A Healthier Us : Best Way To Lose Weight Fast - Weight Loss

I don’t know about you, but after I turned 30 I felt like I had to step up my Workout. Now I am in my late 30’s and feeling even more pressure to continually challenge myself. As we move into each decade our metabolism slows a little. Is it true that aging and weight gain go hand in hand? Ask most women over the age of 40 and they will respond with a resounding “Yes!” From behavioral to biological factors, weight gain and aging go together like peanut butter and jelly. Why does this weight gain occur? Is there any way to stop the extra pounds in their tracks?

Physical factors

Starting as early as our late 30’s and into our 40’s, women go into perimenopause, in which estrogen levels begin to decline. Once in menopause, our estrogen levels drop sharply and even greater changes in our bodies begin to occur.

Appetites change: When we eat, our stomachs sort the contents into proteins, carbohydrates and fat, which the body uses for different purposes. Both enzymes and hormones help the food break down. If the body is off-balance hormonally (such as during menopause), its ability to proceed with digestion is interrupted. If digestion is not taking place as it should, feelings of fullness do not register in the brain. During menopause, the body begins tricking the mind into thinking it needs to eat more.

Our metabolism changes: Out of balance estrogen also causes insulin levels to go up and thyroid levels to go down. Diminished thyroid levels slow down the body’s metabolism. Thus, you are eating more and burning less as effective fuel for your body.

The stress hormone increases and so does the waistline. Belly fat is one of the symptoms of lower estrogen levels. This can be due to cortisol, the stress hormone. This increase in cortisol creates the stubborn belly fat that women often gain as they age, and which is so hard to lose.

Sleep patterns change: Many women start experiencing insomnia as they age as a result of lowered levels of the sleep hormone. The loss of sleep leads to crankiness and lower levels of energy, making it all the harder to stay active. Research has shown that people who get five hours of sleep a night have 15 percent lower levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone and 15 percent higher levels of hunger-increasing hormone.

Emotional factors

Emotions play a part as well. The “What’s the point?” mentality: Body image is particularly delicate for women as we start to show the signs of aging. In a society that values youth and beauty, it’s all too common to feel unattractive and old. This really hurts our motivation to Exercise and improve our appearance.

Despite this negative feeling, research has found that after just one Workout, a woman’s body image can improve. Getting active even for a short amount of time can boost feelings of confidence and happiness. Women should try to get active at least 20 minutes every day, even if it is just a short walk around the block. Another bonus is that increased levels of activity may also help you to sleep better at night. The more we continue to grow and challenge ourselves, the more active, healthier and happier we will be — and the better we look on the inside and out!