The Midlife Method: Tips for losing weight after 40
Try midlife healthy living according to this new book on staying healthy throughout middle age by author Sam Rice. Read on to learn more about how to lose weight over 40
Text: Sam Rice
Society tells us that being healthy at middle age is no fun at all. Along with suffering killer hangovers, weird sprouty body hairs and dehydrated skin, we’re led to believe that losing weight is nigh on impossible. Indeed, it’s true that our metabolism falls by 5% every decade past age 40, but it could also be that you’ve got your midlife method of losing weight over 40 wrong.
Sam Rice is a freelance food and health writer and the mastermind behind the UK Sunday Times best-selling book The Midlife Kitchen. Sam's journey into healthy living began in 2012 when her youngest brother died suddenly from complications arising from Type 1 diabetes. She got into researching and writing about midlife health and The Midlife Method: How to Lose Weight and Feel Great After 40 was born.
As her book skyrockets up the book charts, Sam talks The Soothe about how our bodies change when we hit 40, how to use your diet to accommodate these changes, and the midlife method to losing weight healthily (without giving up the wine — yay!). Discover more about tips for losing weight after 40.
What inspired you to write The Midlife Method: How to Lose Weight and Feel Great After 40?
My new book was eight years in the making. I had my own health wake-up call back in 2012 when my brother Ben died aged 27 from complications arising from Type 1 Diabetes. I was 42 at the time and about 10 kg overweight and not really looking after myself. I decided that I wanted to find a healthy and sustainable way to lose weight and The Midlife Method is the culmination of that process.
Tell us about the main framework of the book and how it can be used?
The book is really in two distinct parts. The first explains what happens to our bodies as we hit midlife (from roughly 40 onwards), why being overweight in midlife is a problem in terms of health outcomes, and what approaches work best for weight management.
The second part is 'the method', which introduces the concept of Light Days (where you calorie restrict to roughly 800) and Regular Days (where you focus on eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods). The book contains over 80 recipes that are simple, healthy, and lower in calories to achieve an energy deficit for weight loss yet are properly balanced in protein, carbs and fat for optimum health in midlife. There is also a four-week plan based on the recipes that people can follow for the best results.
How do our bodies change over 40?
Three main changes happen physiologically in men and women as we get older. Firstly, our hormones (oestrogen and progesterone for women, testosterone for men) decline and this can lead to changes in weight distribution — a tendency to accumulate fat around the middle.
Secondly, our metabolism will slow down as we age. In fact, in terms of energy requirements, we need around 20% fewer calories when we hit 50 compared to our 20s. We also tend to lose muscle mass as we age, and this further slows our metabolism. Finally, the diversity of our gut bacteria declines as we age, so we become less efficient when extracting what we need from our food. Eating well to support our gut microbiome is really important, even more so when trying to lose weight.
What foods do you recommend for midlifers?
I generally recommend a very inclusive diet where no foods are off-limits unless you have an allergy or intolerance or follow a restricted diet for ethical or religious reasons. It's really key to eat a wide variety of plant-based foods (aim for 30 different ones a week to support gut health) and to make sure you’re eating some complex carbs, lean protein and healthy fats over the course of the day. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to cut down on red meat and minimise free sugars (those that are added rather than naturally occurring in food). Still, I do believe in everything in moderation, otherwise you will just end up with cravings.
Aside from what we consume, what exercise is best?
All exercise is good so do what you enjoy, but the key is to try and be active every day in some shape or form, be it a walk outside, some yoga or a bike ride. Adding an element of strength or resistance training can make a difference in midlife because it helps support muscle mass, which supports our metabolic rate. It doesn't have to be lifting heavy weights in a gym. Resistance Pilates is fantastic, or even just buy a mat and a set of hand weights to use at home. There is so much free content on the internet and training apps that you’re only a click away from a half-hour strength training routine.
As a qualified oenologist and wine writer, how do wine and alcohol fit in with The Midlife Method?
People often think the two things — being a health and food writer and a wine expert — are at odds, but for me, it's all about living well and taking pleasure in what you eat and drink! Of course, alcohol is quite calorific, so you must limit the amount you drink when in weight loss mode; my mantra is quality over quantity!
In health terms, there are a few rules to abide by. Stick to 14 units maximum a week (that's about 1.5 bottles of wine), have at least three alcohol-free days a week and don't have more than six units in one day — any more than this is considered a binge and can negatively affect your health.
Have you got any wine recommendations for us please?
I absolutely love introducing people to different grape varieties and always encourage people to go off-piste with their wine choices. For whites, I am loving the grape variety Grüner Veltliner from Austria at the moment, try Markus Huber Gruner (SGD 38, Straits Market). As for reds, I adore Italian grape varieties and have just stocked up on this fabulous Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from ILauri (SGD 35, Sasha’s Fine Foods).
Any other health advice for the over 40s?
Remember that weight loss, if done healthily and sustainably, is not going to be achieved with a quick-fix faddy diet. My book is called The Midlife Method, NOT The Midlife Diet, because it is holistic and looks at a lifestyle change, not just in what you eat, but also including exercise, sleep, stress and alcohol. You must be committed to making some long-term positive changes and see it as an investment in your future. Losing weight requires focus until eventually, managing your weight becomes second nature. I lost those 10 kgs and have kept them off for over eight years even as I have aged and headed into my 50s.
What are some of your favourite stores in Singapore to buy the food for your recipes in the book?
Because I am constantly recipe creating and testing, I can't afford to shop in expensive boutique supermarkets. My mainstays are Redmart (the Sainsburys and Monoprix ranges are particularly outstanding and affordable) and Opentaste for fresh produce. Where I live, there is a great little Korean supermarket, the Hao chain, which are dotted around the island, and they have an excellent fresh fish and seafood counter. I also love the Redman range at Phoon Huat — they sell delicious value nuts and seeds and large packs of frozen fruit which I use a lot.
What’s next for you and The Midlife Method?
The book just came out a couple of months ago, so I've been busy promoting that and hoping enough copies sell so I can propose a follow-up book to my publishers. I'm not sure exactly what format will take yet, but it will be along similar lines — delicious, healthy, simple, family-friendly meals that help you keep your weight where you want it to be. In the meantime, you can see what I'm up to on Instagram @midlifekitchen and my blog www.midlifemethod.co.uk.
About Sam Rice
Sam Rice is a freelance food and health writer and the UK Sunday Times best-selling author of The Midlife Kitchen, which she wrote with fellow food writer and journalist Mimi Spencer. Sam is also a qualified oenologist and wine writer and holds a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma. After moving to Bali with her family in 2013, she was the wine columnist for Inspired Bali Magazine. Today Sam lives in Singapore with her husband and two teenage children. She is a regular contributor to a number of print and online publications, and she has a regular monthly column in the UK’s Top Santé Magazine called The Mindful Eater.
