We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep — and even shed pounds — at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.
Watch portion sizes
Women tend to eat more when dining with their mate.As a general rule, have a serving each of carbs (fist-size), protein (palm-size), and healthy fat (around a tablespoon), and fill the rest of your plate with any non-starchy veggie, like broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans, says celebrity dietitian Ashley Koff, R.D., co-author of “Mom Energy.”
Don’t Save fatty leftovers
Indulging on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve won’t wreck your waistline, says Blatner. It’s all that grazing on leftovers for weeks that’ll do you in. Save treats for events: “Make it special and make it social,” she says.
Sculpt muscles.
Don’t want to eat less? Lift more. Since muscle mass diminishes with age, if you don’t do anything to replace it, your body will shift to more fat and less muscle — which slows down your metabolism even more, Northrup says.
Aim for two 40-minute sessions of weight training a week to keep muscle and bones at pre-meno level. Other days, try for 30 minutes of cardio, like dancing or the elliptical. That simple formula — strength plus cardio — really can keep mid-life gain away.
Add A Comment