In a recent discussion with a girlfriend of mine, we reminisced on how wonderful it was to not have to worry about weight when we were younger. How we just seemed to metabolize so efficiently even with little sleep, excessive drinking and minimal exercise. Seeing that time has come and passed I must resort to the good old fashioned way…exercise, eat well, less stress and get more sleep. In fact it was right about then we ordered a second round, mostly to numb our brains from continuing down that road the rest of the night ;).

I ended up coming across an article in Shape a week later that was related to our discussion which I found interesting and educational and wanted to share it with you. I am not naturally slim, nor do I have a great metabolism, I have to work at it and it does seem to get harder by the decade. But that being said, if I hadn’t been as diligent I know that I would not be in nearly as good a shape. So it is promising to know that just a few tweaks here and there can help us from sabotaging our health and waistline for many years to come.

In your 20’s your muscle mass is at its peak and it requires more energy for your body to maintain it, this is when our metabolism is at it’s highest. If you have put on a few pounds and decide to crash diet or juice fast you are eating at the muscle mass you are presently naturally blessed with and that will end up backfiring on you by slowing your metabolism down. This can also mess with your thyroid which will slow bodily functions and end up making you gain weight. A better solution is to just eat healthy most of the time and splurge on occasion (i.e. a small bag of chips or a cupcake) so you don’t deprive yourself. Also don’t forget to count those liquid calories in coffee drinks, soda and alcohol which can significantly add to your daily caloric intake. If you haven’t been active, now’s a good time to start a fitness routine and at least get 30-60 minutes of moderate aerobic activity 5x/week or vigorously 3x/week. Strength training 1-2x/week is also a good idea.

In your 30’s your metabolism starts to drop 2-5% per decade and after menopause it drops even faster. Meaning you need to burn at least an extra 40 calories a day or risk gaining at least 15 pounds of fat every 10 years. Most women in this age group are juggling parenting, work or both and this may mean skipping meals, stress and not enough sleep which start those love handles into making their not so welcome appearance. It is important to eat regularly to keep our hunger and satiety hormones in check. Eating protein (eggs, nonfat yogurt) paired with a slow digesting carb like whole grain toast or berries for breakfast is a top priority. For snacking: nuts, veggies with hummus or crisp breads with a lowfat cheese help curb your hunger and keep you sharp throughout the day. Get more sleep! Skimping on your sleep can actually alter your metabolism and affect your hormones that control your appetite. I consider that a serious double whammy. This is also an important time to incorporate strength training to avoid muscle loss. It’s important to keep that muscle mass up to keep your metabolism on high so sneak in cardio whenever you can at least 3x/week. If you are looking at losing weight and boosting your metabolism make the most of your 20-30 minute workout with interval training. One minute of intense activity (jogging) with 1 minute of recovery (walking) and you will burn 10-20% more calories than if you had worked out at a contact pace.

In your 40’s stress is a major factor (between work and family) and it increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that increases blood glucose levels, which in turn can break down your muscles. Excess cortisol can also lead to insulin resistance, keeping glucose in your bloodstream instead of moving it into the cells which will make you tired and hungry. Here’s the icing on the cake…our ovaries also start to produce less estrogen and our testosterone also decreases which distributes the body weight to new areas we never had a problem with (from the butt to the gut), oh and let’s not forget to add that we are still losing lean muscle mass (causing our metabolism to be even slower). Here are some solutions to this depressing list of items…if you feel the need to munch, wait a few minutes or brew some black tea which has been shown to cut cortisol levels or green tea which contains theanine, an amino acid that keeps mood swing in check and can keep you calm. It also has been shown to help maintain your metabolism, research says 5-6 cups a day is the magic number. Get more fiber, it slows down the digestion process, 25 grams a day means you’ll absorb 90 fewer calories. Relax! Try yoga it lowers cortisol levels and many different poses actually build muscle. If yoga isn’t your thing, increase strength gaining to 3x/week and push yourself, sculpting more muscle can boost your resting metabolic rate by 7%. Continue with interval training and if that is getting boring try high intensity circuit training for as little as 14 minutes per session. It involves 2 to 3 7-minute circuits that include vigorous moves (jumping jacks, stair climbing) doing each one for 30 seconds, pause for 10 seconds between them and then repeating the circuit.

In your 50’s your metabolism takes the biggest hit after menopause which typically occurs around 52. Due to the hormonal changes, you don’t absorb protein as well and your muscle loss accelerates (whereas you were losing 5 pounds of muscle per decade, you are now losing up to 10). It is even more crucial to stay active and it will help with keeping you in good shape as well as keep back and joint pain at bay. Low-impact activities like swimming, cycling and brisk walking can help alleviate joint and muscle pain. Varying your cardio routine daily will help with overuse injuries which can happen with repetitive motion. Stick to strength training 3 times a week if you want to stay strong. To stay slim, find ways to eat less at every meal (like extra serving of veggies and half the amount of pasta or potatoes, cook with less oil and butter, eat 3 fewer bites). Extra protein is also important to fending off those pounds (multiply your body weight in pounds by .7g to figure out how mud you should be consuming each day). Protein load after workouts, you have a 30 minute window when your body will absorb the most amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle. Aim for around 20g right after your cool down to see the best results.

Staying active and being fit allows us to enjoy life, friends and family and most of all the sport we all love. Let’s stay lean and mean Vixens!