5 ways to increase your metabolism at 40+
Remember the things we use to get away with when we were younger, in our 20’s and 30’s? The late nights, the parties, the alcohol, the long wine lunches, the pathetic gym sessions and occasional jog around the block, McDonalds at 2 in the morning after a late night, never eating before lunchtime and the packet of tim-tams after dinner.
And although our weight fluctuated, if we needed to lose weight quickly, we just ate less, stopped eating for a few days, or did some more cardio. Easy!
Well, those were the good old days right?
Fast forward to our mid 40’s and everything changes.
Nothing that used to work works now, and it doesn’t seem to matter how hard we work, how much cardio we do, or how little we eat, the weight just does not budge! Frustrated? You betcha.
I’ve been in fitness for over 25 years and trust me, I have had my fair share of battles with weight during these peri menopausal years.
Why do things change so much?
Why is it harder now than it was a few years ago?
And What can we do to reverse the weight gain and raise our metabolism that decreases as we approach our mid -forties?
The biggest factor in this traumatic time is HORMONES! Yep, those things.
An imbalance in our hormones which is definitely going to happen as this time approach’s will cause chaos with our metabolism, cause weight gain, fat deposits around the hips thighs butt and abs, ravenous hangry moments, and overall feelings of lethargy, lack of vitality and feeling like crap.
So…what can we do then?
Below are my 7 steps to getting control of a decreasing metabolism and reverse the weight gain that will take hold and run if we don’t stop the train in it’s tracks.
- Ladies, you MUST weight train! (resistance training included)
There are NO 2 ways about it. Science has proved it over and over again, and I am continually backing is up. Weight training will improve your metabolism dramatically. As we get older, we lose our muscle mass, which decreases our metabolism. The number of calories burned per day is based on our metabolic rate. The more muscle we have the more calories we burn. If we still consume the same calories as we did 10 years ago, but we are burning less, we will put on weight…fat! So by increasing your muscle mass by weight training, we can improve our metabolism and our bodies ability to burn fat. So, get pumping iron!
- Clean up your food!
Processed food, sugar, wheat and alcohol were staples of our diet years ago right? Well that NEEDS to change. We simply cannot get away with the late night McDonalds, the endless glasses of wine, missing meals and the comfort food of the past. Hormones, metabolism, liver function and gut health play a massive part in the subject of nutrition.
Protein, good fats, fiber and water are the most essential components of any nutrition plan for women over 45. Track what you eat and be totally organized daily with what you are eating for the next day so that avoid being left hungry and surrounded by all that amazing comfort food.
- Get your hormones checked.
When you know what the facts are, that is, what your hormone levels are, then you can make a plan. Often, it is pretty obvious what’s going on with some hormones, as in estrogen, and cortisol, but to avoid assumptions and make some wrong choices, get them checked. A simple salvia test will be able to show the levels of estrogen progesterone, cortisol, testosterone and DHEA so that correct supplementation can be introduced to counter the effects and help create more homeostasis in your hormones.
- Drink more water.
Most women I speak to and advise drink no-where near enough water. A 750 ml bottle of water is NOT enough water. Water is the basis for SO many body functions so why do we find it so hard to drink water? Our bodies should contain around 60% water, and most of us are actually dehydrated. Signs of dehydration are digestive issues, constipation, headaches, fogginess, fatigue, sore joints. Water also assists in weight loss!
- Sleep and managing stress levels.
Remember the good old days, late night on a Thursday, work the next day on 2 hours sleep, and do it all again the following day. Well, haven’t times changed. It takes me days to get over a late night now. Sleep is just so important not only weight loss, but your overall health and well-being. 7-8 hours of good sleep, a deep sleep that allows your body and mind to fully rest lowers hormones, lets the body repair, and the mind relax. It’s almost impossible to avoid stress these days, so rather than try and eliminate all stress (would be nice though) we need to learn ways to manage stress so that it doesn’t over whelm us, and lead to constant stress. Yoga, tai chi, martial arts, being on the water, beach walks and mediation are not only favorable past times but they are essential for managing stress in our busy lives. By reducing stress, you will be able to reduce cortisol levels in your body. When cortisol is high, it is almost impossible to lose weight. Cortisol and insulin go hand in hand. So when cortisol is up, so is insulin and any sugar/simple carbs are more likely to be stored as body fat, particularly around the mid section.
This is it in a nutshell, 5 ways to gain control of a chaotic metabolism.
However my specialty and passion is to actually show women, and take them through a step by step process to revolutionizing their fitness, health, mind and bodies.
This is done through a proven 5 step method.
We look at the following….
The Question
The problem
The Solution
The Elimination
The Revolution…
It doesn’t matter how close we are to Christmas, your birthday, Easter or the overseas holiday of the year………there is never a right time, and convenient time, the perfect time. You just have to make the decision now, and do it.
Join my program if you are serious about losing weight, getting on top of chaotic hormones and you are desiring to feel 100% better about yourself.
PS: If you want to lose weight, be stronger, get healthier and look amazing going into the summer months ahead, my 5 week New Women’s Fitness Revolution program has a structured exercise regime, exercise programing, and nutrition programing as well as continued support and learning to take you well beyond these summer months into many more. Click below for more information….
herehttps://chrissie-fiji.clickfunnels.com/launch-page-1
Have an awesome week…
Chrissie
CM x