Is it Harder to Lose Weight as You Get Older?

Weight Loss

It is possible to lose weight at any point in our lives but it does become harder for older adults (as a man and woman). It is not a myth that we begin to lose 1%-2% of muscle each decade after the 30s.

Even if someone is physically active for years,  they will still face this problem. For women who become a mother later on  in life, it can be even harder to maintain adequate body weight.

It happens because as we age, our bodies start to lose muscle mass and start replacing it with body fat, which may cause health and wellness problems. Also, once we move past the 40s and 50s, our bodies start to make changes in muscle, hormones, and metabolism which brings further weight loss challenges.

That makes it even harder for older adults. It does sound like weight loss is impossible in your 40s or 50s but it is possible for anyone at any age.

There is no reason to lose hope and motivation. Once you understand how your body changes, you can work smarter and make weight loss plans accordingly.

In this article, we are going to discuss why weight loss is harder the older you get. And also look at some weight loss tips for all family members.

What Makes it Harder to Lose Weight as We Get Older?

A lot of people are looking for the answer to this question. There are multiple reasons why it becomes harder to shed some pounds as we get older. People go through many physical changes, from hormonal changes to metabolism and muscle the older they get.

Here are some of the main issues why the weight loss process becomes difficult as we age.

Calorie Intake And Increasing Body Fat Levels:

As you get older, your level of physical activity will start to decrease. And at the same time, your metabolic rate will start reducing as well. And slowly you will start to develop body fat and gain weight unless you change the number of calories you absorb.

Otherwise, you will find yourself gaining weight and having a hard time losing it. According to studies, reducing just 100-120 calories per day can be enough to help you in your weight loss journey.

If you have been eating in the same way all your life, it is going to affect your body in many ways right down to your appetite. When you change what you are used to, you’re more likely to lose muscle, rather than fat.

At the end of the day, you will end up weighing the same but with a higher level of fat as your body is used to a certain type of nutrients. And losing fat is much more difficult than losing muscle mass or water weight.

That means the next time you try losing weight, it will be even harder than the last time. So facts show that sticking to a healthy diet would be the best idea for both men and women. Whatever you do, avoid those fad diets, though.

Reducing Muscle Mass:

As men and women age, metabolism starts to slow down due to multiple issues. One of the factors could be the loss of muscle. According to doctors and physicians, we all usually start to lose 1/2 lb of mass each decade once we hit our 30s.

Muscle keeps our metabolism healthy and strong. Once you start losing mass, your metabolism will start slowing down. This affects your health and wellness. The best way to avoid muscle loss is to do regular strength training, 2-3 times a week.

Stress And Changes in Lifestyle:

Our stress levels begin to increase as we get older and this can become a big health problem for both men and women. Once we reach our 30s, we start dealing with multiple things such as our career, taking care of our family, paying bills, personal life, and many more.

Stress is one of the biggest causes of weight gain. Higher stress levels mean a bigger chance of gaining unwanted weight. When our bodies deal with stress many of us turn to poor eating habits and reach for comfort foods and alcohol – and all those extra calories add up and will be stored as fat in your body. So if you want to lose some pounds, it’s a good idea to learn how to avoid or manage stress.

There are many demands on our time once we have a family or a busy career. The time you used to spend in the gym, you might start spending it with your children at your home or a park, or working late to meet deadlines.

Or, the time you spent jogging or morning walk, you might spend it driving your kids to school. So as life changes, you have to take time to take care of yourself.

We also start facing age-related health problems like getting a heart disease. This restricts us from maintaining that “goal weight.”

Tips For Weight Loss:

It might seem impossible to slim down once we get older. It is significantly harder if you compare this to being 20 years old but it is not impossible either. Here are a few tips you can follow:

Add More Protein Foods To Your Meals: Adding more protein to your meals will help you improve both your mass and energy creation. Make sure to add 20-30 grams of protein to every meal. Eggs, lean meat, beans, nuts, diet supplements,  and other foods are a few of the best sources of healthy protein.

Exercise Regularly: Regular exercise improves your immune system and helps in reaching your weight loss goals. Adding calories and strength training to your exercise routine will justify your weight loss efforts. Your aim should be exercising 2-3 times a week.

Move More: Instead of going everywhere in your car, you can consider walking or biking. It improves your heart rate and helps to lose body fat which improves your health. It also improves blood flow and helps to fight diabetes.

Don’t Stress and Sleep Well: If you want to lose some extra pounds, avoiding stress and depression might be one of the best ideas. Find something that can keep you away from unnecessary stress. Also, make sure to sleep 6-7 hours a day.

Proper sleep helps to relax your muscles and improves your blood pressure, which is extremely important for shedding pounds in men and women. 

If you want more info on our weight loss programs specially designed for people in their 30s without going on a crazy diet, become a part of our community support system and stay up to date through our newsletter.

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