(ThyBlackMan.com) If you’re over 40, weight gain seems inevitable, but it’s not. Here’s what you’re up against and how to lose weight and stay fit.
Don’t Get Trapped By The Carb Myth
Most men think, “No problem. I’ll just cut out carbs and the weight will drop right off.” The sad part is that 92 percent of men over 40 fail at sustained weight loss. Ouch. Maybe the whole low carb thing worked when you were in your 20s and 30s, but your testosterone levels have been taking a beating for the last 20 years.
You don’t bounce back like you used to. Growth hormone, testosterone, and an inherent ability to recover are the reasons why your younger self could do crazy things to lose weight. 
You’re not that person anymore. But, there is hope.
Get More Sleep
Everyone needs more sleep, and it just so happens to be one of the best ways to improve weight loss. Imagine that. Close your eyes and sleep.
Get to bed earlier, clean up your sleep habits, and you will have done the single most important thing for priming your body for weight loss. Dr. Kirk Parsley, one of the world’s foremost authorities on sleep, recommends at least 8 to 9 hours for most people.
But, it’s not just number of hours. You need quality sleep. You need to wind down when the sun goes down, use blue-blocker sunglasses to block blue light at night so that your melatonin levels aren’t suppressed while you’re trying to wind down.
Good sleep can improve testosterone levels, improve daily energy and performance, and make you look and feel better – all good things. And, it’s free. Aside from the special blue light blocking glasses (if you insist on using electronics at night), all you have to do is slip into bed before 10PM.
Start Meditating
Meditation is important to keep stress at bay. If you’re new to this, or you think that meditation is just for hippie chicks, one of the best, most down-to-Earth ways to learn about it is to pick up the meditation app called “Headspace.” Do it for 10 minutes a day. It will change your life, reduce your stress, and make it easier to lose weight.
No, it’s not a gimmick. When you’re stressed out, you release a hormone called cortisol. This hormone induces a “fight or flight” response, shifting your body from weight loss and longevity to “stress mode.”
When your cortisol levels are chronically elevated from daily, unrelenting, stress, it’s nearly impossible to relax, lose weight, and live a well-balanced life.
Restrict Eating To An 8-Hour Window
New research blows the doors wide open on all of the diet gimmicks out there. Researchers have shown that, all other things being equal, restricting your eating or “feeding window” to 8 hours out of the day, while fasting for 16 hours, helps you lose weight as well as improve blood markers for a variety of serious illnesses and diseases.
This is independent of calorie intake and food quality. Of course, eating highly nutritious foods helps, but consider fasting every day for 16 hours, and eat within an 8-hour window.
Get Plastic Surgery If You Need It
This is sort of an alternative strategy for men who have lost weight rapidly but are left with excess skin (loose skin). It happens. It’s not a pretty sight. If you’re not willing to wait for things to shrink and tighten up, you might need someone like KR Plastic Surgery to help you.
Plastic surgery isn’t for everyone, but it is probably the quickest fix for flabby skin. And, sometimes, especially if you were very overweight, it’s the only way to tighten up sagging skin.
Staff Writer; David Adams
