Effective weight loss tips for women over 40 years old

If you're a woman, it is harder to lose weight after you hit age 40. Hormonal changes, slower thyroid function and slower metabolism all combine to present significant challenges to any woman who wants to watch her weight as she gets older. However, there are some steps you can take to cut down on extra weight as you get older. Here are just some of the things you can try.
1. Get enough sleep. This can be one of your greatest challenges, especially if, like most women over 40, you are working and raising a family. However, studies have shown that the less you sleep, the more likely you are to retain extra weight. Sleep is when most fat burning is done, and if you rob yourself of that restorative time, you will find you have a harder time losing weight.
2. Don't diet. Instead, commit to a healthy lifestyle. You have to change the way you think about food and what it can do for you. Food is fuel for your body; sometimes it can taste good, but the primary use of food is to provide your body with the proper vitamins and minerals to keep your body going. You will find that if you focus on fueling your body, you will be less likely to eat things that only harm your body. Learn to cook foods that are generally healthier for you, such as lean meat and vegetables. When you look at all the delicious foods you can eat that are healthy for you, it becomes easier to stop eating the foods that are bad for you.
In fact, you can eat more on a healthy diet. Instead of 3 meals a day that will keep you hungry in the middle of your day, try 3 larger meals and 2 or 3 smaller, 'snack' meals. That will make sure that you are full during the day, and you won't be so hungry at any one meal that you eat more than you should. In fact, you will likely have smaller portions, which is good for your weight as well.
Be sure to have breakfast every day. If you haven't eaten for six or seven hours, the longer you hold out, the more you will eat. Start fueling your body right away by feeding it something good in the morning.
5. Start exercising. That  can seem terrible if you have never done it before, but the good news is that there are so many different ways to exercise that you can find one you enjoy. Do a little exercise every day and you will improve your metabolism, which means you can lose weight.
Losing weight is harder for you as you get older, if you are a woman. But you don't have to despair; there are a lot of things for you to do, and you can still maintain a good figure. You just have to follow the tips in this article, and you will discover that weight is not as much of a challenge as you thought.