The Best Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Wondering how to be successful at losing weight and keep it off? Here are 4 steps to the best weight loss for women over 40 so you can begin losing weight today. These are the same tips I implemented into my life over 3 years ago when I lost over 30 lbs. Now I am fit and feel great like never before! When I started losing weight my dress size was 14, now I am a size 4, sometimes I can rock a 2! But more importantly than size of clothing is how I feel now that I have energy, strength and flexibility. 

We have all started diets and failed too many times to count. When you implement the following 4 tips to lose weight into your life, you will create the momentum needed to be successful to start losing weight and be able to keep it off.

So, what’s the best way to lose weight? Start here…

#1 Best Weight Loss for Women Over 40 – What is YOUR Why?

 

You will never be successful in losing weight until you have a reason WHY you want to lose weight.

To be successful, living a healthy lifestyle begins with a true desire and attitude to FEEL better mentally and physically for a specific purpose. Diets have come and gone for me because I wanted to look good on the beach or fit into a particular size of clothing. Wrong reasons! The weight would sneak back on me within a few months. Those types of reasons are temporary. Often we give up before meeting the goal. When I had a deeper purpose for losing weight and being fit, it was then possible to continue down the path to a healthy lifestyle that promoted weight loss and fitness long-term.

My purpose was horseback riding. I wanted to return to the saddle after 20 years. I was in such bad shape, I could only ride for a few minutes at a time. That’s what started my journey, gave me the dedication and drive to persevere through some difficult days of building willpower.

Today is the day you decide. Why do you really want to lose weight? What truly motivates you to change your lifestyle?

#2 Best Weight Loss for Women Over 40 – Start With an Exercise You Enjoy

 

The best workouts to lose weight is what you will get up and do!

Find an activity you enjoy to get you moving! Once you choose something that moves you away from the sofa, you will begin to see a snowball effect.

I purchased an elliptical.

I started off not looking forward to exercising! While on the elliptical, I chose to watch TV to keep my mind off how difficult it was. It was hard as heck! I wasn’t very consistent to start with. However, every time I went to ride a horse, I had more motivation to get on the elliptical. Pretty soon, I was up to 1/2 mile and then increased from there. I also got up off the sofa and played the Wii with my daughter. Doesn’t sound like much but when you are out of shape as I was at the time, 30 minutes of Just Dance is a pretty good cardio workout.

About 6 months later, I started Beachbody’s P90X workouts. Again, so difficult to start. The first few weeks I did about half, but later did Beachbody’s Insanity and currently finishing my favorite, the Beachbody’s P90X3. I will definitely discuss the programs in greater detail in a future post.

Do whatever you have access to that will get you moving. There are endless videos and exercises on the internet to get started with. You don’t have to buy exercise equipment to start. Just get up and do something as consistently as you can. I have a ton of different workouts right here on my site that are free!

Whatever your first experiences are, DON’T GIVE UP! The first few weeks will not be easy. Face it, you did not get out of shape overnight, you will not lose weight or be fit overnight either. Start small and set goals every step of the way. Consistency will produce results. Keep your purpose from step #1 in mind…that’s what you are sacrificing for!

There are so many different exercises to choose from, make sure to do a variety. Cardio for women, workouts from the Fit Found Me Weight Loss Challenge, and even something like a 30-day plank challenge are all ways you can make great progress with losing weight.

Stick with it – next week will be easier than this week!

 

#3 Best Weight Loss for Women Over 40 – Eat Healthier

 

Easier said than done. The hardest thing you may ever do in life is change your eating habits.

No amount of working out can compensate for poor eating habits. You can workout for hours each day but if you are still drinking the Route 64 Diet Dr Pepper with vanilla and double cheeseburger from Sonic it won’t matter. Yeah, I know this from experience. It took some time for me to wean myself off of high fat, high sugar foods. I had to retrain my cravings and find better foods to enjoy. It was about gradual changes. Some foods were easier to cut than others. If you try to cut out all of the bad foods at once, your cravings will skyrocket and failure rate will be much higher.

I started with a meal replacement shake to give me the correct amounts of nutrients and keep me honest. Most days they would be my breakfast and lunch. The shakes also helped curb my appetite through my transition of being able to make better food choices.

Utilizing a calorie counter is also important. I use My Fitness Pal to keep up with my protein and general daily caloric intake. Often, especially in the beginning of this process, the foods you eat add up faster than realized. Also, it is important to make sure you are eating enough good calories in order for your body to recover and build necessary muscle.

#4 Best Weight Loss for Women Over 40 – Educate Yourself!

 

Read, read and more reading. Education is power.

By educating yourself on the foods to eat, foods to avoid and the activity level required to lose weight, you will have the tools needed for success!  When you learn the science behind how your body uses the foods you eat, it will be another motivating factor to drive you to better choices.

Our bodies are intricately designed to react to the foods we eat. By learning the body’s response to foods, it allows the food to work in tandem with our exercise program to result in a healthier, happier you!

 

So there you have it! The best weight loss for women over 40 in 4 steps that will enable you to start to lose weight safely and effectively so that…

Fit will find YOU!