Am I just replacing muscle with fat?

tfield98

67 y.o. male, 5'10. I lost 20 pounds last year (first-time dieter) with MFP. BMI now 23. I'm at my target weight of 161.

I have never done heavy weights, just resistance and body weight, spinning, walking, swimming.

I've maintained my 20-pound loss. And, I'm doing a lot less exercise and no longer counting calories.

I'm worried that my maintenance success is may due to muscle loss (from fewer workouts and aging) offsetting fat gain.

Is that a realistic worry? I've considered getting a BMI test in a tank to monitor the fat/muscle ratio, but don't know what kind of precision or accuracy from test to test these tanks have.

Any comments on my thinking?

cmriverside

Well, both aging and weight loss contribute to some muscle loss, but with just a 20 pound weight loss I would doubt it is any significant amount. Is there a reason it's troubling you today?

I wouldn't worry excessively about it. It seems you're reasonably fit and doing some resistance work. I'm about your age and I think I worry more about injury than muscle loss - but I'm female.

Do you want to start a weight lifting program? I'm sure there is plenty of help for that on this site.

middlehaitch

Personally, given the information in your post, I think it is a realistic worry. It would be for me, F, 65.

If you have dropped exercises that challenge your muscles, and your protein level is on the lower side, you are probably slowly losing muscle.

I would encourage you to keep up with a routine that progressively challenges you. Body weight exercises and swimming would help. (Weight lifting isn’t for everyone, but I do encourage it)

Your maintenance success is because you have naturally balance you calories in with your calories out. If you increased your activity to avoid muscle and bone deterioration, you would have to increase your calorie intake.

As a mature adult, protein intake to help in muscle retention is important. Not too long ago it was thought that as we were older, and not as active, we needed less. Now it is recommended that we keep our levels a little higher, and has been shown to help in muscle retention even when not very active.
0.6-0.8g per lbs of body weight would be a good goal to aim for. (Personally, because I lift, I aim for 0.8-1g)

I’m, as said above, 65 and am working to be as active as possible so when I am as old as my mum, 92, I can be as independent as she, or even moreso.

That’s 27 years from now.
A lot of living to do. Adventures to have. Places to visit.

No way am I going to let my muscles atrophy, my bones weaken and miss all the fun ahead.

Look to your future.

Cheers, h.

awnurmarc

Sarcopenia is absolutely a concern. I would try to consume at least 161 grams of protein a day and strength train.

awnurmarc

https://youtu.be/wJBqBDZoSvQ

MikePTY

While weight lifting/strength training can only be beneficial, I don't think "your maintainence success if from losing muscle and gaining fat". If you eating at maintenence calories, your body doesn't have any need to burn muscle for energy, so the chances of that happening are pretty low in any measurable level, especially if you have at least moderate protein intake.

You do lose muscle with aging, but it is a slow, long term process that is in the fraction of pounds a year. So I don't think that is the reason for your maintanence.

A dexa scan or Bod Pod body fat test can give you some additional insight to your composition, should you decide to go that route. There is no such thing as 100% accuracy, but they are the most accurate on the market.

MikePTY

Double post.

sijomial

Although muscle change is slow (outside of young males gaining and people suddenly becoming completely inactive and losing) your muscle mass isn't static. Muscle protein synthesis and breakdown are going on all the time.
It's not that you burn muscle for fuel, it's simply the balance between muscle naturally being broken down and replaced tips the wrong way. You can't do much about your rate of breakdown but you can heavily influence the synthesis side of the balance (with activity, exercise and particularly resistance training).

Your musculature will adapt over time to the use and stresses you apply. Reducing your exercise will result in a slow adaptation to the lower demands you are placing on your muscles. Yes over an extended period of time your fitness, strength and muscle mass will decline.

Yes you should be concerned and yes if you intend sharing my goal (as a 59 YO) of as many good years as possible you should do something about it.

As I said to my daughter while training together "Alice you have to get strong as you will be lifting me on and off the toilet in a few years time." (Her response wasn't printable but lets just say I'm on my own in that regard.)

nxd10

Yes it is realistic (60 years old here) but resistance training is what we need at this age to maintain muscle and bone mass. If you're worried use a tape measure. It's more informative than a scale.

nowine4me

It’s not too late to start!