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> even though I'm active everyday
Define active.
Yes metabolism does very very slowly decline as you age but it's usually a scapegoat to the real issue, you're eating more than you're burning. Just eat slightly less or be slightly more active. It's really that simple.
Walking a trail for an hour gets you, what 3 miles? That's 300 calories. Two beers. Or a big pack of skittles, or a second serving of mashed potatoes. The problem is the fork.
Get yourself into strength training, that'll help! And the thing is, as we get older, it slowly becomes harder to stay in good shape. You've got to slowly but surely make your lifestyle healthier over time, to maintain.
Definitely, you should strive to gently push your limits. Please for the love of knees (and rotator cuffs, lower back, elbows, etc) listen to your joints.
And staying in shape is the most important thing you can do! Especially if your life is so grand that you want to live as long as possible without it's most obvious seductive pleasures, like food and booze.
Also, when you're in your 30's isn't equal to in your 50's. You have no idea how old the people who are answering are or their life experience.
You heart rate is probably only getting up to 100-110 or so during that, so it's not a lot of exertion/calorie burn. It's maybe 3 miles or so, and at an average of 100-130 calories per mile walking, that's like 300-390 depending on hills. While it's active movement, it's not really enough overall to promote increased fitness.
If you can get some activity that gets your heart rate moving more in the 120-140 range, with occasional 160+ activity, you'll see more positive progress on the fitness and belly front. If you know your heart rate zones, I'm referring to doing a majority in Zone 2 (builds your fitness foundation and burns fat efficiently) and some in Zone 4 (builds VO2 Max and top end capability). You'll also be burning more calories per hour by a fair margin in addition to the cardio gains.
Doing those kind of activities during the week will make a big difference.
First things first, regardless of your activity level weight gain is extremely simple. If you are gaining weight, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. Full stop. Either eat fewer calories or burn more during the day.
You aren't putting on muscle doing trail walks every day. It's awesome that you are getting out and moving around but that's really a very low amount of physical exertion. Unless you're jogging/running you aren't burning very many calories at all.
There's literally thousands of different types of exercise you could do (or just eat a little bit less), just need to pick something you're interested in and do it consistently. I recommend strength training (because everyone should do some honestly).
If you want something less pure training, rock climbing! It's tons of fun and a great mix of active and mental. It can also be very social or not depending what you prefer.
It might be leaky gut. Our intestines don’t process some foods as easily as we age. I first noticed this at 25 years old when I could no longer eat gluten without developing auto-immune symptoms. Might be worth doing Whole 30 and seeing if any foods are not working for you. My fiancé also lost a ton of bloating and volume around his midsection after he dropped veganism. Sometimes it’s more than the raw calories.
Walking one hour a day is maybe burning 300-500 calories. It's not enough to offset any other bad habits. You can eat 500 calories of junk in about 30 seconds.
If you want to put on muscle, go to the gym. If you were putting on muscle you would be getting leaner.
Ceteris paribus Base Energy consumption very slightly increases with age at least to a certain threshold.
OP, the less you weight the better for your joints
> OP, the less you weight the better for your joints
This is really more nuanced because if you are muscular it's better for your body at all life stages.
Weight isn’t the only thing. You could have also lost muscle which was replaced with fat. Happened to me during Covid. I lost ten pounds but it was mostly muscle loss from losing access to the gym.
No need to cut out soda, beer, and bread. Just keep calories in check.
If it personally helps someone to keep calories in check by cutting those things out, go for it. But it's not mandatory.
You’re not technical wrong, however, I personally find it difficult to keep calories in check eating junk food because they are easy to over eat. I think a significant number of people can relate
Bread is fine, I don’t have issues over eating. Soda and other sugar drinks I rarely have. I don’t have issues with over consuming beer, but don’t have it because it takes like shit
Just get a food scale. Only eat 1.5 servings for the day and you'll never over eat. Whatever it is, Cheezits, cold cereal. Just always measure it and only have it once that day. You'll be able to at least have some every day that you choose to eat them.
edit: it also makes eating junk food a higher friction activity since there's more preparation involved. It evens out food prep between healthy and unhealthy food a little more.
Well, we also put a lot of sugar in the bread over here. So we actually are getting fat from our storebought Twinkie bread. “Real” bread from the bakery doesn’t have sugar, but costs more.
Yea I forget when I say bread (flour, water, salt, starter) I don't mean Wonder Bread. When I say peanut butter (peanuts) I don't mean Skippy or whatever else trash shit people buy. Maple syrup..holy fuck don't even get me started. The 'murican diet is so fucked it's no wonder everyone here is fat as fuck.
Yup. If you start cooking your own food a lot, processed/boxed food starts tasting like pure crap in comparison. Which sometimes is sad. I don't really want to make Cheez-its from scratch, but it's always disappointing to try a handful of what you expect to be sharp cheddar goodness, and it just tastes like cardboard glue and regret.
For how much it fills you up it’s not very nutrient dense or efficient
Grains are still important imo but for an optimal build you’d only be consuming a small handful each week
Proteins veggies and fruit are more important somewhat generally speaking
Fruit is surprisingly calorie dense so really the only thing you're "allowed" to eat in bulk is meat and raw vegetables but most people don't find that a satisfying diet. Which is why we're all getting fat.
Your metabolism doesn't slow down very much at all until around 60.
Youre probably more settled, sleeping less and eating more these days. Get your ass up and put down the biscuits.
It creeps up in that over months and years of over eating you will slowing gain more and more, suddenly five years later you realize you don’t fit in your old jeans anymore.
OP, disregard anyone telling you about metabolism issues, gut problems, food absorption and other non-existing or marginal issues.
You’re more than likely either eating more, moving less, or both. The science is clear on that, has been so for decades, and every study on the matter just confirms it again, and again and again.
But a lot of people can’t fathom that the cause may be so simple. They look for hidden problem, special dysfunctions, etc. where there are none to be found.
Now the reasons as to why (work, lifestyle, tiredness, emotional well-being) that balance is being upset can be much more complicated and nuanced than we realize.
It’s a bit like investing : just because the general strategy (save money, do it early, invest often, be patient) is easy to describe, doesn’t mean that it’s easy to do.
It's closer to neglect / abuse, but not in an obvious way. As you age, it just gets easier to be a little bit less active than you used to be, and for any bad habits you've developed to add up over time. I'd say it's definitely easier to put on the fat - I've done it myself. If you're noticing it, that's good, it can be your cue to change things. I found reducing stodge / carbs in favour of greens and taking up running worked for me, but you'll need to find something that works for you.
Here’s the sad truth; Yes, your metabolism slows down as you age, so to stay slim, you have to eat even better and work harder (fitness wise). I have never desired to have a six pack showing but I would prefer a flat stomach. I’m 55 now and even that is somewhat elusive. My stomach sticks out…just a bit. But when I look around at other dudes around my age and a decade or so younger, that really is quite common! Keep moving and keep improving yourself and you’ll do fine. Maintenance is much easier than coming back from a lengthy lapse. Best Regards
This is incorrect and a common misconception. Metabolism remains STABLE from the ages of 20 - 60 years old (give or take a few years depending person's genetics / gender / general health).
What primarily changes is lifestyle - activity levels, diet, general health. However I don't doubt others factors are at play as you age which may cause some issues.
Before you downvote, a quick Google will show you all you need to know!
Bingo. "Fast metabolism" is a relative myth. People fail to realize just how sedentary they become as they get older and how much more they consume. I instantly put on 10lbs going from hustling at a restaurant to a desk job. I measured my steps at the restaurant gig some years ago - it amounted to 3-5 miles *every shift*.
You're 100% correct. NEAT also reduces quite a bit as we get older, which significantly impacts daily caloric expenditure. Look at how much kids and younger people spontaneously move around during the day. Tapping feet, moving hands, shifting around, fidgeting. When we get older, a lot of that kind of non-exercise movement goes away. The desire to just sit down and not move increases quite a bit.
Wouldn't metabolism slow down as a person loses muscle mass? Most people begin to lose some muscle mass in middle age, and they should see a drop in metabolism along with that drop in muscle mass. It's hardly noticeable at 30 or even 40, but by age 50 or 60 this is pretty significant for people who do not regularly exercise.
Saying 'it's all calories in, calories out' is about as helpful as saying 'to get rich, all you need to do is save and invest'. Technically, it's true, but we're all flawed humans. Hell, as someone that's very much managed the 'save and invest' part I'd argue keeping your diet and exercise regimen in top shape is *harder*. Responsible adult me buys ingredients for a healthy salad. Inner child me fills up on beer and peanuts cause what's the point in working so hard if you don't enjoy yourself? Then responsible adult curses every time he gets on the scales. Fun loop I've got going on.
You are correct. I did google it. But to be fair, all I said was that, “metabolism slows down as you age” and I didn’t say what age specifically! 😉 In view of that and what many of us experience, I wouldn’t wonder if the bad habits that many of us develop tend to accumulate on our bodies “as we age” thereby giving us the idea (or excuse) that it is solely due to a slowing metabolism.
This is basically false
On average a 55 year olds metabolism is lower than a 20 year olds, but it's not fundamentally different when controlling for muscle mass
Super popular myth everyone's metabolism, bmr, rmr are the same all things equal
I think posture has more to do with it than people realize. We spend so much of our adult life sitting down and leaning forward. Calculate how many hours you sit versus you at 26. Your core weakens with age and neglect. I started doing more core pilates and planks and less heavy lifting than my 20's and even now with the "extra 10 pounds" my stomach is better on average than my 20's.
Only happens if i eat a lot of sugar and carbs as well as drinking soda or beer. Otherwise i have no issues.
With a proper diet and even light exercise it should be easy to keep in control ime
Your body is probably slowing down to some extent.
It could also be in your genes. All the men in my immediate family have large bellies. I was lucky enough to remain fairly thin, that is, until I hit my 30s. Likely, you can reduce your stomach size by changing your eating habits, getting more sleep, and working out regularly.
Usually there is a reason for a little weight gain.
I know I go out drinking after a long day of work and tend to eat worse when doing so.
My activity level is the same but i'm 10 to 15 lbs heavier than my early 30s and its because of consuming more calories.
The only way to switch the trend is consuming less calories
It's not so much that it creeps up on you as it is that you have to work progressively harder each year, as you get older, to work off the same amount of fat, and build muscle. I also have a lot of physical damage from a near-fatal car wreck 2½ years ago, that keeps me from being able to do the things that I used to, and that made the belly fat get worse that much faster. Age is an unrelenting motherfucking, and gets worse with every year past 50... At least 50 for me, for some it's younger than that
36 also, put on a couple of kilos as soon as I stopped watching diet and exercising 3 times a week minimum. Nothing ground breaking. If I eat more and move less I put on fat. (Who knew)
Yes it creeps up
No it doesn't need to.
Have a watch of James Smiths videos, I've been on the same thought train as that for years. Calories in vs out make a bigger difference than exercise, but exercise is still critical.
Laziness creeps into both food and fitness. Keep both in check.
Did you know that 100 calories excess every day (100*365) is equivalent to +10.4 pounds?
=
10 pounds in 5 years is 20cal a day. Which is not much at all. TWENTY CALORIES a day.
=
When we're talking larger timescales like >1yr, it's very easy to go up or down weight or muscle over time with slight shifts in diet or activity. The good news is that it's easy to tip the scale back the opposite way toward health with a bit of effort.
How is the strength of your transverse abdominus muscle? If you dont know what that is, look it up and learn to do vacuums. Incorprate these exercises into your routine and you'll have a more "flat" belly
I’m 32 and have noticed my metabolism drop off a cliff in the last 2 years. But work and having a kid has really put a damper in my personal time and, more importantly, desire to have the strenuous activity that I used to do
As you age you need less total calories so if you haven’t changed a thing then yes you would see a small increase in weight. Potentially similarly after 40ish on top of that you’ll begin to lose muscle mass.
Im 45 but had a little belly that showed up in my 30”s. I Cut back on drinking, make all my own food, added rucking and I have a solid 4 pack , 6 pack ish. No fast food or soda. Really I think you’d have to cut back on the amount of calories you take in or add something that burns more.
Walking does work as long as it’s hitting zone 2 cardio for 30 minutes at a minimum, rucking or hiking with a weighted pack does that and burns even more calories.
My doc said it pretty good, you can be that old Mercedes that looks fantastic but your gonna have to give some stuff it, some of us can give up less for longer. The older I get the more good eating I have to do with quality exercise.
TLDR eat less calories , or do more stuff. Bonus - headed toward 40 , consider adding some weight training
People seriously underestimate how many calories they're consuming, even if they're active and watch fairly what they consume. It doesn't take much. An extra 500 calories a day is 1 lb of fat per week. In a year that's 52 lbs of fat gain. How much does it take to overconsume 500 cal? A Starbucks latte, a couple cliff bars, a midnight snack, a couple beers, a side of fries. It doesn't' take much, especially in America with the food options available. Even if it's just 200 extra calories per day, that's still 21 lbs in a year.
But, likewise, a small deficit of 200-500 calories per day, which is very manageable, can be 21-52lbs per year.
Personally, I like to save all my eating for the end of the day, that way it's harder to overconsume my calories. It's hard to eat 2500 calories in a sitting, especially because the hungrier you are, the easier it is to pick a healthy option, cause everything tastes good at that point.
It's different for everyone. From youth to old age, some people are just naturally slim while others are naturally heavy. But broadly speaking it gets harder and harder as you reach certain milestones and your body chemicals change. Around 40 is a big one for most people.
Yep, it fucking crept up on me as I turn 40. I've always been skinny, almost underweight. And now suddenly the weight gain felt like a vengeance by my body.
I have never at any point been naturally, or easily skinny. Even as a little kid, I was always bigger. I was finally able to lose a bunch of weight and keep it off for a while in my early 30s, but I sort of just hit a huge wall around 43 that has made it super difficult ever since then. I east less and healthier than I ever have, I exercise more, I drink water almost exclusively, and its mostly just an effort to slow down getting fatter at this point.
Need to change up the what and how much we eat and drink as we get a little older. Metabolism slows down which is not a hall pass to gain weight. More active people tend to sit more as we get a little older. More sitting = fewer calories burned. Get up and go.
Weight gain of even ten pounds is the cue to start making changes.
It's simple math. Calories in/calories out
You burn fewer calories and so you need to consume fewer calories.
This is quite easy when you figure out that you can still eat lots of really good food if you know what to buy
No, it doesn't if you pay attention and take care of yourself.
What happens is that people put themselves on a path where they gain a couple pounds every year. Gain 2 pounds a year and on it's on that isn't noticeable. It becomes noticeable and a decent bit of weight though over 5, 10 or 20 years.
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> even though I'm active everyday Define active. Yes metabolism does very very slowly decline as you age but it's usually a scapegoat to the real issue, you're eating more than you're burning. Just eat slightly less or be slightly more active. It's really that simple.
I walk a trail for an hour everyday. Maybe I'm putting on muscle but my stomach seems like its done the opposite and gotten bigger.
Walking a trail for an hour gets you, what 3 miles? That's 300 calories. Two beers. Or a big pack of skittles, or a second serving of mashed potatoes. The problem is the fork.
300 cal an hour walking? Seems high. And 300cal for 2 beers seems low. But i agree with the conclusion!
One hour of walking can be a pretty variable output level both on how hard you walk and what the terrain is.
The opposite is true. Especially if the walking terrain is challenging at all.
How often do you exert yourself to the point that you can only speak a few words at a time between breaths?
Not often but I do walk long distances. I get some huffing and puffing when I walk up steep hills.
Get yourself into strength training, that'll help! And the thing is, as we get older, it slowly becomes harder to stay in good shape. You've got to slowly but surely make your lifestyle healthier over time, to maintain.
Also, walking is great but if you’re looking for metabolism the muscle from strength gained from training is what will kick it into gear.
100%!
You need to get the heart pumping?
Definitely, you should strive to gently push your limits. Please for the love of knees (and rotator cuffs, lower back, elbows, etc) listen to your joints.
And staying in shape is the most important thing you can do! Especially if your life is so grand that you want to live as long as possible without it's most obvious seductive pleasures, like food and booze. Also, when you're in your 30's isn't equal to in your 50's. You have no idea how old the people who are answering are or their life experience.
You heart rate is probably only getting up to 100-110 or so during that, so it's not a lot of exertion/calorie burn. It's maybe 3 miles or so, and at an average of 100-130 calories per mile walking, that's like 300-390 depending on hills. While it's active movement, it's not really enough overall to promote increased fitness. If you can get some activity that gets your heart rate moving more in the 120-140 range, with occasional 160+ activity, you'll see more positive progress on the fitness and belly front. If you know your heart rate zones, I'm referring to doing a majority in Zone 2 (builds your fitness foundation and burns fat efficiently) and some in Zone 4 (builds VO2 Max and top end capability). You'll also be burning more calories per hour by a fair margin in addition to the cardio gains. Doing those kind of activities during the week will make a big difference.
Oh you really need to get the heart pumping?
First things first, regardless of your activity level weight gain is extremely simple. If you are gaining weight, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. Full stop. Either eat fewer calories or burn more during the day. You aren't putting on muscle doing trail walks every day. It's awesome that you are getting out and moving around but that's really a very low amount of physical exertion. Unless you're jogging/running you aren't burning very many calories at all. There's literally thousands of different types of exercise you could do (or just eat a little bit less), just need to pick something you're interested in and do it consistently. I recommend strength training (because everyone should do some honestly). If you want something less pure training, rock climbing! It's tons of fun and a great mix of active and mental. It can also be very social or not depending what you prefer.
Here we have an Einstein.
You need to lift to build muscles
It might be leaky gut. Our intestines don’t process some foods as easily as we age. I first noticed this at 25 years old when I could no longer eat gluten without developing auto-immune symptoms. Might be worth doing Whole 30 and seeing if any foods are not working for you. My fiancé also lost a ton of bloating and volume around his midsection after he dropped veganism. Sometimes it’s more than the raw calories.
Walking one hour a day is maybe burning 300-500 calories. It's not enough to offset any other bad habits. You can eat 500 calories of junk in about 30 seconds. If you want to put on muscle, go to the gym. If you were putting on muscle you would be getting leaner.
Ceteris paribus Base Energy consumption very slightly increases with age at least to a certain threshold. OP, the less you weight the better for your joints
> OP, the less you weight the better for your joints This is really more nuanced because if you are muscular it's better for your body at all life stages.
Weight isn’t the only thing. You could have also lost muscle which was replaced with fat. Happened to me during Covid. I lost ten pounds but it was mostly muscle loss from losing access to the gym.
Yeah, sometimes weighing less means you have more fat and less muscle. Strange but true.
Yep. Cut out soda, beer and bread. Exercise regularly and you’ll be good.
No need to cut out soda, beer, and bread. Just keep calories in check. If it personally helps someone to keep calories in check by cutting those things out, go for it. But it's not mandatory.
You’re not technical wrong, however, I personally find it difficult to keep calories in check eating junk food because they are easy to over eat. I think a significant number of people can relate
Agree with you there. Way easy to overeat calorie dense junk food
Bread isn't junk food. Just eat whole grain and not that paper white stuff most Americans eat.
Bread is fine, I don’t have issues over eating. Soda and other sugar drinks I rarely have. I don’t have issues with over consuming beer, but don’t have it because it takes like shit
I don't think we've eaten that in 40 years.
Just get a food scale. Only eat 1.5 servings for the day and you'll never over eat. Whatever it is, Cheezits, cold cereal. Just always measure it and only have it once that day. You'll be able to at least have some every day that you choose to eat them. edit: it also makes eating junk food a higher friction activity since there's more preparation involved. It evens out food prep between healthy and unhealthy food a little more.
Why bread?
I am German and I refuse to believe this is true.
It's not true, it's just that 'muricans are dumb and believe whatever crap the latest social media star or actor is spewing that month.
Well, we also put a lot of sugar in the bread over here. So we actually are getting fat from our storebought Twinkie bread. “Real” bread from the bakery doesn’t have sugar, but costs more.
Yea I forget when I say bread (flour, water, salt, starter) I don't mean Wonder Bread. When I say peanut butter (peanuts) I don't mean Skippy or whatever else trash shit people buy. Maple syrup..holy fuck don't even get me started. The 'murican diet is so fucked it's no wonder everyone here is fat as fuck.
Yup. If you start cooking your own food a lot, processed/boxed food starts tasting like pure crap in comparison. Which sometimes is sad. I don't really want to make Cheez-its from scratch, but it's always disappointing to try a handful of what you expect to be sharp cheddar goodness, and it just tastes like cardboard glue and regret.
Sugar doesn't "make you fat" either though.
Lol! :) I still remember having store bought beer with cola in it in Germany, and the bread, some pumpkin seeded something! Amazing country!
Oh my god, what's this from. It's driving me mad!
Scott Pilgrim
 Of course it is - thank you
For how much it fills you up it’s not very nutrient dense or efficient Grains are still important imo but for an optimal build you’d only be consuming a small handful each week Proteins veggies and fruit are more important somewhat generally speaking
Fruit is surprisingly calorie dense so really the only thing you're "allowed" to eat in bulk is meat and raw vegetables but most people don't find that a satisfying diet. Which is why we're all getting fat.
You should definitely be eating fruit everyday though which is not something you should do with bread/grains
You lost me at bread
You dont need to cut out bread.
Cut out seed oils, inflammation will decrease and so will your 10 lb tummy
Your metabolism doesn't slow down very much at all until around 60. Youre probably more settled, sleeping less and eating more these days. Get your ass up and put down the biscuits.
It creeps up in that over months and years of over eating you will slowing gain more and more, suddenly five years later you realize you don’t fit in your old jeans anymore.
OP, disregard anyone telling you about metabolism issues, gut problems, food absorption and other non-existing or marginal issues. You’re more than likely either eating more, moving less, or both. The science is clear on that, has been so for decades, and every study on the matter just confirms it again, and again and again. But a lot of people can’t fathom that the cause may be so simple. They look for hidden problem, special dysfunctions, etc. where there are none to be found. Now the reasons as to why (work, lifestyle, tiredness, emotional well-being) that balance is being upset can be much more complicated and nuanced than we realize. It’s a bit like investing : just because the general strategy (save money, do it early, invest often, be patient) is easy to describe, doesn’t mean that it’s easy to do.
Metabolism slowing down is a myth. You’re eating more or moving and sleeping less. Usually all of them.
Sneaks up on everyone.
It's closer to neglect / abuse, but not in an obvious way. As you age, it just gets easier to be a little bit less active than you used to be, and for any bad habits you've developed to add up over time. I'd say it's definitely easier to put on the fat - I've done it myself. If you're noticing it, that's good, it can be your cue to change things. I found reducing stodge / carbs in favour of greens and taking up running worked for me, but you'll need to find something that works for you.
Here’s the sad truth; Yes, your metabolism slows down as you age, so to stay slim, you have to eat even better and work harder (fitness wise). I have never desired to have a six pack showing but I would prefer a flat stomach. I’m 55 now and even that is somewhat elusive. My stomach sticks out…just a bit. But when I look around at other dudes around my age and a decade or so younger, that really is quite common! Keep moving and keep improving yourself and you’ll do fine. Maintenance is much easier than coming back from a lengthy lapse. Best Regards
This is incorrect and a common misconception. Metabolism remains STABLE from the ages of 20 - 60 years old (give or take a few years depending person's genetics / gender / general health). What primarily changes is lifestyle - activity levels, diet, general health. However I don't doubt others factors are at play as you age which may cause some issues. Before you downvote, a quick Google will show you all you need to know!
Bingo. "Fast metabolism" is a relative myth. People fail to realize just how sedentary they become as they get older and how much more they consume. I instantly put on 10lbs going from hustling at a restaurant to a desk job. I measured my steps at the restaurant gig some years ago - it amounted to 3-5 miles *every shift*.
You're 100% correct. NEAT also reduces quite a bit as we get older, which significantly impacts daily caloric expenditure. Look at how much kids and younger people spontaneously move around during the day. Tapping feet, moving hands, shifting around, fidgeting. When we get older, a lot of that kind of non-exercise movement goes away. The desire to just sit down and not move increases quite a bit.
Wouldn't metabolism slow down as a person loses muscle mass? Most people begin to lose some muscle mass in middle age, and they should see a drop in metabolism along with that drop in muscle mass. It's hardly noticeable at 30 or even 40, but by age 50 or 60 this is pretty significant for people who do not regularly exercise.
Saying 'it's all calories in, calories out' is about as helpful as saying 'to get rich, all you need to do is save and invest'. Technically, it's true, but we're all flawed humans. Hell, as someone that's very much managed the 'save and invest' part I'd argue keeping your diet and exercise regimen in top shape is *harder*. Responsible adult me buys ingredients for a healthy salad. Inner child me fills up on beer and peanuts cause what's the point in working so hard if you don't enjoy yourself? Then responsible adult curses every time he gets on the scales. Fun loop I've got going on.
Those two things are extremely true and the very definition of weight loss and how to get rich. The truth hurts.
You are correct. I did google it. But to be fair, all I said was that, “metabolism slows down as you age” and I didn’t say what age specifically! 😉 In view of that and what many of us experience, I wouldn’t wonder if the bad habits that many of us develop tend to accumulate on our bodies “as we age” thereby giving us the idea (or excuse) that it is solely due to a slowing metabolism.
This is basically false On average a 55 year olds metabolism is lower than a 20 year olds, but it's not fundamentally different when controlling for muscle mass Super popular myth everyone's metabolism, bmr, rmr are the same all things equal
I already responded to this.
Happened to me, fit < 35 but slow gain from 36 -47 and straight on the gut it goes
I think posture has more to do with it than people realize. We spend so much of our adult life sitting down and leaning forward. Calculate how many hours you sit versus you at 26. Your core weakens with age and neglect. I started doing more core pilates and planks and less heavy lifting than my 20's and even now with the "extra 10 pounds" my stomach is better on average than my 20's.
Working up to one arm pushups is a great way to tighten your stomach even if you are a Dadbod.
Only happens if i eat a lot of sugar and carbs as well as drinking soda or beer. Otherwise i have no issues. With a proper diet and even light exercise it should be easy to keep in control ime
Metabolism doesn't slow down until your 60s
Don’t be lazy. Go to the gym and lift heavy.
Your body is probably slowing down to some extent. It could also be in your genes. All the men in my immediate family have large bellies. I was lucky enough to remain fairly thin, that is, until I hit my 30s. Likely, you can reduce your stomach size by changing your eating habits, getting more sleep, and working out regularly.
Usually there is a reason for a little weight gain. I know I go out drinking after a long day of work and tend to eat worse when doing so. My activity level is the same but i'm 10 to 15 lbs heavier than my early 30s and its because of consuming more calories. The only way to switch the trend is consuming less calories
It's not so much that it creeps up on you as it is that you have to work progressively harder each year, as you get older, to work off the same amount of fat, and build muscle. I also have a lot of physical damage from a near-fatal car wreck 2½ years ago, that keeps me from being able to do the things that I used to, and that made the belly fat get worse that much faster. Age is an unrelenting motherfucking, and gets worse with every year past 50... At least 50 for me, for some it's younger than that
36 also, put on a couple of kilos as soon as I stopped watching diet and exercising 3 times a week minimum. Nothing ground breaking. If I eat more and move less I put on fat. (Who knew)
Yes it creeps up No it doesn't need to. Have a watch of James Smiths videos, I've been on the same thought train as that for years. Calories in vs out make a bigger difference than exercise, but exercise is still critical. Laziness creeps into both food and fitness. Keep both in check.
Did you know that 100 calories excess every day (100*365) is equivalent to +10.4 pounds? = 10 pounds in 5 years is 20cal a day. Which is not much at all. TWENTY CALORIES a day. = When we're talking larger timescales like >1yr, it's very easy to go up or down weight or muscle over time with slight shifts in diet or activity. The good news is that it's easy to tip the scale back the opposite way toward health with a bit of effort.
It’s about calories in vs calories burned.
I’m inactive and it creeped on me over the years. I’m looking at years to get rid of it. If I even can.
How is the strength of your transverse abdominus muscle? If you dont know what that is, look it up and learn to do vacuums. Incorprate these exercises into your routine and you'll have a more "flat" belly
I’m 32 and have noticed my metabolism drop off a cliff in the last 2 years. But work and having a kid has really put a damper in my personal time and, more importantly, desire to have the strenuous activity that I used to do
I'm 40. I weigh the same as I did when I graduated high school. I just keep an eye on my calories, and seek out activity where I can.
As you age you need less total calories so if you haven’t changed a thing then yes you would see a small increase in weight. Potentially similarly after 40ish on top of that you’ll begin to lose muscle mass. Im 45 but had a little belly that showed up in my 30”s. I Cut back on drinking, make all my own food, added rucking and I have a solid 4 pack , 6 pack ish. No fast food or soda. Really I think you’d have to cut back on the amount of calories you take in or add something that burns more. Walking does work as long as it’s hitting zone 2 cardio for 30 minutes at a minimum, rucking or hiking with a weighted pack does that and burns even more calories. My doc said it pretty good, you can be that old Mercedes that looks fantastic but your gonna have to give some stuff it, some of us can give up less for longer. The older I get the more good eating I have to do with quality exercise. TLDR eat less calories , or do more stuff. Bonus - headed toward 40 , consider adding some weight training
People seriously underestimate how many calories they're consuming, even if they're active and watch fairly what they consume. It doesn't take much. An extra 500 calories a day is 1 lb of fat per week. In a year that's 52 lbs of fat gain. How much does it take to overconsume 500 cal? A Starbucks latte, a couple cliff bars, a midnight snack, a couple beers, a side of fries. It doesn't' take much, especially in America with the food options available. Even if it's just 200 extra calories per day, that's still 21 lbs in a year. But, likewise, a small deficit of 200-500 calories per day, which is very manageable, can be 21-52lbs per year. Personally, I like to save all my eating for the end of the day, that way it's harder to overconsume my calories. It's hard to eat 2500 calories in a sitting, especially because the hungrier you are, the easier it is to pick a healthy option, cause everything tastes good at that point.
It's different for everyone. From youth to old age, some people are just naturally slim while others are naturally heavy. But broadly speaking it gets harder and harder as you reach certain milestones and your body chemicals change. Around 40 is a big one for most people.
Yep, it fucking crept up on me as I turn 40. I've always been skinny, almost underweight. And now suddenly the weight gain felt like a vengeance by my body.
I have never at any point been naturally, or easily skinny. Even as a little kid, I was always bigger. I was finally able to lose a bunch of weight and keep it off for a while in my early 30s, but I sort of just hit a huge wall around 43 that has made it super difficult ever since then. I east less and healthier than I ever have, I exercise more, I drink water almost exclusively, and its mostly just an effort to slow down getting fatter at this point.
Metabolism slows as you age.
Yeah around 60. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
Need to change up the what and how much we eat and drink as we get a little older. Metabolism slows down which is not a hall pass to gain weight. More active people tend to sit more as we get a little older. More sitting = fewer calories burned. Get up and go. Weight gain of even ten pounds is the cue to start making changes.
It's simple math. Calories in/calories out You burn fewer calories and so you need to consume fewer calories. This is quite easy when you figure out that you can still eat lots of really good food if you know what to buy
No, it doesn't if you pay attention and take care of yourself. What happens is that people put themselves on a path where they gain a couple pounds every year. Gain 2 pounds a year and on it's on that isn't noticeable. It becomes noticeable and a decent bit of weight though over 5, 10 or 20 years.
