How to Lose Belly Fat if You're Over 50

As we age, keeping our weight in check and ourselves healthy becomes such a priority. While it is true that metabolism slows down, there are still ways to make sure our body stays in shape and help prevent age-associated conditions.

When it comes to losing belly fat if you’re 50 and above, it is best to begin by avoiding bad habits. Some of these bad habits could be the culprit behind your belly fat woes and need to be eliminated from your lifestyle if you want to remain in good shape.

Smoking

Studies have shown that those who smoke have 20 percent lower metabolism rate than non-smokers. Since smoking can lead to weaker cells and tissues, regular smokers have an increased risk of developing abdominal fat. As we age, metabolism gets further hampered as higher levels of stress combined with poor lifestyle habits take toll on our hormones, particularly insulin and cortisol.

This does not mean one must stop smoking altogether—it simply means you need to practice moderation. Cutting down gradually and then giving it up might be the right approach if you cannot stay away from cigarettes.

High Fat intake

Consuming fats with each meal is okay, but taking in too much of them is never a good idea. Having meals abundant in fats increases the chances of accumulating unhealthy fat around the waistline and other areas of the body.

To avoid this, create a balanced diet that is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. Go easy on fried items, pastries, cheese, and everything else that could be classified as unhealthy fats. Also, keep your alcohol consumption in check for you don’t want its by-products to become stored away in your abdomen region.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Insufficient physical exercise leads to the generation of toxins and few solutions available in the body to flush them out—making it easy for them to clasp around our tummies and create that gut-wobbley look.

Regular physical exercise combined with a healthy diet could be the perfect mix to flush out those pesky toxins and unwanted fat.

Getting a great start with morning walks or jogging in the park can really help lose weight and tone those muscles. If you don’t have time to go out and exercise, do simple exercises like stretching, jump squats, and push-ups right at your own home.

Snacking Late at Night

Late night snacking amidst television commercials and Netflix breaks could be tempting and sometimes irresistible, but it must be avoided as much as possible. Eating late in the evening creates an energy imbalance leading to gain some calories.

Keep hunger pangs away by having small meals during the day and avoid any late-night munching. If that’s too hard, just make sure to choose healthy snacks like fruit and nuts.

Stress eating

Due to lack of exercise, obesity, smoking and other usual factors, belly fat does not come alone. It brings psychological issues with it, often in form of binge eating. This type of comfort food eating happens due to high levels of stress and makes it much harder to lose weight.

Eat healthy, but not just for the purpose of staying in shape. Instead, eat because you care about your body and all it does for you—it will make it easier to prevent overeating or comfort eating. Seeking medical help to reduce stress levels may also be a great way to avoid unhealthy eating.

Avoiding all these bad habits can be quite challenging, but it can be done one step at a time. Make sure to focus the first couple of weeks on one bad habit and then move on to the other. With little determination and dedication, you can blast off all the extra fat and achieve better physique.