Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight After 40? 4 Simple Reasons Anyone Can Manage
November 14, 2018 18:02 By Fabiosa
Have you ever wondered what’s going on with your body after 30? And after 40? Well, the aging process can, indeed, be quite scary and challenging. So we are here to get rid of one at least one mystery that so many of us can relate to – losing weight after 40. Gosh, why is it so hard?
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4 reasons why losing extra pounds is much harder after 40
First off, we are all a bit different, and it’s not only our personalities, but also our bodies that differ. Some psychologists believe that most of your body changes that occur throughout your life are there exactly because of your psyche. However, some mechanisms, which typically come into force after 40, will be faced by everyone, sooner or later.
1. Muscle loss
According to different studies, people begin to lose around ½ lb. of muscle each year after they hit 30. Losing muscle weight means slowing down your metabolism. Well, you know what the latter means. Adding to that, gaining muscle surely means gaining body weight, but the difference between a fit person and a person with excess fat is pretty obvious.
2. Fat percentage
When you follow a diet to lose weight, you change your body composition. Not only women naturally have a higher percentage of body fat than men, we often increase this number by dieting. Because when you go off your diet, you are prone to gaining it all back, and unfortunately, this weight will mostly consist of body fat. And as you know, it is much harder to lose fat weight than muscle weight.
3. Calories is the magic word
Now you know that your metabolism gradually slows down. Do you know what else slows down? Your physical activity! We tend to become less active, which means your body needs fewer calories to maintain normal functioning. Ideally, you would need to do the math and determine how many extra calories of food you consume every day, and cut them.
4. Time for some good ol' sleep
Have you noticed that the quality of your sleep significantly decreased in your 40's? There are many reasons for that: from hot flashes to accumulated stress.
The latter one means that a hormone called cortisol is being stored as fat in your body when it's not being used. It is in your best interests to learn how to manage stress. Moreover, a constant lack of sleep has been linked to insulin resistance, which, in turn, leads to diabetes and obesity.
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Take care and stay healthy!
Source: NBC News, Health Line, Live Strong
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This article is solely for informational purposes. Do not self-diagnose or self-medicate, and in all cases consult a certified healthcare professional before using any information presented in the article. The editorial board does not guarantee any results and does not bear any responsibility for any harm that may result from using the information provided in the article.