This Simple Food Swap Can Help You Lose Weight Over 50
A couple over 50 is making a healthy meal in the kitchen.
You've probably heard of the mid-life crisis. However, might it coincide with a physical development known as midlife weight gain?
Experts share that it is, in fact, easier to put on excess weight as you get older.
"As we age, our metabolism slows down," says Stephanie Schiff, RDN, CDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital. "It takes longer for our bodies to change food and drink into energy. We burn calories less efficiently."
Work and life commitments, lack of energy and physical issues may also make it more challenging to log exercise, Schiff adds.
Can making one simple dietary tweak protect against this weight creep? Not by itself, but new research indicates a simple food swap can help. Experts discussed the study and provided examples of how to use the latest research to prep deliciously healthy meals.
Related: If You're Trying To Lose Weight, Here's Exactly How to Time Your Afternoon Snack
What's the Best Food Swap for Losing Weight Over 50?
A study published in September suggests that paying attention to the type of carb you consume can play a significant role in weight loss efforts. The study included more than 136,000 men and women who were under age 65 and free of chronic diseases like heart disease or diabetes at the time the study started. Researchers monitored weight changes in participants every four years for an average of 24 years per person.
The findings? People who limited their consumption of sugar, refined grains and starchy vegetables and packed more whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables on their plates gained less weight during the midlife period than those loaded up on sugar and starch.
The distinction was higher in women and people who were already overweight or obese before making the tweak.
"The quality and source of carbohydrates is crucial for long-term weight management, especially for persons already with excessive body weight," says Yi Wan, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the study's lead author. "Transitioning from low-quality carbohydrate food sources to high-quality sources may support efforts to control body weight."
Carb Types, Explained
Here's what to keep in mind about the different types of carbohydrates you might encounter.
Refined grains
Refined grains are starches, such as white bread, white flour, certain breakfast cereals and pastries, Schiff says.
"They have the nutritious parts, such as the bran and germ of the whole grain removed," Schiff explains. "Most of the fiber, vitamins and minerals are in the bran and germ of a grain. These foods have a high glycemic index, which means they are quickly digested and absorbed by our bodies and can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar."
Schiff says eating too many refined grains increases a person's risk of diabetes and weight gain.
Added sugar
Wan says added sugar can be found in sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and coffee. The CDC flags that sucrose, dextrose, table sugar, syrups, honey and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices are all added sugar sources. According to the CDC, added sugar ups a person's risk for
Weight gain
Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Starchy vegetables
Peas, corn and potatoes make this list.
"Because the high starch content in these vegetables impacts blood sugar levels more than non-starchy vegetables," Wan says.
More than the others, this group offers benefits—so, experts don't recommend nixing these foods entirely.
"It’s important to recognize these aren’t bad foods and often have fiber, which is really good for you," says Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and creator of The Mindful Gut.
Related: The One Thing You Should Never, Ever Do if You Have High Blood Pressure, According to a Cardiologist
Delicious Swaps for Your Favorite Carbs
1. Quinoa or brown rice instead of white pasta
Pasta night definitely isn't off the table. Instead, add pasta made from legumes to your card, like lentils or chickpeas. Alternatively, consume other whole grains like quinoa or brown rice.
"These choices are richer in fiber, nutrients and often protein, making them more filling and nutritionally dense compared to standard white pasta," says Beata Rydyger, BSc, RHN, a Los Angeles-based registered nutritionist and nutritional contributor to HPVHUB. "White pasta is also high on the glycemic index, which can have negative implications on blood sugar levels."
2. Sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes
Schiff has indulged in mashed turnips, cauliflower and sweet potatoes.
"They’re all delicious," Schiff raves. "These veggies are lower in carbs and calories and higher in fiber than mashed potatoes."
3. A lettuce wrap instead of a white burger bun
Sauceda suggests ditching the bun or having one bun. You can also replace the white bun for a lettuce wrap.
Otherwise, Rydyger notes brands make whole-wheat buns that you can purchase instead.
4. Flavored carbonated water instead of soda
Plain water is an often recommended option, but say you're in the mood for something bubbly.
"A flavored carbonated water is always a nice swap for a similar mouthfeel," Sauceda says. "There are a lot of options with no added sugar."
5. Zucchini friends instead of french fries
Rydyger suggests air-frying some zucchini fries.
"Zucchini offers a lighter, nutrient-packed twist," Rydyger says.
6. Whole wheat flour instead of white flour in your pancakes
You can eat your pancakes and lose weight too—just change how you prep them.
"Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour," Schiff says. "I also add ricotta cheese to my pancake mixes for extra protein and to lower the carb count."
7. Add your own fruit to yogurt
Experts say that fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt is a sneaky way to consume too much added sugar. Flavor your yogurt more naturally.
"Add your own fruit to your yogurt, or for extra flavor in your yogurt, mix in some peanut butter," Sauceda says.
8. Farro instead of corn
Rydyger recommends quinoa or farro.
"Gains like quinoa and farro provide a wider array of nutrients, including more protein and fiber, enriching regular meals," Rydyger says. "You can always add a little corn to your brown rice or quinoa for a little flavor without too much starch."
Schiff says this one needs to come with a disclaimer—corn is fine and even healthy to consume in moderation. "Don’t write off corn completely," Schiff says. "Watch your serving size, and remember that corn has two grams of fiber in a cup and three grams of protein, plus vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The fiber in corn can help feed your gut bacteria. Corn is a prebiotic."
Related: Here's What Happens to Your Body if You Eat Salmon Every Day, According to Registered Dietitians
Other Tips for Losing Weight Over 50
To be clear, you're not the number on the scale, but dieticians share that preventing weight loss as we age is important.
"It’s important to keep weight in a normal range as we get older because being overweight and obese increases our risk for conditions we’re more likely to experience as we age, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke," Schiff says.
Besides diet, experts recommend people over 50:
Log aerobic exercise. "Physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, burns significant calories," Wan says. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
Don't skip resistance training. As we age, muscle mass decreases. "By engaging in regular resistance exercises, this muscle loss can be mitigated, leading to a boost in metabolic rate and enhanced joint stability, which is crucial for daily activities," Rydyger says.
Sleep. Wan points out that studies, like this one from 2020, link poor sleep to weight gain. The CDC recommends adults log at least seven hours of sleep per night.
Next up: 3 Things to Do for Weight Loss Over 50, According to a Geriatrician
Sources
Stephanie Schiff, RDN, CDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital
Yi Wan, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the study's lead author
Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, a registered dietitian
Beata Rydyger, BSc, RHN, a Los Angeles-based registered nutritionist and nutritional contributor to HPVHUB
