Does keto work for women over 50? In my experience, keto for women over 50 can work—especially when inflammation seems to be standing between you and the weight you’re trying so hard to lose. . Keto helped me bring the inflammation in my body down, and once that started happening, my body finally began responding and releasing the weight.
I resisted keto for years.
I had heard doctors say it wasn’t good for you, and that was enough to make me put it in the “absolutely not” pile without really looking into it for myself.
But after being overweight for such a long time, I kept hearing the same thing from my doctors: I needed to get the inflammation in my body under control before I was going to lose the weight.
That was when I decided to stop listening to quick opinions and start doing my own research.
Why I Finally Tried Keto for Women Over 50
One thing that completely changed how I looked at keto was learning that it wasn’t originally created as another trendy weight-loss diet.
The ketogenic diet was introduced in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy, particularly in children. That led me to start reading more about keto, the brain and inflammation throughout the body.
Suddenly, it didn’t sound like some ridiculous diet where people lived on bacon and butter all day.
It made me wonder: What if lowering my carbohydrates could help my body settle down enough to finally release the weight it had been holding onto?
So I decided to try it.
For me, keto was the thing that helped me get the inflammation down. Once that happened, I started losing weight.
What Does Keto Actually Do?
The simple explanation is that keto changes where your body gets its energy.
Most of the time, our bodies burn the sugar that comes from carbohydrates. When you lower your carbohydrates enough, your body has to look for another fuel source—so it begins using fat and producing ketones for energy.
That doesn’t mean you have to understand every scientific detail before you begin. I certainly didn’t.
The benefits I cared about were much more practical:
I wanted less inflammation.
I wanted my body to start burning fat.
I wanted fewer cravings.
And I wanted to stop feeling as though I was doing everything right while the scale sat there smirking at me.
What I Ate on Keto
Keto does not have to mean complicated recipes or spending your entire Sunday preparing 27 little containers of food.
Most of my meals were built around:
- Meat, chicken, fish or eggs
- Low-carb vegetables
- Healthy fats
- Enough protein to keep me satisfied
- Very little sugar, bread, pasta, rice or potatoes
Getting enough protein became important too, especially because I wanted to lose fat without losing the muscle I need after 50. If protein is the part you struggle with, you can read about my 5 Day Protein Reset for Women Over 50.
One of the easiest keto meals is a taco bowl.
Brown some ground beef with taco seasoning, then add lettuce, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream and a little salsa. You get all the flavour of tacos without the shells or a pile of dishes afterward.
The easier I kept my meals, the more likely I was to stay consistent.
The Extra Thing That Helped the Weight Come Off Faster
Keto helped me bring down the inflammation and started my weight-loss process. But when I added one daily spoonful of a sugar-free CLA and collagen formula, the weight began coming off faster.
Altogether, I lost 52 pounds.
It also gave me benefits that went beyond the number on the scale. Because it contains collagen and hyaluronic acid, I noticed a difference in my joints, hair, nails and eyes too.
That mattered to me. I didn’t only want to become smaller. I wanted to feel better in my body while I was losing the weight.
What Is CLA, in Normal Girlfriend Language?
CLA stands for conjugated linoleic acid—but we don’t need to turn this into a chemistry class.
CLA is a type of fatty acid that helps support the way your body handles fat. When you are already reducing calories and being active, it can help support a reduction in fat mass and improve body composition.
In girlfriend language: it helps your healthy eating efforts work harder for you.
It isn’t permission to eat cheesecake at midnight and expect a spoonful to erase it by morning. If only. But when you are already making changes, it can give your body extra support with fat metabolism, muscle tone and body composition.
That is exactly why it made sense alongside keto for me.
Is Keto for Women Over 50 Worth Trying?
I can’t tell you what will work for every woman, but I believe keto for women over 50 is worth looking into—and I wish I hadn’t dismissed it for so many years without researching it myself.
Keto helped me address the inflammation that had been keeping my body stuck. Adding the daily CLA and collagen formula helped the weight come off faster while also supporting the parts of my body I cared about as I got older.
For women in the United States, I have linked the body-composition and collagen formula available there.
For women in Canada, I have linked the Canadian sugar-free CLA and collagen formula.
Both are meant to work alongside healthier eating and activity.
If you have been cutting calories, eating cleaner and wondering why your body still refuses to cooperate, inflammation may be an important part of the conversation.
Sometimes the answer isn’t to eat even less.
Sometimes it’s about helping your body get into a better place so your effort can finally start showing.
Individual experiences will vary.
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