Day 9: Middle-aged weight gain is not inevitable!
Here’s the science behind it and my three top tips while eating and exercising.
One reason we put on weight as we get older:
The rate at which fat comes and goes from our cells changes as we age.
Fat is stored in (lipid uptake) and removed from (lipid removal) our cells. The rate at which these two processes happen is called lipid turnover.
A study done in Sweden showed that while the rate of lipid removal decreases with age, lipid uptake does not correspondingly change.
In short — the same amount of fat is being stored, but less is being removed.
However, while everyone’s lipid turnover rate similarly changed over time, not everyone gained weight!
The difference was that the participants who did not put on weight in that study exercised more and ate less.
It makes sense — as we get older, the amount of energy our bodies need for normal functioning decreases. Your energy requirements are lower if you are not growing, pregnant, or lactating.
My three favourite tips:
- I have found the Japanese philosophy of “hara hachi bu” — eat until you are 80% full — very useful for limiting the amount I eat.
- Intermittent fasting has become very trendy. I personally like eating between 11 am — 7 pm and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. This also makes it easier to fit in tip #3!
- Exercise before breakfast. A six-week study found several positive effects of exercising before breakfast versus after, including burning double the amount of fat!
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