The 9 keys to lose weight from the age of 50

Seven out of ten Spaniards over the age of 50 are overweight, overweight or obesity. Since being overweight is associated with a variety of health problems and poorer quality of life, it is normal for many people to be interested in reducing weight or preventing it from gaining. being overweight is consequence of having maintained inappropriate habits for years and modifying them is never easy. Where to start to lose weight? We offer you the 9 diet keys to lose weight after 50.

1. Assemble a balanced plate

One of the keys to lose weight not only from 50 but at any age is learning to mount balanced dishes. Harvard University has established a very simple model for creating healthy menus that promote weight control.

Half of the plate should be occupied by vegetables. The other half is divided equally between foods rich in carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes) and proteins. If you eat legumes (vegetarians have to eat them daily), one half of the plate can be made of vegetables and the other, of legumes.

With these guidelines, you just have to start consuming 500 fewer calories a day that habitually You can achieve it with the following guidelines:

Replace foods rich in carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and other starchy foods) with vegetables. In general, reduce the size of the portions. Eat 2-3 whole pieces of fruit every day. Use only olive oil for fat. olive. You can also consume a serving of nuts and another of seeds a day. Eliminate fried foods. Refrain from snacking among others. When eating, start with vegetables, continue with proteins and end with carbohydrates.

Discover in this video the Harvard dish for healthy eating:

2. It can be good to increase your protein intake

Getting enough high-quality protein in the diet is not only important for maintaining health, but it is also essential to stop or reverse the loss of muscle mass age related.

In addition, studies show that older adults generally have higher protein needs than young adults.

As red meat and meat products are associated with an increased risk of cancer, according to the World Health Organization, it is advisable to choose plant foods rich in protein, such as legumes, nuts and seeds.

In any case, increasing your protein intake does not mean that you have to give up moderate amounts of carbohydrates and fats.

3. Choose Whole Foods

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you are giving your body the nutrients it needs is to eat a diet rich in whole foods.

Whole foods include vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and cereals. These must replace bread, rice and white pasta, and all products made with white flour, ultra-processed and fried foods.

4. Cook more at home

If you can, prepare your food at home with natural, whole foods like those bought in bulk at municipal markets. In this way you will avoid the consumption of ultra-processed products that contain a excess fats, sugars and additives.

By cooking at home you can select the healthiest foods, rich in minerals and vitamins, and increase the variety of ingredients you consume. Take a walk through the vegetable stalls and be sure to try any of the ones that the station offers you.

Each serving of vegetables that you add to your daily menu It will reduce your waist by almost 4 millimeters.It will also make you feel satiated and you will be able to reduce the portions of other more caloric foods such as bread, rice or potatoes.

5. Eat more in the morning and less at night

Many studies have shown that eating fewer calories at night helps maintain a healthy body weight and lose excess body fat.

The body is designed to better assimilate the calories that come from carbohydrates. in the morning and before 3:00 p.m.

Eat most of your calories at breakfast and lunch and enjoy a light dinner before 9:00 p.m. with steamed vegetables and grilled tofu or another source of protein, for example, can be an effective strategy to promote weight loss.

6. To hydrate, drink water

Beverages such as sweetened coffee, sodas, juices, sports drinks, and shakes are often full of calories and added sugars.

Options with artificial sweeteners are no better. Studies show that they do not help with weight loss and that they can be harmful to the balance of the intestinal microbiota.

healthy drinks are water and infusions of medicinal plants (There are very tasty and digestive ones, such as green tea, chamomile or mint, among many others).

7. Exercise including strength exercises

Although aerobic or cardio-type exercise, which requires effort from the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, is what has traditionally been recommended, strength exercises are also advisable, especially for people over 50.

From this age, muscle mass decreases 1-2% per year, which slows down the metabolism and promotes weight gain. Muscle volume and tone are needed for them to expend calories even when you are at rest.

In addition, muscle training that is carried out with weights, machines, rubber bands or using the weight of the body itself helps reduce body fat.

On the other hand, do not expect to achieve maximum performance right away. It is much better to gradually increase the time and intensity of your physical exercise sessions little by little.

If your physical condition allows it, it’s okay to start with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise and 15 minutes of strength exercises a day. You can rest a day or two a week. When you notice that weight loss slows down, increase the times. Little by little you can reach, for example, 1 hour of aerobic exercise and 30 minutes of strength exercises.

8. Sleep well

Not getting enough sleep can derail your weight loss efforts. If you don’t rest at night, increases the likelihood of developing obesity and hinders weight loss efforts. Better quality sleep (without interruptions) is also associated with weight loss success.

Try to sleep 7 to 9 hours a night and improve sleep quality by minimizing light in your bedroom and avoiding using your mobile or looking at a screen before bed.

9. Avoid mistakes in the diet to lose weight

Although there is a fairly broad consensus among nutritionists about the requirements of a weight loss diet, there are still proposals that do not make sense, that do not help to lose weight in the long term and that can be counterproductive.

You don’t want to go too fast. Whether you’re over 50 or younger, you don’t have to be in a hurry. Overweight has usually been gained for years and cannot be reversed in a few weeks. It is not possible or desirable. It is enough to lose between 250 g and 500 g per week.Don’t go hungry. Not only is it not necessary, but it is not convenient. If you’re hungry, you’re not doing it right. Think that you can eat all the vegetables, fresh and cooked, that you want. In fact, the more, the better. How are you going to starve?Do not remove any nutrients. Some weight loss regimes propose to reduce as much as possible and eliminate foods rich in carbohydrates or fats. It is not a good idea, because they are nutrients that we need in the right proportions. Any exclusive diet is not attractive, it cannot be maintained over time and it is not healthy. In the first point of this article we have explained how to compose a healthy dish. If you want to remove something, remove the ultra-processed.Do not give up. There often comes a time when it seems like you no longer lose weight. It is normal. At first it is easier and then it becomes more difficult. It is that you have reached a new point of stability. Review your habits to check that you are doing everything right. Then reduce the number of calories ingested and slightly increase the time and intensity of the exercise sessions.

Scientific references: