Age and Metabolism, How Much Does It Really Matter?

[loveabull]

I'm just wondering...I'm about 140 now...up from a size 4 ten years ago. When you're fifty something does the weight just crawl in and attack you or what? Since I got the FitBit I'm way inspired to be as hyper as I've always been in the past. Just wondering if back to size 4 is realistic? I'm 5'4 and gave birth to five kids, maybe some things ain't gonna bounce back so easy...

[CarolS]

It matters, but I refuse to accept weight gain as inevitable!   I'm 55 now, and yes, it takes a lot more work to lose weight than it did when I was 50, or 45, or whatever.  That being said, it's not impossible to lose weight as we (especially women) age, reach menopause, etc.

I hate it when people tell me, "Oh, you're going to gain weight as you get older.  Just wait and see!"  I notice that I have more fat around my waist, but I still managed to go from 143 pounds to 122 pounds in about 5 months or so.  Easy?  No.  Worth the work?  Absolutely.  Depending on where I shop, I can wear a size 2, 4, or a 00 (Chico's). 

What I appreciate about the Fitbit is the accurate step count it gives me.  I need to be averaging over 20K a day to maintain my weight and above 30K to lose weight.  Measuring my food to the gram, entering all my food on the food log is a pain, and I only do it until I reach or I'm close to my goal weight.

If I'm not careful, the weight does creep on.  My all time high was 145.   I lost about 20 pounds a few years ago, but I sort of stopped working out and watching what I ate, and the weight crept back on.  I felt yucky and depressed and frumpy.  The Fitbit helped give me the motivation to get back on track.  I love tracking numbers and keep a spread sheet with all my stats.  It's fun to see patterns in my activity level or in my weight fluctuations.

Anyway, I'll stop my rambling.  Just don't give up.  It IS most certainaly doable!

[Direwind]

Source

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/pages/how-can-i-speed-up-my-metabolism.aspx

What can I do to speed up my metabolism?

It is claimed that certain foods and drinks can boost your metabolism, including green tea, black coffee, spices and energy drinks. The evidence behind these claims is flimsy, the effect on your metabolism is marginal at best and each person will respond differently to each product.

While you don't have much control over the speed of your metabolism, you can control how many calories you burn through your level of physical activity. The more active you are, the more calories you burn. In fact, some people who are said to have a fast metabolism are probably just more active — and maybe more fidgety — than others.

Here are the three most effective ways of burning calories:

Aerobic activity
Aerobic exercise is the most efficient way to burn calories. You should aim to do 150 minutes of aerobic activity, such as walking, cycling and swimming, a week. You can achieve this target by doing 30 minutes five days a week and breaking down your activity sessions in chunks of 10 minutes. To lose weight, you are likely to need to do more than 150 minutes a week and make changes to your diet. Physical activity guidelines for adults.

Strength training
Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so increasing your muscle mass will help you lose weight. Don't worry, you don't need to turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger! Aim to do muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). Examples of muscle-strengthening activities include lifting weights and high intensity bouts of exercise. Heavy gardening may also do the job.

Be active
Being constantly on the move and reducing time spent sitting down will help you burn more calories. Any extra movement helps burn calories. Look for ways to walk and move around a few minutes more each day than the day before. The more you move, the more calories you burn. Get ideas on fitting more activity into your day. 

Can certain medical conditions cause a slow metabolism?

Some diseases and conditions can slow a person’s metabolism, such as Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), but more often than not, people’s weight is a matter of consuming more calories than they burn. However, if you feel that you may have a problem that’s not responding to lifestyle changes, seek medical advice.

[suzyfarley]

OK, now I am really depressed.  20,000 a day - 30,000 if you want to loose weight?  I am 67 and so proud when I hit 10,000 and go over.  My feet and legs just get too sore if I do much more.  I do weight lift 3 x a week as well as walk but I think I would end up in a wheel chair if I pushed my body to 20,000 a day.....

[Mary]

Where did you read that?  You don't need to hit 20,000 or 30,000 steps to lose weight.  You need to burn more than you eat is all.  20-30k is a recipe for foot problems. 

[suzyfarley]

Thank you.  I read the 20,000 to 30,000 on the community blog.  No way am I going there.

[gerrymcd]

I think about weight gain with age as being like putting loose change in a jar.  Those extra few calories here and there eventually just mount up, and one day we look at the scales and sigh deeply.  I prefer to think of it as evidence of accumulated excess calories, rather than my metabolism slowing down. 

Sometimes you have to use self delusion to your advantage! 

[Idahonancy]

I try to get 10,000 a day in but I don't hit that every day. I am losing weight. I just have to make darn sure I burn more calories than I eat. I now eat a lot healthier than I did when I was younger.

[Colinm39]

Congratulations Idahonancy, spread the word, because in the Groups I'm a member they get concerned about the emphasis on the steps. Many have various age related issues, and movement and calories is the key. Be active....

[Ukase]

Direwind - I was agreeing with you all the way - up until you said Aerobics were the most efficient way. Not so. Weight training is the most efficient way. High intensity workouts will burn fat after you leave the gym. Not so with aerobics. Aside from that, you were on point with all of it - and you write very well.

[Colinm39]

This is a wonderful discussion and where does HiiT fit into this.

In Australia one of our Exercise Scientists has published a paper and written a book on Stationary Bike HiiT using a 5 minutes warmup. Then, 8 seconds flat out and 12 seconds idle and you keep this up for 20 minutes. All for fat loss.

Link to HiiT

[Idahonancy]

Thanks for the link. I have read some on HIIT and an article with a study where two groups used a stationary bike. One group did the same low intensity for the same period of time the other did HIIT for a shorter period. Both did not change their diets. The HIIT group lost weight and the other gained.

Most of the articles on HIIT say that you burn more calories in less time. That's encouraging for those that work fulltime and have families.

[Colinm39]

I experimented with walking, like 15 steps fast an 25 steps slow. I definitely needed the HRM because my heart rate got up into the 90% area and my RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) was spot on , heavier breathing, difficult to string two or three words together so I was happy with the HRM calorie burn. Fitbits calories did not detect the exertion, but in distance it detected the difference in step by the speed.

RPE Link

[gerrymcd]

I watched a BBC documentary about this concept a year ago.  Basically it debunks the idea that getting fit requires hours a week exercising.  Over the space of 4 weeks the participants spend a total of 12 minutes exercising intensely and 36 minutes working gentely. 48 minutes of exercise in a month!

The results were very impressive...... except, some people have a genetic profile that makes them 'non responders' and their aerobic fitness doesn't improve using this method.  Even so, the 'non responders' still improved their insulin sensitivity by a significant amount, etc.  

Here is a link to a BBC article describing the program.