Is it harder to lose weight as you get older
halimaiqbal00
Posts: 288 Member
Fact or fiction?
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Replies
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People tend to be less active as they get older, but other than that, no, age doesn't matter.0
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For me personally, I've been trying to lose weight for about 15 years and this time has been the easiest even though I am now 40.
I'd say it depends. Some people can develop different challenges and more demands on their time as they get older that they might not have had as younger people.0 -
Everything seems harder as you get older. LOL But the earlier you start, the easier it is to keep going. It's a case of "use it or lose it."0
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No, IME I think it's an excuse
Find the right programme, stick to it and weight comes off
Older people are possibly more jaded and have more inbuilt excuses though IME ...I spent years thinking why does it matter any more, I'm happy as I am, I'm too old to care, my body is supposed to have changed
But no ...I was making excuses for myself, I was just better at it
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It depends, being older you may be more sedentary, more stressed, have less muscle and generally be less active. Lifestyle of a teenager is different, but you can address those changes and you shouldnt use it as a woe is me excuse, just get on with it.0
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I'm in my 60's and my metabolism has definitely slowed way down, but conversely, its been easier this time around to lose the weight. MFP just makes it so easy to track what I eat. Wish I'd had this website 20 years ago.0
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I can't speak for the men, but for those women (i.e.rabbitjb) who think aging is just an excuse for gaining weight ..... go through menopause and then make a blanket statement we're just using age as an excuse
Is it impossible to lose weight.... NO, but it certainly isn't as easy when I was in my 20's, 30' or heaven forbid my 40's. Funny thing is, I just put on most of this weight I'm currently shedding after I hit 50..... Excuses aside, it's coming off and I'm dedicated to keep it off for my long-term health and well being. My family has a mantra you can either wear out or rust out and I intend to do my best to wear out 0 -
Sandcastles61 wrote: »I can't speak for the men, but for those women (i.e.rabbitjb) who think aging is just an excuse for gaining weight ..... go through menopause and then make a blanket statement we're just using age as an excuse Is it impossible to lose weight.... NO, but it certainly isn't as easy when I was in my 20's, 30' or heaven forbid my 40's. Funny thing is, I just put on most of this weight I'm currently shedding after I hit 50..... Excuses aside, it's coming off and I'm dedicated to keep it off for my long-term health and well being. My family has a mantra you can either wear out or rust out and I intend to do my best to wear out
I'm 470 -
Yes definitely....0
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Sandcastles61 wrote: »I can't speak for the men, but for those women (i.e.rabbitjb) who think aging is just an excuse for gaining weight ..... go through menopause and then make a blanket statement we're just using age as an excuse Is it impossible to lose weight.... NO, but it certainly isn't as easy when I was in my 20's, 30' or heaven forbid my 40's. Funny thing is, I just put on most of this weight I'm currently shedding after I hit 50..... Excuses aside, it's coming off and I'm dedicated to keep it off for my long-term health and well being. My family has a mantra you can either wear out or rust out and I intend to do my best to wear out
I'm 47
I'm 54
I truly hope you don't let your guard down for a moment because when you come out the other side of 50, essentially do nothing different, and one day look in the mirror or down at the scales you can tell me again how easy it is and just an excuse 
Best wishes 0 -
Your caloric needs get lower are you get older, so yes, it is normal to tend to gain some weight and to find it harder to lose this weight, as it meand gradually learning to eat a but less.0
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Sandcastles61 wrote: »Sandcastles61 wrote: »I can't speak for the men, but for those women (i.e.rabbitjb) who think aging is just an excuse for gaining weight ..... go through menopause and then make a blanket statement we're just using age as an excuse Is it impossible to lose weight.... NO, but it certainly isn't as easy when I was in my 20's, 30' or heaven forbid my 40's. Funny thing is, I just put on most of this weight I'm currently shedding after I hit 50..... Excuses aside, it's coming off and I'm dedicated to keep it off for my long-term health and well being. My family has a mantra you can either wear out or rust out and I intend to do my best to wear out
I'm 47
I'm 54 I truly hope you don't let your guard down for a moment because when you come out the other side of 50, essentially do nothing different, and one day look in the mirror or down at the scales you can tell me again how easy it is and just an excuse Best wishes
I let my guard down for years and years due to other factors .. now that I'm, finally, successful at this and looking back over the last 25 years or so, every single completely valid reason was an excuse ... the equation was always there: eat less, move more=weight balance.
Yes the hormones suck - tell me about it - and yes they also affect your mental stability at times so your ability to commit or to care about committing.
It's always hard - there's always reasons why it's hard that are logical and valid but they are all excuses for not doing what has to be done
And I may well slip .. who knows? It's only been 9 months .. it's my biggest fear that I'll fall off this wagon because I've finally, after decades, done it.
So Best Wishes to you too 0 -
No, IME I think it's an excuse
Find the right programme, stick to it and weight comes off
Older people are possibly more jaded and have more inbuilt excuses though IME ...I spent years thinking why does it matter any more, I'm happy as I am, I'm too old to care, my body is supposed to have changed
But no ...I was making excuses for myself, I was just better at it
^^^ This
I lost 100 lbs in my early 50s, after spending my 40s making excuses for my weight gains.
It's all down to food intake and activity level.
A friend once said to me "you don't get less active because of your age; you age because you get less active"
My extension to that is "you don't get heavier as you get older, you get heavier as you eat more and exercise less over the years"
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Not sure as I never tried to lose weight when I was younger. I had no problem losing 15kg. Having some health problems helped I suppose, but generally it was very easy for me. Oh, I'm 41 as of today
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What answer are you looking for? It doesn't matter, either way - you can only start from where you are.
That said, when I was in my early 20s, it took no time to drop 10 lbs, just by taking kickboxing classes. Everything just went 'bloop!' back into place, like nothing happened, like someone balled up some droopy Silly Putty and made a brand new form out of it (way more toned, as well). The older you are, the less likely this can happen, and the more your history shows.
But - again, doesn't matter! You can still look and feel better than you do now. You can still look great.0 -
I am 67 in June and I have managed to shed 1st 12lbs so far. Happy birthday0 -
Hi I'm a qualified ex personal trainer and and I can tell you fact - yes it is slightly harder once your past 50. The resin being is that you naturally progressively loose muscle as you get older and muscle uses calories just to exist so less muscle = less calorie needs ie lower metabolism. (Which is why huge body builder can consume vast amounts of calories). Also women after menopause also have a lower metabolism. So most people carry on eating as they always have and wonder why they are slowly putting on weight! Have to say though that the decrease is only small not as big as people like to think so a few weight bearing exercises each week will help you keep the muscle you have and counter balance the ageing effect.0
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Harder to lose? Nope. Not a chance. I don't believe it for a minute.
Easier to gain though - insanely easy to put on 5 pounds a month, right? Never did that when I was 20 (I'm 45 now)0 -
I don't know if it is technically 'harder' for me (at age 48) to lose weight, but it is more challenging. It's a fact that metabolism rate does tend to slow with each decade (probably due to loss of muscle mass)... and my older MFP friends can attest to that. The hormonal roller coaster of peri-menopause, menopause, and some of the medications given for the side effects of both can be exhausting (making moving around difficult for some) throw the body for a loop in terms of mental state (so the desire to move is not there), and processing of calories.
I agree with the poster who said she wishes MFP were around twenty years ago. It helps to be able to choose friends of a common age group/fitness level/ whatever to share mutual support in meeting specific goals. With them, I achieved my goal weight, and with them, I am maintaining.
Had I started on here 20 years ago, I would have stuck with more heavy weight lifting for that glorious after-calorie burn, stronger muscles and bones, and an overall faster metabolism.0 -
No, IME I think it's an excuse
Find the right programme, stick to it and weight comes off
Older people are possibly more jaded and have more inbuilt excuses though IME ...I spent years thinking why does it matter any more, I'm happy as I am, I'm too old to care, my body is supposed to have changed
But no ...I was making excuses for myself, I was just better at it
^^^ This
I lost 100 lbs in my early 50s, after spending my 40s making excuses for my weight gains.
It's all down to food intake and activity level.
A friend once said to me "you don't get less active because of your age; you age because you get less active"
My extension to that is "you don't get heavier as you get older, you get heavier as you eat more and exercise less over the years"
I like that0 -
I was told by a guy at the gym that "'at your age' you'll never loose that tummy". Challenge accepted!!
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^^^ great transformation
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I've had several doctors tell me it's a fools errand at my age. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.0
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I found it far easier to lose weight and get fit in my 50's.
Food labelling, calorie counting website, more "me time" now the children are grown up, easy access to quality nutrition and training advice....
There are some genuine factors as you age (injuries, age-related illness, very slight metabolic slowdown...) but I hate it when people use age alone as an excuse.
Sure I can't gain muscle or fitness at the same rate as when I was young but that's a reason for progress to be slower - not a reason why it can't be done.
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It is more difficult to lose as you age. As well as reduced metabolic efficiency, hormonal changes as you age cause your fat:muscle ratio to change resulting in less LBM which makes your BMR lower. Although eating well, lifting etc can reduce the influence of these factors, you can't deny biology. But when it comes down to it- CICO rules and it is just a matter of adjusting your calorie intake as you age to compensate for these changes. Most calorie calculators take this into account.0
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Thanks all! it's very encouraging to see so many people here who are older than me, yet look so fit
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mudmonkeyonwheels wrote: »It is more difficult to lose as you age. As well as reduced metabolic efficiency, hormonal changes as you age cause your fat:muscle ratio to change resulting in less LBM which makes your BMR lower. Although eating well, lifting etc can reduce the influence of these factors, you can't deny biology. But when it comes down to it- CICO rules and it is just a matter of adjusting your calorie intake as you age to compensate for these changes. Most calorie calculators take this into account.
This absolutely- you do change metabolically as you age. I could definitely eat more when I was younger and maintain a low weight. People couldn't believe how thin I was and how much I could eat- and I didn't exercise that much. So yes, it is more difficult, but not impossible.0
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