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Senior Weight Loss

For seniors, losing weight can present a difficult challenge. Many people become more sedentary as they get older, and changes in diet and lifestyle can be more difficult to make. However, keeping weight under control is necessary to enjoy a high quality of life as well as to help prevent the onset of potentially life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

  1. Healthy Weight Loss

    • To lose weight safely, seniors should lose no more than two pounds per week. If the overall goal is to lose 25 pounds, for example, a goal can be set to accomplish this in 13 weeks. Since there are 3,500 calories per pound of fat, then, to lose two pounds in a week would require a reduction in 7,000 calories, or 1,000 per day. This can be achieved by consuming 500 fewer calories while burning the remaining 500 from exercise.

    Calorie Needs

    • According to Weight-Loss-Center.net, the number of calories we need decreases as we get older. On average, men between the ages of 60 and 74 nee about 2,350 per day, while women in that age group should consume about 1,900. To lose weight, seniors in this age bracket should reduce their caloric intake below these levels.

    Proper Nutrition

    • While calorie requirements will decrease, nutritional requirements will likely stay the same. Therefore, to achieve weight loss without sacrificing nutrition requires that special attention be paid to the foods that are consumed. For seniors, the diet should include fruits that contain vitamins A and C like berries and citrus fruits. It should also include vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, and spinach, and oily fish like salmon and tuna. Other necessary components are protein found in eggs, chicken, and cheese, as well as fiber-rich foods like lentils and whole wheat cereals.

    Exercise Need

    • For some seniors, the tendency is to become less active due to physical conditions or because of the fear of becoming injured from overexertion. Instead of becoming less active, seniors should actually become more active to ward off weight gain. Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be effective. Weigh management can be achieved by performing routine activities on a regular basis.

    Types of Exercise

    • Walking may be the best exercise for senior weight loss. In addition to burning calories, it provides the added benefits of improving cardiovascular fitness and fighting against the onset of osteoporosis. Other activities for seniors are bicycling, gardening, and ballroom dancing. A light weight training program can be done with a set of dumbbells, which will help burn fat and build muscle.

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