Sharing secrets is fun, but what’s even more fun is learning new things that actually work, especially when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off. Weight loss that lasts—especially as you get older—can be quite the struggle. It takes hard work, dedication, and some expert-backed secret hacks you may not have thought of before. Get excited, because we’ve learned seven secret tips for women to achieve lasting weight loss after 40, and we are here to spill the tea!
Turning 40 has a way of creeping up on you—not only does the age, but the extra pounds as well. It’s important to address the issue before your weight moves up the scale even higher. You can’t prevent the years from passing, but you can control how you manage your weight at every stage. Not only is it important for your physical appearance, but it’s also extremely crucial for your overall health and mental wellness. Keep in mind that after your 40s come your 50s, 60s, and so on. Developing healthy habits now will make it much easier to stick with them in every decade of your life.
The Nutrition Twins®, Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, CDN, CFT, and Lyssie Lakatos, RD, CDN, CFT, who sit on our Medical Expert Board, share their seven best secret tips for women to achieve lasting weight loss after 40. And when you’re finished, don’t miss these 10 Best Protein-Packed 100-Calorie Snacks for Weight Loss.
You may immediately nix the thought of incorporating carbs into your diet, but not all carbs are bad. As a matter of fact, some of the best healthy carbs for weight loss will support your efforts to the max. The goal here is to “satisfy the carb itch” by selecting ones that are gut-healthy and make a positive impact on your blood sugar by stabilizing it, avoiding the highs and lows that activate cortisol release, aka the “belly fat hormone.”
According to The Nutrition Twins, “This means choosing carbs that feed the gut microbiome, stimulating good gut bacteria that have favorable effects on the metabolism and making sure that carb also has fiber and protein (or small amounts of healthy fat) to stabilize blood sugar.” The Twins suggest, “Skip the refined carbs that lack fiber and choose carbs that contain resistant starch which feeds the good gut bacteria like Hero Bread, which also is packed with healthy seeds like flax, sunflower, pumpkin, as well as fiber-filled millet to stabilize blood sugar. You’ll get all the carb satisfaction you crave in only 60 calories but with a whopping 12 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein to keep you on an even keel.”
Grabbing a bag of pretzels or chips may be an easy snack, but they’re packed with carbs and fat and are a surefire way to experience cortisol release, blood sugar swings, and a larger waistline.
Opt for other tasty, crunchy snacks that won’t add inches to your waistline, like pistachios. The Nutrition Twins dub them “the ultimate lean, crunchy snack time secret.” They explain, “Not only are pistachios a complete plant protein for long-lasting satisfaction, [but] their fiber provides even more staying power preventing over-snacking soon after as well as blood sugar swings. Plus, they’re packed with antioxidants that may help to prevent inflammation which is associated with weight gain. Pistachios have the largest portion size of any nut, 49 nuts/ serving, and are one of the lowest-calorie nuts.”
If you want to achieve lasting weight loss after 40, simply grab a handful of pistachios to snack on when you’re feeling hungry. They’re a much healthier choice when compared to high-calorie snack options and empty calories you’ll find at the vending machine.
You heard that right! The Nutrition Twins encourage you to indulge every single day—but be smart about it. Indulging is surprisingly a crucial part of sustainable weight loss so you don’t deprive yourself and are still able to enjoy the foods you love most.
“Deprivation puts you on the fast track to falling off a healthy eating plan since it’s too hard to sustain an eating plan that isn’t enjoyable. The trick is to include foods that you crave and feel decadent, but are lower in calories, so they don’t destroy your healthy eating plan,” The Nutrition Twins explain. “Instead of downing a 600- 600-calorie-plus pint of Ben and Jerry’s, choose a rich and decadent frozen fudge popsicle or another popsicle like an orange creamsicle; you’ll get all the flavor and creaminess in a fraction of the calories—and the bonus is that it’s portion-controlled in the brilliant form of ice cream on a stick! Who doesn’t love food on a stick? This has been a secret to keeping our clients lean for years. We’re currently obsessed with several 60-calorie bars that use fruit as the base, they’re dairy and gluten-free and delicious.”
READ RELATED: 5 Grocery Chains With In-Store Bars—So You Can Drink While Shopping
If you crave soda and typically give in to the temptation, it’s time to tweak this habit. There’s plenty of unnecessary sugar in regular soda—some have almost 45 grams!—and artificial sweeteners in diet soda, which can really mess up your gut microbiome and lead to weight gain.
“The secret that helps to keep smart women lean for the long haul is that they turn to Olipop when they want soda,” The Nutrition Twins suggest. “They satisfy the soda craving as well as sugar cravings with only 35 to 50 calories and with only two to five grams of sugar. Plus, Olipop has nine grams of prebiotic fiber. Prebiotic fiber feeds the good bacteria in the gut and favorably impacts metabolism.”
Hunger can be incredibly challenging when you’re trying to lose weight, especially over time, as it can result in overeating. By making smart choices and selecting foods with high rankings on the Hunger Satiety Index, you will likely feel much more satisfied and less hungry.
“It’s no surprise that processed foods like cakes, cookies, donuts, cookies, and crackers that are highly processed and lack fiber rank the lowest on the scale, while foods like eggs, fish, and beans, which contain protein or fiber and fruit which contains fiber and water, rank the highest,” The Nutrition Twins explain. “Our clients over 40 are easily able to sustain their weight loss, as we teach them to naturally select these foods—they ask us why they never heard about this Index before. It’s definitely an overlooked secret that can make a world of difference!”
The Nutrition Twins dub this “one of the best-kept weight loss secrets”—and for good reason. Variety is the spice of life, especially when you are dieting. But it’s just as important—if not more so—to have several consistent, nutritious, easy-to-prepare meals at your fingertips. This will ensure you stay on just the right, healthy track, and fuel your body with nutrients, even on the busiest of days.
The Nutrition Twins tell us, “Our clients love to whip up these easy Frittata Muffins over the weekend to have on hand for breakfast or even for snacks, as well as have our Cinnamon Banana Belly Fat Burning Oatmeal and Orange Creamsicle Overnight Oats to make morning meals delicious and weight loss-friendly.”
You may think that in order to achieve lasting weight loss after 40, you have to develop super unique habits that are simply unattainable. But that’s not the case!
“[Those who have lasting results when it comes to weight loss] aren’t looking to try the latest craze in nutrition or weight loss, and they don’t overcomplicate eating,” The Nutrition Twins tell us. “They hold steadfast in their eating, knowing that if they focus on wholesome food, like lean meat and fish or beans and tofu, lots of produce, modest amounts of whole grains and tubers like sweet potatoes and nuts and seeds, the rest will fall into place.” Consistency is key!
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