Weight Loss Strategies for Women Over 50

As a health coach and personal trainer, a question I get asked a lot is “How can I lose weight?” I’m sure you’ve heard so many different strategies and diets. Unfortunately, many don’t work, at least in the long term. I could give you basic information that you already know about eating more whole foods, exercising and staying away from processed foods. But, if you really want to lose weight for good, it’s going to take going a little deeper than just me telling you what to eat and what exercises to do.

Know What You Want

This may sound silly, but if you’re not crystal clear on what you want to achieve, it’s going to be challenging to get there. Once you know exactly what you want, let’s say you want to lose 30 pounds, ask yourself, “How will it feel to be 30 pounds lighter?” “How will my life be different?” 

Next, visualize what your goal weight will look and feel like. If you can imagine it, it can happen. This isn’t a once and forget it. I coach clients to use this visualization or meditation every day. Being more connected to the outcome will help when the going gets tough.

One Change at a Time

Doing some strategic planning will get you to your goal faster. Planning out a change that you know will make a difference and sticking with it will make big changes over the long run. Let’s say you have an afternoon snack of a latte and energy bar every day around 3:00. What would it take to either eliminate that snack or replace it with something more nutritious with less sugar and calories? Eliminating snacking in between meals can make a huge difference. If you’re struggling with getting enough quality sleep, cleaning up your sleep hygiene may be what you choose to focus on. If sleep is a struggle, grab my Improve Your Sleep in Menopause and start getting better Zzzzz. If movement and exercise are your trouble spot, committing to 30 minutes of walking or other exercise may be the change you need. Choose one change, when it becomes a habit, add another. 

Be Patient, Be Kind

When it comes to excess weight, we tend to be judgmental and cruel to ourselves. Instead of blaming ourselves or feeling guilty, taking an approach of love and forgiveness can go a long way. The world is tough enough, we don’t need to be tougher on ourselves and it doesn’t work anyway. We can’t heal a body we hate. Read that again. Start showing yourself love today. Give yourself compliments in the mirror. I know it sounds corny but it’s true. Studies show that house plants that are spoken to kindly flourish and those that are bullied wither and die.

Think of What Obstacles Will Get in the Way

It will happen. There will be obstacles and hurdles. This is why knowing and visualizing your end goal is important. Planning for them in the beginning will help you as they come up. Planning and strategizing how to overcome these obstacles is what will help move you forward faster. 

Give Yourself Accountability

Whether using a fitness tracker or food journal, a calendar or having a friend be your accountability partner any of these tactics can be helpful. Again it boils down to getting clear with yourself of what your style is, what works for you. If you are looking for accountability and support and would like to work with a health coach, I do have a few spots available at this time. Schedule a Discovery Call with me today and let’s chat about your goals and how you see yourself reaching them.

Stay Consistent and Remember What You Want

Knowing what you want and visualizing your desired outcome is going to come in handy. Losing weight and keeping it off is going to take time. Aim for progress not perfection. Choose a marker that means something to you and stick with it: number on the scale, fat percentage, pant size or blood pressure measure. Whatever means something to you is what I recommend. Journaling can help here as well. Writing down your starting point or taking a picture of yourself can be helpful reminders of where you started and how far you have come.

In conclusion, losing weight is a challenge more and more Americans are facing. Maintaining a healthy weight and body composition is one factor that can determine how well we will age. What we eat, how we move, sleep, our relationships and our outlook on life all come into play to age well and increase our health span. 

As Peter Attia MD writes in his book Outlive, “You have to believe you can change and you deserve better.” Want monthly inspiration brought right to your inbox? Sign up for my monthly newsletter and I’ll send you my free On-the-Go Recipe Guide.