Is it harder to lose weight as you get older
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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!
^^ just saying...............it is harder for you to lose weight.
It wasn't harder for me.
It is an individual thing.0 -
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!
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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.0
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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.0 -
Fiction, for me I lost weight in my 20's honestly doing some really stupid things
![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
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. 0 -
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.0 -
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 BMR0 -
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.
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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;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. 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.
Aaaaaaa--mennnnnn!!!
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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.
If you were obese until you were in your 40's, how do you know it's easier when older? What do you have to compare it to?0 -
If losing weight as an older person is not harder, my experience (I am 64) is that it is less comfortable - my calorie needs to maintain a reasonable deficit are considerably less than they were 30 years ago, even though I am more physically active now in comparison. My goals are different now, though. My health, now and moving forward, is my primary motivation. Secondary one is that there is a hiking trail that kicked my behind 3 years ago and I want to fly up to the top of that overlook this time 0
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This is the oldest I've been yet
, and it's the lowest weight I've been in my adult life.
I think as I've got older, and tried this weight loss thing a few times, I think I've gained a lot of understanding about my triggers and what works for me. I've also gained the discipline to really make it work. So in that case, it's been easier for me as I've got older.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
But all these people disagree with you, and so do most calorie equations that take biology into account. It is possible? Yes. Is it harder? All signs point to yes.0 -
Velum_cado wrote: »This is the oldest I've been yet , and it's the lowest weight I've been in my adult life.
I think as I've got older, and tried this weight loss thing a few times, I think I've gained a lot of understanding about my triggers and what works for me. I've also gained the discipline to really make it work. So in that case, it's been easier for me as I've got older.
This ! 0 -
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).
And don't forget, you also get shorter over those 40 years. If you plug in your height from your high school physical but you're in your 50s, its not going to be accurate so you may be calculating the wrong BMR for yourself. Grrrr.
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I must admit that I have grinned at some of your interpretations of 'older'
For women, natural menopause is full of not-so-wonderful surprises, and the decreased calorie burn is one of them. Add in a couple of 'bads' (bad ankle, bad shoulder, bad back, etc) and/or some medical issues that may affect exercise and yes, it is more difficult to lose weight. But not impossible.
I lost a bunch of weight when I was in my early 40s and it was much easier then. Also easier to put it back on in my 50s (sigh). I am determined to get this excess baggage off and keep it off this time because I don't want to do it again. I'm 62.
I am not afraid of aging, but more afraid of people's reactions to my aging.
-Barbara Hershey
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Psychologically, it has been much easier this time. Physically, the only thing harder has been all of the aches and pains in my arthritic knee and foot that weren't there when I was younger, and probably wouldn't be there now if I hadn't regained the weight. Well, except the knee. I have what my ortho calls a "hikers knee" with lots of wear and tear from my many years of retail and hiking before I put on all the weight.
I do think the weight is coming off slower now, but it is as much a result of setting a less aggressive goal as it is the fact that I am post menopausal.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
But all these people disagree with you, and so do most calorie equations that take biology into account. It is possible? Yes. Is it harder? All signs point to yes.
We must be reading different threads as I've seen a number of posters agreeing *shrugs*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
But all these people disagree with you, and so do most calorie equations that take biology into account. It is possible? Yes. Is it harder? All signs point to yes.
We must be reading different threads as I've seen a number of posters agreeing *shrugs*
Lol - I have nothing more to say about it, but for real, I appreciate your optimism 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
But all these people disagree with you, and so do most calorie equations that take biology into account. It is possible? Yes. Is it harder? All signs point to yes.
We must be reading different threads as I've seen a number of posters agreeing *shrugs*
I've got your back!
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Well scanning up this page alone there are a number of positive opinions
So not optimism as such
Just, as always, we all have our own experiencesIn 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/snowflake930 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.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.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.Velum_cado wrote: »This is the oldest I've been yet , and it's the lowest weight I've been in my adult life.
I think as I've got older, and tried this weight loss thing a few times, I think I've gained a lot of understanding about my triggers and what works for me. I've also gained the discipline to really make it work. So in that case, it's been easier for me as I've got older.Psychologically, it has been much easier this time. Physically, the only thing harder has been all of the aches and pains in my arthritic knee and foot that weren't there when I was younger, and probably wouldn't be there now if I hadn't regained the weight. Well, except the knee. I have what my ortho calls a "hikers knee" with lots of wear and tear from my many years of retail and hiking before I put on all the weight.
I do think the weight is coming off slower now, but it is as much a result of setting a less aggressive goal as it is the fact that I am post menopausal.
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No I didn't mean that in relation to any argument, I just mean your posts in general0
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I look better at 56 than I did when I was 40. I've lost inches in places I never could before, like my thighs. I was always cursed with those saddlebags everyone says you'll never get rid of. Guess what? I got rid of them.0
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I never believed that anyone could have a good excuse for gaining weight until I quit smoking at the age of 51. The pounds piled on me overnight, and it's been very difficult to control ever since. I did lose a LOT of weight for my son's wedding in 2007 by starving and exercising myself to near death for three months, but since then, poof! It came back and then some. I am so very grateful that I signed up for a discount group personal training program at my local YMCA that told me about MFP in January of this year. Last year, it took me nearly the whole year to lose ten pounds. Since I joined MFP, less than two months to lose about the same amount. People are even starting to notice, which excites me greatly!0
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I would say it's definitely easier to gain and harder to lose. It's not just an "excuse." Just input statistics about what it would take to lose for a 25 year old woman who is 5'2" vs. a 56 year old. The older person must eat fewer calories to either maintain or lose. I just had my BMR and body fat percentage measured in the late fall. My BMR is 1136. That means that if I am sedentary, even 1200 calories is too much for me. So I exercise, just so I can eat a decent amount of of food. When I don't track for several days, such as on a vacation, I gain about 5 lbs., which it takes me 2-3 months to lose. When I was in my 30s, I'd go on vacation, eat crap, gain a couple of pounds, come home, eat normally for a week, and the weight would be gone. I also exercise much more than when I was younger. When I had young children, I didn't have time to be in the gym every day, but I was still slimmer than I am now (even though I ate ice cream and even the leftovers on their plates). Yes, you can lose weight when you get older (or maintain a normal weight, which is where I'm at), but it requires much more vigilance and discipline.0
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I would say it's definitely easier to gain and harder to lose. It's not just an "excuse." Just input statistics about what it would take to lose for a 25 year old woman who is 5'2" vs. a 56 year old. The older person must eat fewer calories to either maintain or lose. I just had my BMR and body fat percentage measured in the late fall. My BMR is 1136. That means that if I am sedentary, even 1200 calories is too much for me. So I exercise, just so I can eat a decent amount of of food. When I don't track for several days, such as on a vacation, I gain about 5 lbs., which it takes me 2-3 months to lose. When I was in my 30s, I'd go on vacation, eat crap, gain a couple of pounds, come home, eat normally for a week, and the weight would be gone. I also exercise much more than when I was younger. When I had young children, I didn't have time to be in the gym every day, but I was still slimmer than I am now (even though I ate ice cream and even the leftovers on their plates). Yes, you can lose weight when you get older (or maintain a normal weight, which is where I'm at), but it requires much more vigilance and discipline.
That's not quite correct. "You use energy no matter what you're doing, even when sleeping. The BMR Calculator will calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day."
You listed your height, age and BMR, but not your weight, so I went to http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and tweaked the weight until I got to your BMR. It says your sedentary maintanence intake is 1363 calories. If you only ate at BMR of 1136, you would actually be at TDEE-15%, and you would lose 0.4 lbs per week.0 -
the short answer, especially for women, is yes. Harder but not impossible.0
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And then they start threads like 'I can't lose weight', 'I'm not losing weight' and get people coming on and advising them of the latest fad / diet / cleanse / detox (you know the "you must take this supplement on the top of a hill at midnight whilst stroking a goat")
WTF, are you saying this DOESN'T work?
Sigh...anybody want a goat?
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Just for the fun of it, I recalculated my BMR for different ages. I am currently 58 and my BMR at my current weight is 1583. Each time I entered a new age, in 10 year increments, my BMR went up by 50 calories a day.
This tells me that whether or not weight loss becomes harder as you age is more because of external factors rather than strictly because of metabolism. Are you still as active? Have you lost muscle mass over the years? Are there more medical things going on that can hinder weight loss? Are you less motivated?
I bought into the "menopausal women have a hard time losing" and "I screwed up my metabolism by yoyo-ing" for years. Turns out my weight gain was because I had become severely depressed and didn't care anymore. I also had anemia that was undiagnosed for a couple of years (just wrote the symptoms off as being because I was fat and out of shape). Finally got an antidepressant that worked for me (10 years of trying different ones) and ended up in the hospital for an oil change (four units of blood plus one of IV iron). 15 months and 97 (so far) pounds later, I am getting back to my old (younger) self.
Yes, it can be harder as you get older, but I think it is more because older people have more baggage, both physically and mentally. Metabolically speaking, there doesn't seem to be that big of a difference.0
This discussion has been closed.
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