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Most women find their weight peaks during and just after menopause. The average American woman gains about a pound a year in her mid-40s and 50s because she eats more, exercises less, and burns fewer calories. People also need fewer calories as they age.
What you can do to keep your body fat in check:
- Try to keep your body mass index (BMI) below 25. (Calculate your BMI here.) "What you really have to watch is inches, not pounds," says Marie Savard, M.D., author of Apples and Pears: The Body Shape Solution for Weight Loss and Wellness (Atria, 2007).
- Aim for a waist measurement below 35 inches (or 31-35 inches if you're Asian), Savard advises. A woman whose waist is larger than 35 inches is at greater risk.
- Eat less and exercise more. Replace the daily bag of chips you eat with your sandwich with carrot sticks. "If you lose only 5 percent of body weight, your risk factors for cardiovascular disease will start to drop," Teresa Caulin-Glaser, M.D., says.
More ways to lose inches from your waistline:
Quick & Healthy Recipe Substitutions
Tips to Control Portions
Basic Free-Weight Workou
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