Diet Tips for Women Over 50 – Criteria for a Sustainable Diet

The criteria for a sustainable diet must include natural, unprocessed meals and snacks. They should provide your body with all the nutrients and minerals it needs for optimal health. Diet tips for women over 50
have to support your heart and brain function and take into consideration foods that help menopausal symptoms.

Diet tips for Women Over 50

Since there are a plethora of diet tips for women over 50, women in this age group have to be more selective in what they eat. Their metabolism has slowed down and there are hormonal changes that kick in. Eating a healthy diet, complemented with regular physical exercise is life-changing for older women. Create your own menus and work out at home. Dietary sustainability is the key.

Criteria for a Sustainable Diet

Since there are a lot of diets on the market, older women, including myself, need to be selective and make sure our diets meet the following criteria:

• Nutritionally balanced: Eat plenty of healthy fats, proteins, quality carbs, and micronutrients.
• Not overly restrictive: No need to restrict large groups of food.
• Adaptable: Make changes according to your personal preference and nutritional needs.
• Easy to follow: Clear guidelines, simple shopping lists, no supplements required.
• Evidence- based: The diet’s health benefits are backed by scientific studies.

Get Your Brainstorm On

Time to sit down at your keyboard. Let Are you ready to brainstorm about the kinds of foods you enjoy. You will have a variety of amazing foods to choose from. Also, add a food journal to your shopping list.

Keeping a Food Journal

Studies show that keeping a food diary makes you aware of how much you’re really consuming, and what you are eating. It helps you see and adjust your food habits. It also helps you stay accountable. Planning meals ahead is also helpful.

Planning Meals Ahead

Weight loss experts recommend planning your meals and snacks ahead. This ensures that these meals and snacks fit into a well-balanced diet plan. Without a diet plan in place, you are more vulnerable to seeking out fast foods during the next craving. Stay ahead of the game and avoid temptations. 

Temptations Will Always Be

Temptations are all around you anyways. The key to successful weight maintenance is to master them, be mindful and think and plan ahead. Also, pace yourself when eating. Give yourself at least 20 to 30 minutes to digest your food. You will reap the benefits over time.

The Benefits of a Calorie Deficit

According to the weight loss specialists at Exante (a diet meal planning agent), in order to balance the “weight loss equation: in our favor, we need to take in fewer calories.” This is called a calorie deficit. Over time, you will begin to see a decrease in your weight. Here is my experience with the calorie deficit method.

My Calorie Deficit Experience

A few years ago, my weight was astronomical and I was tipping the scale at close to 300 pounds. Basically, I had “let myself go” and was eating everything under the sun. Literally, I was as big as a house. My doctor was very concerned and put me on a restricted diet . more about Diet Tips for Women 

She was not concerned so much with what I ate, within reason, as long I stayed within the 1400 calorie range. I lost 30 pounds in four months.

My Doctor’s Request

First, he spent over an hour explaining the concept of foods that fill you up and ones that don’t. He also provided me with a diagram of the stomach. For example, when you eat an apple, it fills the stomach for a much longer period of time, versus eating a bag of chips and soda. 

Avoid Non-Fat Weight Loss Products

The apple thus has more velocity. I still have his diagram tucked away somewhere. He also advised me to avoid diet products. Weight loss products that are labeled not-fat should be avoided like the plague. These products cause weight gain. When  fat is taken out, more sugar is added. These products are created and advertised for profit. 

Most Diet Products are For Profit

Mastering weight loss does not have to be rocket science. If you want to succeed at the game, you have to be in a “plan of attack” mode? Forget about the starvation diets or the “lose weight fast methods.” The Diet Industry is a billion-dollar industry supported by dieters just like you.

The Diet Industry Exposed

When you choose to take in fewer calories, make sure to pick low-calorie foods that are low-calorie, filling, delicious. Low-calorie, filling, and delicious foods are the trifecta of weight loss products. Here’s the rationale behind this truth:

• Low-calorie to maintain your calorie deficit.
• Filling you up so you don’t constantly feel hungry (otherwise you’ll revert back to bingeing and overeating.
• Delicious because you should actually like the food you eat.

The Trouble with Diet Foods

Biologically, dieting leads to unhealthy changes in the body composition, hormonal changes, reduced bone density, menstrual changes, and lower resting expenditure in women over 50.

Resting Energy Expenditure

According to Harvard University Health, the rate at which you burn calories when the workout is over, and you are resting is known as resting energy expenditure. Did you know that your resting energy expenditure remains elevated as long as you exercise at least three days a week on a regular basis.

Resting Energy Expenditure Stats

Moreover, the resting energy expenditure accounts for 60% to 75% of the calories you burn each day. Any increase in resting energy expenditure is extremely important to your weight loss goals. Exercises that stimulate your metabolism include brisk walking for two miles or riding a bike uphill.

Incremental Activities Burn Calories

Even small, incremental activities like standing up instead of sitting can expedite weight loss. According to the diet culture, exercise is still not enough. They see things in either Back or White. Being overweight is a curse to the diet culture. They are idiots!.

What are the Negatives of the Diet Culture?

Diet culture is known to be a significant source of stress and anxiety that prompts people to feel many negative emotions, including fear, shame, and guilt about their food choices. Diet culture can promote restrictive, harmful behaviors when it comes to eating and exercising. 

Is the Diet Culture Harming Us?

Yes, the diet culture is deleterious to our health. It distracts us from paying attention to other important aspects of our lives, such as work, education, relationships,Diet Tips for Women and rest. Diet culture also contributes to the prevalence of eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia, is not a healthy country.

Saudi Arabia is not Rich in Health

It is quite alarming to find out that Saudi Arabia was the worst country in the health index. It ranked the worst for diabetes, with 18% of the population being diabetic. A third of Saudis are obese (2014) This is still an impending problem in the U.S. as well. However, as of 2017 conditions have improved (The Lancet Planetary Health).

What Seems to Be a Major Dietary Concern in the U.S.?

Even though the United States is considered to be one of the richest countries, most people in the United States don’t eat a healthy diet. They consume way too much sodium, saturated fat, and sugar. As a result, obesity is now a major public health problem. It is time to find diet solutions. For today, we zoom in on diet tips for women over 50. Why aren’t these diets working?

Why Diets Don’t Work

A diet is only as good as its sustainability. Fad diets have a very short shelf life because oftentimes, they fail to address the importance of nutrients, and do not stress the importance of a healthy relationship with food. These unhealthy diets are not working because of the following:

1. Dieting leads to disordered eating patterns or bad relationships with food.
2. Dieting is associated with weight gain, not weight loss.
3. Dieters get stuck in a dieter’s cycle of “yo-yo dieting.”
4. Diets only focus on food. Not overall health (cdc.gov).

According to a recent study completed at the Harvard University Medical School, there are two important keys to successful weight loss: 1. Find an approach that works best for you and your dietary needs. One that makes you feel good and keeps you motivated and 2. Take your time – sustainable weight loss happens slowly but steadily. 

Plan Ahead Stay Ahead

By planning ahead, you are miles ahead of the game. Also, keep a food journal, avoid processed foods and drinks, and include daily physical activity in your daily routine. Then. you will experience a healthier, happier, sustainable lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

There are thousands of older women over 50 who hunger for the “miracle” product or diet that will melt the fat away. These diets are extremely unhealthy and they do not lend themselves to healthy heart and brain health. Diet Tips for Women So, it is incumbent upon you to make sure your diet plan is nutrient-rich, not overly restrictive, and easy to follow. So, make sure you plan ahead.

Thank You

Thank you for joining me to discuss tips for your weight loss journey. This is a topic that we all struggle with. So, feel free to share this article with family and friends. Also, please let me know about your weight loss journey. I’d love to hear about how you are navigating your dietary landscape. I look forward to helping out in any way I can. You can leave your comments in the space provided.

Rachele, Founder

mybluegenes.com

rachele@mybluegenes.com