Oh well, I guess you already realized this but those of us who are older than 40 know that our metabolisms have slowed down. This means being able to burn less calories than we did in our youth.

It doesn’t help that most of us are not actually aware of just how many calories we take in each day or just how many of them get burned up through body processes and our activity level.

If you’re age 60 or older, there’s the reality that you also lose muscle mass. Muscle mass helps you to burn calories. Without muscle mass, it easy to put on pounds to your frame when you eat more than your bodies need.

Men and women who are in their fifties burn 4 to 8% more calories than men and women in their 60s.

If you 40 years of age or older, you have to be more careful about how many calories you consume each day. You also have to be more diligent about being able to burn off what you don’t need.

If you find that you are gaining weight, make changes now such as

• increase your daily activity level
• eat fat-free or light products
• watch portion sizes
• drink more than eight 8-oz glasses of water a day.

Also, remember to not “drink” too many calories. Plenty of calories are contained in beverages, condiments, and of course desserts. I’ve tried to make it a habit of drinking water at most meals and never drink sodas anymore (except a very occasional Root Beer). Another tip is to start sharing desserts or only taking a few bites and leaving the rest (I know how much will power that takes but you can do it)!

The link takes you to a Web MD Site that has lots of ideas on eating better for your age and metabolism.