Many seniors have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight because metabolism naturally slows with age. Obesity can cause a lot of health issues, including diabetes and heart disease, and it also makes it difficult for seniors to stay independent and move around. Though it can be challenging for older adults to change their eating habits and start losing weight, the higher quality of life makes weight loss worth it. Here are a few tips for losing weight during the senior years.
1. Start Weightlifting
Watching food intake is one of the biggest parts of weight loss for seniors, but exercise can speed up the progress and provide a little leeway with the diet. Weightlifting is an ideal form of exercise for seniors who want to shed pounds because it builds muscle. Muscle tissue takes more energy for the body to sustain it throughout the day. Seniors who have more muscle mass also have a higher metabolism that burns more calories.
Regular weight training, when combined with a healthy diet, is extremely valuable for older adults. Special fitness classes are designed for seniors who are looking for companionship. Caregivers often accompany their parents as workout buddies to make exercise and mealtimes more fun.
Another critical thing to remember is that older adults are often discouraged by muscle pain and joint stiffness related to exercise. Also, there are concerns about injuries and falls. If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Clearwater, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Home Care Assistance, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
2. Eat More Fruits & Vegetables
There’s a good reason fruits and vegetables are often recommended for weight loss. They take up a lot of space inside the stomach without containing many calories, so seniors can stay full and feel satisfied without having to eat a lot of calories. For example, it would take eating 21 sticks of celery to ingest as many calories as a single handful of chips contains.
3. Track Daily Calorie Consumption
Many seniors find their weight loss progress stalling because they regularly grab a bite of other people’s food, have a piece of candy, or taste food while it cooks without considering the calories in these items, which can add up to a few hundred calories a day that go unnoticed. To keep this from happening, seniors should use a calorie tracker to watch what they eat and make sure it stays under a healthy limit each day.
Changes in bone density, muscle mass, and metabolism call for a change in the diet and fitness plan. Many older adults don’t get the right amount of calories as well as the nutrients they need. You may have to adjust your loved one’s diet to manage health conditions.
Seniors can face a variety of challenges as they age, many of which can be mitigated with the help of professional in-home caregivers who provide high-quality home care. Trust Home Care Assistance to help your elderly loved one age in place safely and comfortably.
4. Look for Fiber-Rich Foods
Fiber is a type of nutrient that passes through the digestive tract without being digested. Seniors trying to lose weight should consume fiber every day because fiber soaks up a lot of water and takes up a lot of space in the stomach and intestines. Good fiber-rich options include beans, peas, carrots, whole grains, raspberries, broccoli, and pears.
5. Avoid Processed Foods
Seniors often pick processed foods like frozen dinners or fast-food meals because they’re quicker and easier than trying to make a meal themselves. However, these sorts of foods tend to have a lot of added sugar and fat that make them have far more calories than homemade versions. Whenever possible, seniors should prepare meals and snacks at home made up of plenty of lean meats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
Cooking nutritious meals or assisting a parent with exercise isn’t always possible for a caregiver. In this case, it’s a good idea to seek assistance from a professional home care company. When searching for reliable Clearwater home care service agencies, families want to know their senior loved ones will be well taken care of. At Home Care Assistance, our expertly trained caregivers are available around the clock to assist with tasks around the house, provide transportation to medical appointments and social events, and much more. Whether your parent needs hourly or live-in care, give us a call at (727) 330-7862 today.