Is it harder to lose weight as you get older
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Yes. Your metabolism slows. If you're a woman and you pass through menopause you lose the thermogenic effects of menstruation. Older folks are typically less active. Older folks typically have less muscle.
That said: it's totally possible. It just takes more determination.
For fun, play with a BMR calculator, and tell it you're 20, then 40, then 60. Watch that number go down. For me (5'6" 135Lbs) that was 1409 at 20, 1309 at 40, and 1209 at 60. Two hundred calories may not seem like much of a difference, but it is.
PS: I turn 50 this weekend (BMR 1259).
That's weird because at 5'8 and 162lbs I drop about 40 calories every 10 years from 20 to 50
at 20 - 1585
at 30 - 1538
at 40 - 1491
at 50 - 1444
so 140 calories across 30 years ... and BMR has little to do with TDEE
This was very informative. I ran mine between fit at 21 and fit at 51, and the 30 year drop was 150 cals (BMR) to 175 cals (sedentary maintenance).
So, while my metabolic needs decreased slightly over 3 decades, it was definitely not the cause of me going from fit to fat. The cause was more food and less activity ... and less food plus more activity is what has brought me back to fit. Real numbers trump 30 years of excuses!
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Your BMR is generally lower when you're older. Thus you must eat less or exercise more than someone younger with the same height, weight, and body fat % as you. In that sense, it's harder, but that doesn't mean you can't lose at the same rate as the younger person.0
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I find it's harder to lose weight because it is hard for me to accept that I have to eat less (I like food) then I could even 5 years ago to just keep my current weight, let alone lose. I do agree that for women, going thru menopause does make a difference. So in my opinion, it is harder because of the mental challenges you have to adapt to, but not impossible. That being said, you should not use it as an excuse to not be physically active and adjust your eating habits.0
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albalegume wrote: »Definitely second the big M issue. It comes on so fast it's scarey, during the big M its very difficult to lose anything, but after the big M it can come off fast too! And that ain't no old woman excuse either.
I'm holding hope to this!
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
Yeah, TDEE is BMR + total energy expenditure. BMR is half of the equation....
Maybe he's trying to say that BMR is relatively constant where as energy expenditure can change a large amount depending on your activities?0 -
Every BMR calculator that uses the Mifflin St. Jeor equation will show a drop of 5 calories for every additional year of age, regardless of gender, weight and height. On an individual basis, it might over or under predict, but as a rule, 5 calories per year.0
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It is not easy at any age, but doable at any age. I have lost 160+ pounds and have been on maintenance for over 16 months. I began at age 60 on 3/12/12.
If you have no related health issues that interfere, you can do it at any age.
Excuses are excuses at any age.0 -
I tried on and off my whole adult life and had the most success at age 45.0
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Yes, HOWEVER...it just takes tweeking your habits a bit. When you're younger, your metabolism is higher and it slows as you age.0
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It's harder to catch up then it is to keep up.0
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What ever happened to YMMV? I see tons of people making blanket statements about what is TRUE.... but the truth is, each person is different, has a different metabolism, genetic makeup, experiences, physical challenges. The process of weight gain and weight loss is different for each of us. I wish people would just say: "this is what is true for ME" instead of claiming people are deficient in some way ("making excuses") when their experience is that it's harder as you get older.
Kindness goes a long way to relieving stress, and stress (as we know) increases cortisol and increases the body's ability to hold onto fat....0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
@Need2Exerc1se I simply meant that my TDEE depends on both my activity level and purposeful exercise too
So if at 50 I am more active than I was at 30 then I could eat more at 50 than I could at 30
I am more physically active now than I was a year ago, and probably more than I was a couple of decades ago. I even have a much better musculature ...eg I can do push-ups for the first time in my life ever, and am working on pull-ups. I have a gym programme, lift heavy and walk more ...I'm pretty sure I have a higher TDEE now than I did at 30
At sedentary according to MFP which is 1.2 of BMR I get to eat 1780 ...I am currently trying to find maintenance and losing at 2000 calories
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I've lost more weight in my 40's than I ever did in my thirties, but I'm armed with knowledge and a fitbit now. I log, I walk and run, and I keep up with what my BMR is... I'm 5'1", and I've just got to come to terms with a low calories metabolism. Also, strength training as we get older gets WAY more important.0
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What ever happened to YMMV? I see tons of people making blanket statements about what is TRUE.... but the truth is, each person is different, has a different metabolism, genetic makeup, experiences, physical challenges. The process of weight gain and weight loss is different for each of us. I wish people would just say: "this is what is true for ME" instead of claiming people are deficient in some way ("making excuses") when their experience is that it's harder as you get older.
Kindness goes a long way to relieving stress, and stress (as we know) increases cortisol and increases the body's ability to hold onto fat....
I don't see anyone making "blanket" statements. Everyone is speaking generally as well as including their own experiences...
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I think its always hard to lose weight but what I did in my twenties to lose weight is different than what I have had to do now in my fifties...but it still comes down to moving more than I eat. I don't have to love it...I just have to do it...for the rest of my life.0
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Fact. As you get older metabolism slows down and your burn less calories. Also, you body needs less calories as a result of the slower metabolism0
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sharon9597 wrote: »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.
As a qualified trainer you also know that the decrease of the rate of metabolism is not as much as it is made out to be. According to statistics women in Western civilized countries should over the ten years after the onset of menopause gain no more than 10 to 15 pounds maximum.
Anything more is usually because of poor eating habit that for many people is a lifelong thing and not just something that started with menopause. This is why so many doctors urge women to get HRT, because by maintaining a healthy level of hormones there is a good chance that the metabolism keeps on working as before, osteoporosis can be avoided as well as other problems that are often aggravated through menopause; in my case hypothyroidism that went to nearly fatal.
I agree with you, for menopausal or post menopausal women there is nothing better than a varied and healthy diet and resistance training to maintain not only bone density, but also avoid depression ( not all types, but some ) and increase general wellbeing and selfesteem.
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I didn't believe this when I was in my twenties, thirties or even forties.
for me yes it got harder to lose weight every decade. BUT that doesn't mean it can't be done. Attitude is everything. I finally stopped my I can't thinking to I can thinking. I'm also kinder to myself about my weight loss expectations.
The way I am losing now I am happy about every loss no matter how small. I used to get upset over only losing 1 pound a week.
Good luck to you0 -
From an anthropological perspective, I would say yes.. it is harder to lose weight, a "safe" maximum heart rate lowers as we get older... therefore our work output must decrease as well... OR at least the potential work output... we lose bone mass, soft tissue becomes less "soft" recovery from strenuous physical activity takes longer, and dietary requirements are different as well... BUT.. it simply depends on your definition of "harder" from a psychological perspective... a Mature person may have greater determination and stronger motivation. work smarter and not harder and have greater concentration and focus in achieving personal goals... So... the reality is... it's a foolish question with NO right answer0
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halimaiqbal00 wrote: »Fact or fiction?
It is most certainly harder, and, its an excuse at the same time.
Many people realize they can't drop weight as quickly doing the same things as they remember they used to, and, as you age you start to be bothered more by and feel more aches and pains. But, just changing the formula a bit will get you losing again, along with learning to avoid or modify those activities that cause you pain to a level you can handle.
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johnnylakis wrote: »Fact. As you get older metabolism slows down and your burn less calories. Also, you body needs less calories as a result of the slower metabolism
This is assuming your body composition didn't change when you got older. If you went from a fat 30 year old to a ripped 50 year old body builder, your BMR probably increased.0 -
I think the "science" of this is based on years of studying generations of people who did not build muscle mass nor exercise on a daily basis...so the imo the science of this "we are aging therefore metab is slowing down" is based on old information. imo.
my daughter is PhD in sciences and if you knew what she knew..you would faint they can't get the information to the world. ..the rx industries feed us information they want us to have to ultimately profit them.
i would rather not be attacked for my opnions. thank you.0 -
Contrary to what many seem to be expressing here, it has never been easier in my life at age 46. 0
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The OP asks simply "Is it harder to lose weight when you are older?"
The answer is yes for women at least as we we enter menopause and beyond.
The question is not "What excuses do you make not to lose weight?!"
I never had the need to diet at all in my whole life and weighed the same for 30 years, with a variance of ± 3kg's during summer and winter (excluding my pregnancies). In 2010, I started slowly putting on weight and in 2012, I stopped smoking and drinking and my weight began increasing faster until I realised in December that my body was not working in the same way that it used to at all and that I would have to change my lifestyle to get rid of the excess weight.
So the same amount of calories in at the age of 20 or 30, definitely requires a hell of a lot more movement from me to burn them off, therefore it is harder to lose weight as you get older!0 -
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.
I could not agree with you more. Now, in the second half of my 60's I find it much easier to lose weight. Of course my comparison is a bit unbalances because until menopause I was never more than 10 pounds overweight. At the tail end of menopause I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and it took two years to get halfway adjusted as far as hormones are concerned, plus I did A LOT of self pity eating. Even the eating of healthy whole foods did not save me. I ate too much of it and really gained.
I still have a full time career, but no longer work like crazy at the cost of diet, rest & a personal life, because at close to 70 I no longer have to, because my career was made 20 or more years ago.
I also had to embrace a new way of doing things and accepting that I maybe need to make a more consistent effort now ( not more effort, just more regular...at least in my case ), that I no longer can or should not do certain things ( like skiing & mountain climbing), but that I have other options to get/stay fit, even though those options might be " old people's " options. I also have accepted that my goals no longer can be the same as those of someone in their 30's or 40's. I accepted to lose only .5 pounds a week ( which gave me for my age and under 5 foot height 1200 calories a day ) and so far have lost 55 pounds. I know that at this age I never will run a marathon, but I know that I could walk 15km/10 miles and maybe come in last....but I could do it and that is what counts !
Just like you I think that age never should be an excuse not to stay active. As people age differently that level also changes from person to person, but imo it should never be zero.
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galgenstrick wrote: »johnnylakis wrote: »Fact. As you get older metabolism slows down and your burn less calories. Also, you body needs less calories as a result of the slower metabolism
This is assuming your body composition didn't change when you got older. If you went from a fat 30 year old to a ripped 50 year old body builder, your BMR probably increased.
It would likely increase more if you'd been a skinny 30 yo without much muscle. Obese people typically have quite a bit of muscle under all the fat because it takes muscle to carry the extra weight around.0 -
The OP asks simply "Is it harder to lose weight when you are older?"
The answer is yes for women at least as we we enter menopause and beyond.
The question is not "What excuses do you make not to lose weight?!"
I never had the need to diet at all in my whole life and weighed the same for 30 years, with a variance of ± 3kg's during summer and winter (excluding my pregnancies). In 2010, I started slowly putting on weight and in 2012, I stopped smoking and drinking and my weight began increasing faster until I realised in December that my body was not working in the same way that it used to at all and that I would have to change my lifestyle to get rid of the excess weight.
So the same amount of calories in at the age of 20 or 30, definitely requires a hell of a lot more movement from me to burn them off, therefore it is harder to lose weight as you get older!
Nope that's the answer to "is it easier to gain weight as you get older"
Losing it is not harder IMO
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In my adult life I have always worked out but as the years passed I became more serious about it....at 35 I had decided I did not want to be depressed on my 40th birthday like other people seemed to be...so at 35 I started body building seriously. I have brought that muscle mass into my 50's and I think my body behaves differently because I did that. so...no I don't agree with what is being said here about how aging effects us/0
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In my adult life I have always worked out but as the years passed I became more serious about it....at 35 I had decided I did not want to be depressed on my 40th birthday like other people seemed to be...so at 35 I started body building seriously. I have brought that muscle mass into my 50's and I think my body behaves differently because I did that. so...no I don't agree with what is being said here about how aging effects us/
Your success (which is great BTW - congrats!), is more explained by a difference in mindset and how hard you worked. Had you had the same dedication as a younger person it might have been easier. Or it might not.0
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