Woman Lost Fat in Her 40s by Doing These 2 Things
Are you dieting and exercising but can't seem to lose weight? There could be two major things missing from your diet and exercise routine. Nikki Gundy is an Ontrack Accountability Coach who helps clients lose fat "honestly" over 40. In a few new social media posts, she reveals two of the key habits that enabled her to transform her body in her 40s.
First, She Increased Her Protein Intake
"I increased my protein intake, and this is what happened," she wrote about the impressive before-and-after transformation. "It's not just protein. There are always other things at play, like strength training and increasing daily steps, but protein has been a massive factor," she writes. "In 2023, I was training every day (as I had been for years) but only eating 40-50g protein a day."
She Went From 40 to 130 Grams of Protein Per Day
"Then last year I made a conscious effort to steadily increase my protein, and now I'm hitting 130g a day consistently," she writes. "In my experience, protein is not a quick fix, and the changes don't come in the first 6 weeks of upping your protein. But if you're in your 40s, you need to start increasing protein now."
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And, Keep Protein Consistently High
She also explains that after upping it, you need to keep it high. "And you need to consistently keep it high," she says. "Increasing your protein and being consistent."
What Science Says About Protein
Science supports protein for weight loss. According to clinical trials, consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance not only reduces body weight (BW) but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets.
Second, She Amped Up Her Walking
Her second tip? "I have found walking, increasing my steps, and making my steps a consistent and high-priority part of my day super helpful for fat loss progress," she writes.
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She Lost Weight on Vacation by Walking
"In fact…I have found using steps for progress so powerful that when I went to Disneyworld for over 2 weeks earlier this year, I still lost weight during the course of the trip due to all the walking we did," she says.
How Many Steps Should You Aim For?
"So, how many steps do you need to aim for? That depends on how many steps you currently do most days. I would suggest trying to increase your daily steps by 2,000 steps a day. So if you currently walk approximately 4,000 steps every day, increasing to 6,000 a day is a great goal and, more importantly, realistic and achievable," she says.
Increase Incrementally
"It would be very hard for someone currently walking 4,000 steps a day to commit to consistently walking 10k a day," she says. "Start by increasing by 2,000 steps a day on what you usually do, and you will find yourself (depending on your body weight) adding around 700 plus calories a week to your deficit, which is amazing. The best bit is that as you get used to hitting higher steps, you can keep increasing."
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Just Walk
"I started off trying to hit 8000 steps a day and now, a year later, aim for 12000. I love my steps and use them as a tool for fat loss all the time. There's no secret formula to walking – believe me, I tried all the theories out there.., so take the pressure off and just walk… more," she says.
What Science Says About Walking and Weight Loss
What does science say about walking for weight loss? A 2018 study published in the journal Obesity found a link between walking 10,000 steps a day and weight loss and weight management. Other studies published by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in JAMA Neurology and in JAMA Internal Medicine also linked walking 10,000 steps a day to less dementia and less cardiovascular disease overall, with less heart disease, less heart failure, and fewer strokes. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.
