Managing age-related weight gain

Here are the best weight management tips for everyone past young adulthood.

One – Be Physically Active. The best thing you can do to effectively reduce the natural falling-off of BMR is to get off the couch and get moving. No matter what your age, it’s never too soon or too late to be physically active as often and as much as possible. Exercise burns calories, minimizes muscle loss and, depending on the length and intensity your workout, boosts BMR for a couple of hours to a couple of days.

Start slowly and build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily exercise.  Include both cardio and muscle building strength training. One long term study, for example, showed Individuals who start walking on a regular basis in their 30s or 40s gained less weight and tended to maintain or lose weight as they aged. Weight training also increases muscle mass and the more muscle you have, the more effective your BMR will be.

Two – Watch What You Eat. Being conscious about eating to maintain a healthy weight despite ARWG involves more than just counting calories. There’s a lot involved. It also encompasses the quality of food you choose and the timing of your meals. It also requires a patient, persistent attitude and commitment. Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong do-it-yourself project. Quick fixes don’t work.

Let’s just start with counting calories. One of the best things you can do is stay away from fad crash diets. Extreme low calorie diets have been found to slow down BMR, making it more difficult to lose or maintain weight. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to consume no less than about 1,200 calories a day. Eating anything less than that will most likely put your health at risk.

On the way to your goal, you may still hit a “plateau” when nothing seems to work. That’s the time to adjust. By changing your exercise program in some way or maybe even eating a little bit more so your body’s fooled in to believing food scarcity is over and adjusts, you may create the breakthrough you’re looking for.

Studies have also shown eating breakfast, having five or six smaller meals that include a combination lean protein, complex carbohydrates and a small amount of fat during the day and skipping late night snacks also support weight loss.

And by all means, make healthy food choices. Choose foods low in fat, salt and sugar and high in fiber and nutrition, such as colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, lean meats, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts and seeds. A variety of these healthy foods will provide the taste, texture and healthy nutrition you want and need.

Be Prepared

The key to maintaining a healthy weight is always an optimum balance of diet and exercise. So it’s also true for the prevention of age-related weight gain. Noticing the slow change in personal BMR over time is not easy. The best solution is to simply assume that ARWG is happening – because it is – and start now to do what needs to be done. Adopt the Boy Scout Motto and “Be Prepared.”