Over 40 and battling belly fat? In this video, women's health expert Vonda Wright, MD, shares 4 weight-loss tips to rev up your metabolism. From sleep to strength training, these strategies will help you lose weight and feel your best.
Hi, I'm Dr. Vonda Wright with a few smart tips to help you win the battle of the bulge. First, watch your rising blood sugar. By age 30, up to 20% of women are insulin resistant, which means their bodies ignore signals to absorb blood sugar. Insulin resistance interferes with your body's ability to burn fat.
Try to cut carbs, especially simple carbs. In one study, insulin resistant women lost 50% more weight when they cut their carbon take by 20%. Sleep better. Poor sleep undermines your ability to burn fat and lose weight. Try yoga. A gentle, soothing yoga routine can boost your sleep quality, cool hot flashes and relive stress.
Work your muscles. Sleek tone muscle burns about twice as many calories as fat. Every pound of muscle burns 7-10 calories a day, but starting in our mid-forties we lose about 1% of muscle mass every year. The solution, keep up your strength training, challenge your muscles with dumbbells, resistance bands or your own body weight to build and keep your muscle mass.
For more ways to live healthy, watch all our tips, right here.
Vonda Wright, MD, a Sharecare Advisory Board member and orthopaedic surgeon, is an expert in active aging. She specializes is the creator and director of the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes.
View Profile