Benefits for older (+80)

Barbaraleamcl

Would love to see more discussion and advice for +80 members in good health that want to loose 5-10 lbs. Moderately active woman living in SW Florida.

AdahPotatah2024

I know this probably isn't what you'd like to hear, and I don't want to discourage you from trying to be healthy...but from all the research I've read I believe it is healthier to be 5-10 pounds overweight when you reach your 80s -90s. I really think it'd be better to focus on maintaining your weight and staying active rather than losing weight and watching calories.

AnnPT77

If you want to lose a few pounds, you can do it. I'm not 80. I'm "only" 68. Weight loss as such isn't different as we age - eat a little less than we burn, we're going to lose weight.

What may be different - based on my own only slightly younger experiences - is that physical resilience to stress may not be what it was when we were 20-something. That puts a priority on losing weight relatively slowly, because the faster weight loss is, the more physical stress (and health risk) is created.

Also, it's especially important for us to keep our useful muscle alongside losing fat, because it's slower to rebuild at this age. Retaining muscle, too, is more likely if we lose the weight slowly. It's also most likely if we add some strength-challenging exercise, if we're not doing some already. On top of that, it's way, way too common for people 65+ not to get enough protein, and it's more important for us to spread it through the day (not concentrate it in one meal) compared to younger folks. See, for more information:

https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(13)00326-5/fulltext

I don't think @AdahPotatah2024 is wrong to say we might need a little "insurance policy" of energy reserves in later years . . . but I also think that at 80, odds are very high that you know yourself, and know whether you have a few truly excess pounds available to lose. (For those with that "extra weight is good when aging" thought, I'd also observe that muscle is a similar insurance policy. We don't want to lose it, but it's there as reserve weight in extremes, and is more useful day to day than reserve fat until we reach those extremes.)

I'd tell anyone (of any age) with only 10 or so pounds to lose not to do it faster than half a pound loss a week, and that slower loss is just fine if more sustainable. I think that's an extra good thought for those of us who are aging. I didn't respect health preservation enough when I was younger; it's extra important now.

Best wishes!