Weight loss at any age can enhance your mood, your body’s functions, and your general health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, decreasing just 5 to 10% of your body weight (about 10 to 20 pounds for a 200-pound individual) can improve your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.
Weight loss may take longer as a 60-year-old woman than it did when you were younger, but the benefits are apparent. The traditional weight-loss strategies of limiting portions, eating foods with good nutritional value, and increasing physical activity do not change as you get older.
Weight Loss Principles
A calorie deficit helps you lose weight regardless of your age. To lose one pound, consume 3,500 less calories than you burn. If you generate a calorie deficit of 250 to 1,000 per day for a week, you will lose 1/2 to 2 pounds.
You probably burn fewer calories as a 60-year-old woman than a woman half your age. Because of the natural effects of ageing, you have decreased muscle mass, which reduces the number of calories your body burns per day.
Exercise and other forms of everyday physical activity, on the other hand, can help you burn more calories. At 60, the average sedentary woman burns 1,600 calories; but, if she is somewhat active, that amount rises to 1,800. If you’re physically active, you could burn up to 2,200 calories every day.
Also Read – How to Lose Weight Fast for Women
Consume Enough Calories
Consume at least 1,200 calories each day to ensure that you obtain all of the nutrients you require and that your metabolism does not slow down any further.
Cutting 1,000 calories from your daily diet to lose 2 pounds per week will result in a consumption that is too low for anyone except the most active 60-year-olds. Instead, aim for a more moderate loss of 1/2 to 1 pound each week, which translates to a daily caloric deficit of 250 to 500 calories.
To determine your baseline calorie needs, use an internet calculator or consult with a dietitian. From there, decrease calories to create a deficit.
You won’t get the nourishment or energy you need for your daily tasks if you starve yourself.
Avoid processed foods such as snack mixes, baked goods, items made with refined white flour, and soda.
Choose entire foods for meals, with portion sizes based on your calorie goal.
A daily calorie intake of 1,200 to 1,400 is considered modest and will most likely result in weight loss.
Dietary Alternatives for Weight Loss
Lean proteins, complete grains, and fresh veggies should be the foundation of each meal. Snack on low-fat dairy, healthy fats, and fresh fruit in between meals.
Eggs, whole-grain bread, and an orange are typical breakfast meals, as are oatmeal, strawberries, and skim milk, or low-fat plain yoghurt, slivered almonds, and blueberries.
Have a 2- to 4-ounce serving of protein for lunch and dinner, such as tofu, white fish, skinless poultry, white-meat hog, or lean steak. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging found that eating enough protein while dieting helps postmenopausal women retain critical lean body mass.
Serve the protein with 1/2 cup whole grains, such as wild rice, quinoa, barley, or brown rice.
Watery green veggies including broccoli, fennel, asparagus, kale, and spinach should be on your menu.
Other colourful veggies to consider include cauliflower, bell peppers, eggplant, and cabbage.
Vegetables offer few calories per serving but a lot of phytonutrients and fibre, which help you feel full.
Sauces and dressings can add a lot of calories with little nutritious value. For taste, use lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, and fresh herbs.
The Importance of Exercise for Women Over 60
If you’re inactive, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activity most days and three times per week of weight training, according to a comprehensive analysis published in the Journal of Midlife Health in 2011.
Deep breathing, yoga, and stretching can help alleviate stress, which can lead to weight gain.
Weight training with exercises like the leg press, squats, lat pull-downs, military presses, seated rows, and back extensions helps you maintain lean muscle mass and bone density after menopause, especially if you’re eating a low-calorie diet.
A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 2010 looked at the impact of six years of resistance training on previously inactive postmenopausal women.
Researchers discovered that resistance training decreased weight gain and loss of lean muscle mass when compared to non-resistance training subjects. When you’ve reduced your calorie intake to lose weight, weight training helps ensure that you shed fat rather than muscle.
