What happened to my metabolism?!!

sbentley1974
sbentley1974 Posts: 4
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
Until just this month, I could reduce my calorie intake for a couple of weeks and lose 3-4kg very easily. I turned 40 in December and suddenly that just isn't working anymore. Such a huge change! Is it really THAT much harder to lose weight once you hit your 40's???

Replies

  • SexyKatherine73
    SexyKatherine73 Posts: 221 Member
    my guess is your defect to too savage

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Lol I never had to worry about calories or weight issues....
    Then I turned 40 and slowly the weight start creeping on. I can't put it down to anything else other than my metabolism is slower now then it was say, 10 years ago???
  • This content has been removed.
  • Thanks for your posts guys! I have been logging in every day and weigh everything and over the period of a week it works out that I am eating more than 1200 per day....but not by much however, I could eat more than I have been and still lose a ton of weight (I could eat a hell of a lot before). I am 5ft 9.5 and weigh 73.8kg.... however, I do have a small frame so my ideal weight is 66.8kg (that's what I've been told by the pro's). I haven't lost any weight in 2 weeks but equally I haven't gained... however if my maintenance weight would be to eat 2,043 calories a day - I'm under that so should still be losing a bit??? Arghhh.... and I've got fat armpits now!
  • amitkatz0
    amitkatz0 Posts: 61 Member
    edited March 2015
    Keep logging for now. Weigh yourself under similar conditions a few days per week. In two more weeks compare to where you were 4 weeks prior and look at how many calories you ate every day (on average.) That should give you enough data to adjust for the next cycle.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Until just this month, I could reduce my calorie intake for a couple of weeks and lose 3-4kg very easily. I turned 40 in December and suddenly that just isn't working anymore. Such a huge change! Is it really THAT much harder to lose weight once you hit your 40's???

    40 is not some magic cutoff age. But repeatedly cutting calories very low to quickly drop pounds can cause you to lose muscle. And less muscle does slow your metabolic rate.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I'll turn 40 this Sunday. My metabolism is the same (if not better) than it was when I was 22. The only reason age hurts metabolism is because we tend to do less as we get older.
  • mover2
    mover2 Posts: 7
    lol Timothyfish - thanks! Just kidding :s
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    Thanks for your posts guys! I have been logging in every day and weigh everything and over the period of a week it works out that I am eating more than 1200 per day....but not by much however, I could eat more than I have been and still lose a ton of weight (I could eat a hell of a lot before). I am 5ft 9.5 and weigh 73.8kg.... however, I do have a small frame so my ideal weight is 66.8kg (that's what I've been told by the pro's). I haven't lost any weight in 2 weeks but equally I haven't gained... however if my maintenance weight would be to eat 2,043 calories a day - I'm under that so should still be losing a bit??? Arghhh.... and I've got fat armpits now!

    So you've only been logging for a week and only been trying to lose weight for two weeks? That's not enough time to see any kind of trend. Are you weighing/measuring your food?
  • No, I've been logging for about 4 weeks now and I am measuring food etc... I'm not being consistent though and Need2excercise you are right.... I tried the 5:2 diet... it completely didn't work for me - I just didn't lose any weight at all (did it for 3 weeks) so now I'm on here. I guess it's just strange for me who up until turning 40, I could lose weight very easily and very quickly. Not so now. Which is fine, looks like it's just one of those things and I need to put more effort in. I'm trying to do 2-3 bikram yoga classes a week and 2 x 5km runs... hoping that will help! Thanks for all your support
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    I'll turn 40 this Sunday. My metabolism is the same (if not better) than it was when I was 22. The only reason age hurts metabolism is because we tend to do less as we get older.

    Right because we gain muscle as we age. Wait?!? Herr D-e-r-r Tim. only. . . . .nah.

  • bloodsy
    bloodsy Posts: 34 Member
    Until just this month, I could reduce my calorie intake for a couple of weeks and lose 3-4kg very easily. I turned 40 in December and suddenly that just isn't working anymore. Such a huge change! Is it really THAT much harder to lose weight once you hit your 40's???

    Damn, you look like you are in your early 20s no joke.

    And nothing has changed just because you had your birthday.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    I have a friend my age (62) who can eat anything she wants and never gains weight. However, she is a bundle of energy. She doesn't like to sit; prefers to stand. Talks with her arms and hands. Paces back and forth while talking on her phone. Keeps her house immaculately clean; always hopping up to do this or that. Makes me a nervous wreck. But she's skinny :smiley:
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    @timothyfish, ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
    yeah, my magic cut off age was at 30... up til then, food was just this incredibly yummy thing that I stuffed into my face with copious amounts of beer and wine.

    Now, I have to actually watch what I eat and be sensible...plus I have to incorporate being active and exercise as well. Hoping for it that by 40, I'll be in as good as shape as I was in my 20's... only difference really, is I have to actually put some effort into it now.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    _Terrapin_ wrote: »
    I'll turn 40 this Sunday. My metabolism is the same (if not better) than it was when I was 22. The only reason age hurts metabolism is because we tend to do less as we get older.

    Right because we gain muscle as we age. Wait?!? Herr D-e-r-r Tim. only. . . . .nah.

    Obviously if people are less active with age, that would account for the muscle atrophy no?
  • feliciakang
    feliciakang Posts: 1 Member
    I am in the exact same boat. About to turn 44 and my weight loss has been glacial- been eating b/w 1200-1300 cal a day and work out (combo spin, running, strength training and barre) 6 days a week and have lost 1 lb in the past 3 weeks. I also put in about 10 lbs b/w my 41st and 43rd bday. Am currently 128 lb at 5'6" which I know is on the low end, but I'm used to being much lighter. I really think age has hit my metabolism - lol!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    metabolism does slow as you age, but it's not that dramatic...it's not like you hit 40 and your BMR drops by 500 calories or something. Muscle loss as we age is also an issue, particularly as many people are so inactive. I mitigate that issue with proper training and proper feeding.

    I'm 40 and as healthy and fit as I've been since my mid twenties. I maintain pretty easily right around 3000 calories or so...so I'm doing ok I think. I really don't buy into the notion that you hit some magical age and everything goes to *kitten*...

  • Right - this is all good stuff. I'm hearing that as long as we put the effort in at this age, we'll still get good results. I'm very active with two small kids, a full time job and a lot of nervous energy.... Lots of good pointers posted here for keeping active. Your posts have given me motivation, so thanks for that. I guess I have to be incredibly thankful for being able to lose weight so easily - which wasn't the norm. Now it's about putting the work in. Let the work commence!!!

  • cindytw
    cindytw Posts: 1,027 Member
    I have noticed a sizeable difference in weight loss and recovery since 35-40. But if we do it whole heartedly it can be done, with MORE effort.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    You guys can mock all you like, but aside from a broken bone that sidelined me for a few weeks, I'm in as good of physical shape today as I have been at any time during my life. Studies have shown that people who remain physically active do not display many of the forms of physical decline that are associated with aging. While it may become more difficult to maintain physical activity as we age, metabolism will remain higher for those who do.
  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    Dragn77 wrote: »
    yeah, my magic cut off age was at 30... up til then, food was just this incredibly yummy thing that I stuffed into my face with copious amounts of beer and wine.

    Now, I have to actually watch what I eat and be sensible...plus I have to incorporate being active and exercise as well. Hoping for it that by 40, I'll be in as good as shape as I was in my 20's... only difference really, is I have to actually put some effort into it now.

    30 was my cutoff too. Up until 30 it seemed like all I had to do was think about losing weight for it to fall off. Not no more!

  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited March 2015
    You guys can mock all you like, but aside from a broken bone that sidelined me for a few weeks, I'm in as good of physical shape today as I have been at any time during my life. Studies have shown that people who remain physically active do not display many of the forms of physical decline that are associated with aging. While it may become more difficult to maintain physical activity as we age, metabolism will remain higher for those who do.

    Yes--there's a great study that showed endurance cardio (running OR swimming) forestalled metabolism decline (resting metabolic rate, *not* TDEE accounting for activity) in women from age 20 to after menopause.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9329340

    For a lot of people, the real kicker isn't the ~20-50 kcal/decade decrease in "metabolism," but the reduced activity in lifestyle that comes with settling down. You're not walking your laundry down the block to the laundromat once a week, you're not going out dancing with your friends on Friday, you're on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game instead of playing in your university co-rec tournament, etc.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    You guys can mock all you like, but aside from a broken bone that sidelined me for a few weeks, I'm in as good of physical shape today as I have been at any time during my life. Studies have shown that people who remain physically active do not display many of the forms of physical decline that are associated with aging. While it may become more difficult to maintain physical activity as we age, metabolism will remain higher for those who do.

    Yes--there's a great study that showed endurance cardio (running OR swimming) forestalled metabolism decline (resting metabolic rate, *not* TDEE accounting for activity) in women from age 20 to after menopause.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9329340

    For a lot of people, the real kicker isn't the ~20-50 kcal/decade decrease in "metabolism," but the reduced activity in lifestyle that comes with settling down. You're not walking your laundry down the block to the laundromat once a week, you're not going out dancing with your friends on Friday, you're on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game instead of playing in your university co-rec tournament, etc.

    Exactly!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You guys can mock all you like, but aside from a broken bone that sidelined me for a few weeks, I'm in as good of physical shape today as I have been at any time during my life. Studies have shown that people who remain physically active do not display many of the forms of physical decline that are associated with aging. While it may become more difficult to maintain physical activity as we age, metabolism will remain higher for those who do.

    Yes--there's a great study that showed endurance cardio (running OR swimming) forestalled metabolism decline (resting metabolic rate, *not* TDEE accounting for activity) in women from age 20 to after menopause.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9329340

    For a lot of people, the real kicker isn't the ~20-50 kcal/decade decrease in "metabolism," but the reduced activity in lifestyle that comes with settling down. You're not walking your laundry down the block to the laundromat once a week, you're not going out dancing with your friends on Friday, you're on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game instead of playing in your university co-rec tournament, etc.

    I was actually having a similar discussion with my best friend a couple of weeks ago. He's always been pretty lean but relatively recently has put on a little fat. He's of course seen me drop weight and he was picking my brain about how to improve his physique and fitness and I gave him the run down on what I do basically.

    One of his comments was something to the tune of, "remember when we didn't need to do anything...we were just lean and healthy and fit...no gym, etc...we just were." To which I responded by reminding him that while we didn't really do much in the way of deliberate exercise...like going to the gym and stuff...but we were active.

    Both of us were without a vehicle for a time and biked/walked everywhere. We were students, so even though we were spending some time sitting in class, we were also walking around a large university campus all day. Living in Albuquerque, the Sandia mountains are right there...we spent a lot of time in those mountains hiking. We played ultimate frisbee with our friends...we went out on weekends to clubs and danced, etc.

    Ultimately, all of that changed...we settled down and took desk jobs...we bought cars...we got married and started family life, etc. I think people forget how much they actually were on the go when they were younger...and settling down tends to be a gradual thing so people don't realize how much less they move when they're older.

  • athena61
    athena61 Posts: 54 Member
    edited March 2015
    Maybe I am not typical, but......I am 53 yo female. I've always been within the healthy weight range, sometimes more on the higher end. I recently had my Resting Metabolic Rate tested and showed my metabolism was normal for my age and gender. I have been tracking my calories on MFP for 40+ days and have lost 5 lbs. I thinking logging is key.
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