I realise now that reaching this age is a beautiful middle ground. You are old enough to be taken seriously, but young enough to be forgiven for still making mistakes. I am more relaxed in my skin, comfortable in my wisdom than ever was in my 20’s or 30’s. I have learned that being perfectly imperfect, is perfect. I have come to terms with who I am and have accepted my flaws, wrinkles, stretch marks and all.
“Middle Age Spread, is quite descriptive”
As I’ve grown into my years it’s become apparent that my body fat has increased and I’ve found it harder to keep it under control. As oestrogen dips (inevitable as we come closer to menopause) you are likely to lose muscle mass and put on body fat much easier. Middle age spread is actually quite an accurate description of what can happen if we don’t work harder in order to maintain a healthy body.
The older you get the faster your muscles atrophy
Studies show that after 3 or 4 weeks of inactivity your muscles will start to atrophy in your 40’s and your body will start to revert to using carbs, rather then fat, for fuel, which sets the wheels of insulin resistance in motion. If you fall out of shape, you will feel older faster this is why exercise is so useful as it not only extends your life but also adds quality to those extra years.
My top tips to stay fit and healthy in your 40’s:
- You need to create a “calorific expenditure deficit”. This simply means your body over periods of time will have to “burn” off more calories than it takes in.
- High intensity exercise. “the fat burning zone“ aim to train this way at least 2 x week. This will help your body utilise fat as the preferred energy source.
- The more lean muscles mass the easiest is to remain lean and utilise fat as an energy source. Therefore training with resistance (either weights or body weight) another 2 x per week
- Stretch and de-stress is so so important and part of your routine for weight loss. Practice yoga 1 x week.
So there it is my friends you probably knew or heard that when your turning 40 it is harder to lose weight and body fat and IT IS TRUE. We have to work harder and eat better too. But once you know this and accept it, I promise it will become easier.
The positive point here is that it is POSSIBLE and achievable for all of us, no matter what your starting point may be. I chose this path because I don’t want to get into my 60’s, 70’s and needing the assistance of others to do anything. I chose this path to add quality to my life as I get older. I hope you chose it too.
Yours in Health
Kat
