Is it harder to lose weight as you get older

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  • RBfittest
    RBfittest Posts: 6
    edited March 2015
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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.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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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.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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    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.
  • madrose0715
    madrose0715 Posts: 463 Member
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    Contrary to what many seem to be expressing here, it has never been easier in my life at age 46. :)
  • aaliceinw
    aaliceinw Posts: 747 Member
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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!
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    edited March 2015
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    sijomial wrote: »
    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.






  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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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.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    aaliceinw wrote: »
    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
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
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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/
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    urloved33 wrote: »
    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.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited March 2015
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    aaliceinw wrote: »
    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!

    ^^ just saying...............it is harder for you to lose weight.

    It wasn't harder for me.

    It is an individual thing.
  • emmaps55
    emmaps55 Posts: 54 Member
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    galgenstrick wrote: »
    I don't see anyone making "blanket" statements. Everyone is speaking generally as well as including their own experiences...

    Well, on reading back, I think you are generally right -- I perhaps over-reacted to statements such as: "But most people make excuses that come from being ignorant pessimists....." and "I will go so far as to say that anyone still saying to themselves... BUT HORMONES... is still making excuses." But most other posters did qualify things and speak from their experience. My sense of "tons of people" was definitely off this time -- thank you for pointing it out.

    I guess I am kinda tired of most "comments" sections where people do state their opinions as facts.... so sorry I brought that tiredness into this discussion!

  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
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    I thought some more about the idea that BMR calculators say that on average, BMR goes down by 5 calories per day, per year, but that individual groups could be higher or lower. So I found this interesting paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23459971/. It's a small study that found that all predictive equations overestimated energy expenditure for post-menopausal women. If this is true, then yes, it is harder to lose weight if the tools you have available are overestimating your BMR by up to 300 calories per day. It's still CICO but you have to resort to trial and error to estimate your CO.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    RavenLibra wrote: »
    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 answer

    Can you post a link to "the safe maximun heartrate gets lower as we get older" And it's not that stupid 220-age thing.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    Fiction, for me I lost weight in my 20's honestly doing some really stupid things :\ Now in my 40's I don't know if I would say it has been harder but this time around being for different reasons it has been more pleasant in general. I now focus more on health and I know how important it is to educate oneself.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Abby2205 wrote: »
    I thought some more about the idea that BMR calculators say that on average, BMR goes down by 5 calories per day, per year, but that individual groups could be higher or lower. So I found this interesting paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23459971/. It's a small study that found that all predictive equations overestimated energy expenditure for post-menopausal women. If this is true, then yes, it is harder to lose weight if the tools you have available are overestimating your BMR by up to 300 calories per day. It's still CICO but you have to resort to trial and error to estimate your CO.

    Yup. The equations are estimates based on statistics. Someone who is hypo thyroid might have a lower BMR for example. The golden rule is to calculate your TDEE, create a deficit, and if you're not losing fat then adjust your calories or exercise. The equations will only get it right most of the time, but not all of the time. You can also get your BMR measured, universities will usually do it, and maybe some gyms.
  • Sandcastles61
    Sandcastles61 Posts: 506 Member
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    Abby2205 wrote: »
    I thought some more about the idea that BMR calculators say that on average, BMR goes down by 5 calories per day, per year, but that individual groups could be higher or lower. So I found this interesting paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23459971/. It's a small study that found that all predictive equations overestimated energy expenditure for post-menopausal women. If this is true, then yes, it is harder to lose weight if the tools you have available are overestimating your BMR by up to 300 calories per day. It's still CICO but you have to resort to trial and error to estimate your CO.

    I absolutely agree it's all about CICO and overestimating your BMR
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    Fact or fiction?

    Fiction.

    I'm 53, was obese until my early 40's, gained 30 back over five years due to 100% carelessness, and this last time I lost 44 pounds was the easiest it's ever been. I love maintaining and towing that weekly calorie goal line. :D
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
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    Sandcastles61 wrote: »
    rabbitjb 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 :s 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 o:) Best wishes

    I;m 53, and my experience has been good. I have found it easier this time in my life to stick to my calorie goals, and I've learned so much about nutrition and weight loss that I didn't know before.

    A lot of times we believe we are not doing anything different and end up gaining weight, but most times we simply are not keeping good track of our food, or our activity levels have decreased, or we have not accounted for the hormonal changes that happen during menopause. Nothing happens overnight, though when I was younger I recall wishing weight loss would happen that quickly. :D
  • noclady1995
    noclady1995 Posts: 452 Member
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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 :s 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.

    Aaaaaaa--mennnnnn!!!

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