It will happen to all of us as we reach and surpass the inevitable 40 year milestone age:  The muffin top belly that hangs over our belt line, thighs that meet each other in the middle all too often, and the surprising (and unfriendly) 10-15 pounds that shows up on the scale \’somehow\’.  With a slowing metabolism, added life stressors and hormonal changes, it makes it that much harder to keep the body we used to have.  Follow these tips to help your body come closer to your pre-40 physique:

1.  It is easy to blame our hormones for our increased stress and/or lack of energy, but in reality hormones account for only 2-5 pounds of weight gain, the rest is attributed to poor lifestyle choices. Simply recognizing (and appreciating) that changes occur in your body when you age is the first challenge; the rest will fall in line once you commit to doing everything in your control to keep your body as healthy as it was before changes due to aging started occurring.  Eating less (not more), exercising consistently, and making healthy food choices are just 3 things that are a MUST.

2.  Work hard NOT to gain weight. If all other things stay constant and you don\’t change anything that you are doing, your body will NATURALLY want to gain weight. You need to make changes in the amount of food you eat and the type of foods that you eat and what you do for your exercise routine in order to keep your weight constant (unless you are blessed with a naturally high metabolism).  The quality and amount of food that you put in your mouth will show its face in your waistline, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other factors.