As we get older there are physical changes to our body which make losing weight a little more challenging.
- We lose muscle loss which slows down our metabolism
- We often became less active because we may have physical limitations
- Certain medications can cause weight gain
- Changing hormones can produce more fat on our mid section
- Loss of sleep which is more prevalent as we age can cause weight gain
You can work with all of these to ensure you stay on a path of wellness.
Muscle loss, which begins to decline by 3-8% each decade after 30 can be helped with strength training exercises. This always scared me as I thought I would need to become a body builder! A few simple exercises every day has put me on a strength training course and it feels physically amazing. Psychologically it has had a huge impact as I feel so Wonder Womanish when I do the routine!
Physically many of us over 60 have limitations. Mine is my knees. I have arthritis in both of them, but fortunately I am able to hike and I do exercises (core, ham and quad) which support my knees to do that. I have also seen so many exercises that can be done in a chair.
Moving is possible, but it may have to be done in a different way and at a different pace.
If taking a medication is life changing/saving then it would seem that weight gain is a small price to pay. Unless it is an excessive gain (or loss) that cause other concerns. This is definitely a conversation to have with a medical professional.
Our changing hormones do many things including a loss of sleep. Improving this is important for so many reasons. If you are not aware of the need for a full nights sleep watch the You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRp5AC9W_F8
Dr Mathew Walker’s informative talk and his book ‘Why we sleep’ show you the immense physical and emotional benefits of making sure you get enough zzz’s.
Acceptance of where we are now is an important part of the aging process. This is about being present to what shows up for us and working with that. The alternative is to fight it, resist it, lament it and mourn for the loss of a body we once had. That is a sad and miserable path to take.
I didn’t like that journey.
My goal is to have a healthy relationship with my body and food… for life. I am not expecting to have the same body I had in my twenties and I am not spending my time in mourning for anything in the past. I am celebrating my beautiful body of now that is as active as I can be, but the best part is that at 67 I am at peace with my body.
“Let’s not hold on so tightly to what we used to be, but give ourselves the freedom and permission to enter this new stage. Optimistically welcome where we are and where we are going”. Carl Jung
Thanks for reading,
Christina