Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your health, but it isn’t always easy. Once you reach 50, you may discover that you can’t drop weight as easily as you could when you were younger.
At Bio-X Weight Loss Center in Austin and Round Rock, Texas, Luis Wilmot Jr., MPAS, PA-C, and the team offer customized weight loss solutions to help you reach your goals.
Let’s look at factors that make weight loss more challenging after 50.
On average, adults gain around 1-2 pounds each year. This gradual increase may make it difficult to notice the change. For many of us, it isn’t until we try to put on pants we haven’t worn in several years that we realize just how many pounds we’ve added.
Age-related weight gain isn’t inevitable. Many people avoid excess weight as they age by embracing a healthy diet and staying active.
On the flip side, by age 50, you may be experiencing changes in your life, such as becoming an empty nester or reducing your work obligations. That can affect your daily activity levels and make it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight.
As you age, you naturally lose some of the lean muscle mass you enjoyed in your younger years. As with weight gain, this decline happens gradually and isn’t always noticeable.
In addition to changing how your body looks, lost muscle mass also means you aren’t burning the same number of calories each day to maintain that muscle tissue. That can lead to even more weight gain unless you reduce the number of calories you consume daily.
Changes in hormone production levels affect women and men as they move into late middle age. With unbalanced hormones, you might experience several changes, including brain fog, mood swings, and weight gain.
Women often experience changes in how their bodies store fat, with more fat accumulating around the abdomen. As testosterone production declines in men, their bodies don’t regulate fat distribution the same way, and they often become less efficient at burning calories.
Your metabolism helps your body convert food into energy. As the years pass, this process naturally slows. Losing lean muscle mass can accelerate changes in your metabolism.
Multiple health conditions affect your metabolism, and your risk rises as you age. Taking into consideration the above factors, a metabolic slowdown is the driving force for weight gain over the age of 50.
If you’ve gradually gained weight over the years, you can take steps to achieve a healthy weight even after 50. The process begins with a one-on-one consultation at Bio-X Weight Loss Center.
This visit is more than a simple weigh-in. We sit down with you to discuss your health history, lifestyle, and what you hope to accomplish through weight loss support. Everyone has unique needs, and we design customized treatment plans to get you where you want to go.
If you’ve gradually gained weight over the years, you may benefit from a low-carb diet and wellness treatments such as vitamin injections and supplements.
For those who’ve crossed the threshold of obesity, a more in-depth approach might include weight loss medications in addition to weight loss support.
No matter where you are in your weight loss journey, the team at Bio-X Weight Loss Center is here to help. Contact us online or by phone today to set up your consultation. We look forward to welcoming you into our practice family!
