I’ll be honest with you, the BEST diet for losing weight or I prefer to talk about losing FAT, is the one that works for you!
If you like Keto or intermittent fasting and it is working for you then great! But I guess you wouldn’t be reading this if whatever you’ve been doing has worked?
To help you, I’ve developed a free eating plan for women over 40, so go ahead and download it, while you’re reading this.
I know from my own experience that what worked when you were a young woman will probably not work when you are over 40.
This is mainly due to hormonal changes in your body, the natural loss of muscle and the stage of life you are in with perhaps children, a demanding career, elderly parents that are becoming more dependent on you, can all place more demands on your busy schedule and wreak havoc with your weight.
The hormonal changes in your body are a natural process so you will need to adjust to this and not try to fight it or compare yourself to people younger than you or who have a faster metabolism.
You can still lose fat and get lean but there will probably be ups and downs. For example, I experience water retention and weight gain of up to 4 pounds (around 2 kilos) at certain times of the month. But I still get lean for bikini competitions. I have accepted and embraced how my monthly cycle can impact on my body goals.
Over the years, since I turned 40 and I am now 53, I have tried and failed with various diets which including intermittent fasting, flexible dieting and I have even had a dietician who has written a plan which did not work!
I have now found a balanced and healthy formula that actually works, and you can download my free meal plan here to see what that’s like. It’s not a starvation diet, there are 5 meals a day and it’s ideal for a moderately active woman over 40.
You can watch my video on the same topic here which includes how to track calories and macros:
The best diet for losing fat over 40 should consist of the following:
- You should be in a calorie deficit: This sounds obvious but you need to be burning more calories than you are consuming and generally for most women to get into a deficit you are going to have to take in fewer calories than a young women – a normal range would be 1500 to 1800 calories depending on your activity levels.
- Eat lean protein: I recommend you incorporate resistance workouts (at home or in the gym) on a regular basis at least 3 times a week. So, you are going to need plenty of protein to increase and maintain muscle. Protein also keeps you satiated which is really important when you’re in a calorie deficit. As a guide, you should have at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, or 2.2 grams of protein per kg.
- Don’t be afraid carbs: Keto diets are very popular, but if you are lifting weights or doing resistance workouts at home you need carbohydrates like oats, rice, potatoes, pasta or bread. But you do need to limit them. A good range would be 100g to 250g of carbs per day.
- Fats are essential for hormones and health: They should be good fats like nuts, avocados, 100% (no added sugar) nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, oily fish and eggs. Eat between 40g to 60g of fat per day.
- Track your calories and macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats). That way you know exactly what you are eating and how it is working for you. Try eating mostly the same things every day, as this is easier for you to track. My free meal plan sets out 3 different options for you to choose from.
