Dieting For The Older Woman

By Author: Thomas Strickland
Total Articles: 102
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When people sit down to write about dieting, there's a terrible temptation to assume everyone is the same. Well, that's never going to give you the best outcome. So here's some advice just for women who have been through the menopause. This can be a difficult time as one part of your life closes and another opens. There may be both physical and emotional adjustments to make. When it comes to your weight, there's one very important issue to think about. One of the longer-term risks to your health is losing bone density as you age. Unless you take care, this can turn into osteoporosis with the risk you can fracture bones very easily if you take a knock or fall. The latest research shows you are more at risk if you aim to lose weight eating a high protein diet.

The researcher took two groups of women aged between 43 and 80, lowering their daily intake by 750 calories a day over a period of 12 weeks. In the first group, half were given a diet without meat, relying on a vegetarian and diary diet (with eggs) to supply protein. The others ate higher amounts of protein in a diet containing lean meats like chicken and pork (the ...
... meat representing 40% of the food eaten). Interestingly, both groups an average of 19 pounds, but the meat-eaters lost bone density faster than those on a vegetarian diet. So, given there was no significant difference in the amount of weight lost, the vegetarian diet was safer over the longer term.

In the second group, the women all ate a diet of 1,250 calories per day for 9 weeks. Everyone had the same 1,000 calories as a vegetarian diet. One quarter took the additional 250 calories as chicken breast, the second as 250 calories of lean tenderloin beef, the third as shortbread cookies and sugar-coated chocolates, the remainder added 250 additional calories of vegetarian food. Again, all the women lost weight, but the three groups lost bone density against the low-protein vegetarian group.

Both studies suggest the need to look carefully at the source of the proteins you eat. This is not something you should aim to decide yourself. Discuss with a nutritionist how best to lose weight while maintaining the quality of muscle and bone. This is not to say this research is conclusive. In fact, it's quite controversial. The problem with the studies is the short period of time and the small numbers of participants. The limit of twelve weeks does not give a reliable guide. All it shows is a trend that might not last and represent a danger. Equally, although it's interesting a small number of women had this problem, it's no guide the same will happen to large numbers of women. Nevertheless, safety first. Take supplements if you have a high meat content in your diet. If you feel hungry when you start reducing the calorie intake, Phentermine is the ideal partner in your weight loss program. It suppresses your appetite and keeps your motivation high while your body is adjusting to a lower food intake. Always remember never to take Phentermine for too long. Although it's excellent moral support for short periods of time, you do not want to grow dependent. The price of losing weight should not be problems with Phentermine.