MIDLIFE MASS
If your weight is creeping up, there are ways to halt it
If you've ever felt the shock of standing in front of the mirror and not recognizing the body in front of you, you already know that doing battle with middle-age spread is as much psychological as physical.
Changes to our bodies in our middle years can trigger a real bereavement process for the loss of youth. Once upon a time, realizing that you had put on a few pounds was a catalyst for getting fit and healthy, but later in life, when the weight gain feels inevitable regardless of what you do, doing nothing becomes all too easy.
Dee Johnson, a psychotherapist at the Priory Hospital Chelmsford, explains that so-called “psychological blocks” to weight loss in mid life can involve — consciously or unconsciously — giving up on ourselves.
“A common response to that fear and anxiety is to avoid what is happening and so the self-neglect slips in,” she says. “Motivation goes, and often at this time of life the pressures of looking after others mean we fall to the bottom of the list.”
So it can become “normal” not to pay attention to our own welfare. This can then lead to a misconception that it is simply “too late for self-care.”
Johnson believes that we need to ditch the negative notion that reaching your 50s means giving up caring for your appearance and health — and most importantly, staying active. “Weight loss — or maintaining a healthy weight for you — should always go hand in hand with our emotional well-being,” she says. “Whatever our age.”
BANISH CARBS
Dr. Michael Mosley says that the most effective approach, at least in the short term, is to significantly cut back on carbs.
“If you reduce the carbs you eat to less than 50 grams a day then you will go into a state of ketosis, where you start burning through your fat stores,” says Mosley. “One of the big advantages of ketosis is that it suppresses production of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, so you don't feel ravenous.”
COUNT CALORIE QUALITY
In the book The Science of Nutrition, Janice Thompson explains that it's about the quality of the food, not just the amount of energy it contains. “Avocado toast is more nutritious than a cheese sandwich, but it has more calories,” she says as an example. So make sure the calories you take in come in the form of healthy whole foods.
Try changing the carbs you eat from white to brown. “Try bulgur wheat and quinoa, or different rices,” nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert recommends, also suggesting incorporating more pulses and legumes, which contain iron, fibre and protein. “Aim for 30 grams a day, the recommended amount.”
RETHINK ALCOHOL
Similarly, cutting back on alcohol will affect your waistline. Men and women aged 55 to 64 are the most likely age group to drink more than the recommended maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week. That routine half-bottle with supper is doing midlifers no favours.
ADOPT HEALTHY ROUTINES
One quality Lambert recognizes in people with stable weight is that they have set meal times. “They're often breakfast eaters, and they probably sit down at a dinner table, or are opting for the right things when they're on the go. They probably stay hydrated and maintain good gut health. They are a lot less stressed and sleep well.”
THE BEST EXERCISE FOR MIDLIFERS WITH 14 POUNDS TO LOSE
“Evidence suggests that people who regularly exercise are able to maintain weight loss. This is partly because increased muscle ratio boosts your metabolism and increases your calorie burn, but it's also because exercise also lifts the mood, which means less binge-eating and feeling low,” says physiotherapist Katie Knapton, founder of Physiofast online physiotherapy.
RESISTANCE TRAINING
We lose muscle strength, mobility in the joints and bone density as we head into our 40s. Women are especially susceptible to these changes due to the reduction of estrogen (a hormone that directly affects the function of musculoskeletal tissues) associated with the menopause.
However, regular resistance training helps to mitigate the loss of the muscle we need in order to boost our metabolism and burn calories. It needs to be done at least two to three times a week and does not necessarily require gym equipment — think body-weight exercises, such as squats and press-ups. As you get fitter and stronger over time, more advanced load-bearing exercises with barbells or dumbbells can be introduced.
CHANGE IT UP
Try alternating your cardio exercise, and gradually increasing reps and weights in your resistance training. Variety helps your body to be able to respond to different demands requiring endurance, resistance and flexibility.
CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
Mix up muscle-building resistance training with cardio to efficiently burn fat. Cardio alone burns calories by boosting your heart rate, but to really see a significant difference it needs to be paired with two to three strength-training sessions for the reasons outlined above.
If you're starting out from no exercise at all, start slowly to avoid tissue overload, injury and pain. Soft tissues, muscles and joints need to be given the chance to adapt to increasing loads and demands gradually. Be realistic — some change can occur in six weeks but you'll notice more of a difference after 12 weeks. Every extra 10 minutes being active can make a difference, so setting achievable actions and goals is sensible.
GO EASY ON THE JOINTS
If you suffer with joint pain, swimming is a great low-impact exercise to introduce into your regular routine. The water helps to support your weight and provides gentle yet consistent resistance for your efforts. However, as with any form of exercise, for a really effective calorie burn you need to put some honest effort in. If you are not naturally a confident swimmer, invest in swimming lessons or try aqua aerobics — which can be done in shallow water for maximum reassurance.
HOW THAT EXTRA WEIGHT COULD AFFECT YOUR HEALTH
Over-50s are more likely to put on weight. This is because lower levels of estrogen lead to loss of muscle, which leads to a lower metabolic rate. As a result, in mid life, we need to pay attention to both diet and physical activity. Here are some of the health implications:
Evidence suggests that people who regularly exercise are able to maintain weight loss.
BLOOD PRESSURE
There is a strong link between weight and blood pressure. More blood is required to circulate through the body, putting more pressure on the arterial walls. In addition, adipose tissue (body fat) releases hormones and inflammatory compounds, which lead to salt retention and stimulation of the “sympathetic nervous system” (the system involved with our stress response).
CHOLESTEROL
Obesity is linked with high cholesterol and unhealthy blood fats called “low density lipoproteins,” particularly if the fat is deposited around the waist. A high-calorie intake with too much saturated fat and refined carbohydrate (sugar and starch) increases the level of circulating insulin, and thereby contributes to both obesity and raised cholesterol.
VISCERAL FAT
Some people, due to a combination of genetics, unhealthy diet and/or lack of exercise, are prone to carry fat around their organs, known as visceral fat. This is particularly unhealthy as it is readily metabolized by the liver, causing unhealthy fats to circulate in the blood. Unhealthy fats have a lower density than healthy ones, meaning that they are more likely to adhere to the lining of arteries, causing narrowing and potentially leading to blockage. This increases the risk of heart disease, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. Ideally one should have a waist/ height ratio of less than 50 per cent. This is easier for those with a “pear” rather than “apple” shaped body.