Lose Weight at Any Age - Northwell Health
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Lose
H E A LT H
Weight
at
Any Age
Maintaining a healthy weight can help you
sleep better, optimize energy, support joints, and
lower your risk of chronic conditions. Try these
expert-backed strategies to lighten up, no
matter how many candles are on your cake.
B Y T I F FA N Y E Z I N W A O N Y E J I A K A
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER CR OWTHER
46 P R E V E N T I O N .C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21
H E A LT H
A
re your pants tighter even The major reason weight gets stickier
though you haven’t changed in our 30s? Metabolism becomes less
your eating habits? Does it efficient with every revolution of the
feel as if walks and virtual earth around the sun. “As we get older,
Zumba workouts are doing our muscle mass decreases, which works
great things for your health to slow down our metabolism,” says
but not necessarily for the Karen E. Gibbs, M.D., a bariatric surgeon
appearance of your thighs? It’s probably at Staten Island University Hospital in
not all in your head. New York City. “If you have less muscle,
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Each decade you’re burning fewer calories.”
brings new obstacles to losing weight. New moms have it especially hard:
Our bodies become more resistant to Beyond getting less sleep or having
change, while busy lives make it easy to their sleep interrupted, they’re dealing
put our well-being on the back burner. with a metabolism that holds on to
Carrying a few extra pounds isn’t a big baby weight long after their babies have
deal (it may even help you live longer!), made their debut. During pregnancy,
but being really overweight is linked the body requires more calories, and
to serious problems including heart as a result metabolism increases, says
disease and cancer, so it’s smart to keep Nicholas Azinge, M.D., an assistant
your weight within a normal range. professor of medicine at Howard
Here’s what you need to know Medicine in Washington, DC. It goes
about how the body changes—plus, back to normal after delivery and Vermont Academy of Nutrition and eating psychology and nutrition expert.
the best strategies for healthy weight breastfeeding, which can make it hard Dietetics. As tempting as big-promise That way you won’t have to make
loss no matter what your age. for moms to lose pounds (as if they diets are, “eliminating whole food groups separate child-friendly meals, and if
don’t have enough to worry about!). makes it more difficult to have a balanced you model healthy-eating behaviors,
Getting back into the jeans you wore diet and get in all the nutrients vital for that can inspire your kiddos to eat
IN YOUR
30s
in college shouldn’t be your goal—you’ve good health as we age,” Wing says. The better. DIY tacos or baked potatoes
got enough on your plate. But making only eating changes that can lead to with toppings are always a hit with
an effort to live more healthily can boost sustainable weight loss are ones you can kids. To make breakfast more fun, Wing
your overall well-being and give you live with over time, she adds, so crash suggests baking scrambled eggs in a
THE BIG more energy to power through each day. diets are useless for healthy long-term
weight management.
muffin tin packed with veggies and
herbs and adding a sprinkle of Cheddar.
SLOWDOWN On really crazy workdays, plan time
From unexplainable aches to random
YOUR ACTION PLAN
USE YOUR TIME WISELY for eating nutritious meals just as you
gray hairs, your 30s can make you feel as BALANCE YOUR PLATE Super-busy people juggling kids and would schedule an important meeting,
if your body is turning into your mom’s. “Focus on eating a variety of foods from work need their whole family on Museles recommends. While you’re at
Add to that the puffiness that doesn’t all the food groups, including dairy and board. Figure out healthy meals that it, set aside time at the beginning of the
seem to go away like it used to even if you whole grains,” says Sara Wing, R.D., of work for everyone to eat together, week to organize ingredients so you can
go easy on the wine and cheese for a bit. Waitsfield, VT, a past president of the suggests Elise Museles, a certified toss together healthy meals in a jiffy.
48 P R E V E N T I O N .C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M 49
H E A LT H
childhood such that they now remind you you at risk for conditions such as type 2 a few weeks, so don’t make drastic
CONSIDER A of happy times? Is bingeing the way you diabetes and heart disease. changes in an attempt to lose it all
WELLNESS PRACTITIONER de-stress? Or do you need to learn to cook Your thyroid might also throw a that quickly. “One of the first things
If eating well is hard to pull off alone, veggies that taste good? The answers will wrench into your weight-loss plans right I did was commit to exercising for
that’s OK—some things require guidance. help you get on the best track. about now. Thyroxine (T4) is a hormone 30 minutes at least three days a week,”
Check in with an expert to figure out governing the thyroid gland, and low Young says. She also increased her
which healthy habits you’ve got down pat IN YOUR levels of it can indicate hypothyroidism, daily water intake. Even if you don’t
40s
and which could use some improvement. often diagnosed in women in their 40s, see the number on the scale move
Call your health insurance company to says Dr. Azinge, adding that T4 and right away, remind yourself that
find an in-network wellness provider, triiodothyronine (T3) help regulate you’re doing this for better health
or look for a member of the Academy of metabolism and energy use. Diagnoses of in the long run. Once you hit a goal,
Nutrition and Dietetics at eatright.org.
An expert can assess your relationship
A HORMONAL several other health problems in addition
to existing hypothyroidism prompted
you can set your sights higher.
with food and pinpoint why you eat the ROLLER COASTER Najaa Young, 47, a professor and film- SLOW DOWN AT MEALS
way you do so you can address issues and Though you’re an adult, your 40s can maker in Atlanta, to make changes three Many of us eat too fast and barely taste
kick bad habits, says Museles. Were lots hand you haywire hormones reminiscent years ago. “I was at a place where I felt our food. “A slower approach allows
of sweets or big portions a part of your of your teenage years. “Women experi- very unhealthy, and I was told by my one to listen to internal cues of feeling
ence fluctuations and doctor that I was prediabetic,” she says. satisfied and may result in consuming
a decrease in estro- She started with a low-carb diet, then fewer calories,” says Wing. Research
gen, which encour- transitioned to ketogenic and intermit- also shows that eating without distrac-
ages extra pounds to tent fasting. She lost approximately tions can help you eat less.
be deposited around 85 lbs over the following two years. Whether you’re having a feast or a
the belly,” Dr. Gibbs small snack, set your phone on “Do not
says. This starts YOUR ACTION PLAN disturb,” stow it out of view, and sit,
earlier than you might don’t stand. Wing also suggests putting
think: Estrogen levels HAVE YOUR HORMONES CHECKED your fork down and taking sips of water
start to go up and Ask your physician to test your hormone between bites. Pay attention to the
down rapidly during levels to make sure imbalances are not smells, tastes, and textures of every bite
perimenopause— sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. too. Not only will this focus your atten-
the time before meno- Because Young had prediabetes and tion and build some natural pauses
pause, usually when a hypothyroidism, she had blood work into your meal, but it also might help
woman is in her 40s. done every six weeks to monitor her combat stress. “When you’re stressed,
A study in Exercise blood sugar and thyroid hormone you’re not going to digest your food as
and Sport Sciences levels. Your doctor may also suggest well and absorb all the nutrients,” says
Review found that other tactics, like managing stress and Museles. “Your stress response takes
low estrogen was limiting processed and high-sugar your metabolism off-line.” She adds that
associated with foods, to help rebalance hormones. taking a few deep breaths before a meal
weight gain and can calm nerves and relax your body,
metabolic dysfunc- AVOID EXTREMES putting you in an ideal state to digest
tion, which can put You likely didn’t gain the weight in and take in nutrients from your food.
50 P R E V E N T I O N .C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M 51H E A LT H
IN YOUR weight-loss efforts, directly or indirectly, IN YOUR DON’T SHRUG OFF SHUT-EYE
50s 60s
and find out what you can do to counter Between night sweats and intermittent
act potential problems, perhaps through random awakenings, postmenopausal
switching meds or modifying behaviors. women are at a disadvantage. If you
At your annual physical, ask if any of your (and beyond) experience sleep disruptions, reach
CHRONIC supplements or meds might be holding out to a specialist for suggestions.
CONDITIONS VS. your weight loss back and what you can
do to be sure your health stays on track.
EVERY THING And try to keep to a regular sleep
schedule in which you avoid large
WEIGHT LOSS ADDS UP meals and electronics for two to three
This is when long-term physical issues FIND A NEW TYPE OF EXERCISE By now you’ve learned a lot about hours before going to bed.
pop up seemingly out of nowhere— Hike a nearby trail, or take a stand-up taking care of yourself, but lifelong
78% of adults age 55 and older have at paddleboarding class. “When we finally habits can catch up with you. For THANK YOUR BODY
least one, according to the Centers for find a fitness routine that works for us, instance, decades of yo-yo dieting can It doesn’t look and work the way it
Disease Control and Prevention. Many it can be difficult to switch things up, culminate in metabolic damage that did in your 20s, but it’s not supposed
chronic conditions, such as diabetes, but there are many proven benefits makes it hard to drop pounds. And to. Over the years, your body let you do
can interfere with weight loss directly. to trying new routines,” says Kevin exercise can become downright many things you loved, perhaps danc-
Others, like high blood pressure, are Robinson, D.P.T., D.Sc., a physical painful as arthritis (diagnosed in ing at weddings, playing with your pets,
often treated with medications that can therapist at the Nashville-based 50% of people 65 and older) kicks in. or hugging your grandkids. Use that as
lead to weight gain. Performance Therapy Institute. “Along In addition, it takes longer to fall motivation to stay active and nourish
Adopting healthier habits can lower with fighting exercise boredom, you asleep as people reach 60, according to yourself with healthy foods. Look up
your risk of developing a chronic condi- can build new muscle, prevent overuse a 2017 study in Sleep Medicine Clinics. some affirmations to tell yourself every
tion, help you manage an existing one, injuries, and increase your chances A vicious cycle tends to ensue here: morning, or jot down your feelings in
and promote weight loss. “I knew the of weight loss.” Gold added swimming A lack of sleep can undermine weight- a journal, suggests Mimi Secor, D.N.P.,
excess pounds I’d accumulated in my to her routine, and she has participated loss efforts, and being overweight a Massachusetts-based family nurse
40s, in combination with a sedentary in running races as well. can keep you from sleeping well. practitioner who successfully lost
lifestyle and the stress of separation 30 lbs at the age of 60. Even if you
and divorce, could lead to a heart attack GET A GROUP BEHIND YOU YOUR ACTION PLAN don’t see the number on the scale
or a stroke,” says Jamie Gold, 60, of Dise Dye, 59, a Tyson Foods employee you used to see, you can be proud of
San Diego, who is a Mayo Clinic– in Oneonta, AL, recently had an DO JOINT-FRIENDLY EXERCISES what you’re doing for your body.
certified wellness coach and the author epiphany about her health. “I weighed “I recommend low-impact strength-
of Wellness by Design. The end of her the most I ever had,” she recalls. “The training exercises to maintain and build
marriage propelled her to eat better muffin top and everything started, and muscle mass and improve joint stability,” YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS
and exercise more. Over three years, I was getting really depressed about it.” says Robinson. Strength exercises also QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Hear directly from experts during
Gold was able to drop about 100 lbs. Dye joined 99 Walks ($16 per month), help with bone density so you can “avoid
Weight, Metabolism, and Aging, a free
an online community revolving around the scourge of osteoporosis,” he says. webinar from Prevention and the Ameri-
YOUR ACTION PLAN walking programs for women to help Water aerobics is “ideal for those living can Federation for Aging Research. We’ll
with weight loss. She has dropped with arthritis and other forms of joint talk about the science behind popular
SEE YOUR DOCTOR 21 lbs so far and credits her success pain,” says DeBlair Tate, an Atlanta- diets and take your questions. Join us
on Tuesday, January 26, at 4 p.m. ET;
If you have a chronic condition, ask your to having a support system of others based certified fitness trainer and owner you can sign up at afar.org/events.
physician whether it might hinder your working toward a similar goal. of fitness-apparel brand 8Figured.
52 P R E V E N T I O N .C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M 53You can also read
