Losing weight is never easy but there comes a moment, typically some time in your 40s, when you climb on the scale and what you used to refer to as your ‘high’ weight (when only your ‘fat’ jeans fit) has become your average weight.

You also seem to be carrying a lot more around your middle. And none of your old tricks for quick weight loss — going to the gym a couple of times a week, cutting back on alcohol or sweets, an extra set of sit ups — are working for you the way they once did. To reverse this, you go on a strict diet for a few weeks but the weight doesn’t come off like it used to and your energy levels drop so much that the mere thought of exercise makes you sweat.

Don’t worry — you are not imagining it: it is harder to lose weight after 40. Research data from the huge study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) indicates that ages 45 to 60 may be the toughest years in terms of weight maintenance that women face during their lifetimes.

While older people generally have a harder time losing weight than younger people, the WHI study found that forty and fifty somethings had a much tougher time maintaining their weight than women of any age.

We blame ourselves
Most women tend to blame themselves when this happens. We women tend to think, I must not be doing this right! We’re somehow blinded to the fact that all women 45 to 60 years old are dealing with the same thing. We only see the 25-year-old next door who seems to be having no problem at all.

A source of oestrogen
Hormonal fluctuations associated with the menopause may play a role in this, although exactly how remains unclear, since about equal numbers of women gain weight as lose weight while taking oestrogen as hormone replacement therapy. What we do know, however, is that once you hit 40 your body starts to hang onto fat because it can use it as a source of oestrogen when your ovaries stop making it at the menopause. And if there’s a tyre around your tummy, it’s because your body finds it easiest to access oestrogen stored around your middle. It really wants to keep this fat, so you may find that you can lose weight anywhere but from your waist.

We also know that stress plays a part. Research has shown that stress induced cortisol and blood sugar imbalances can trigger weight gain, especially around the middle. In other words the more stressed you are the more likely you are to put on weight and for many women in their 40s, juggling home and work, stress is a way of life. This connection with the stress hormones is explained in detail in my book ‘Fat around the Middle’ and also tells you what to do about it.

But that’s not all. There’s a very subtle slowing down of the metabolism between 45 and 60. As we get older our growth hormone levels decline and muscle is gradually replaced by fat. Not only does this make women more prone to gravity it also affects their basic metabolic rate — the number of calories your body needs just to keep you alive (even if you are lying around doing nothing). The less muscle you have the lower your metabolism is so the fewer calories you need. Unfortunately, your appetite doesn’t decrease with your muscle mass so chances are you’re taking in more calories than you burn.

Lack of exercise
On a daily basis, the gradual slowing of metabolism is not that big a deal, but over the course of a couple of years, it all adds up. Plus there’s the fact that most 45-to-60-year-olds tend to have fairly sedentary lives so they are not getting as much exercise as they once did. And even if your weight doesn’t change, your body fat distribution is changing due to the hormonal shifts. Suddenly your waist is getting bigger and none of your clothes fit right, and you can’t figure out what’s going on.

It can be very frustrating for women. Yes, losing weight seems to be harder, but it’s not impossible. Rather than get discouraged at midlife you can turn the situation around with a battle plan that will be effective.

Rethink ‘diet’
Start by drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of filtered or mineral water a day — research shows that it could up your metabolism by 30 per cent and you’ll burn an extra 17000 calories a year! (Drink green tea too — studies show it can raise metabolism by 35 per cent).

Next, rethink the word diet and start thinking in terms of a healthy eating plan to transform the way you eat so that you can look and feel great. The word diet implies something that has a beginning and an end. It suggests a quick fix and not a way of life and as soon as you stop following it the weight piles back on. You may have spent years focusing on losing weight but if you make health your goal rather than weight loss your whole relationship with food changes. There’s no denying that healthy eating involves cutting down on sugar, refined and processed and fatty foods and concentrating on foods that are natural such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, oily fish, nuts and seeds, but if you think of sugar and bad fats as major contributors to an expanding waist line this can be a big motivator.

Rethinking the word diet also means ditching so called diet foods. Diet foods may be low in fat but they’re often lacking in nutrition and packed with sugar to replace the flavour of fat. And lots of sugar means you get a quick high followed by a blood sugar low that sparks off food cravings and ups your risk of health problems like diabetes.

As well as diet foods you also need to forget foods that are low fat. Fat is high in calories but when you are over 40 it is crucial for your health and your skin — you just need to make sure you eat the right kind — in smallish amounts. Saturated fats and transfats — found in red meat and processed foods — raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease and some cancers. But healthy essential fats like omega 3 and omega 6 found in avocados, fish oil, nuts and seeds will give you healthy hair, skin, joints, heart and improved brain function.

And if your mum told you not to eat between meals, ignore her as snacking can actually help you lose weight. A healthy snack reminds your body that you’ve got a regular supply of food so it won’t go into starvation mode and slow your metabolism. It also keeps your blood sugar levels steady which helps to keep your moods and your hormone levels balanced.

Finally, you need to get your motivation in place. Any diet that’s vague — such as promising yourself to eat more vegetables and less sugar and starches — rarely works. Instead, start a food diary. By writing down everything you eat you will determine your eating patterns, and when the temptation to overeat is highest. What’s typical is that women eat a small breakfast, go out for lunch, and then come home after a long day and start cooking. We tend to nibble while we’re cooking, then we put out the meal and eat it, then we clean up, and start nibbling again, and then we finally go sit down and relax. For the rest of the night, we go in and out of the kitchen until bedtime. Sometimes we’re good and just get an apple or a rice cake, but other nights, we snack on things that are high in fat and sugar. And ultimately, it all adds up. To counteract that pattern, we need to change our routine and make the kitchen a no-go zone after dinner or get some one else to do the clearing up.

The ultimate goal is to change your lifestyle so that you’re eating healthily and boosting your metabolism with plenty of exercise. In this way you will be able to beat midlife waist gain and keep it off permanently.

Your 40+ battle plan:

• First, you can think of midlife as an opportunity to get healthier and if you haven’t hit 40 yet you can use your knowledge of the coming metabolic and hormonal changes to prepare yourself, before small weight problems become big problems.
• Second, you’re probably going to have to increase your physical activity. Your metabolism is slowing down and you need to rev it up so that your body burns fat more efficiently. The best way to do this is simply to be more active. The more you move the more calories your body needs. Also if you’re more active, you’ll build more fat burning muscle and the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn, even when you aren’t exercising.
• Doctors typically advise at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day (think brisk walking or aerobics) and this should be mixed in with resistance training like weight or body toning to keep your muscles and your bones healthy. If you don’t enjoy exercise then you may not be thrilled to hear this message but you have to stop thinking of exercise as a punishment. To get off to a good start, try the walking workout plan and tummy toning exercises. You could also try moving more in your everyday life. For example, if your job involves a lot of sitting, fidget more — tap your feet and wriggle in your chair, researchers say people who can’t sit still burn an extra 350 calories a day.
• Getting more exercise is not enough, however. If you want to maintain your weight, or lose weight, you will also have to pay attention to your stress levels and your diet. You’ll find plenty of stress management tips in the Spring clean your life article below and the simple diet recommendations (above) will help you lose weight, firm up and stay healthy — for the rest of your life.

A certain amount of stress is good — as it keeps you motivated and on your toes — but pushing yourself too hard can damage your health. Scientists agree that stress can have a negative impact on your overall health. Studies have shown that stress is or may be a contributing factor in everything from backaches and insomnia to cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women. High blood pressure, heart attacks, heart palpitations, and stroke may be stress-related cardiovascular conditions. Some women experience changes in their sexuality and encounter various sexual dysfunctions such as loss of sex drive and vaginal dryness as a result of stress.

Often people feel the effects of stress as fatigue, various aches and pains, headaches, or as emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Stress affects others by causing gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers, lower abdominal cramps, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Frequently people under the effects of over-stress will have more colds and infections due to lowered immune system responses and suffer from dermatological conditions such as itchy skin and rashes. Stress is also a key factor when women experience either absence of menstruation or abnormal bleeding. Hormonal imbalances caused by stress may trigger the symptoms of fibroid tumours and endometriosis, as well as make pregnancy difficult to achieve for couples with fertility problems.

And if all that isn’t enough stress can also make you fat! When you are stressed your adrenal glands pump out stress hormones such as cortisol which can trigger blood sugar imbalances that can trigger weight gain especially around the middle. Abdominal fat is a predictor of diabetes, cancer and heart disease and studies show that women with belly fat whether overweight or not produce more of the stress hormone cortisol than women without belly fat. Women with high levels of cortisol are also more likely to overeat than women without these high levels.

So any woman watching her health and her weight, especially those worried about midlife waist gain, needs to keep a very, very careful eye on her stress levels. Eliminating stress completely from your life is impossible. However, implementing some stress management techniques can reduce most of its harmful effects. Stress management includes following a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and plenty of relaxation. Use the stress management techniques below to beat your stress triggers and spring clean your body and mind so you feel happier, healthier and lighter.

Stress management
Certain nutrients such as the B vitamins — especially B5 and B6 — vitamin C and the essential fatty acids can be extremely helpful if stress is a problem as they will help boost the functioning of your adrenal glands. You should be getting these nutrients from your healthy menopause diet but if you are under stress you might want to add in more B vitamins, found in nuts and whole grains, essential fats found in oily fish, nuts and seeds and plenty of vitamin C found in citrus fruits, as when you are stressed you lose more vitamin C than at any other time and vitamin C is vital for keeping your immune system strong. (Check out the list of anti-anxiety foods at the end of this article).

• Concentrate on your breathing and slow it down to a 10-second cycle, six breaths a minute. Inhale for five seconds and then exhale for five seconds. Do this for about 2 to 5 minutes. If this doesn’t work jog on the spot, punch something like a cushion or count to ten.
• Talk to friends, family or partners. If you don’t feel you can talk to anyone a trained counsellor may help you get in touch with your feelings and give you tips on how to deal with stress.
• Try the herbal remedy Valerian for stress-related anxiety and insomnia. This sedative has been shown to help people fall asleep faster, sleep better and longer without causing loss of concentration.
• Take time out. For five minutes every hour, try to ‘shut down’ and think of nothing but your perfect situation. This could be a dream holiday, ideal partner or simply thinking about doing nothing at all. You will be surprised at how effectively this can lower stress levels. Daydreaming is a natural stress busting technique. Allow your mind to wander for five minutes if you feel tense; maybe using your favourite picture or happy memory to help you drift off.
• Try this Indian massage technique for soothing the brain; for as long as possible gently massage the point above your nose in the middle of the forehead in a very light circular movement. Pressing the loose skin between your thumb and forefinger is also good for reducing stress and convenient to reach when you are on the phone.
• Walking meditation: Simply go for a walk to clear your mind of stress. Focus on your body and its every movement and breathe in deeply to let go of tension. If your mind wanders focus on the feeling of your feet moving heel to toe as you walk.
• Release the tension: Do you hunch your shoulders when you are stressed? Do you tighten your fists? Do you cross your arms? Do you wrap your legs around each other?
• Chamomile: One of the best herbs for relieving tension is chamomile as it has a gentle sedative effect. Drink a cup anytime you feel tense to help you relax. If you drink a cup before you go to bed this can help you sleep.
• Get a good night’s sleep: Women, especially when they are approaching the menopause often get disrupted sleep caused by hormonal fluctuations and when you are tired it is harder to deal with stress. Lack of sleep can also be a trigger for weight gain. For advice and tips on getting a good night’s sleep see the feature above.
• Beat your stress triggers: If you are losing sleep over a never-ending to do list or sick of losing your temper at the slightest little thing then you are probably suffering from brain overload. Use the techniques in the spring clean your mind article to help you deal with habitual stress triggers for good and you will feel much happier, healthier and lighter.

Anti-anxiety foods

Bananas:
Women who are depressed or anxious tend to have lower levels of vitamin B6, which is needed for the production of serotonin, the brain chemical that lifts mood. Low levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid can also cause anxiety. To boost your B vitamins, eat plenty of fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans like chickpeas and soya, bananas, and leafy green vegetables.

Nuts and seeds:
Foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as wholegrains and beans, increase brain levels of tryptophan and, in turn, serotonin. A small amount of dietary carbohydrates, such as a handful of nuts and seeds eaten 30 minutes before a stressful situation, can help lower anxiety levels.

Whole grains:
Women who are deficient in the antioxidant mineral selenium also experience feelings of depression and anxiety. Selenium is found in fish and shellfish, whole grains, avocados.

Eggs:
Zinc is essential for the body to convert tryptophan into serotonin, the feel good chemical that can induce feelings of calm. Zinc is found in eggs and also in nuts, seeds, peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Oily fish:
Not only does eating oily fish reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease, but according to studies reported in 2003 by the US National Institute of Health, it reduces anxiety and depression as well.

Portion sizes have grown considerably in recent years. Super size servings in restaurants, the rise of all-you-can-eat buffets, super-size fast food meals, family packs of crisps in the supermarket and jumbo lattes in coffee chains have all contributed to this phenomenon.

To add to the problem, due to lifestyle changes, many people now eat away from home, or in front of the TV giving them less control over the amount of food on their plates or the amount they put into their mouth — research has shown that people are more likely to overeat when given large portions because it’s harder to gauge what is a ‘normal’ or acceptable amount. Larger portions can lead to an increase in calorie intake that, over time, can cause weight gain. This in turn can cause health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. So it’s a good move to keep an eye on portion sizes when you can.

That isn’t to say you should be eating so little that you end up going hungry — rather more about listening to your body and putting down your fork when you’re full!
Here are some ways to keep portion sizes sensible:

Don’t super-size — fast foods aren’t recommended as part of a healthy diet, but if you do find yourself tempted to tuck into a pizza, order the regular or small sized meal. Large or extra-large meals can be value for money, but they are extremely high in fat and calories, and can contain bad fats, the trans fatty acids.

And remember it’s not just foods that are available in outsized portions: fizzy drinks, milkshakes and sweet, milky coffees are too. These are usually high in calories and can contain sugar, artificial sweeteners or colourings, additives etc, so best avoided as part of a healthy diet.

When eating out (and at home) don’t feel guilty about leaving food on your plate. Most people have grown up with the notion that they have to clear their plates at every meal. If leaving food seems wasteful to you, ask for a child’s portion or a half-portion — most restaurants are happy to oblige. And if you find yourself in an all-you-can-eat venue, reach for a small plate, and fill up only once.

Try not to eat out of big bags of snacks such as crisps, nuts or sweets — this will only tempt you to keep picking; dish out a serving in a small bowl instead. Also better not to eat out of big bags when at the cinema or watching television as you will end up eating more unconsciously.
Don’t worry too much about portions when eating nutritious foods such as fruit, veg, pulses and whole grains — rather, concentrate on cutting down on portions of fatty, sugary foods — these contain the most calories and the least nutrients.

Finally keep an eye on your plate. Ultimately, getting a healthy diet is about getting the right foods in the right amounts. Here are a few final tips to bear in mind when you are next dishing-up…

• The protein-based part of your meal should be around the size of a deck of cards
• The starchy part of your meal, for example: the rice, potatoes, bread or grains should be around the size of one tennis ball or your balled fist. If you want to lose weight then make the starch part of your meal even smaller and up the vegetables
• If possible, fruits and vegetables should fill around half of your plate
• Fats and oils should be kept to a minimum, for example: less than one tablespoon