10 tips to control your weight after 55
Over the years, kilograms accumulate and the silhouette changes. At the expense of the self-portrait! Do you think it is impossible to fight this weight gain? PasseportSanté proves the opposite in 10 tips drawn from the experience of nutritionists.
Why do pounds accumulate with age?
As at every stage of life, everything is a matter of balance! We gain weight once calorie intake exceeds the body's needs. As we get older, our needs decrease. If the diet remains the same, the calories that were previously burned by the body are stored as fat.
needs to reduce
The minimum amount of energy that the body needs to perform its vital functions is called "basic metabolism". These calories expended by the body at rest correlate with muscle mass. If muscle mass decreases, basal metabolic rate decreases. This is what happens when you grow up. Muscles lose half their weight between the ages of 20 and 80 1 .
And then life is full of pitfalls when you want to keep your waist wasp. Menopause and pregnancy are two phases of life where gaining weight is most important. Likewise, professional activity evolves over time. There are no more opportunities to leave the house and it is easier to get settled in a car than in a bicycle saddle.
Avoid harsh diets
Do you think a strict diet is the best solution to keep the streak? you are wrong !
The equation is simple: muscle mass decreases as much as fat while dieting. With each kilogram lost, the basal metabolism decreases. We understand that radical dieting for your body is counterproductive. At the end of the diet, the calories provided will return to normal ... but not the base metabolism. Excess calories will be stored as fat.
In addition to this 'yo-yo effect', the diet carries health risks from a certain age. Muscles are a large reserve of proteins that provide amino acids for the whole body. Muscle wasting is accompanied by a decrease in protein synthesis in the immune system. Weakening the body's defenses 1 .
Finally, you risk suffering from a deficiency in certain nutrients2. You cannot meet your vitamin and mineral needs by consuming less than 1,500 calories per day, no matter your age.
Maintain your good habits
There is no reason to change the composition of his paintings! A balanced diet allows you to control your weight and lose it if you wish.
Fruits and vegetables: at least 5 a day. With their low calorie content and variety, they invite themselves to all meals. Additionally, fiber promotes feelings of fullness by lowering the level of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone, by up to 25%.
Starchy foods (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and pulses): at every meal and according to appetite. It is considered that the total carbohydrate intake should account for 50% of the energy intake1.
Meat, fish, eggs and their substitutes: 1-2 times a day. Prefer grilled or grilled meats, and fish in the form of papillot or steamed.
It's indisputable to revise the rhythm of his meals, too. Maintaining your three meals a day means ensuring a good distribution of food intake. Especially when you know that maintaining a healthy weight starts with breakfast.
Focus on protein
Protein requirements increase by approximately 20% with age1. Additionally, studies have shown that people who follow a diet rich in protein (25% to 30% of calories) lose weight, especially fat, more easily.
Nutritionists advise giving priority to animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs) which should account for at least 60% of the total protein intake. What are the benefits of these proteins? Its amino acid composition will be slightly better balanced than that of plant proteins2. Protein maintains muscle mass and strength and provides essential amino acids.
If we are vegetarians?
To get enough protein, choose dishes that combine different sources of vegetable protein: legumes and cereals (pea soup or puree, bread, semolina, chickpeas, etc.), cereals and oily fruits (walnut bread, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.) .
Prefer whole grains
How do you maintain a healthy weight or lose weight when you are always hungry? One solution is to choose foods that have the same number of calories...but that make you feel fuller for longer. This is the case with whole grains: brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain pasta, barley, high-fiber and low-sugar cereals, millet, whole-wheat couscous, bulgur and more. These foods contain carbohydrates, fiber, and water, as well as an array of essential vitamins and minerals.
"Bunny foods" are less frequent than their refined counterparts, such as rice and white pasta. These cause blood sugar levels to rise faster than their whole-grain version. Under the influence of insulin, hypoglycemia occurs early and appetite increases.
Reduce your intake of certain foods
In order for your efforts to pay off, it is best to put some foods in the cupboard.
fat, but without removing it. prefer vegetable fats (rapeseed oil, olive oil, walnut oil, etc.), which provide essential nutrients for the proper functioning of the body;
Products containing hidden fats: pastries, pastries, ready meals, sweet or savory biscuits, charcuterie, salty peanuts, very rich sauces and fried products;
alcohol consumption High in calories, alcohol is of relative nutritional importance!
Bekesh? Throw yourself on an apple instead of a cake!
Visit the doctor regularly
Consult before changing your eating habits! Your doctor is in the best position to monitor your weight development and advise you. It can also detect diseases that promote weight gain.
Thyroid dysfunction, hypothyroidism1, is relatively frequent after 50 years. It is associated with weight gain, loss of energy and irritability. Women are mainly affected by this disease, which affects the quality of life. Note that this condition cannot be cured but can be well controlled with thyroid replacement hormones.
move every day
Why do we gain weight with age? Because muscle mass is decreasing. From there we understand the importance of physical activity to maintaining a healthy weight. There are no secrets: you have to move!
At least 30 minutes of daily physical activity, whatever it may be, can improve the effects of a possible diet. And to protect against diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, sport is a source of longevity.
sleep is golden
Good sleep helps reduce weight gain. This is confirmed by many recent studies. Someone concludes that short sleepers who extend their nights to seven or eight in the morning will have everything to gain. According to Jean-Philippe Chaput, lead author of this study, "the difference is 2.4 kg of body fat in 6 years, just by changing sleep habits."
Sleep affects the production of certain hormones (cortisol in particular) that are involved in feeling full and hungry. It has been scientifically proven: He who sleeps eats!
drink green tea
Green tea is well known for burning fat. its advantages? Contains caffeine and catechins that increase the level of norepinephrine in the blood. However, this molecule has the effect of increasing energy expenditure and breaking down fats.
If studies in mice show an “anti-obesity” effect of green tea, then those in humans are more accurate. A meta-analysis of 11 studies highlighted the role of catechins in green tea in weight loss or maintenance, particularly during moderate physical activity.
However, please do not have more than 3 to 4 cups of green tea per day.
Adopt a "baby position"
Listening to yourself before you sit down to eat is one of the keys to not feeling fat. Dietitian Helen Baribeau explains, “When you are born, eating is a purely physiological need. But with age, the pleasure of eating, the binge eating, the schedules, and the stress take the time to eat and the required amount of food the body needs. I eat because time It has come and not because I am really hungry.”
To control your weight, you have to relearn how to listen to your body's signals. Experience feeling hungry and full. Only our body really knows how much food it needs.