Fat Cells: The Weight Loss Threat Over 40

Men and Women over 40 trying to lose weight permanently face the same problem: Fat accumulates very easily and it is harder to lose after 40 as well.

Fat is a great storage medium for energy- and used to be essential for survival. Through human history, weve existed many famines and starvation periods because we could rely on our body fat.

Today, the ability of our bodies to stock fat easily endangers permanent weight loss. Lets understand how fat cells work and why it is so difficult for men and women over 40 to lose weight permanently.

Existing fat cells fill up when your body takes in more energy than you spend. And it does not count if you are eating fat or starch or sugar: All unneeded calories go into fat storage. When the fat cells you already have are full, the body makes new fat cells, a biological process with no limits.

Fat cushions increase even to a greater extent when you are under stress, but the threat that poses the most danger to losing weight over 40 is: Existing fat cells wont be destroyed. You can shrink the number of fat stored in fat cells, but you cannot reduce the figure of existing fat cells.

If your fat cells are full, they send a Neuropeptide to your brain called Leptin. While the Leptin level in your blood is high, your brain gets the message that you aren't hungry and don't need to eat. When your body's fat cells become empty, the Leptin is gone - and you get hungry.

Now, let's be totally honest and uncover a truth: To lose weight permanently over 40, feeling slightly hungry is something you are going to have to live with. This challenges you emotionally, and that is why the psychological science behind permanent weight loss is stressed so extremely - your mind needs ways to deal with this emotional challenge. Every weight loss program must include some mental advice also or it wont help you to lose weight permanently.

With women, the distribution of fat shifts with age as well. For young women, its frequently on the hips and on the tights. For women after 40, its generally on the belly- and visceral belly fat is associated with many diseases.

Our bodies are governed by strong regulation mechanisms. We tend to have the identical weight, although we do not consume the identical number of calories each day. Our bodies then make up for these calories changes, which leads to another problem for reaching permanent weight loss over 40:

If you over-eat for a long period of time, your body will adjust to the new weight and will try to maintain that weight. You will perpetually feel the need to "feed" the existing fat cells. The longer you continue on starvation diets, the more intense your hunger pangs can become.

Acquiring weight is very easy. Consuming only 100 calories per day in excess of what your body burns will lead to acquiring roughly 9 lbs (4.5 kg) per year. It's very easy to ingest an extra 100 calories. A can of Coca-Cola (12 fl oz) contains already 155 calories. A Kit Kat Wafer Bar has 218 and so on

You would have to starve for approximately 2 weeks to lose these 9 pounds, or exercise by jogging 51 hours, or walking 126 hours.
If you want to lose weight permanently after 40, be aware of the small meals and snacks. These count as well.