Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight At 50+
Women who hit 50 years of age will naturally find it harder to build muscle and stay toned, primarily because of hormonal changes. Specifically, estrogen levels naturally decrease in women as they age. By the time you hit menopause, your estrogen levels plummet, as do your chances of staying visibly fit.
Also working against you is muscle degeneration, which begins for most people in their mid-40s and carries on throughout the rest of their lives. Not only is it more challenging to build muscle after 50, but your muscles naturally lose volume as you get older.
Although building muscle for women after 50 is challenging, weight loss can seem all but impossible. The difficulty to lose weight comes mostly from your slowing metabolism rather than a hormonal imbalance. Our metabolisms slow as early as our thirties, so women in their fifties will typically find it very difficult to stay satiated and still lose weight.
Improved Blood Lipid Profile
many women in their 50s experience increased levels of triglycerides and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
This is a recipe for heart disease.
Despite being high in fat, low carb diets have been shown to lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol while increasing levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
These changes are linked to improved cardiovascular health and a lower risk of heart disease
What Foods To Eat On Keto
- Meat: look for unprocessed meats because they have fewer added carbs
- Fish and seafood: avoid breaded fish for the added carbs
- Eggs: prepared however you like best
- Vegetables: those that grow above the ground
- Dairy: opt for high-fat dairy low-fat options often have added sugar
- Nuts: good source of fat, but be careful not to overeat
- Berries: in moderation
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Is Keto For Women Different Than Keto For Men
Is ketogenic for women different than ketogenic for men?
The answer is: YES and NO.
While women still score the same health benefits going on this diet, it may take longer for them to lose weight and get in shape.
So, lets start by addressing why its harder for ladies to lose weight on keto, and find out how to easily work around these obstacles.
And #: Manage Stress And Sleep Well
These tips are deeply intertwined. If youre stressed, you wont sleep well. And if you arent sleeping well, youll be stressed.
Both sleep deprivation and chronic stress increase the risk of most chronic diseases. Plus they dont help with weight loss efforts.
Like diet, sleep and stress management are habitual behaviors. Handle your habits and the rest will handle itself.
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Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan
Switching to a ketogenic diet may seem overwhelming, but it doesnt have to be difficult. Your focus should be on reducing carbs while increasing the fat and protein content of meals and snacks.
In order to reach and remain in a state of ketosis, carbs must be restricted. While certain people might only achieve ketosis by eating 20 grams of carbs per day, others may be successful with a higher carb intake.
Generally, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the easier it is to reach and stay in ketosis.
This is why sticking to keto-friendly foods and avoiding items rich in carbs is the best way to successfully lose weight on a ketogenic diet.
A Simple Ketogenic Shopping List
A well-rounded ketogenic diet should include lots of fresh produce, healthy fats, and proteins.
Choosing a mixture of both fresh and frozen produce will ensure that you have a supply of keto-friendly vegetables and fruits to add to recipes.
The following is a simple ketogenic shopping list that can guide you when perusing the grocery aisles:
- Meat and poultry: beef, chicken, turkey, and pork
- Fish: fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, canned tuna, and herring
- Shellfish: oysters, shrimp, and scallops
- Eggs: organic or conventional
- Full fat dairy: unsweetened yogurt, butter, heavy cream, and sour cream
- Oils: olive, sesame, and avocado oils
- Avocados: a mixture of ripe and unripe avocados
- Cheese: Brie, cream cheese, cheddar, and goat cheese
- Frozen or fresh berries: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
- Nuts: macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans, and pistachios
- Seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds
- Nut butters: almond butter, sunflower butter, and peanut butter
- Fresh or frozen low carb vegetables: mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, greens, peppers, onions, and tomatoes
- Condiments: sea salt, pepper, salsa, herbs, garlic, vinegar, mustard, olives, and spices
Its always worthwhile to plan your meals ahead of time and fill your cart with the ingredients needed for a few days worth of healthy dishes.
Plus, sticking to a shopping list can help you avoid foods that dont fit within your nutrition plan.
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Good Examples Of Protein Keto Diet Foods:
- Chicken, dark meat if possible
- Turkey, dark meat if possible
- Approximate grams of carbs per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet: 165
Fat is where the bulk of your intake comes into play. Yes, it may get a bad rap, but it’s actually an essential macronutrient that’s used as a fuel source for building cell membranes, absorbing vitamins, and minerals, and other bodily processes. A higher-fat diet has also been shown to reduce cravings , but just make sure you’re going with full-fat foods rather than those with trans-fats and overly processed polyunsaturated fats.
Instead of stressing over the dietary cholesterol content, focus on consuming a higher ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats . “There’s a misconception that keto is all bacon, butter, and cheese and while some people take that approach, it’s not the only way,” Shoemaker says. “While the diet is high fat, if your goal is weight loss, then it’s important to moderate your fat intake so that your body can burn your stored body fat.”
Since you’re consuming a vast majority of calories from fat, it’s crucial to focus on fueling up with options that are less likely to clog your arteries and less likely to increase your cancer risk. “Focus on filling meals that contain a balance of protein, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fat sources like nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or avocado,” Shoemaker adds.
Keto Diet For Women Over 50 And 60
What is the Keto Diet? Scientific studieslose unwanted fat2019 studyimprove their glycemic levels and symptoms
Keto for Women Over 50How the Keto Diet works?This technique of burning fat not only assists you in losing weight but also can substantially avert cravings and avoid energy crashes all through the 24-hour period. 5 Keto/Low Carb Tips for The Over 50 Crowd from 2 Fit DocsWhat are actually Keto-Approved Foods for Women over 50 & 60 ?What to Eat
- Meat: You should prefer eating unprocessed meat as they contain no or fewer added carbs.
- Eggs: Prepare them as you prefer.
- Fish & Seafood: You should avoid eating breaded fish as they contain added carbs.
- Vegetables: Try eating those vegetables that naturally grow on top of the ground.
- Nuts: They serve as an excellent source of fat but you should avoid overeating them.
- Dairy Products: You should prefer high-fat items as low-fat often contain added sugar.
- Berries: You can eat them in a moderate amount.
What to Avoid
- Sugar: This is the most important thing to slash.
- Starches: Rice, pasta, white bread, starchy vegetables like potatoes.
- Beer/Alcohol: You should avoid them as they contain a lot of sugar and carbs.
- Fruits: You can eat the fruit in small quantities, but eating them too much can add sugar to your diet.
Benefits of the Keto Diet for WomenIs the Keto Diet Good for Women over 50 & 60?servesWhat can make Keto work for Women?Commence SlowlyTransitionAdd, dont Subtract
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What Is A Keto Diet For Women Over 50
The concept and recommendations are similar to the standard keto diet.
Being a woman, you may have to make slight changes in the meal portions and serving sizes.
Also, women require more calcium, potassium, and other vitamins & minerals due to the heavy bleeding during menstruation.
Besides keeping the carb intake on the lower side, you have to increase healthy fats and proteins in your daily meals.
So once your body enters into the ketosis phase, it will then trigger the weight loss within.
Additionally, you have to avoid consuming any processed, packaged, or refined food items as they bring those harmful chemicals and calories to your gut.
Now, before getting started with this printable Keto diet for women over 50, read all the provided guidelines and instructions.
Does Keto Work For Women At 50
How does the Keto for women over 50 work? There has been a huge amount of research done to support the usefulness of the Ketogenic diet for women over 50, but most of it has not been focused on its effectiveness for weight loss. The Ketogenic diet has been highly recommended by researchers and even physicians for the treatment of numerous disorders and conditions, but only a small amount of scientific study has examined its impact on weight reduction.
Its important to note that there is a large amount of circumstantial evidence to suggest that a ketogenic diet may help you lose weight, even though you are woman over 50. And thats why we highly recommend you to try the Keto for women over 50!
The Keto diet works by this simple process. When you reduce your carbohydrate intake and maintain a state of ketogenesis, your body will automatically switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat as its major energy source. As long as you are also maintaining a caloric deficit while following a ketogenic diet, your fat reserves will be the predominant source of fuel rather than carbs, resulting in significant weight reduction.
Therefore, many individuals that are struggling to lose that ugly extra fat discover that a Ketogenic diet is quite effective in preparing their bodies to draw energy from their fat stores. Like we just said, Keto saves the day!
These reasons above are mainly why you should take a Keto diet for women at the age of 50.
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Keto For Women Over : Is It Effective
Is the keto diet effective for women over 50? The easy answer is yes, it is.
It doesnt matter how fit you are, weight can creep up on you as soon as you set foot on the road to the fifties. Heres why it can become a real challenge to lose weight:
- Your metabolism naturally slows
- You lose lean muscle mass and may experience muscle degeneration
- Women enter perimenopause and menopause, leading to lower estrogen levels
- You are not as active as you used to be
The sad reality is that the impact of weight gain goes beyond not fitting in your jeans. Extra weight can be one of the causes of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia.
And this is exactly where the ketogenic diet steps in. A ketogenic diet is basically a low-carb diet rich in healthy fats and proteins. By stocking up on healthy fats, this low-carb diet puts the body in a fat-burning mode for losing weight and body fat.
Keto test strips can be used to check if your body is in ketosis. Many research studies, including one conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, shows that keto can reduce weight.
It is safe to say that, as per research, the keto lifestyle is worth a shot.
Why Small Frequent Meals Are Not Your Best Friend
When we feed the body regularly, theres no reason for it to burn fat. Those 5-6 small meals a day? If you want to lose fat, theyre getting in the way. Theres zero evidence that those mini meals or grazing and snacking burn more fat. There is plenty of evidence that shows frequent eating increases fat storage and halts fat burning.
How many more people decided to stop at fast food restaurants when drive-through was installed? They didnt want to take time or make the effort to go in but as soon as it was easy to drive through or get delivery fast food sales tripled. Its the same for your body.
If your exercise progressively increases, the biggest change is going to come from your pre exercise, during exercise, and post exercise needs.
There is an increased demand from your body during recovery from exercise. During the 24 hours following significantly hard or long workouts, an increase in protein can help repair muscles.
My recommendations for exercise and nutrition for women who are eating a balanced diet but want to lose fat or optimize their lean:
Examples:
- A simple shake of almond milk and protein
Examples:
- Tortilla, hearty rice cakes, or sweet potatoes with nut butter
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Women Are More Susceptible To Leptin Sensitivity
Leptin sensitivity, which is a hormone that helps to regulate energy balance by inhibiting hunger, is one of the main differences between men and women.
Women have leptin receptors on the thyroid in their ovaries, so they have a lot more leptin sensitivity than men.
And since the keto diet focuses more on carb restriction to produce ketones, this, in turn, reduces the leptin levels.
This might cause a problem because leptin levels that are too low can influence anxiety, insomnia, and hunger over time.
Maintain Enough Protein Intake
Achieving ketosis requires a protein intake that is adequate but not excessive.
Also, with inadequate protein, you may experience muscle loss, which is not what were aiming for on the keto diet.
This means paying attention. Notice if youre feeling weak or hungry. If so, you might want to increase your protein.
A high protein intake boosts metabolism, reduces appetite and feeling fuller after eating.
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Things To Avoid While On Keto
First off, you should limit your intake of processed food items such as breakfast cereals, cheese, bread, cakes, biscuits, and canned vegetables.
Stick to a low-carb diet consisting of whole foods as much as possible.
Secondly, avoid whole-grain foods such as bread, rice, starchy veggies, barley, and potatoes.
Your diet should not contain beans, cowpeas, and other legumes. In addition, avoid large portions of fruits.
Is Keto Harmful To Womens Hormones
Despite the magnificent health benefits of Keto, there are still some controversial discussions about how Keto impacts on the Womens Hormones.
Well, unfortunately, studies reveal that low carb and high fat diet, which is a Keto diet, is one of those solutions for the hormonal imbalances in women. However, you should notice that some women who follow a Ketogenic diet have reported experiencing hormone changes as well as abnormalities as a result of their eating habits.
There is no evidence to support the claim that a low-carbohydrate diet is the main reason for these health concerns. But in a lot of surveys, many women over the age of 50 have discovered that a Ketogenic diet is the most effective way to overcome their difficulty to lose weight, which is often caused by decreasing estrogen levels.
In the event that youre worried about a ketogenic diet and its influence on your hormone levels, you might consider contacting your doctor to get some advice before starting keto and again several months later to confirm any changes via blood testing. Keto for women over 50 is great, but we still recommend you to take some doctors advice before starting anything.
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Keto For Women Over 50 Side Effects
Although the ketogenic diet is safe for healthy people, there may be some initial side effects while your body adapts.
This is often referred to as the keto flu and is usually over within a few days.
Keto flu includes poor energy and mental function, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea, stress, and decreased exercise performance.
How long youll feel these effects depends solely on you and what your previous diet was like.
To minimize this, you can try a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks. To adapt your body to burn more fat before you eliminate carbs.
Ways To Make Work Keto Diet For Women Over 50
You have already realized that the keto diet is based on fats and proteins. Carbs are consumed in minimal quantities. Due to the lack of carbohydrates, there is a so-called state of ketosis, which burns the bodys own fats. However, there are cases when a person refuses bread, vegetables, fruits, and sugar to test the effectiveness of the keto diet and does not get the desired result. If this is the case with you, keep in mind that there are a few common cases where a keto diet does not work:
These are just common reasons why the keto diet doesnt work. The list goes on and on. But some useful ways can make the diet work. You will find them below.
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