But what happens when your body is getting older? Put in simple terms, your metabolic process is getting slower. A 40 year old women burns 10-15% less calories than a 20 year old- the consuming habits, however, tend not to change:

If a 20 year old woman needs 2000 calories a day, a 40 year old woman needs 300 calories less. This might be the equivalent of two cans of soda, a piece of cake or 3 bananas. If you do not scale down your food consumption, you'll gain approximately 1 lb every 2 weeks- or 26 lbs per year!

You might have been used to certain portion sizes for decades. Unfortunately, there is no way to fill up in your forties as you've used to do in your twenties- the excess calories will end up on your hips, thighs and belly. This will give you a ?pear shape? figure- not really the most elegant appearance. In addition, many stylish clothes will not really fit- they are often tight-fitting and reveal all surplus fat.

In addition, the body transforms more muscles into fat- making losing weight over 40 permanently yet harder. A workout program aiming at the complete body is very important- and it will improve your mood also. So you can improve your body tone while you are brighten up your mood at the same time!

For many of us the idea to go to a gym is something we do not really look forward too- but research proves, that regular exercise really gives us more emotional stability. And: You'll feel happier too. So exercise is a great natural remedy for all the stress and challenging situations in our busy lives.

The female body is programmed to store fat much more efficiently than the male body. After all, in pregnancy the body has to care for two people. But: Even after menopause the efficiency of fat storage in female bodies does not change. Your body is still designed to be very efficient in storing excess fat.

For many women over 40 the level of physical activity shifts also. Young mothers get a lot of exercise just by being with their kids. When children grow older this might change. In addition, the days of women over 40 are packed with activities, there is often no time for an exercising program. The schedule demands for fast meal preparation, so we eat out or buy packaged food- these foods often contain a lot of undesirable fat.

And: The stress at work grows often over 40- stress makes it much harder to lose weight permanently.

It is very hard to lose weight permanently for women over 40. You'll need to admit this fact and work with your body, not against it.