As we get older our metabolic rate slows down and we become less active. This combination means that weight creeps on and is barely noticeable until one day you look in the mirror and wonder where it all went wrong. The truth is it didn't happen overnight and that is very important to understand. The same way the weight came on slowly, the weight should be lost slowly.
Do not embark on extreme weight loss diets. Extreme diets are often very low in calories, which can slow down your metabolism even more. Your goal should be to speed up your metabolism. Also, extreme diets or crash diets often lack vital nutrients your body needs. You need to implement a diet that has a moderate calorie reduction to lose weight, but not slow down your metabolism. In any case, you should aim to lose 1 - 2lbs of weight per week. Your diet should incorporate lots of vegetables and lean protein. If you make those two food stuffs the cornerstone of your diet you will lose weight and not feel deprived. If you are short on time or away from home you can try meal replacements tailored to your diet, such as low-calorie or low-carb meal replacements.
Boosting metabolism is vital. This is the key to losing weight and keeping your new figure is exercise. Really, it's exercise. Exercise isn't necessary to lose weight, though it does make losing weight faster. However, all the evidence points to exercise as being essential to keep the weight you've lost off. The best weight loss exercises are rhythmical type cardiovascular exercise such as jogging, running and swimming. Exercise will also improve your body shape and body composition. You need to incorporate exercise into your daily routine and make it part of your lifestyle. If you want to keep your new body, you cannot go back to your old eating and exercise habits, otherwise you'll get back your old body.
If you can, try and get your body fat percentage measured and keep track by having it measured regularly. BMI is not very accurate as it does not distinguish between body fat and muscle mass. Also, only using the scales to monitor your weight is also not accurate. During weight loss, you lose not only fat, but also muscle. Therefore, the scales may show you lost a lot of weight, but in truth much of it may have been muscle and water. Equally, the scales may show you lost no weight, when in fact, you may have lost fat and gained muscle.
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