The secret to weight loss for women over 40…
I feel like the goal of losing weight is one of the never ending pursuits of many women. I hear this time and time again, particularly my clients over the age of 45. “I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been and I feel horrible.” “My jeans don’t fit and just feel soft.”
I also hear women say things like “I’m going to be really strict and cut out all junk.” or “I’m going to do this 8 week fat loss shred.”
So what’s the secret to weight loss then?
Well, it’s not a fancy diet or the latest training program. It’s something a bit more subtle and way less flashy.
It’s not a quick fix and it calls for a bit of dedication and delayed gratification.
So here it is, the secret to weight loss is, drum roll….. a lifestyle change and mindset shift.
I know, it’s a bit anticlimactic and maybe you were expecting this big reveal of something you’d never heard of but the real way to lose weight is to approach it from this perspective.
If you’ve been trying for years to lose weight, jumping from diet to diet, training program to training program and you’re fed up with not seeing results? Then perhaps it’s time to approach it from a different perspective. Keep reading because I’m going to explain why this strategy works and I’m going to show you exactly how to do it.
The Problem:
We live in a world of convenience and immediacy and so our expectations for when we do something is to see results quickly. Sorry to rain on your parade but the human body hasn’t evolved as quickly as our society and it just doesn’t work this way. When it comes to losing weight, it’s a slow and intricate process in which we’re ‘fighting’ against our body’s most primal instinct – to keep us alive or in other words, store energy in case we enter a famine (not an issue in today’s western society…..)
The Solution:
You’ve got to be willing to trust the process and put in the work even if you don’t see results. Why? Because losing weight takes way longer than we expect. So how do you do this? How do you stay motivated while not seeing results?
It’s simple, don’t make it so bloody hard for yourself. Rather than some big grand gesture of giving up on sugar, dairy, gluten and alcohol or restricting yourself to a 1200 cal diet and using the gym as punishment, why not try a far more enjoyable and easier method?
Why not make small, reasonable changes to your lifestyle that don’t feel too hard or even feel insignificant?
I always say to my clients, if a suggestion I make sounds insignificant and like it won’t make a difference, all the more reason to do it.
Because it’s these small lifestyle changes that end up becoming the norm and overtime will be the biggest contributing factors to your weight loss.
Yes, it’s a slower process, yes you have to have faith but what you stick with will be what brings you results and your results will come from those lifestyle changes that are so habitual now it doesn’t even require much effort or willpower.
Here’s the top 4 mindset shifts and lifestyle changes to make in order to lose weight:
1. Stop using exercise as punishment. Do it for your health & quality of life.
2. Consider an 80/20 approach to food. 80% whole foods that nourish the body and 20% soul foods that bring you joy.
3. Don’t let Netflix get between you and your sleep, it is the number 1 pillar of health.
4. Stop rushing around so much (easier said than done I know) but trust me, taking just 5 minutes out of your day to slow down and breathe will have a far greater impact on weight loss than a juice cleanse.
