None of us is completely immune from the effects of aging on the body–for many of us, part of the aging process includes gaining weight. A large portion of this weight settles around our midsection, known as “middle-age spread” that becomes a source of frustration and self-consciousness that diminishes our quality of life. Fortunately, you can try the ketogenic diet and whip yourself back into shape.

Baby boomers, those who are considered middle-aged and moving into a more established phase of life, are a population that is affected by the onset of additional weight gain. Even if our diet and exercise habits don’t change, we still find ourselves struggling to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit and lean as we grow into our forties and beyond.

The mathematics of weight loss is relatively simple—calories in must not exceed calories expended, or it will result in weight gain. While it’s not always easy to make these changes, committing to keeping yourself healthy and trim in your later years will provide a better quality of life for you and for the family that you care for. Maintain an active lifestyle by incorporating movement and exercise into every day. Some other strategies for burning extra calories through the day include:

• Using a standing or treadmill desk at work
• Using a balance ball for sitting
• Cook more of your meals at home
• Take the stairs or park far away from your destination
• Stay moving and take movement breaks throughout the day
• Incorporate resistance exercises in your day

The ketogenic diet is a low carb, high-fat way of eating that shares many similarities with the Atkins and other low carb plans for eating. Going keto means drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing these calories with healthy fats. The resulting carb deficit puts your body into a fat-burning mode called “ketosis”.

When you reach ketosis, your body becomes an incredibly efficient fat-burning machine. It is also able to turn fat into ketones via a metabolic process in the liver, supplying much-needed energy to the brain. Ketogenic diets help to stabilize blood glucose and insulin levels, and they have numerous other health benefits for those who follow this decadent style of eating.

Many menopausal baby boomers can testify to the same fact. Eating keto helps reduce menopausal symptoms such as irritability, bloating, disruptions in sleep, and weight gain. In addition, those women who develop POCS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome found a dramatic reduction in their symptoms upon following the diet for a number of weeks. These benefits included:

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• added weight loss
• balanced hormone levels
• improved fasting insulin levels

With the reduction in the discomfort of menopausal symptoms, it is no surprise that female baby boomers embrace this diet.