Importance Of A Calorie Deficit
To lose weight, a calorie deficit is needed.
According to some research, a womans resting energy expenditure, or the number of calories she burns during rest, declines during and after menopause .
Although it may be tempting to try a very low calorie diet to lose weight quickly, eating so few calories can sometimes make weight loss harder.
Research shows that restricting calories to low levels causes loss of muscle mass and a further decline in metabolic rate
So while very low calorie diets may result in short-term weight loss, their effects on muscle mass and metabolic rate will make it hard to keep the weight off.
Moreover, insufficient calorie intake and decreased muscle mass may lead to bone loss. This can increase your risk for osteoporosis .
Adopting a healthy lifestyle that can be maintained long term can help preserve your metabolic rate and reduce the amount of muscle mass you lose with age.
Summary
A calorie deficit is needed for weight loss. However, cutting calories too much increases the loss of lean muscle, which accelerates the drop in metabolic rate that occurs with age.
Here are four nutritious diets that have been shown to help with weight loss during and beyond the menopausal transition.
Ready To Give It A Try
Theres a lot to learn about intermittent fasting, but thus far, human studies show that it can promote weight loss and provide abundant health benefits.
However, any time you introduce a new diet or lifestyle choice, its essential to test the waters. Before going all in, consult with your medical doctor. Also, keep these tips handy to make the transition easier and more sustainable.
The above content may contain affiliate links. Finer Things earns from qualifying purchases. When you click and shop, we receive a small commission to support our writers.
Intermittent Fasting For Women Over 50 A Complete Guide
Theres no shortage of dieting trends for weight loss, but is intermittent fasting one of them? In recent years, intermittent fasting has made headlines, with celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Molly Sims, and Kate Walsh endorsing the diet. But heres the thing, ask any of them, and theyll tell you that intermittent fasting isnt a diet but a lifestyle of time-restricted eating habits that help you lose weight, practice wellness, and feel healthier than ever.
But is intermittent fasting for women over 50 effective or just another diet, detox fad? Keep reading to find out!
Disclaimer: We recommend meeting with a certified dietitian or seeking medical advice before introducing any significant dietary changes.
Don’t Miss: How Much Weight Can You Lose By Intermittent Fasting
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work
It might seem strange that simply altering when you eat can help you lose weight. Even so, our bodies respond to fasting in a way that benefits us. When your body enters fasting mode, this triggers your fat stores to be used as fuel, causing you to burn body fat for energy.
Of course, when youâre not fasting it doesnât mean you can go crazy with junk food. Stick with nutritious whole foods, unrefined carbohydrates, and lean proteins for the best results. Keep in mind that you can still enjoy calorie-free drinks like black coffee, tea, and water during fasting periods! You might even find yourself slowing down during meals and taking more pleasure in eating.
How Soon Before You See Results From Fasting
One of the many benefits of intermittent fasting is just how fast the results start coming in.
Your weight loss will depend on how much weight you have to lose to begin with. Women who have 30 or more pounds to lose will see the biggest results the fastest. But if you only have 5-10 pounds or so to lose, youll start to see the pounds coming off even after a few days of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting can help promote lean muscle mass, but its best to add strength training to your workout routine. Muscle and bone loss accelerates for women over 50 so adding in some strength training will help you lose stubborn body fat .
Unfortunately, most make the mistake of just trying to lose weight but need to improve your body composition to tighten up stubborn fat spots.
Once you start losing weight you may experience some loose skin. This is because the collagen in your skin has declined such that it loses elasticity and its ability to snap back. So adding in strength training can help but its also a good idea to take a collagen supplement .
If youre following your intermittent fasting schedule, then youll not only start losing weight but youll also have additional benefits such as:
- increased energy
- reduced chronic inflammation
- lower insulin levels
Restricting calories shouldnt be focused on near as much as restricting carbohydrates. Most women over 50 get better results by cutting out the bad carbohydrates instead of calorie restriction.
FAQ
The Last Word
You May Like: How To Start With Intermittent Fasting
What Are The Symptoms Of Perimenopause And Menopause
During perimenopause, your body starts to produce less of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. It also starts producing higher levels of the reproductive hormones FSH and LH. These hormonal changes can cause:
- Hot flashes
- Weight gain
- Mood swings
- Smaller, more tender breasts
Once you are fully in menopause, most of these symptoms have decreased, and some have disappeared completely. This is because your hormones are in steady decline, or have stabilized.
What Is The Age Limit For Intermittent Fasting
Generally speaking, there is no age limit to practice intermittent fasting. According to Harvard Health, the most limiting factor to this practice are health conditions such as diabetes, blood sugar problems, and people taking heart medications -among other conditions.
For this reason, it is crucial to speak with your doctor if you have any health condition and want to begin intermittent fasting.
It is not recommended that children, pregnant and nursing women, or teens practice intermittent fasting.
Don’t Miss: Why Is Intermittent Fasting Good For Weight Loss
How To Get Started
Getting started is simple.
In fact, chances are youve already done many intermittent fasts before. Many people instinctively eat this way, skipping morning or evening meals.
The easiest way to get started is to choose one of the intermittent fasting methods above and give it a go.
However, you dont need to necessarily follow a structured plan.
An alternative is to fast whenever it suits you. Skipping meals from time to time when you dont feel hungry or dont have time to cook can work for some people.
At the end of the day, it doesnt matter which type of fast you choose. The most important thing is to find a method that works best for you and your lifestyle.
Summary
The easy way to get started is to choose one of the methods above and give it a go. Stop immediately if you experience any adverse effects.
Tricks To Avoid Feeling Hungry
Surprisingly, fasting can make people feel less hungry as time passes. However, to avoid feeling hungry, the quality of your diet is critical.
For example, sugary and high-carbohydrate foods cause insulin spikes, making you hungry. On the other hand, a diet rich in lean protein, healthy fats, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates can help you feel satisfied for longer periods because it will have a beneficial impact on the hunger hormones.
Here are some specific tricks to manage hunger:
- Eat a healthy diet throughout the day
- Eat filling foods for dinner: lean protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and foods rich in fiber
- Limit added sugars and high-carbohydrate foods
- Eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables throughout the day
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Drink decaffeinated tea at night
- Pick a routine that keeps your mind off of eating
Read Also: Does Fasting Help Lose Belly Fat
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work For Women Over 50
Women over 50 can use intermittent fasting as a viable way to lose weight and achieve set weight loss goals. Its simply finding a way to alter your eating patterns to benefit your body that also aligns with your daily schedule and lifestyle. As you begin to avoid any calorie-containing foods or beverages, your body starts to enter a fasting state.
At this point, your body must seek an alternative energy source and begins to burn body fat. This becomes an essential fuel that your body can use to continue normal function. This burning of fat for energy may also help facilitate weight loss. After the fasting window passes, you can resume normal eating.
However, ensure you stick to nutrient-rich foods that add value to your body. Avoid junk foods, processed foods, and sugary treats. During the fasting period, there are some awesome drinks like water and coffee that you can consume. Just dont add sugar, milk, or substitutes.
So Intermittent Fasting For Weight Loss In Women Is Complicated
Because
Womens bodies may just have a greater sensitivity to changes in energy balance.
And
When our bodies do detect changes, it may disrupt the HPG-axis, and our whole hormonal cycle is thrown off.
This hormonal turmoil can be aggravated further if there are other stressors draining our energy.
Plus
Intermittent fasting may decrease estrogen, and decreased estrogen may increase appetite and fat storage.
So fasting to manage your weight? It may be kinda counterproductive. Like getting stuck in one of those Chinese finger traps, the more you struggle, the worse it gets.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Time To Start Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting And Ketogenic Diet Are The Perfect Combo
Doing intermittent fasting with the keto-green diet makes us reach ketosis quicker. Ketosis is a state when the body relies on fats for fuel or energy. This is the secret why you dont get hungry even if you dont eat for hours!
Dr. Anna Cabeca, a triple board-certified physician and womens hormone expert, created the Keto-Green way of eating. It has helped thousands of women who have adrenal fatigue and menopause symptoms. In the Keto-Green, you can eat:
- Alkaline foods such as artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower and other similar veggies.
- Fruits such as avocado, berries, apples and apricots.
- Healthy proteins such as grass-fed meat and wild caught fish.
- Non-GMO soy from miso and tempeh.
- Healthy fats like ghee, nuts, olive and coconut oil.
- Superfoods such as Maca, Turmeric, Cinnamon and Green Tea.
If youre serious about feeling better, losing weight and getting rid of menopause symptoms, you should take Dr. Annas keto-green diet course. Did I tell you that its FREE?SIGN-UP RIGHT AWAY FOR THE 10-Day Masterclass!
I enjoy doing intermittent fasting. Its been part of my life for so long that it has become a habit that I cant do without!
Some say that its unsafe for menopausal women with adrenal problems to do keto-green and intermittent fasting, but Dr. Berg says otherwise! Listen to Dr. Berg clear this up :
Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy
Is intermittent fasting safe? Remember that youre only supposed to fast for 12 to 16 hours and not for days at a time. Youve still got plenty of time to enjoy a satisfying and healthy diet. Of course, some older women may need to eat frequently because of metabolic disorders or instructions on prescriptions. In that case, you should discuss your eating habits with your medical provider before making any changes.
While its not technically fasting, some doctors have reported intermittent fasting benefits by allowing such easy-to-digest food as whole fruit during the fasting window. Modifications like these can still give your digestive and metabolic system a needed rest. For example, Fit for Life was a popular weight loss book that suggested eating only fruit after supper and before lunch.
In fact, the authors of this book said that they had patients who only changed their eating habits with this 12- to 16-hour fruit fast each day. They did not follow the diets other rules or count calories, and they still lost weight and got healthier. This strategy might have simply worked because the dieters replaced junk food with whole foods. In any case, people found this dietary change effective and easy to make. Traditionalists wont call this fasting however, its important to know that you may have options if you absolutely cant abstain from food for several hours at a time.
Don’t Miss: What Can You Have Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting For Women Over : 7 Tips For Success
Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50: 7 Tips for Success
Posted 5 months ago
People of all ages have been fasting since time immemorial. Our capacity to fast is fairly universal.
But that doesnt mean intermittent fasting affects everyone equally. Today, youll be learning about intermittent fasting for women over 50.
Most women over 50 are wrapping up a series of hormonal changes called menopause. Combined with the natural aging process, these changes can promote increased abdominal fat, osteoporosis, accelerated muscle loss, and other troubling issues.
Keep reading to learn intermittent fasting benefits, special considerations, and tips for women over 50.
Menopause Belly Fat Why
Its bad enough you have symptoms of menopause but what an outrage that we women, if not careful, have to beat menopausal belly fat, flabby arms and more! In this article, Ill give you the 6 things you need to get under control to get rid of menopausal muffin tops for good.
Lets start with the pre-menopause years. First, progesterone goes down.
In fact, that can happen as early as age 25 or so. If you have PMDD , you have low progesterone for part of your cycle.
As you get older that deficiency will come full cycle. This will cause a foggy brain, anxiety, concentration issues, and sometimes worse PMDD.
It can also cause sleep disruptions. In addition, low progesterone starts the slow but steady march to menopausal belly fat.
Then, the low progesterone levels contribute to elevated cortisol levels which then speeds up the deposition of fat in the stomach or belly region. The combination of these two hormonal issues then affects your energy and sleep. Remember-you can be menopausal but still menstruating. In fact, you can have heavy periods due to endometrial thickening while you also have diminishing estradiol levels, so you start getting hot flushes too. Isnt it great to be a woman? It is, but its better after you get these symptoms under control. Speaking of which, lets touch on sleep and energy for a moment.
Energy and Sleep:
What next?
Hormones all work in harmony
First, how to lower cortisol levels?
Recommended Reading: What Counts As Intermittent Fasting
Why Menopause Makes Weight Loss So Hard
Menopause officially starts when a person hasnt had a menstrual cycle for 12 months. Around this time, it may be very hard to lose weight.
In fact, many people notice that they actually start putting on weight during perimenopause, which can begin a decade prior to menopause.
Several factors play a role in weight gain around menopause, including:
- Hormone fluctuations. Both elevated and very low levels of estrogen can lead to increased fat storage .
- Loss of muscle mass. This occurs due to age, hormonal changes, and decreased physical activity .
- Inadequate sleep. Many women have trouble sleeping during menopause. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain .
- Increased insulin resistance. Women often become insulin resistant as they age, which can make losing weight more difficult (
Whats more, fat storage shifts from the hips and thighs to the abdomen during menopause. This increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease .
Therefore, strategies that promote the loss of abdominal fat are particularly important at this stage of life.
Summary
Menopause may lead to hormonal changes, loss of muscle mass, poor sleep, and insulin resistance. These effects may, in turn, increase the risk of weight gain.
Intermittent Fasting And Your Period
Even with some potential downfalls, a few studies have shown benefits between fasting and the menstrual cycle, especially for women with PCOS.
A small study that followed 15 women with PCOS over six weeks found that fasting for 16 hours significantly improved body weight and other markers of insulin resistance and inflammation. While it was only a small study, it’s worth noting that the authors noted that more than 70 percent of the women had improvements in their menstrual cycles.
However, another review found evidence that longer fasts increased cycle lengths in overweight or obese women. Three days of fasting also affected luteinizing hormone dynamics for women with regular menstrual cycles. This study concluded that while none of these changes were dramatic, more research is needed to understand exactly how caloric restriction during fasting impacts women’s hormones.
Needless to say, the science behind fasting and your period is inconclusive and depends on many factors, but overdoing it with longer fasts or extensive calorie restriction may not be ideal for hormone balance.
Read Also: What Can You Eat Drink While Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting While Breastfeeding
If youve had a baby and decided to breastfeed, you already know this is a demanding time for your body: You might still be recovering from childbirth, youre probably sleep deprived, and your whole life has been flipped around. Plus, that cute little human you made is now treating you like an all-you-can-drink buffet.
During this time, your body needs extra nurturing, extra nutrients, and less stress. For these reasons, intermittent fasting is likely not a good protocol for breastfeeding women.
Many moms are concerned about losing the baby weight, and may feel pressured and impatient to get their pre-baby body back. Women can still lose weight during this time, but more moderate approaches are safer and will likely yield better long term results.
For safe, sustainable weight loss, try a combination of moderate exercise , and portion management. We made a nifty little calculator to help you with those goals: The Precision Nutrition Calculator.
