Is It Inevitable That Women Have to Gain Weight After 50?

In a word, no.  It is not inevitable that women have to gain weight after 50. 

However, does it frequently happen and do many women accept it as fact?   Yes.    Do our bodies change as we get older?  Yes.  Things shift a little.  More weight may be carried around your middle, as opposed to your hips and legs, if you are a pear shape.

But the bottom line, (pun intended), is that it all depends on what and how much you are eating.

I learned this when I had put on quite a bit of weight after age 50 and was able to lose it all and reach the weight I was in my 20’s. I could not figure out why I was gaining, because I thought I was watching what I was eating.  But I learned what I was doing wrong from my weight loss coach and here is was you have to ask yourself:

Do you eat sweets on a regular basis?  Do you eat processed foods, like those is a box or package often?  Do you eat foods made with flour, (such as bread), regularly?  Are you overeating (like when you are more than full), especially when you eat out?

If you answered yes, I would venture to say this is why you are gaining weight, especially around your middle.

Here the thing.  When you raise your blood sugar and therefore your insulin levels regularly (the more glucose in your body the more insulin it produces), and your body has used all the glucose in its cells for energy that it needs, the excess sugar and insulin continue to circulate in your body.  Insulin is a fat-storing hormone.  Guess what?  You begin to store fat in your body, especially around your middle.

Sometimes, awareness is key.  Now you know.  Letting go of sugar (desserts, cookies, pastries, etc.) and foods made with flour (like bread, rolls, bagels, etc.) which also raise insulin levels, will bring your blood sugar and insulin levels down.  Your body will start using its fat stores for energy.  This is a good thing.

Overeating is another downfall of women in midlife, although it is not peculiar to just women.  We are bombarded with large portion sizes and unhealthy choices when eating out.  We may just be simply eating more than our body needs.  We are eating passed a feeling of satiety.

The cure for this is to experiment with intention.  Stop when you are satisfied.  See if you can eat less than what is on your plate to feel pleasantly full.  Take a box home and have the leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day.  Try this.  You can do it.  The simple fact is, when you eat more than what your body needs for fuel, you gain weight.

In my next blog post, I will lay out how to change your thinking about the inevitability of gaining weight after 50, so that you don’t gain weight and can lose weight after 50.  I know it’s possible, because I did it..you can, too.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this.  Do you think women have to gain weight after 50?  Please leave me a comment.  If you would like some help managing your weight in mid-life, just shoot me an email at jane@janespringer.com.  Let’s chat about your challenges and how I might help you.

Talk to you later,

Jane