If you are a woman over 50, weight loss solutions that work get to be harder and harder to find. Why? Blame it on hormones, metabolism, or activity levels, but the fact is that it’s damn hard to drop pounds and find a healthy diet for weight loss when you’ve passed the half century mark. (Yep, that hurt to say out loud for me, too!) And I don’t claim to be an expert on weight loss, but I am a woman over 50 who has tried most of the tips, tricks, and diet plans out there. I can share what I’ve learned, what weight loss solutions work for me, and some sound support for us girls over 50.
Weight Loss Solutions for Women Over 50
Healthy Diet for Weight Loss
The best diet I’ve found for weight loss for women over 50 is not a diet at all. Stop trying out the latest cult phenomenons, stop reading the headlines that promise you can lose 20 pounds in two weeks, and stop torturing yourself. You are not meant to be the same size and shape as you were when you were 20. Read that again. You are not meant to be that size anymore. That can be tough for us ladies to take, I know it was for me. Now, that does not mean that you can’t be attractive and healthy. But, especially if you have had children or gone through menopause, (or both!) things will never be the same. Again, that doesn’t mean they can’t be great! But stop beating yourself up for not looking the way you did 30 years ago. Without the all day training, diet coaches and plastic surgery the stars use, you can’t. So the best healthy diet for weight loss for women over 50 is just that… A healthy, balanced diet. Sorry there was no magic pill in here. Actually, there was. The magic is that you can give yourself permission to be healthy, strong, fit and fab… and still be over 50. And BTW, one of the benefits of being over 50? You are wise enough to know that a balanced diet means just that… balanced. Not all rabbit food, not all fast food… enjoy life, but be healthy. Right?
Best Exercise for Weight Loss Over 50
We all need exercise for weight loss. Especially when we are over 50. But exercise isn’t just important for losing pounds. We need it to keep our bones strong, our muscles strong, our mental health strong and our cardiovascular systems strong. And let face it, who wants to be that girl who can’t quite make it up the stairs at 50? I’m not going to tell you what exercise is best for you personally, you and your doctor should decide that. But I will tell you what works (and what doesn’t!) for me at almost 52.
Yoga
People underestimate Yoga. It has the power to strengthen your body in ways that traditional weight machines cannot. It helps with flexibility, and with our mental health. Let’s face it ladies… with kids, grandkids, jobs, etc… we are not very good at taking care of our mental health. You can use Yoga to get exercise, and to get emotionally fit. And, the National Institute of Health determined in 2016 that Yoga does promote weight loss! I love Yoga because you can make accomadations for your fitness level, chronic injuries or illnesses and your individual needs. If you don’t want to go somewhere and take a class, Amazon Prime has several great video classes you can take at home. I love Lindsey Samper’s Yoga videos. And she has some great ones for people with chronic back pain too. Subscribing to Amazon Prime is way cheaper than a gym membership, and there are such other great perks as well.
Exercise Bike
So I have several chronic issues, including Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis through my neck and spine. I used to run, and I loved it, but at some point I had to recognize that for me, running was causing more harm than good. I also got a little tired of running in 20 degree freezing weather. And, I was just not physically capable of running in weather above 80 degrees. So, enter an exercise bike. It’s low impact, I can easily add interval training for more calorie burn, and I get cardio, even if there are 6 inches of snow on the ground or we are having a 100 degree heat wave. They are inexpensive and easy to tuck in a closet or corner of the bedroom so you can jump on when you have moment. Amazon has a huge selection of exercise bikes if you are looking for one.
Hiking, Biking and Walking
So my last weight loss solution for all you women over 50 is this… Don’t take is so seriously you forget to enjoy life. You can turn active pursuits into exercise and weight loss opportunities, and if you choose well, you will just be having fun. For me, hiking, biking and walking are my outdoor pursuits. They get me outdoors which is great for getting out of my head (have you read the studies on how being in nature improves your mental health?) And yes, they count, even if you are having fun. It’s not a requirement to feel tortured in order to get healthy. In fact, we should know better by 50, right? Do I walk the talk? Yep, this is me and my youngest daughter Rachel, out enjoying life. Fifty one and not a size 4, but healthy. And that’s just fine with me!
Here is my little bonus tip on weight loss solutions for women over 50. Stop making it about your self worth. You are worthy, more than worthy, at any size. Instead of looking for a quick weight loss solution to drop 10 pounds by so and so’s wedding, or for a vacation, just celebrate a healthy you. Make your goal about being healthy, for you. Learn to love those curves that won’t budge, and concentrate on how strong your legs have gotten since you starting biking. Or plan out a gorgeous, colorful, healthy dinner from Pinterest, and remind yourself with every bite how you are nourishing this body of yours.
It’s time ladies, to give up trying to compete with 20 year olds, and cherish what we have in our 50+ year old selves… We are bad asses, girls. Act like it. And it isn’t a bad thing, just a change in the way we look at ourselves. A healthy change.
Don’t forget to pop on over to our posts on How to Look Younger for Women Over 50, and Before and After Haircuts for Women You Won’t Believe!