Even though weight management becomes more difficult as you age, managing weight can be handled by adjusting physical activities, daily diet, and lifestyle. Continue reading to find out why your weight varies as you age and what you can do about it.
Your 40s and 50s are a golden age. You are wiser, more confident, and happier with yourself. It is also an age that significantly impacts your future health. And while aging affects every cell in your body, including your skin, bones, muscles, and weight, the World Health Organization reports that aging isn’t linear or even consistent (WHO).
It’s also tempting to become fixated on the physical changes you’re noticing now that you’re in your 50s and 60s. However, it is critical to remember that nothing is fixed in stone.
Why Does Your Weight Change as You Get Older?
There are numerous reasons why your weight changes as you age. Some of the elements that influence your weight are declining hormones, a loss in muscle mass, a change in activity level, and chronic health problems. Let’s look at why each of these factors affects your weight as you get older.
Declining in the production of sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) is a normal aspect of the aging process.
Though these hormones are important for reproductive health, they also have an impact on your body composition.
Testosterone is a sex hormone that your body uses to build muscle
When your body stops producing enough testosterone, you lose muscle mass. This loss of muscle reduces your metabolism.
Your hormonal changes also have an impact on where your body stores fat.
As you get older, you probably notice that your waist size expands. This is due to the fact that fluctuations in hormones (estrogen and testosterone levels) make your body collect more fat around your stomach.
Sedentary Way of Life
Physical inactivity is another prevalent cause of age-related weight fluctuations. Sedentary behavior is practiced by around 28% of persons in the United States over the age of 50. This means they don’t conduct any physical activity outside of their normal everyday routine.
However, exercise and regular physical activity are essential components of weight management. If you are not physically active, you may have difficulty maintaining your weight.
Muscle mass and metabolism are both decreasing
People begin to lose muscle mass at the age of 30—years before sex hormone production begins to diminish. This loss of muscle mass is caused by age-related cellular changes.
Furthermore, living a sedentary lifestyle accelerates muscle loss. If you remain sedentary after the age of 30, you will lose 3% of your muscle mass every ten years.
A sedentary lifestyle and muscular loss both reduce your metabolism. This implies you must consume fewer calories in order to keep your weight the same, which is why you may not have changed your eating pattern and yet still gain weight.
Chronic Health Issues
Aging also has an impact on your health, increasing your chances of developing chronic diseases. Many persons with chronic health issues are also sedentary.
Because of their disease, many people avoid physical activities. Some people avoid exercising because it causes them discomfort. Others may be unsure of what form of physical activity is safe for their health condition, so they restrict their activity.
The best approach is to talk with a healthcare expert about your activity options so that you may keep active despite your sickness.
How to Handle Weight Changes
Although you cannot reverse the aging process, you can slow the age-related changes that influence your body, including your weight. In reality, it will improve your quality of life now and later if you address your weight fluctuation.
How you control your weight in your 50s and 60s isn’t all that different from how you handled it when you were younger. It all comes down to personal preferences.
To address age-related weight changes, you need a balanced diet, a regular exercise regime, and develop healthy lifestyle choices that improve sleep and stress. It is also critical to effectively handle underlying medical issues. Here are some suggestions for dealing with weight fluctuations in your 50s and 60s.
Increase your intake of nutrient-dense meals
According to some studies, older persons have lower calorie requirements but similar or even higher nutritional requirements than younger adults. This is frequently due to decreased physical activity, metabolic changes, or age-related bone and muscle loss.
As a result, you must include more vitamins, minerals, and other critical nutrients in fewer calories. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources are nutrient-dense foods that deliver the nutrients you require without consuming a lot of calories.
Increase Your Daily Protein Intake
Muscle loss is an undesirable side effect of aging.
However, increasing your daily protein intake may help avoid or delay some of this muscle loss.
Because your protein requirements rise with age, you should aim for 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per pound per day.
A 150-pound (68-kilogram) person, for example, requires 82 to 95 grams of protein per day.
Keep Calories in Mind
When it comes to weight loss, calories are important. Furthermore, you may require fewer calories now than you did ten years ago.
Including more nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods can aid in calorie control. Using tiny dishes and bowls can also help you control portion sizes. You could even use a food diary app to measure calories at first until you become adjusted to what your body requires.
Increase Your Activity
Life is hectic, making it difficult to fit in a workout. However, exercise is necessary for weight management. It is never too late to start going to the gym. In fact, no matter where you are on the fitness scale, it is best to have your body in motion. Not only for your weight but for your health.
Some studies recommend 30 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity 5 times a week and 2 days of strength training for an older person is ideal.
Any sort of physical activity is beneficial, but a diverse workout regimen may help you manage age-related changes that affect muscle mass, weight, and metabolism—as well as combat boredom.
Control Health Issues
The changes in your body that occur as you age raise your risk of having chronic health diseases such as arthritis and diabetes.
Although you cannot reverse all chronic conditions, you can take action to avoid or postpone health consequences.
Make an appointment with a healthcare provider to talk about your health concerns and what you can do to regain control. They probably will use your BMI(body mass index) as a marker for measuring your health and risk of chronic disease, in addition to blood testing and a variety of other common procedures. BMI is a simple mathematical calculation that compares your weight to your height, hence estimating body fat indirectly.
Regardless of your healthcare difficulties or BMI, most healthcare practitioners recommend eating a well-balanced diet and engaging in a regular exercise regime to help you better manage your health.
Other Lifestyle Modifications to Consider
When it comes to weight control in your 50s and 60s, you also need to examine your sleep, stress, and eating habits. Here’s how to make improvements in these areas as well.
Sleep
You may find it more difficult to fall or stay asleep as you age. You might end up sleeping only 6 to 7 hours of sleep per night. Keep in mind that when you sleep less, your ghrelin, or hunger hormone, levels rise, causing you to eat more throughout the day.
Exercise and avoiding napping throughout the day may assist you in getting the needed 7 to 9 hours of sleep for health and weight management, and try your best to get to bed same time every day.
Stress
Chronic stress has an impact on both your health and your weight. Finding healthy strategies to handle your stress can help you maintain your weight.
Regular exercise and getting enough sleep are important places to start. To help you relax and lower stress, you can try meditation, mindfulness, or breathing exercises.
Exercise Mindful Eating
Because life is hectic, you may combine eating with other tasks. However, aimless eating can lead to excess eating. Make eating a separate activity.
Eat slowly and attentively, paying attention to your body’s indications that indicate fullness. Mindful eating helps you connect with your body and appetite.
To Conclude
When you approach your 50s and 60s, you can expect several changes, including changes in your weight and ability to maintain it. But there is a solution.
Taking a proactive approach to your health today will benefit you later. Instead of focusing solely on your weight, consider your overall health. Making more nutritious eating choices, increasing physical activity, and finding appropriate outlets for stress all enhance your health and weight.