Belly Fat Busters for Seniors: 12 Weeks to Lose Weight, Gain Strength, and Improve Balance

Contents

Introduction: Getting Older and Gaining Weight—It’s Not Inevitable

Belly Fat and Weight Gain

An Overview of How Our Bodies Age

Resistance Training Is the Answer

Chapter 1: The Basics of Perimenopause and Menopause—What Happens as We Get Older

A. What Is Perimenopause?

B. What Is Menopause?

i. What Age Does It Happen?

ii. How to Know If You’re in Menopause

iii. The Truth About Losing Weight During and After Menopause

iv. A Glimpse at What We’ll Focus on

1. Exercise

2. Nutrition

3. Managing Stress

4. Better Sleep Hygiene

5. Managing Your Insulin Resistance

C. The Symptoms of Perimenopause/Menopause and How to Manage Them

i. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

ii. Sleep Disruptions

iii. Brain Fog

iv. Dry Skin

v. Weight Gain

vi. Depression and Anxiety

vii. Reduced Sex Drive

D. When to See Your Doctor

Chapter 2: The Reasons We Gain Belly Fat After 40

A. What Happens to Our Bodies in Our Forties, Fifties, and Sixties (Men and Women)

i. Between 40 and 45

ii. Between 45 and 50

iii. Between 50 and 60

iv. Body Changes in Men

1. Gaining Belly Fat

2. Loss of Muscle

3. Heart Issues

4. Prostate Issues

v. Muscle Loss

1. Neurological Decline

2. Hormonal Changes

3. Inflammation

4. Belly Fat

5. Slowing Metabolism

vi. Insulin Resistance—Feeling Hungry When You’re Not

vii. Hunger Hormones Are Out of Whack

viii. Unhealthy Eating Habits

ix. More Stress

x. Changing Sleep Patterns

xi. Not Exercising and Becoming Less Active Overall

B. The Benefits of Losing Belly Fat

Chapter 3: Let’s Talk about Your Diet

A. Things that Affect Your Metabolism

a. Genetics

b. Size

c. Age

d. Body Composition

e. Gender

f. Health Issues

g. Stress

h. Dieting

i. Activity Levels

B. Your Diet: The Biggest Contributors to Belly Fat

i. Sugar

ii. Alcohol

iii. Unhealthy Fats

iv. Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods

v. Eating Refined Carbs Instead of Whole Carbs

vi. Yo-Yo Dieting

Chapter 4: Changes You Can Make to Your Diet Right Now

A. Pantry Clean-Out

B. Drink More Water

C. Eat More Protein

D. Cut Out Added Sugar

E. Eat More Fiber

F. Eat Healthy Fats

G. Meal Prep

H. Mind Your Portion Sizes

I. Track Your Eating

Chapter 5: Let’s Talk about Exercise

A. Cardio for Losing Body Fat

i. General Exercise Guidelines

1. What Is Moderate-Intensity Exercise?

2. What Is Vigorous-Intensity Exercise?

3. Monitoring Your Intensity

4. Sample Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale

B. The Best Cardio for Losing Belly Fat

ii. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

1. Examples of HIIT Workouts

2. The Benefits of HIIT

a. Sample Home HIIT Workout for Beginners

1. Squat with Crescent Knees

2. Step Outs with Overhead Reach

3. Knee Smash

4. Squat with Knee Lift

5. Heel Digs

6. Crossover Knee Smash

7. Puddlejumper with Lifts

8. Side Squat Scoop

9. Dumbbell Swing

10. Low-Impact Jumping Jack

11. Side to Side Punch

12. Curtsy Lunges

13. Rear Towel Slides

14. Side Towel Slides

ii. Low-Impact Steady State Training

1. The Benefits of LISS Training

2. Examples of LISS

3. Sample Cardio Schedule for Beginners

B. Strength Training for Losing Belly Fat

i. General Strength Training Guidelines for Seniors

1. How to Choose Your Weight

2. Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

3. How to Deal with DOMS

4. Discomfort vs. Pain

5. Rewarding Yourself

C. Best Strength Training for Losing Belly Fat

1. What Are Compound Exercises?

2. The Benefits of Doing Compound Exercises

3. What Is Circuit Training?

4. The Benefits of Circuit Training

Chapter 6: The Program

A. An Overview

i. The Breakdown of the Workouts

1. Warm-up

2. Total Body Strength Circuit Workouts

3. Flexibility Workout

4. Core Workout

5. Suggested Workout Schedule

B. Should You See Your Doctor Before You Get Started?

C. What You Need for Your Workouts

a. Equipment

i. Dumbbells

1. Alternatives to Weights

ii. Resistance Bands

iii. A Towel

iv. Mat

v. A Step

vi. An Exercise Ball

b. Workout Shoes

a. Workout Clothes

a. Activity Tracker (optional)

D. Scheduling Your Workouts

Chapter 7. Warm-Up, Cooldown, Flexibility, and Core Workouts

A. Warm-up—You can use this warm-up or any cardio of your choice before you do any workout.

B. Cooldown—This workout, or some other light movement, helps your body heal after exercise.

C. Flexibility workout–This is a great workout to do after any workout or anytime throughout the day.

D. Core workout—This workout can be done in conjunction with your other workouts or on its own. Just make sure you take at least one day in between core workouts.

Chapter 8. Weeks 1 & 2–Let’s Get Started

a. Suggested Workout Schedule

b. Equipment Needed

Chapter 9. Weeks 3 & 4–Getting Stronger

a. Suggested Workout Schedule

b. Equipment Needed

Chapter 10. Weeks 5 & 6–Building Muscle

a. Suggested Workout Schedule

b. Equipment Needed

Chapter 11. Weeks 7 & 8–Making Changes

a. Suggested Workout Schedule

b. Equipment Needed

Chapter 12. Weeks 9 & 10–Getting There

a. Suggested Workout Schedule

b. Equipment Needed

Chapter 13. Weeks 11 & 12–Your Most Challenging Workouts

a. Suggested Workout Schedule

b. Equipment Needed

Chapter 14: What Happens Now?

a. How to Change Your Workouts

b. Taking an Exercise Break

Resources