Weight gain is more likely to occur with age. That’s right, the older you become the easier it is to pack on the pounds. Many factors can play a role such as changes in physical activity level, diet, how your body stores fat, toxin exposure over time and ultimately insulin resistance (a hormonal problem). Excess weight is now considered a hormonal problem.
Weight gain is linked to a myriad of health problems such as heart disease, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. Furthermore, where those extra pounds are located on your body ultimately determines your risk for chronic disease. Abdominal adiposity (excess weight around your mid-section) is one of the greatest risk factors for coronary heart disease.
Here are our top 10 tips to lose weight and feel great for individuals over the age of 50.
In order to obtain sustainable weight loss (meaning you lose the weight and keep it off) you must engage in fasting. There must be periods of both feasting and fasting in your daily routine. The reason is that when we are always eating then the insulin hormone is always spiking and relaying the message to the body that it should be in “fat storage” mode. When you are in fat storing mode, you are storing caloric energy and therefore you cannot burn stored fat.
Higher insulin levels signal to the body that it should store more food energy as fat. Conversely, when you go for periods without eating (i.e. fasting) then insulin levels drop, and your body can burn stored fat for fuel. Fasting creates the ideal circumstances for burning stored fat and improving insulin sensitivity. If you give your body the CHANCE, it will burn the carefully stored fat for energy. This is normal and necessary for optimal metabolic health. The concept of fasting focuses on “when” to eat. You can lose the weight AND keep it off with the practice of IF, a practice that has been around since the dawn of humanity.
It turns out the commonly heard advice to eat 6-10 times a day and always eat breakfast was never based on scientific evidence. So why were these recommendations made? So that companies could sell more food products, of course. Increase your fasting time. Read more about the health benefits of fasting here.
Now that we’ve established that it’s necessary to adjust when you eat, we also should highlight the importance of focusing on what you eat. These two tips: when and what (you eat) are the essentials for successful weight loss. The Paleo diet is what we recommend to all. It is the way our ancestors ate and is a “common sense” diet to follow. It’s getting back to eating REAL foods. There is no calorie counting when you follow a Paleo guide to eating.
The Paleo diet focuses on grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seasonal fruits. This diet focuses on whole foods and eliminates processed foods and additives. The Paleo diet emulates how the hunter-gatherers ate. The reason it works is that it gets rid of empty calorie foods (foods that provide only calories and no nutrients) and replaces these foods with more nutrient-dense options. Nutrient-dense foods are high in nutrients but lower in calories, which is the shift that aids in weight loss. Additionally, the foods found on a Paleo diet are rich in vital nutrients needed for weight loss and energy balance.
While the key to losing weight and keeping it off lies depends greatly on when and what you eat, there are also evidence-based supplements that can assist you on your weight loss journey.
Berberine supplementation has been shown to help enhance weight loss and also mitigate other chronic disease risks. It is our “do it all” supplement and for good reason (or good evidence). Berbe is our specialized weight loss supplement that also helps to regulate blood sugar and improve insulin resistance. It also makes cellular energy production less efficient in the body. This just means that the body makes enough energy for its cells to function but doesn’t store any excess energy with the use of Berberine.
Take 2 caps twice a day about thirty minutes before meals (so that Berberine can act on blood sugar regulation).
Green tea is a great partner in crime as you work to achieve weight loss. Green tea catechins help to regulate grehlin (your hunger hormone) and ultimately increase satiety, which is a feeling of fullness. Normalizing grehlin levels plays an important role in alleviating hunger pangs. This is why green tea is so often paired with intermittent fasting. Together, they make a powerful combination.
Interestingly, green tea has also been shown in research to increase brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, which is just a fancy way of saying it stimulates metabolism and energy burning within brown fat tissue. Additionally, there are a lot of polyphenols in the leaves of green tea, which means that it is great for restoring cellular health. Drink a mug or two of organic green tea daily.
Individuals who don’t get enough good quality sleep are more likely to gain weight. Not getting enough shuteye can have adverse effects not only on your health but also on your waistline. Sleep deficiency is linked to weight gain. Lack of sleep can dysregulate the hunger hormones (and insulin) in our bodies. This causes the brain to not receive the proper hunger and satiety signals. Therefore, appetite, weight control, and energy metabolism all become impacted.
Sleep deprivation also slows down your metabolism, leading to weight gain. Check out our tips for better sleep.
Chronic stress makes you more likely to binge on unhealthy food like fast food and processed foods. When stress causes you to eat more it exacerbates weight gain by increasing insulin levels. The stress hormone cortisol (released during times of stress) also triggers the storage of abdominal fat. Additionally, on top of all of this, stress interferes with hormonal balances and makes it harder for your body to break down stored fat.
Stress management is key for weight loss so find a relaxation technique that works for you. Try deep breathing, go to yoga, or just pursue an activity that brings you joy and peace.
Cooking your meals by hand at home is an act of self-care and a tool to aid in weight loss. This is because when you cook at home you control what goes into each meal. Home cooking means your meals can be free from added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats. Cooking at home means you can select what you want include (organic, fresh vegetables and healthy, grass-fed meats) and eliminate what you don’t want (additives, gluten, and refined sugars). You can also use heart-healthy cooking oils when you’re making your meals at home.
One of the biggest factors holding people back from cooking at home is the belief that they can’t make a good meal because they’ve forgotten how to cook. If you’re in need of some home cooking inspiration, try our Mexican Paleo cookbook loaded with healthy recipes to get your cooking started! Click here for our favorite meals to prep on a Sunday.
Apple cider vinegar is a great tool for weight loss. Vinegar protects against elevated insulin levels and regulates insulin responses. Additionally, apple cider vinegar has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose levels after meals. A study found that apple cider vinegar reduced blood glucose levels by 34% after participants ate 50 g white bread (Source).
Take 2 tablespoons of organic, raw apple cider vinegar in water at night before bed. This apple cider vinegar regimen has been shown to reduce fasting blood glucose levels the next morning and help the insulin hormone to function better.
This could be arguably the most important rule you follow, after fasting: eat no sugar. Sugar is an insulin-stimulating food responsible for major insulin spikes. If weight gain is due to hormonal imbalances (which it is), then we must ensure we balance the key hormone (insulin).
Sugar also provides empty calories to the body. Empty calories are calories without nutrients. In excess, sugar gets stored as fat on the body, contributing to weight gain. And if you are insulin-resistant, then there is no more room for sugar in your cells. The result is that this sugar gets preferentially stored as fat and subsequently overflows into other fat cells and the liver, leading to fatty liver disease. Added sugar is the worse type you could consume. Added or refined sugars are added to processed foods, juices and candies. It acts as a foreign ingredient and the body struggles to recognize and break down this type of sugar. Eliminating sugar out of your diet is essential for weight loss and overall health.
If you are concerned about your health and well-being, we’ve got you covered! Schedule a FREE call with a Drs. Wolfson health coach and get the guidance you need. Just click HEREÂ for a free health coaching consult.
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