Ask the question: “Which decision I made today was the most effective?”

7. Read more books!

What could be better than spending your free time reading an interesting and useful book? When reading a book, the brain strains to memorize the details. In addition, you turn on your imagination and begin to visualize everything that you read about. This is great for training the brain.

8. Study verses and text passages

At school we were asked to learn poems for a reason. Memorizing rhymed verses and non-rhymed passages of text helps develop memory. So learn the verses. Try to choose those pieces that you really like 9. Don’t try to cram!

Remember how at school / university we could memorize the information we needed to get a good grade? Forget about it. This technique does not help develop memory. Dull cramming is ineffective. It tires the brain, and it quickly stops responding to the information it receives. Better ponder on what you read. You need to not only learn, but also understand what you are reading.
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But it’s still worth repeating the material covered. Not to cram, but to repeat – to refresh your memory. As they say: “Repetition is the mother of learning.” Repeat the information received. Every day, for example, 5 days. Repeat what you learned. This information will be deposited in long-term memory, and you can easily get it from there.

11. Don’t be lazy

You will never be able to achieve something and remember something if you are lazy. Laziness is the rust of the mind. Don’t let it take over your memory. Resist the temptation to lie idle on the couch. Take a book or turn on some relaxing music. This will force your brain to work and thus improve your memory, while you physically rest. And if you need to remember something, then quickly connect all the resources.

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12 simple exercises to develop “phenomenal memory”:

1. Improve the memorization process

When memorizing something, you need to think about the action, draw parallels with your life. Let’s just say, the more associations you make, the more you will be able to remember what you want.

2. Try to remember yourself

There are times when you forgot your partner’s phone number, or the name and patronymic of a person with whom you have an important meeting, etc. Do not rush to open your notebook just to read the necessary information. Try to remember it yourself. This information is already “on the shelf in your head”, you just have to find it.

3. Create similar looks

If you need to remember something important, try to create an image in your mind that is associated with what you need to remember. It will be easier for the brain to do this.

4. Speak the information received

When you want to remember important information, try retelling it, or explaining it to another person. The memorization process becomes better when you speak the information received.

5. Do arithmetic
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When you have nothing to keep yourself busy in boring and long lines, try to start solving very simple arithmetic problems in your head. For example, multiply the number of legs of those red chairs by the number of flowerpots on the windowsill. Or count the sum of numbers on the numbers of passing cars … This practice is actually an excellent memory training. 6. Remember what happened to you during the day

Before going to bed, after the day, scroll through all its details in your head. What did you do throughout the day, what would you do to improve some points. Think back to your day. From now until awakening. Believe me, this is not an easy task! Ask the question: “Which decision I made today was the most effective?”

7. Read more books!

What could be better than spending your free time reading an interesting and useful book? When reading a book, the brain strains to memorize the details. In addition, you turn on your imagination and begin to visualize everything that you read about. This is great for training the brain.

8. Study verses and text passages

At school we were asked to learn poems for a reason. Memorizing rhymed verses and non-rhymed passages of text helps develop memory. So learn the verses. Try to choose those pieces that you really like 9. Don’t try to cram!

Remember how at school / university we could memorize the information we needed to get a good grade? Forget about it. This technique does not help develop memory. Dull cramming is ineffective. It tires the brain, and it quickly stops responding to the information it receives. Better ponder on what you read. You need to not only learn, but also understand what you are reading.
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10. Repeat

But it’s still worth repeating the material covered. Not to cram, but to repeat – to refresh your memory. As they say: “Repetition is the mother of learning.” Repeat the information received. Every day, for example, 5 days. Repeat what you learned. This information will be deposited in long-term memory, and you can easily get it from there.

11. Don’t be lazy

You will never be able to achieve something and remember something if you are lazy. Laziness is the rust of the mind. Don’t let it take over your memory. Resist the temptation to lie idle on the couch. Take a book or turn on some relaxing music. This will force your brain to work and thus improve your memory, while you physically rest. And if you need to remember something, then quickly connect all the resources.

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Have you ever dreamed of studying at an unusual school? I think most people are actively nodding their heads at this point. And it’s not a secret. Today, movies are constantly playing on TV, where children study at the school of super heroes or are engaged in classes of real geniuses. And if we talk about Hogwarts, then, probably, every child dreamed of getting a letter by owl mail at the age of 11.

All this is great, but, in the end, we come to ordinary schools and sit at ordinary desks, not suspecting that somewhere far away there are unique and unique schools.

Waldorf school (Germany)
It looks just like an old building built in 1919, but the program that children study is amazing in its level. There is no memorization of lessons or tests. The peculiarity is that all children “experience” history anew. First they learn myths and legends, then they go on to the Bible stories. So, class by class, they gradually plunge into the lives of people from different eras.
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School with no discipline (Canada)
It feels like this school contradicts everything else. We haven’t even heard about grades, schedules, and homework here. Students can decide whether to go to class or not. In addition to the usual and well-known subjects, there are modeling, philosophy and cooking. But, and the most surprising thing is that the teacher has no right to interfere with children in any way.Adventure school (USA)
Students of this school take the same subjects as we do: biology, geography, chemistry, Zoology, etc. The only difference is that they do not learn all this with textbooks in their hands, but watch directly in front of them. The architecture lesson is a walk around the city, during which you can admire old buildings, listening to interesting stories. Natural history is a fascinating river descent by kayak and Hiking in the woods and beach holidays.

During the lessons, children model robots, come up with various games and create a rock band. Instead of physical education, they have yoga and Frisbee.
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