How to stay slim in your 30s, 40s and 50s

Can you beat age-related weight gain? We asked the experts for their diet and exercise tips for women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. 

What is the 'middle age spread'?

The term 'middle-age spread' has been etched into ageing lore, yet unflattering connotations ignore the naturalness of physiological change. Expecting to weigh the same at 30 as 18 is folly according to clinical psychologist Louise Adams from Treat Yourself Well.

"Our body weight at age 18 is for many of us the lightest we have ever been," says Adams. "We may not have stopped growing at that point and may not have reached full maturity. Weight gain as we age is quite normal and body shape and size can change over our lifetime. Sticking to a weight from many years ago is unrealistic for the vast majority of us. It's similar to remembering how your skin looked as a teenager and expecting the same in middle age."

The other sticking point in weight expectations is that many of us expect that with enough weights training and self-control we can defy the effects of hormonal changes associated with mid life.

"I think we should be a bit more accepting of carrying a bit of weight as we get older," says the University of Melbourne's Dr Joseph Proietto, a professor of medicine. "There are multiple studies that suggest that a little extra weight can be a healthy thing. In one study we conducted we looked at people who had stents put in their hearts for angina. We found that the underweight people died at a faster rate, and the overweight were better than the normal weight, the mildly obese were better than the overweight in terms of survival."

How to stay trim – despite your age!

Dr Lavie encourages a paradigm shift from weight to fitness. "It's much better to strive for fitness and be on the thicker side than to be thin and unfit," he says. "Loss of fitness is a much stronger predictor of mortality than weight gain."

He says the ideal is to exercise 40 to 45 minutes a day, five to six days a week, with plenty of strength work.

"Fitness gurus will tell you that strength training becomes more vital the older one gets, and they are right, for it supports muscle mass like no other form of exercise and can help increase not only strength but also bone mass," says Dr Lavie.

"In most people, muscle strength peaks in our 20s and then gradually decreases. Recent research suggests that women on average will lose muscle mass twice as fast as men the same age, which can make a huge difference in their ability to maintain an ideal weight."

 

NEXT: What is collagen depletion?

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Chewy chocolate date balls

These chocolate date balls are full of unprocessed goodness and their chewy texture is reminiscent of melty, tongue-dance-worthy chocolate truffles.

 

Try coating them in different sprinkles such as coconut, dried fruit, chia seeds and hemp seeds.

Ingredients (makes 24 balls)

•    1 cup soaked, pitted Medjool dates
•    1 cup nuts (pecan, walnut, almond, Brazil, or a mix)
•    ¼ cup unsweetened natural coconut
•    Organic 72% chocolate (for coating)
•    Extra coconut or favourite seeds (optional, for coating)

What you’ll do:
Place dates, nuts and coconut in food processor and process until a thick paste forms – not too smooth but almost like chunky nut butter. Collect heaped teaspoons of mixture and form balls between your palms.

Melt chocolate on stove or in microwave and dip truffles to coat or half coat. You may choose to roll them in coconut or nut pieces or leave as is.

For straight date balls, roll while slightly sticky at room temperature in coconut or nuts.

Keep in an airtight container or freeze until needed. They get chewier in the freezer and don’t freeze to rock hard.

Nutritional value: 10 kJ; 5 g carbs; 3.5 g sugar

Recipe from Rita Catolino, yourbeautyfuel.com

NEXT: Coconut quinoa balls>>

 

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6 nutrition rules to live by

 

No matter how much exercise you do – you are what you eat. It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

p to 80 per cent of having a sustainable healthy body is due to good food choices. When you start to see the benefits of exercise, you’ll see this threefold combined with good nutrient-rich fresh foods. By the time your skin is glowing and you jump out of bed in the morning, you can be assured that your internal organs and functions are running optimally.

In a nutshell, you’ll want to follow these guidelines for looking, feeling and training at your personal best:

1. Carbohydrates are not evil.

They are a necessary part of your nutritional mix, as nature intended. It is important to select the right forms of carbohydrates. Anything man made should be avoided as our bodies are not designed to break down and assimilate all those chemicals and artificial flavours. Examples of healthy, energy-providing carbs that won’t spike your insulin levels:

• Dark rye or stoneground flour toast with natural peanut butter as a pre-cycle option

• Oats

• Rice (including rice pastas)

Avoid:

• White breads, pastas, packaged rolls, processed carbs, fried foods, ‘nutrient enriched’ breads

• Carb-loaded drinks and bars with ingredients you can’t pronounce

• Anything with fructose corn syrup added.

2. Eat protein after you exercise.

Protein repairs muscles, supports the immune system and is vital for the healthy function of organs and your body’s biodynamic function.

3. Good fats are essential!

Essential healthy fats oil your joints and are crucial for eyesight, brain and organ function. Not manmade processed fats and oils. Instead hunt for these in your market or supermarket aisle and stock up each week. Avocado, cashews, almonds, macadamia, non-farmed non-GM salmon.

4. Consume amino acids

Our body does not produce amino acids – but they are found in food sources.

5. Vitamins and minerals from nutrient-rich food

Fresh vegetables and fruit are nature’s supplements. Rather than being stripped out of plants as extracts, you are getting the minerals and vitamins in their ideal combination to work at their optimal levels.

The darker the colour of the vegetable, the better it is for you. Vegetables and fruits also contain essential water, which hydrates the body and aids the transportation of sugars, fats, carbs and nutrients throughout your body.

6. Nothing beats good-quality filtered water.

At least 2.5 litres per day to keep your body ticking over like a well-oiled machine. Ditch the high-fructose ‘sports drinks’ and opt for water along with a balanced diet. Once you start to go over and above two hours on the bike, you can add a natural electrolyte powder from a reputable company that does not add aspartame, sweeteners and artificial elements. Magnesium and potassium are key for recovery of the muscles as well.

NEXT: How to boost your metabolism>>

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