03 Sep Preventing Weight Gain in Mid-Life- it IS Possible!
Is weight gain in middle life inevitable?? A new study shows that, in fact, basal metabolic rate doesn’t change much between our 30s and 60s. So why do so many of my patients complain of weight gain once they hit their 40s? Middle age brings a complex interaction of changing hormones (sex hormones and stress hormone) but it also brings loss of metabolically active muscle tissue. We lose about 1% of total muscle mass starting in middle age. By age 80 or 90, many of us will have just 50% of our peak muscle mass. Even worse, it becomes more challenging to gain muscle mass as we age.
My takeaways for maintaining healthy weight as we age:
1) stress management is crucial.
2) exercise that builds muscle also becomes imperative.
3) eating more protein may be helpful in building the muscle mass.
I signed up with a personal trainer about 2 months ago. Feeling stronger and leaner already!!
