Successful Weight Loss As We Age

Posted on 2/15/2017 by Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO

Nutrition makes a difference and we can all make decisions that support us in avoiding health problems as we age.

 As we age, it seems to get harder to maintain our weight and the toned bodies of our 20s. “I gain weight just looking at food,” “my clothes don’t fit anymore” “my body is morphing into an alien being” are just a few of the comments shared regularly. And, to make matters worse, excess weight leads to health problems, including some cancers! Why is it so hard to lose weight as we age? There are three primary factors that contribute to those added pounds, excluding overeating, of course.

1. Your metabolism slows with age

Metabolism refers to the number of calories your body needs to function on a day to day basis. Resting metabolism refers to the calories your body burns while you are inactive: including breathing, digesting food and maintaining your heartbeat.

Our metabolism declines 5% per decade after the age of 40, meaning we need fewer calories to maintain our weight. Example: If your resting metabolic rate is 1200 calories a day at age 40, then it drops to 1140 calories at age 50. 60 calories may not seem like much, but think of how easy it is to eat a few nuts, chips, a small cookie or an extra spoonful of pasta and sauce. If we don’t decrease our intake, our weight will increase.

Is it a lost cause? No! You can burn more calories by exercising. And, if you do weight or resistance training for 45 minutes, twice a week, you can actually increase your metabolism by up to 10%. What can we do to compensate for these metabolic changes?

Bottom line: Eat the right foods, and increase your exercise.

2. We lose muscle mass as we age

Muscle is more “metabolically active” than fat, meaning that people who are more muscular, burn more calories. One pound of muscle can burn 35-50 calories a day, while one pound of fat burns only 5-10 calories a day. Those calories burned or not burned really add up. If a person naturally loses 5-10 pounds of muscle between the ages of 30-50, that translates to 150-300 less calories burned in a day. What can we do to compensate for these changes in the amount of our muscle mass?

Bottom line: Eat the right foods, and increase your exercise.

3. Thyroid function can decrease after age 40 

The thyroid gland helps to regulate metabolism and loss of thyroid function can lead to weight gain. This problem appears to be more prevalent in women over the age of 40. Your doctor can run thyroid function tests to determine if this is an issue for you. What can you do to compensate for weight gain from a slowing thyroid gland? You guessed it: 

Bottom line: Eat the right foods, and increase your exercise.

By now, you’ve probably gotten the message that eating right and exercising are two of the most critical factors in maintaining your weight, or taking off a few of the accumulated pounds. Sounds so easy, but so many of us struggle with it.

Let’s start with exercise. Why is it so beneficial? There are so many reasons.

Where do you start?

Studies show that a minimum of 150 minutes a week (22 minutes of exercise a day) can lower your risk of cancer or cancer recurrence. Exercising more can have a positive impact on your heart and weight. Shoot for 10,000 steps a day. Think about getting an activity tracker to help you monitor your progress in achieving this goal.

Go walking (or dancing!), park your car farther away, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and limit sedentary behavior, including activities that involve sitting and looking at a screen. Working with a qualified trainer can help you develop a program that is safe and effective. And of course, before beginning an exercise program, check with your doctor to make sure that any physical limitations are taken into account.

What about nutrition?

Does it really make a difference? Yes! If you think of your body as an expensive sports car, you know that what you put into it (gas and maintenance) will improve its performance and life expectancy. Unlike cars that can be traded in when they start to deteriorate, we have our bodies for life, so we need to take care of them. And that’s where a healthy eating plan comes into play.

Well-respected organizations like the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the American Cancer Society have guidelines outlining what foods to eat to promote optimal health. Instead of trying to starve yourself with diets that are unsustainable, focus instead on eating healthy foods, in appropriate amounts.

Weight loss strategies that have a big pay off 

• Instead of focusing on taking away the foods you love, think about adding in healthier choices, like a variety of fruits and vegetables, 5-9 servings per day, whole grains and lean sources of protein.
• Move more! Go walking, swimming, bike riding, dancing or taking the dog for a walk. There are endless ways to be more physically active that don’t involve going to the gym.
• Modify your eating to reduce your total calories. A few suggestions are:
  • Substitute lower fat or less cheese on your homemade pizza. Add extra veggies on top.
  • Use lower fat ice cream, and garnish with lots of fruit
  • Increase your fiber intake to keep you feeling more satisfied and fuller for longer.
  • Drinking alcohol ramps up your calories. Dilute your alcoholic beverages (like wine) with seltzer, and decrease your overall alcohol intake
  • Drink water before a meal to help curb your appetite
  • Share a meal at a restaurant or set aside half to take home
  • Use a slightly smaller plate, it helps to reduce your portion size
  • Use smaller utensils; a tiny spoon makes a scoop of ice cream last longer
  • Eat about the same time every day so your schedule is more predictable
• Watch less TV or limit your screen time. Sitting for long periods reduces your activity level
• Avoid being bored; when you are bored, you eat more. Find activities that you like and do them.
• Be patient. Weight loss is a slow process, especially as we get older. Invest your time and energy now… it will pay off for a long time.

Questions about nutrition? Contact Leever’s nutritionist, Karen Sabbath, MS, RD, CSO, at 203-575-5510 or email her at ksabbath@leevercancercenter.org.