Weight loss tips for older women often stop at “Eat Less”, or “Exercise More”--great advice, but what if you already live a moderate lifestyle that includes fitness?

It can be disconcerting, putting on a little extra weight once you begin to inch past the mid life point. A check up with your doctor is always in order, any time there are weight fluctuations*, but if there’s no medical reason, you might prepare yourself to hear the sentence that has caused many a shoulder slump…”It’s just part of getting older.”

A changed metabolism is part of getting older, it’s true, and even more so for women; menopause has an even greater lowering effect on metabolism than aging, alone. When you pair that with a lowered energy threshold (common in women undergoing hormonal changes) it seems patently unfair that the majority of weight loss tips for older women seem to focus on things that are hardest to do at the stage of life where you need to do them the most.

Studies have shown that even though the average postmenopausal woman eats less as the years go by...there’s generally a minimal change in her weight. This means that weight loss tips for older women need to take into account that the nutrition that helped maintain a certain weight in your younger years may not work the same way as you age.

A few weight loss tips for older women that might help…

1. Understand.

A lot of weight loss tips for older women forgo the explanations, and just make it sound as if something’s wrong with you. The truth is simply that it’s a natural part of aging. Everyone’s metabolism slows...it’s simply a matter of applying what will work for you to rev it up again.

2. Resist.

In more ways than one, resistance is your best bet. A little healthy mental rebellion against the image of the aging female body as stooped and frail is one of the first and best weight loss tips for older women, and literal resistance is the next; research indicates that deterioration in body composition and weight gain in postmenopausal women can be forestalled by a good strength training program. Try one of the Busy Mom Gets Fit plans and find one that suits your needs and goals or consider personal training to get the most out of your time.

3. Experiment.

You may be a lifelong vegetarian who has never struggled with weight, or a macrobiotic dieter from way back. When your hormones start dialing down, however, you may find yourself hungrier, or struggling to keep a healthy balance in your diet. Satiety can be tricky, and weight loss tips for older women may leave you wanting more (literally) in the dietary sense. It might be time to try supplements, or experiment with intermittent fasting, or upping/tracking macronutrients like fat and protein, in the interest of finding a balance that will keep you healthy and energetic while also satisfying you. This is the time of life when many of you can finally relax and enjoy life...being hungry shouldn’t be part of that.

Weight loss tips for older women don’t have to simply be restriction and struggle, in other words. You do have to throw some effort at exercise and nutrition, but it’s a matter of working smarter, not harder.

Something you probably already know a little bit about, if you’re a woman who’s made it to mid-life.

*Always check with your doctor before beginning a new nutrition or fitness plan.