Why is easy to gain weight as we age and why is it impossible to lose it?

Several of my followers have commented on the blog about the starvation experiment

and have asked me why is it so hard to take off the pounds as we age?

There are several reasons. One is that our metabolism slows down with every year we live. I put a graph of (BMR) basal metabolic rate in this blog so you can see there is a definite down hill plunge. Why does it go down? Because as we age we atrophy, more cell die than can be replaced. Also, we tend to lose muscle and gain fat.

Another reason has to do with food deprivation also known as dieting. We have inherited from our ancestors the ability to conserve energy as soon as 24 hours after starting to cut back on food. Why? Our ancestors had to survive long periods of famine or starvation. Granted this was many centuries ago but the mechanism of survival still exists. The people who did not have the ability to conserve or use food calories more conservatively died. The ones who could conserve calories survived, reproduced and here we are.

The more times we cut back on food, the more efficient our metabolism becomes. It is kind of like our bodies saying, “Oh no, another famine!” Only it was our intention to cut back and try to lose weight. Funny how mother nature works.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Remain as physically active as possible. Yes, housework and yard work count. Physical activity is good for you for so many reasons. It keeps what muscles you have from atrophying and you can still build muscle. Muscle cells need more calories than fat cells. Activity is good for mental health as well. You do not have to go to the gym. Gertrude never joined a gym, instead she was always going for a walk., cleaning or in the yard.

2. Forget the low calorie diet that promise you will drop the pounds fast. Cut back on calories but do not think taking the weight off as fast as possible will be good for you. Not in the long run.

3. Do not get on a scale. Instead listen to your body. How are your clothes fitting? A bit tight, then increase activity and cut back on what you eat. It is not what you eat but how much!