If you’re a woman who is over 50 and struggling to get rid of belly fat, you’re not alone. Many women ask their health coaches or doctors what causes belly fat in females. This is a problem that most women over 50 face and they don’t know what to do about this increase in belly fat.
In this article we cover how to lose belly fat in women over 50. What generally causes belly fat in women, foods that burn belly fat and the type of exercises to do to lose the belly fat.
What Causes Belly Fat in Females
Menopause is the major contributing factor. During the pre-menopause stage, ovaries make less estrogen.
The adrenalin gland and fat cells become the main producers of estrogen. The more fat cells there are, the more estrogen is produced. As women get older, especially after the age of 50, we burn fewer calories per day.
Hormonal changes affect our bodies as we age. You find that all those sweet things that we used to enjoy when we were young, actually have adverse effects on us as we get older.
Losing weight after the age of 50 can be tricky because some things we can control and some we cannot control. Therefore all hope is not lost. What has worked for me, my friends and some women over 50 could work for you.
We can control our diet. How? Keep reading…
Limit Carbohydrates
By limiting carbohydrates in our diet, it is the most effective way for women over 50 to lose weight. You need to focus on low glycemic carb healthy fats. These are plant based type of food mostly on the glycemic level list. This type of food contains carbohydrates and carbs raise your insulin level.
So your focus should be on the whole high fiber carbohydrates such as leafy greens, non starchy vegetables and nuts like walnuts. You can include avocadoes, berries and beans as well into your diet.
Fish and dairy products and high quality grass-fed meats are also very beneficial.
Allow Healthy Fats in Your Diet
Healthy fats are hunger satisfying and they strengthen cell membranes. You can include coconut oil and olive oil.
What Causes Belly Fat In Females
By focusing on low glycemic level foods means keeping your sugar levels low. This will in turn keep insulin levels low. Insulin is a nutrient storing hormone.
Avoiding or significantly limiting the following foods can help moderate blood sugar level:
- sweetened beverages, including fruit juices and soda
- alcohol, particularly beer and grain alcohol consumed in large quantities
- starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and yams (especially without skin), pumpkin, corn
- processed snacks and boxed foods
- sugary sweets, such as cupcakes, ice cream, or chocolate bars
- refined grains, such as white bread, rice, pasta, and flour-based foods, which are lower in fiber than whole grain versions
- dairy from cows, especially milk
- fried foods
- foods high in saturated fats
By sticking to a high-fiber, plant-based diet that is low in added sugars, a person can steadily improve their insulin sensitivity.
High insulin level, is when your body is able to store fat or build your fat storage. Whereas low insulin level is when your body is able to release fat or shrink your fat storage.
Practice Intermittent Fasting
Try intermittent fasting initially, for 12 hours, by eating say before 7 pm and fast until 7 am tomorrow morning. Intermittent fasting was found to be very effective for losing belly fat for women over 50.
Now that you have your diet under control, it’s time to add physical exercise.
Physical Exercise
Daily exercise is also a significant factor. During the activity, the muscles soak up glucose from the bloodstream and do not require insulin.
Walking
Taking a walk after a meal and being active throughout the rest of the day can significantly improve blood sugar management.
Aerobic and Resistance Exercises
Aerobic and resistance exercises such as working on the treadmill and lifting weights are good for losing weight around the waist.
I hope the above information will help to solve this problem of belly fat for women over 50.