You are eating the same and exercising the same, but you have noticed that it is harder to lose weight, or perhaps you are even gaining weight. Nothing has changed, except… you are over 40. Actually, something has changed; your body.

As we age, we burn less calories because our metabolism slows down. There is no set age where this happens, but most people tend to notice between 40 and 50. So, the secret to weight loss over 40 remains the same as it was before 40: burn more calories than you take in.

So, since you burn fewer calories in a day as you age, you either need to eat less, or exercise more in order to lose weight. But sticking to the same routine as your younger years will have no effect on your weight loss or maintenance goals. You need to have a calorie defecit.

Our metabolism, (basal metabolic rate) accounts for 60 to 70% of the total number of calories we burn in a day. So when this slows, we need to adjust for our slower metabolism. There is where most of us drop the ball.
 
As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass which accounts for our slowing metabolism. The more muscle mass we have, the more calories our body burns at rest. So as we age, exercise is very important. There are many benefits to exercise, but for people over 40 the benefits of exercise are even greater.  As we age we begin to lose muscle mass.  The more muscle mass we have the higher our basal metabolic rate.  Regular exercise and activity will not only help build and strengthen muscles but will speed up your metabolism thus burn more calories.

For a free 30 day pass, or for help in setting up an exercise and nutrition plan for weight loss over 40, contact Answer is Fitness.

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