15 Ways to Lose Weight Over 50 Without Feeling Hungry

Losing weight over 50 can be tricky—no one knows that better than menopause health coach Amy VanLiew from Be Healthy Enough. "By age 40, and even as early as 30, your metabolism, hormones, and other body changes start to occur. If you're doing exactly what you did in your 30s or less, you'll gain weight because your metabolism is slower," she says, adding that you lose muscle mass every year. So, does that mean you're doomed to be unhealthy? Not at all. VanLiew has excellent advice on how to make changes so you lose weight and feel great, all without feeling miserable and deprived. Here are her top tips.

Talk to Your Doctor

VanLiew says the first thing you need to do when you hit 50 is go and see your doctor and get some data to work with. "She can address your health and any problems that might be affecting your weight, like prediabetes or sleep apnea," she says. "Ask her to check not just your hormones but your thyroid. Thyroid imbalances can make it impossible to lose weight."

Find Your Why

VanLiew makes the excellent point that if you don't know why you're trying to lose weight, you just won't be motivated to keep going. You have to know why you will prioritize your health, whether it's to stay active for your grandchildren or to not feel tired on vacation. Find your why!

Don't Drink Your Calories

This is a good one—Van Liew reminds her viewers not to drink their calories. "Sodas, coffee drinks, Gatorade, alcohol… which are all just sugar bombs in the form of a drink," she says. "When you drink these high-calorie drinks, our bodies don't feel full physically because we don't have that fiber and nutrition to fill us up."

Make Water Fun

Drinking water doesn't have to be boring—VanLiew adds lemon or a squeeze of juice to her water. "I also love mint and cucumber," she says. "Sparkling waters are also a savior for me at night when I want that glass of wine."

Swap the White Stuff

VanLiew recommends swapping out ingredients for healthier options. Sugar, white flour, white rice, and white potatoes can cause an insulin spike.

Eat Protein For Breakfast

VanLiew recommends eating protein for breakfast. "Have you ever noticed that when you eat a breakfast that's got a lot of sugar or white flour, you're hungry in about an hour, as compared to eating a protein loaded breakfast like an egg scramble or something?" she says. "I notice a huge difference in my hunger and cravings."

Healthy-Enough Sweets

VanLiew recommends using honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar. "If you have to have something sweet and that's okay, choose a form of sweetness that takes a bit more time to digest and gives your body something as opposed to totally empty calories," she says. "What about just plain old fruit? Fruit is so sweet in and of itself, and it's loaded with fibers and nutrition and water, which is good for you."

Brown Rice and Shitake Mushrooms

Van Liew recommends swapping out white flour for almond flour and white rice for brown rice. "Brown rice can be a bit boring," she says. "I've found some brown rice with shiitake mushrooms that have some good ingredients, and sometimes it's really fun to use wild rice. All of these rice have a lot more fiber and nutrients in them."

Read Labels!

VanLiew says to check every nutrition label for things like added sugars and sodium. "Try to stay away from anything that has trans fats, which would show up as partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list," she says. "Trans fats have no room in a healthy diet. They are just not good for you, and if you see this, put that back on the shelf. Newer labels now show added sugars, which are the ones added during the processing of foods. These are the ones we want to minimize or avoid altogether."

Eat your Vegetables

VanLiew emphasizes how important vegetables are. "Of all the things we want to crowd in, the most important thing is our veggies. They are the cornerstone of any healthy diet," she says. "Plants contain phytonutrients, which are important for boosting energy, promoting vibrant health, and protecting against aging. And if you're swapping these for some of the crap we normally eat, you can lose weight over 50."

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Cook Your Own Food

VanLiew recommends eating at home as much as possible. "All the tips I've shared so far are about eating better, minimizing the empty calories, and choosing the right foods to nourish your body," she says. "But you cannot find these foods in a drive-through or even in those healthier microwave choices. To eat better, you must cook, and this might seem daunting to most, but take it from a person who hated to cook for so many years. You can do it."

Food Prep

VanLiew recommends food prep to make the rest of the week easier. "Find a few free hours to prepare some things in advance," she says. "You can clean and chop vegetables. You can make some sauces or a soup on the night you cook. Give yourself plenty of time so it can be fun and not a chore. Turn on some music. Have a glass of wine or your favorite zero calorie drink."

Move Throughout the Day

VanLiew emphasizes the importance of staying active. "The basis of a good plan is to simply get more movement throughout your day," she says. "Motion is a lotion for our aging bodies and if we sit too long, we can become like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. Motion is the oil can we need to keep our bodies healthy."

Strength Training

VanLiew recommends two weekly strength training sessions. "Strength training is a must because it not only builds stronger capable muscles, it also helps build that bone density as long as you're lifting heavier weights and it improves that slowing metabolism, which is the key to losing weight over 50," she says. VanLiew recommends HIIT sessions for cardio.

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Pilates

VanLiew is a huge fan of Pilates. "If you want to improve your posture and balance and reduce low back pain, then incorporating core moves into your routine is a must," she says. "You can just add these into your strength training day or, better yet, make one of your days a Pilates day. Pilates is a form of exercise that works all of the core muscles in a super effective way." And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 20 Superfoods for People Over 50.