Men and Women over 40 trying to lose weight permanently face an identical problem: The fat piles up much easier after 40 and is harder to lose too.

Storing fat used to be crucial for survival, and fat is a great storage medium for energy. Through human history, we’ve existed many shortages and starvation periods of time because we could rely on our body fat.

Nowadays, the ability of our bodies to stock fat easily threatens permanent weight loss. Let’s understand how fat cells work and why it is so hard for men and women over 40 to lose weight permanently.

Existing fat cells fill up when your body takes in more energy than you spend. And it does not count if you are eating fat or starch or sugar: All extra calories move into fat storage. After the existing fat cells are filled, your body grows new fat cells- a process without natural limitations.

Especially if you are stressed, building fat cushions is often comfortable. But the most serious threat to lose weight permanently over 40 is: Existing fat cells won’t be destroyed. You can reduce the quantity of fat stored in fat cells, but you cannot reduce the amount of existing fat cells.

If your fat cells are full, they send a Neuropeptide to your brain called Leptin. While the Leptin level in your blood is high, your brain gets the message that you aren't hungry and don't need to eat. But when your fat cells are exhausted, the Leptin is missing- and you are becoming starved.

Now, let's be totally honest and unveil a truth: To lose weight permanently over 40, feeling somewhat hungry is something you are going to have to live with. This is an emotional challenge and that’s why I emphasize so much the psychological science behind permanent weight loss- your mind needs ways to cope with that emotional challenge. In order to lose weight permanently, any weight loss program you choose must include psychological advice to be efficient.

With women, the distribution of fat varies with age too. Younger women often detect more fat on the hips and thighs. Women over 40 will often acquire fat around the abdomen, and visceral belly fat is associated to a number of diseases.

Our bodies are regulated by strong regulation mechanisms. We tend to have the identical weight, although we do not eat the identical amount of calories every day. Our bodies then make up for these calories shifts, which leads to another problem for accomplishing permanent weight loss over 40:

If you over-eat for a long period of time, your body will adjust to the new weight and will try to hold that weight. You will always experience the need to fill up the existing fat cells. And the longer you are on starvation diets, the stronger the feelings of hunger can get.

Gaining weight is very easy. Eating only 100 calories per day surplus of what your body burns will lead to gaining approximately 9 lbs (4.5 kg) per year. It's very easy to ingest an additional 100 calories. A can of Coca-Cola (12 fl oz) holds already 155 calories. A Kit Kat Wafer Bar has 218 and so on…

To get rid of these 9 lbs you would have to eat nothing for approximately 2 weeks. Or jog 51 hours, or walk 126 hours.

This all goes to demonstrate that if you want to lose weight permanently after 40, small meals and snacks sum up, so be mindful of what you eat.