Why it's harder for middle aged women to lose weight (and what to do about it)
In the 9 years I’ve been working as a personal trainer, the most common complaint I hear from my female clients is that losing weight becomes much harder once they hit 40. What is it about middle aged bodies that makes them stubbornly cling on to fat (especially around the waist)? And more to the point, what on earth can be done about it when the things that used to work (eat less, exercise more) don’t seem to work anymore?
First up, when talking about weight loss, what we’re really talking about is fat loss. That’s why jumping on the scales isn’t always helpful, unless you have scales which tell you how much of your weight is body fat. Even if you know what your bodyfat percentage is, there’s also a distinction to be made in terms of the types of body fat, of which there are two main types. Subcutaneous fat, which is typically found in breasts, thighs, bum and hips and visceral fat, which gets stored around the organs deep inside the abdomen
It’s important to note that women do need subcutaneous fat on their bodies for good health and to look feminine - a healthy percentage for women is considered to be between 20%-31%.
However, high levels of visceral fat are much more problematic due to the increased risks of developing serious health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and dementia. Visceral fat is sometimes called toxic fat and it’s also a big reason why belly fat can be really difficult to shift.
A rough and ready way of working out whether you could be carrying too much visceral fat is to measure your waist - as a woman, you ideally want a measurement of less than 80cm (32 inches) and definitely not higher than 88cm (35 inches). Obviously there can be other factors to consider. such as build and genetics. However if you are feeling overweight, especially around your tummy, then it’s likely that you’re carrying too much visceral fat.
Let’s look at why midlife weight gain happens…
Changing body composition - as you get older, your body composition is gradually changing. From the age of 30, you start to lose muscle mass at the rate of 3-5% per year (a process called sarcopenia) Your metabolism also starts to slow down, which means that your body isn’t as efficient at burning the energy you get from food - and the excess energy gets stored as fat.
Hormones - changes in hormones can have a huge impact on the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. It won’t be news to you that many women in peri-menopause and menopause experience weight gain as a symptom. Thyroid issues can also lead to changes in weight.
Stress -it cannot be understated how much of an impact unmanaged stress can have on your weight. Let’s start with cortisol, one of the key stress hormones. Cortisol can increase your appetite, particularly for sugary and carb-laden foods. Cortisol also makes it harder for your body to regulate blood sugar. This can lead to more fat storage and weight gain. Too much cortisol leads to visceral fat, which as I said above, is the unhealthy fat that gets stored in the abdomen around the organs. Stress also affects your sleep and lack of sleep makes it much harder to make good food choices and reduces your motivation to exercise.
Dietary choices - I probably don’t need to tell you that a diet that’s too high in sugar (including alcohol) and highly processed foods is going to lead to weight gain. Portion sizes are important too - even if you eat a healthy diet, you will struggle to lose weight if you are consuming more calories than you’re burning.
Insufficient or ineffective exercise - the majority of people I encounter who are struggling with their weight simply aren’t doing enough exercise. Or they’re doing some exercise, but it’s not helping them lose weight because it’s not effective for what they want to achieve.
What to do about it….
Start building your muscles! The best way to combat sarcopenia (age related muscle loss) is to start strength training. The added benefit of increased muscle mass is that it helps speed your metabolism up.
Understand what’s going on with your hormones. As a starting point, get your hormone levels checked by a GP. Get interested and informed about what’s going with your body so you can make some choices. HRT and other medications to support your hormones can make a huge difference.
Prioritise stress management - we all lead busy modern lives, making it almost impossible to eliminate stress entirely. That’s why you need solid practices to help manage stress. Exercise, solitude, mindfulness and other self-care practices such as gratitude and journalling are scientifically proven to reduce stress levels.
Cut back on sugar and highly processed foods, eat a healthy balanced diet (including plenty of lean protein, vegetables and fibre) and watch your portion sizes.
Start daily brisk walking and regular strength training - keep your exercise programme simple and effective with a daily brisk walk and 2-3 strength sessions per week. If you find the prospect of strength training completely daunting, then get some help! Many of my clients had never picked up a barbell before starting their training with me. With my guidance and encouragement, they quickly got the hang of it and started to really enjoy lifting weights.
Finally, ditch the boom and bust mentality. While it can be tempting to look for quick fixes for weight loss, it’s long term consistent actions that get results.
If you feel like you need some guidance and support navigating your way towards a fitter, stronger and healthier you, please get in touch via the contact page on my website. Prices start at £50 per session for personal training.
Here’s what some of my clients have managed to achieve:
After 3 months with Emily (including Christmas!), I’d lost 8 inches all over including 2 inches off my waist. Mentally I feel much more energised and have a much healthier balance than when I started”, Lucy, 42
“After working out with Emily, my figure changed a lot. I became stronger, lost some weight and needed a size smaller in jeans which makes me feel better and more body confident”, Beatrix, 42
