Often caused by an inactive lifestyle, unhealthy diet, eating before sleep or diseases, extra weight can turn into trouble in later ages.

If you're looking to shed some extra kilos, your first step should be deciding on the right kind of diet and exercise. Losing or putting on weight is directly related to what you eat. So, by being conscious about what to eat or not will make things easier for you.

Losing weight is easier before someone reaches their 40s. After that, losing weight gets more difficult as metabolism slows down.

What is more, a decrease in estrogen levels, faced during perimenopause and menopause often starting in the 40s or 50s, may lead to insulin sensitivity, making it difficult for the body to control blood sugar levels.

Changes in blood sugar levels may also drive a tendency to consume starchy food and sweets.

In order to lose weight, you don't have to follow an extreme workout routine. With regular efforts, it is possible to accelerate a slowed-down metabolism and the weight loss process.GOLDEN RULESNaturally, many things change along with people's age. However, the basic principles of losing weight are the same, regardless of your age. So, you have to draw up some rules in your mind before deciding on a diet plan.

Eat lessFor most people, the key cause of putting on extra weight is that it takes too long for them to reach a feeling of satiety when consuming food. Feeling full stops people from eating more and this transforms their relief from hunger to satisfaction. However, eating more doesn't guarantee quick satisfaction.

This can be avoided by reducing the size of your plate or portions. You can do so while eating main dishes like chicken, grill, meat, broccoli or beans. If you consume rice, bulgur or pasta besides the main dish, there is no need for bread.

Daily calorie needs vary from person to person. However, a person with an approximate intake of 2000 calories a day should lessen it by at least 400 or 500 calories.

Try to lose 1 to 2 kilograms in a weekPay attention to mealtimes - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Skipping a mealtime to lose weight will result in a slowed metabolism. Especially when you skip breakfast or dinner, your metabolism will be reprogrammed to store calories, instead of burning them. It can also lower your blood sugar levels which may cause various health problems.

Adopt a diet rich in legumes and greensIn an experiment to determine legumes' effects on losing weight, scientists selected a group of people on specific diet and exercise program and separated them into two groups.

Then, people in the first group were asked to add legumes to their diet but didn't make any other changes to their diet and exercise program. The second group, on the other hand, decreased 500 calories from their daily diet and didn't add any legumes to their diet. After two months on the new diet, the weight loss rates of the two groups were compared and they were found to be equal. Another study showed that people with a diet rich in legumes can lose four times more weight than people on a different diet.

PeasPeas are a rich source of potassium and play an important role in keeping your heart healthy. Recent studies have shown that peas function as a metabolic accelerator (or metabolism booster).

BeansBeans are also part of the legume family. Different variations of beans are part of the Turkish diet. It is used in soups, for main dishes and even in salads.

Consuming just half a glass of black beans will meet 15 percent of your daily need for iron. Studies show that red beans, generally used in salads, are a great source of antioxidant, surpassing even pomegranates and blueberries.

Vegetables and fruits containing antioxidants are generally red. The darker the tone the more antioxidants they contain. It was also found that the glycemic index, used to measure the effect of nutrients on blood sugar levels, for white beans, which is consumed as the main dish in Turkey, is very low.

All kinds of beans have a boosting effect on metabolism. If you want to lose weight, start writing down the recipes that contain beans.

ChickpeasWith every new study conducted on chickpeas, the list of its benefits keeps getting longer. It is highly rich in vitamins, minerals, folic acid and vitamin B.

Besides its curing effects on the heart and the neural system, chickpeas can also play an active role in fighting some types of cancer. Scientists studying its effects on human metabolism have found that chickpeas can also act as a metabolism accelerator.

LentilLentils are also legumes that come in a wide range of colors. Used quite often in Turkey, it can be cooked into numerous hot or cold dishes. Lentils are rich in protein - half a glass of contains 9 grams of proteins - magnesium and folic acid. In addition to numerous health benefits, lentils are also good for muscle aches and cramps. Like other high protein nutrients, lentils can you help lose weight by keeping you full for a long time.

CucumberCucumbers have the lowest amount calories among vegetables and it's delicious. The reason behind its low-calorie count is that it is mostly made up of water. You can prefer cucumbers as refreshment in your dietary program.

AvocadoEven though avocados were not part of Turkish culture until recently, now it is featured in numerous recipes. Avocados are rich in vitamins, minerals, and vegetable oil, thus extremely effective in losing weight.

Move moreLosing can be difficult just by following a diet list. Especially if you are over 40, you should definitely combine your diet with exercise. You can support your diet with a minimum 30-minute daily activity. If you like walking, you should take at least 10,000 steps in a day. If you do not have time to work out try to be active throughout the day.

Drink more waterDrinking more water plays an active role in the healthy functioning of our vital organs and metabolism. We should try to drink minimum eight glasses of water every day. It accelerates our metabolism and helps the body to easily get rid of toxins.

Know yourself and be honest

It is you who know your metabolism the best and that's why you should decide what to eat and what not to eat. You do not have to totally stay away from the food you like rather you have to act responsibly and limit yourself.