The REAL Three Reasons It’s Harder to Keep The Fat Off After 40… And What to Do About It.

The REAL Three Reasons It’s Harder to Keep The Fat Off After 40… And What to Do About It.

And What to Do About It.

The saying goes “Life begins at 40”. You could also say that the “struggle to hold on to a lean physique” also begins at 40 too! Whilst both statements are ostensibly true, you will of course find countless examples of individuals who make a mockery of both. That said, it is broadly accurate to say that there are factors which frustrate most people when it comes to staying in the shape they’d like to as they age… I’d like to highlight them here and suggest some things you can do to fight back.

I’ll preface my list with the acknowledgement that I’ve deliberately omitted pregnancy/childbirth, career-change/development, and an increasing fondness for ‘the finer tastes in life’ from this list.  Why? Because (a) these factors don’t affect everyone, (b) they are easier to spot and focus on than the things that I’ve chosen to focus on today.

Reason One: The demands on your time prevent you making choices that are anywhere near optimum for your own health.

Time seems far more precious in your 40s… you’ve probably got more responsibilities and demands upon your time, especially compared to twenty years ago. ‘YOU’ are no longer the main priority in your life. Perhaps time spent on exercise is now spent elsewhere, perhaps the time set aside to prepare the meals that you’d ideally choose no longer exists.

What to do:

Give yourself a break. There’s no need to compare what you did ‘then’ with what you do are able to do ‘now’. Just begin the process of doing a little better… for example:

  • Plan to cook one quick-ish healthy meal next week. Just one.
  • Overcook a nutritious meal and store it using Tupperware… this equals good nutrition and peace-of-mind for a day or two.
  • Your workouts used to last one hour? Try 20 minutes. Yes, it can be just as effective!
  • No time for gym or even a dedicated workout? No problem. Let’s explore the concept of microworkouts and see how we can work some effective movements into your day.

Reason Two: You just don’t need as much food as you used to because your metabolism has slowed and you’re probably moving around less.

The term ‘Metabolism’ is a broad description for ALL the chemical processes that continuously run in the background, keeping you going. This includes digesting food, cell repair, tissue maintenance, organ function and breathing. These processes require energy (calories). There is a minimum amount of energy your body needs to carry out this… before any extra calorific requirements from movement.

Muscle tissue needs more energy (calories) to maintain itself than any other. As we age, especially after 40, we lose muscle tissue rapidly. Hence, we need fewer calories than we used to… and that extra we eat invariably gets stored as fat. This is why people say ‘my metabolism has slowed’ when they see themselves expanding – the food they’re eating in the same or even less amounts is now hanging around as fat!

In addition, the majority of us move around far less in our 40’s than we did in our 20’s, and I’m not just talking about ‘planned exercise’. Lockdown has illustrated the visible difference not doing regular innocuous movement (like your daily commute) can make.

What to do:

  • Be honest about what you’re consuming. Keep a food diary for a week and look back over it. The chances are (if you’ve been accurate with your recording) you will notice where the extras are. Try increasing the proportion of protein per meal to increase satiety. Explore eating at a slower pace and stopping when you’re satisfied, as opposed to full.
  • Can you set aside a time to get some dedicated movement in? If your commute has disappeared, can you replace it with something else? Can you think of a fun physical activity that you could do more of during the week?
  • Strength training – the best way to maintain that muscle mass is resistance training. This need not be gym-based, a simple routine done at home can be enough to halt and reverse that muscle loss. The mental and physical benefits to this are huge.

Reason Three: Your sleep is compromised.

There are many reasons that your sleep might not be as deep or restorative as before. Stress, children, pain and even alcohol can have a huge effect on the quality of this essential ingredient to our all-round well-being.

What to do:

All of the above can make it literally impossible to get that perfect night’s sleep. Forget ‘perfect’. Focus on making the best of your current situation… small nudges in the right direction will make a big difference over time.

  • Is the room where you sleep set up for the best possible sleep? Cool, rather than warm is optimum. The darker the room, the better.
  • When you get the opportunity to unwind and then sleep, do you take it? Or is there a an hour or two of ‘where did that go’ before you get your head down? Eliminate this… “when it’s time to go to bed, go to bed”.
  • A sleep routine can work wonders… a set order of actions can set you up for success. Can you turn off your devices half an hour before bed? Can you squeeze in some time to read or listen to some calming music? Does a hot shower or bath help you unwind?

The theme running through all three reasons is consistent; give yourself a break, make small positive changes in the right direction and record and repeat what works. Avoid that ‘comparison trap’ with when you were at your best… tomorrow is more important than yesterday.

If you have a question or would like help achieving your goal, contact me at: https://www.ayotrainingnutrition.com/contact/

Ayo Williams

No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Download The Top 9 Supplements
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download Batch-Cooking Brilliance
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download AYO Guide to Calories
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download Dads' Essential 8 Laws of Self care
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download Dads' Essential 8 Laws of movement
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download 6 Vital Moves to Kickstart your Mobility
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download Dads' Essential 8 Laws of Fat Loss
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Download The Magnificent Seven
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.
Start 5 days challenge
Get instant access to our exclusive ebook when you join our list




We’ll send your free ebook and occasional updates. Unsubscribe anytime.