While diet fads and fat-burning workouts are all the craze to look good in our younger years, weight loss as a senior is more about staying healthy. It should be a serious conversation between you and your doctor about your health needs, and what changes you need to make to improve your quality of life.

By making healthier choices to help lose weight, you’ll notice a change in your moods, physical health, and maybe even some savings at the doctor’s office.

A Healthy Choice

The most important obstacle to losing weight is being aware of your body. Start with a trip to the doctor’s office to see where your overall health is at before beginning. There, you should discuss your goals and any recommendations your doctor has for your lifestyle change.

Any weight loss journey starts with a trip to the doctor’s office to see where your overall health is at.

Your doctor may not recommend much physical activity and may ask you to focus more on your diet. Every body is different from the next, and you should treat this journey as a unique challenge specific to your life, rather than comparing yourself to others and getting discouraged.

Some bonuses to losing weight include less snoring, relief from your arthritis, lower cholesterol, and more!

Modifying Your Diet

You may have heard others talk about counting calories, and that’s because it works! When you actively monitor the amount of food you’re putting in your body, you’re taking control of your weight. There are calorie counters around the internet that can tell you not only how many calories you’re consuming, but how many you should be consuming every day to maintain or lose weight.

When you actively monitor the amount of food you’re putting in your body, you’re taking control of your weight.

But it’s not enough to simply limit your caloric intake if you’re not getting the nutrients your body needs. There’s a calculator for that, too! Doing this while cooking your own food can go a long way toward losing weight, because it’s all about taking control.

What about snacking? It can be all too easy to reach for a comforting, sugary snack when you’re bored or staving off hunger until dinner. But if you stock your kitchen with healthy foods to munch on, you no longer risk biffing your hard work and cutting back unnecessary sugars.

Another way to cut back on sugar is to drink more water. It provides more energy and alertness, as well as helping you stay full between meals.

Finding Your Exercise

Though exercise isn’t always necessary to lose weight, it’s a healthy practice that can elevate your mood and get you out of the house. It can even be something as simple as taking 10-to-15-minute walks around your neighborhood to get you moving and feeling energized.

Though exercise isn’t always necessary to lose weight, it’s a healthy practice that can elevate your mood and get you out of the house.

Low-impact exercises, like tai chi or yoga, can be great for stretching your muscles and increasing flexibility. The great thing about these simple activities is that you don’t have to leave the house or pay for a gym membership. You can simply look them up on YouTube, or take a short stroll around the block.

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Losing weight is a serious choice to better your health, and can be a smooth transition with the right changes and education.