Exercises To Lose Weight After 40

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The process of losing weight looks different for everyone, and it changes as you age—even if you’ve been a regular exerciser for decades. So, if you’re feeling like losing weight after 40 is trickier than it used to be, that’s completely normal.

For one, your metabolism, body composition, and hormones are all changing, so past weight-loss tricks may not work the same now. Plus, it can take longer before the results start to kick in.

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Advisor. Having higher muscle mass raises your metabolism, so your body burns more calories, she adds. If you're losing muscle mass, your metabolism will start to slow down and you expend fewer calories.

Menopause can also slow your metabolism too, Dr. Peterson points out. While it might not take full effect for some women until their 50s, perimenopause—a.k.a., the transitional period right before—typically starts in your 40s. Therefore, the hormonal changes that come with it can affect your ability to lose weight.

The good news is you can still achieve your weight loss goals with the help of some new techniques, or tweaks to your old ones.

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Meet the experts: Keri Peterson, MD, is an internal medicine physician based in New York City. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, is a nutritionist and the author of

The main focus should be on developing habits that will help you build or maintain your muscle mass. The most effective way that women over 40 can boost their metabolism is by building muscle through weight-lifting and resistance training, says Dr. Peterson (more on that in a sec). But nutrition and sleep habits also play a role here.

These 20 expert-backed tips for losing weight in your 40s are totally doable and can nudge your body in the right direction again. (TBH, they're wise for anyone looking to move the needle to keep in mind—not just those over 40.) You'll be on your way to a stronger, healthier you in no time.

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Vegetables in particular are generally low in cals, yet still packed with vitamins and minerals, and you can really go to town on them. These are rich in fiber, which makes you feel full, and they're nutrient-dense, says Dr. Peterson. A 2020 study in

Making produce the star of your meals can help with portion control too, notes Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, a nutrition and diabetes expert. If you aim to fill half your plate with vegetables, it can help you reduce the amount of other foods you eat while feeling just as satisfied, she explains. And since vegetables provide few calories, this strategy can reduce your overall calorie intake at each meal, helping to promote weight loss.

Your body has to work harder (meaning it burns more calories) digesting protein than it does fat or carbs, so Palinski-Wade recommends upping your protein intake. Although I don’t promote very high-protein diets, increasing your protein intake from 15 percent of your total calories to 30 percent can help you boost the calories your body burns during digestion, she says.

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Clinical trials have found that a high-protein diet can not only help with weight loss, but it can also help you keep it off, according to a 2020 review published in the

, recommends 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. It’s important to take in that amount of protein at all your meals, and ideally include high-protein snacks as well, Mirkin says. This helps prevent lean muscle protein breakdown that decreases muscle mass percentage, increases fat percentage, and slows the metabolic rate. Muscle burns calories. Fat doesn’t.

Not totally sure how to calculate your macros on your own? Consider working with a nutritionist to figure out your numbers—then you can use a macro calculator to track your food intake and make sure you're hitting those numbers. There are lots of free calculators online, and you can also ask your RD to point you in the right direction.

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Yeah, you've probs heard this diet tip before—as it's wise for anyone trying to lose weight. Fried foods contain a whole lot of fat and contribute to weight gain—simple as that. And that's backed up by research, But again, in your 40s, you deal with natural physiological changes that make it *even* tougher to shed excess pounds, so overdoing it on fried foods has larger consequences.

A 20-year-old can get away with eating empty-calorie meals. A 40-year-old usually cannot on a semi-regular basis, Mirkin says. Until we are age 20, our bodies are building muscle. After age 20, it stops.

Instead, swap your fried foods for oven-baked options (think: homemade baked sweet potato fries), suggests Palinski-Wade. You still enjoy the same great-tasting foods, but can save around 100 calories or more per meal, she says. Score!

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If you're a breakfast person, what you eat in the a.m. can set the tone for the rest of your day as far as weight loss goes (whether you're 40 or not!).

A breakfast rich in lean protein, fiber, and plant-based fats is the best option for curbing hunger and cravings later in the day, notes Palinski-Wade. In other words, start off with a breakfast that fits this bill, and you may end up slashing calories throughout the rest of the day.

You're eating at night that can be an issue when it comes to weight management. People who snack on high-carb foods at night end up consuming more calories overall, per a 2022 Nutrients review.

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Since most of us don’t have a salad for a midnight snack, if you find you tend to eat calorie-dense, high-sugar foods in the evening (like a bowl of ice cream), setting guidelines as to when to stop eating may help you to lose weight faster, Palinksi-Wade suggests.

That delicious plate you just bought or cooked up might tempt you to gobble it up in just a few bites, but that's probably not the best idea, says Palinski-Wade. Eating slowly, eliminating distractions at meals, and even putting your fork down in between bites all allow you to get in touch with your body’s satiety signals and to stop eating when satisfied, she says.

There's science to support this. Some researchers think that having food in your mouth longer may promote the release of gut hormones that reduce appetite, according to a 2022 Nutrition Bulletin meta-analysis.

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The key is listening to your body. Eat when you’re hungry, not starved, Mirkin says—and stop when you are satisfied, not stuffed. Try to include small, frequent meals that are high in protein and vegetables with a small amount of healthy fat to fuel your body evenly throughout the day, she says.

Soda is just empty calories from sugar and provides no nutritional benefit, says Palinski-Wade. In fact, drinking these bubbly beverages was directly linked to weight gain even for people who exercise on the reg in a 2020 study published in the

Weight loss aside, drinking simple sugars is bad for your health too because it can spike blood sugar and insulin levels, causing your body to store more fat, Palinski-Wade says—and that fat is tougher to shed over 40. Instead, choose naturally flavored seltzer with as little added sugar as possible.

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It's an easy way to cut calories and you'll be doing it for your long-term health too. Evidence has shown even moderate alcohol consumption can cancel out the beneficial effects of weight loss in premenopausal women with obesity. Plus, drinking often leads to making poor food choices, notes Dr. Peterson.

The emphasis is on reducing, not eliminating, intake. Palinki-Wade recommends reserving your night-cap for one day a week since alcohol can stimulate appetite and make it easier to overindulge.

It's no secret that your hormone levels change as you enter the next phase of life. During menopause, the hormone estradiol decreases. Since this hormone helps regulate metabolism, a decrease may lead to weight gain, explains Palinski-Wade.

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An easy fix? Tweak your diet to help with these hormonal shifts. Eating foods that are rich in phytoestrogen (dietary estrogen), such as flax seed, sesame seeds, dried fruits, and soybeans, may help offset these changes, she says. Some research has shown the Mediterranean diet, which consists of foods with anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, is associated with small but significant reduction of fat mass and improved health markers in menopausal women.

Try adding a total-body strength routine to your existing workout around one to two days a week, suggests De Bolton of FaithFueled Mom, a NASM-certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and weight-loss specialist who has worked with older clients. Premenopausal women who did strength training twice a week for two years decreased their body fat percentage, according to an older study in the

Bolton recommends focusing on individual muscle groups: Break it up—leg day; back and biceps; chest, shoulder, triceps; and then on the other two days add cardio and core. This routine checks every box: It has strength training to help build muscle, cardio to maintain your cardiovascular health, and core exercises to help with balance and mobility,

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