Shriveling Away

March 5, 2017 – 

Talking to a friend this morning who was on the Elliptical machine, I nicely said,’ it looks like you have lost some weight’, astonished she looked at me and said “oh no, do you have a scale?” She then walked towards the scale and mentioned to me “if I am under 145 … that’s it! I’m going to start eating more food!” She stepped on the scale and good news, she had not lost any more weight.

Her rationale was simple, she is at an age that she knew if she weighed less than a certain amount she looked older. Huh? We went on to talk about the phenomenon of weight loss and the aging process.This is a very common conversation with older adults and there is no quick fix, period!

First of all I told her that as you age … expect to lose some weight. Do not count on it or assume that the weight loss is what you hoped for. Rather, with age we naturally start to lose muscle mass, our organs begin to shrink, and the hard structure or bones can start to get honeycombed and brittle (worst case scenario.). All of these by the way are contributors to the weight loss you do not want to occur in your body. You want muscle, you want healthy organs, and you definitely want strong bones. So what is the answer?

Well there are a few points that are a connection between weight loss and age;

• Maintaining a healthy weight throughout your life is the best way to reduce your chance of developing conditions like heart disease and type 2-diabetes.
• Losing weight becomes more difficult as we age due to muscle loss and other factors. It is important to eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise.
• You’re more likely to struggle with losing weight as you age if your parents were overweight later in life or if you’ve struggled to lose weight in the past.

Now all of these are common knowledge and we can only do so much right? Well, I am saying it loud and clear, the muscle has to be maintained in life to keep your body moving well, to keep your metabolism active, and to combat the signs of aging, like bone loss, saggy skin, and energy depletion. Don’t give up and let your body just shrivel away. Stay strong! You can do it!

The answer is a puzzle indeed and no one pill, adjustment, massage, diet, behavior, or workout will cure it. It is and always will be the adoption of a healthy lifestyle … period. Recently we mentioned reducing alcohol, diet suggestions, and even fitness challenges to create that lifestyle. 2017 should be your year to make your life healthy and fit. Help me help you! F.I.T. Human Performance says it all.

F – Functional

I – Individualized

T – Training

What are you going to do to find a weight you are comfortable with and adopt a healthy lifestyle you can maintain. Lets make it happen.

In good health,

Bob

If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward. – Martin Luther King, Jr.