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Live Strong Magazine:
Estimated Calorie Needs for a 60-Year-Old Woman
A combination of diet and exercise changes is the most effective way for post-menopausal women to lose weight and body fat, according to a study published in Obesity in 2012. Eating fewer calories while maintaining a high intake of protein and fiber and exercising about an hour each day are among the more effective changes you can make for weight loss. Check with your doctor before starting this new plan, however, to make sure it is safe for you.
Your metabolism slows as you age, so you'll likely need to work harder to lose weight than you did in your 20s and 30s. After age 20, your metabolism decreases by about 2 or 3 percent each decade, mostly due to losing muscle mass. Decreasing caloric intake by about 150 calories every 10 years may help limit weight gain caused by this slowdown.
How many calories you should eat per day to maintain your weight varies based on activity level. A 60-year-old woman who isn't active needs about 1,600 calories per day, one who is moderately active needs about 1,800 calories per day and one who is active typically needs between 2,000 and 2,200 calories per day. To lose about 1 pound per week, you need to get 500 fewer calories than you burn each day. That could mean eating 500 fewer calories than your needs, burning an extra 500 calories through exercise or some combination of the two. Never eat fewer than 1,200 calories daily or you'll risk nutrient deficiencies -- if you're sedentary and need just 1,600 calories daily to maintain your weight, you could cut your calorie intake by 400 calories and burn the extra 100 calories through exercise.
Sample Diet for a 60-Year-Old Woman
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a person of this age needing about 1,600 calories per day eat 1.5 cups of fruit, 2 cups of vegetables, 5 ounces of grains, 5 ounces of protein-rich foods and the equivalent of 3 cups of fat-free milk in dairy products each day.
Protein sources should be lean, such as seafood, skinless poultry, eggs and legumes, and grains should be whole grains. Try to get 25 to 30 grams of protein in each meal, as this may help decrease muscle loss. Avoid "junk" foods high in saturated or trans fats, as well as added sugars -- these foods are often loaded with calories but offer little nutritional value.
A sample day could include a breakfast of an orange or a cup of berries, a cup of oatmeal and a cup of nonfat yogurt. For lunch, try 2 ounces of turkey and 1 ounce of cheese on two slices of whole-grain bread served with a cup of salad and an apple. Dinner could be 3 ounces of tuna, 1 cup cooked broccoli, a glass of milk and 1/2 cup of quinoa.
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