Becoming deliberately less bulky in middle age.
Discussion
When I was in my 20s and early 30s I was 11-12 stone and pretty fit most of the time. But in my 40s I had children and became lardy, so hit the gym hard from mid-40s onwards. I became stocky. I have a photo of me on my 50th birthday and I look like a rugby player with a 50 year old's head on.
My next big birthday is 60 and I don't want to be 14 stone at 5ft 9.5in, but it seems that is what my body wants to be.
I eat cleanly the majority of the time, but do partake of a little alcohol at weekends. I almost feel like I'd need to be abstemious and eating 1250 calories per day for life to see 12 stone again. But last time I got down to below 15%bf I was 13 stone and looked gaunt, so I am not entirely sure that 12 stone is a desirable goal anymore.
As things stand, I have gone back to 5 days a week of HIIT, steady state cardio and light weights. If I continue, by summer I will be 14 stone and stocky. Exactly like before.
Has anyone else tried to skinny down in middle age and encountered resistance?
ORD said:
I dont really know what you're asking. If you want to lose weight, reduce your calories :-)
That's my point. My body seems quite elastic with regard to calorie intake and seems to want to be 14 stone, regardless of what body composition that is.Interestingly, when I was young my "natural" bodyweight was 12st 3lbs and I had to do quite a lot to change it up or down.
Louis Balfour said:
That's my point. My body seems quite elastic with regard to calorie intake and seems to want to be 14 stone,
All those people freed from concentration camps at the end of the war, who'd had very little to eat but had had to physically work really hard for 18 hours a day, none of their bodies wanted to stick at 14st. Every single one of them was around 5 stone. Not a single guy anywhere was stuck on 14st because his body was elastic to calories. Eat much less and do much more. You will then lose weight.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Louis Balfour said:
That's my point. My body seems quite elastic with regard to calorie intake and seems to want to be 14 stone,
All those people freed from concentration camps at the end of the war, who'd had very little to eat but had had to physically work really hard for 18 hours a day, none of their bodies wanted to stick at 14st. Every single one of them was around 5 stone. Not a single guy anywhere was stuck on 14st because his body was elastic to calories. Eat much less and do much more. You will then lose weight.
I agree with your aim though, makes sense as you get older to lighten the load on joints and ensure focus on mobility, although 14 stone isn't what I'd call heavy in the first place.
Resistance exercises are essentially to maintain bone density and mitigate against the gradual loss in muscle mass that comes with aging. I'm sure many blokes would be happy with the build you describe though!
Gnevans said:
As we age, our metabolism slows and the rate at which we break down food decreases by 10 percent each decade after age 20. Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body uses to maintain itself.
From a quick google..
Not inevitably. Almost all of the decrease is due to reduced muscle mass and activity. I doubt an active and muscular 50 year old burns many fewer calories than a similar 30 year old. From a quick google..
R56Cooper said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Louis Balfour said:
That's my point. My body seems quite elastic with regard to calorie intake and seems to want to be 14 stone,
All those people freed from concentration camps at the end of the war, who'd had very little to eat but had had to physically work really hard for 18 hours a day, none of their bodies wanted to stick at 14st. Every single one of them was around 5 stone. Not a single guy anywhere was stuck on 14st because his body was elastic to calories. Eat much less and do much more. You will then lose weight.
I agree with your aim though, makes sense as you get older to lighten the load on joints and ensure focus on mobility, although 14 stone isn't what I'd call heavy in the first place.
Resistance exercises are essentially to maintain bone density and mitigate against the gradual loss in muscle mass that comes with aging. I'm sure many blokes would be happy with the build you describe though!
Of course drastically reducing calories will do it (eventually). But it isn't healthy or proportionate. Health wasn't high on the list of Nazi priorities when managing the diets of the Jews, however.
My OP was really a thinking out loud exercise pondering how I am finding it difficult to become smaller (not necessarily leaner).
You probably need to change the exercise you do.
Do more cardio until you find the level.
Whilst you can't "outrun" a bad diet you can mitigate - but I found that by getting out on the bike for an hour most days with the odd longer ride I was able to get control of my weight with minimal real effort - just watch what I eat during the week and keep the booze to Friday and Saturday, with the occasional wine led sunday lunch.
It's easier on lockdown as "business lunches" are a thing of the past but whenever I had a midweek splurge I'd just have the Friday or Saturday off to make up for it.
Do more cardio until you find the level.
Whilst you can't "outrun" a bad diet you can mitigate - but I found that by getting out on the bike for an hour most days with the odd longer ride I was able to get control of my weight with minimal real effort - just watch what I eat during the week and keep the booze to Friday and Saturday, with the occasional wine led sunday lunch.
It's easier on lockdown as "business lunches" are a thing of the past but whenever I had a midweek splurge I'd just have the Friday or Saturday off to make up for it.
I "went" to a really interesting talk on Metabolism the other week (https://www.newscientist.com/science-events/misunderstood-science-metabolism/). Your body burns a surprisingly even amount of calories regardless of how much exercise you do. They'd done studies on hunter gatherer tribes, elite athletes, etc and it seems that as you get fitter your body settles back down to using a similar amount of calories per day as you did before. It seems that while exercise has many benefits, weight control isn't one of them.
Louis Balfour said:
R56Cooper said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Louis Balfour said:
That's my point. My body seems quite elastic with regard to calorie intake and seems to want to be 14 stone,
All those people freed from concentration camps at the end of the war, who'd had very little to eat but had had to physically work really hard for 18 hours a day, none of their bodies wanted to stick at 14st. Every single one of them was around 5 stone. Not a single guy anywhere was stuck on 14st because his body was elastic to calories. Eat much less and do much more. You will then lose weight.
I agree with your aim though, makes sense as you get older to lighten the load on joints and ensure focus on mobility, although 14 stone isn't what I'd call heavy in the first place.
Resistance exercises are essentially to maintain bone density and mitigate against the gradual loss in muscle mass that comes with aging. I'm sure many blokes would be happy with the build you describe though!
Of course drastically reducing calories will do it (eventually). But it isn't healthy or proportionate. Health wasn't high on the list of Nazi priorities when managing the diets of the Jews, however.
My OP was really a thinking out loud exercise pondering how I am finding it difficult to become smaller (not necessarily leaner).
I was/am similar to OP.
Was 10.5-11 stones (65-70 kg) as a teenager (6'1").
By my early forties I was out of shape, run down, XL T's, out-growing 36" waist jeans and over 90 kgs.
Spent the next decade dieting/exercising/lapsing - repeat... sometimes got down to 80 kgs and had almost accepted my lot.
Then got into many/most of the 'fad'/trendy diets of the time; Paleo, Low carb, Veggie, Vegan, Keto, Carnivore - probably others, and reasonably consistent in the gym lifting weights. I was probably at my 'then' happiest eating paleo and lifting 5-6 times a week - but I was still north of 80 kgs, but a better composition as I'd gained quite a lot of muscle.
Anyway, long story short I've been 72 kgs for the last couple of years with relatively low BF but not as much lean muscle as I had a few years ago. I can eat pretty much what I want, when I want and remain the same. Much happier.
It can be done - you just need to find what works for you.
Was 10.5-11 stones (65-70 kg) as a teenager (6'1").
By my early forties I was out of shape, run down, XL T's, out-growing 36" waist jeans and over 90 kgs.
Spent the next decade dieting/exercising/lapsing - repeat... sometimes got down to 80 kgs and had almost accepted my lot.
Then got into many/most of the 'fad'/trendy diets of the time; Paleo, Low carb, Veggie, Vegan, Keto, Carnivore - probably others, and reasonably consistent in the gym lifting weights. I was probably at my 'then' happiest eating paleo and lifting 5-6 times a week - but I was still north of 80 kgs, but a better composition as I'd gained quite a lot of muscle.
Anyway, long story short I've been 72 kgs for the last couple of years with relatively low BF but not as much lean muscle as I had a few years ago. I can eat pretty much what I want, when I want and remain the same. Much happier.
It can be done - you just need to find what works for you.
LordGrover said:
I was/am similar to OP.
Was 10.5-11 stones (65-70 kg) as a teenager (6'1").
By my early forties I was out of shape, run down, XL T's, out-growing 36" waist jeans and over 90 kgs.
Spent the next decade dieting/exercising/lapsing - repeat... sometimes got down to 80 kgs and had almost accepted my lot.
Then got into many/most of the 'fad'/trendy diets of the time; Paleo, Low carb, Veggie, Vegan, Keto, Carnivore - probably others, and reasonably consistent in the gym lifting weights. I was probably at my 'then' happiest eating paleo and lifting 5-6 times a week - but I was still north of 80 kgs, but a better composition as I'd gained quite a lot of muscle.
Anyway, long story short I've been 72 kgs for the last couple of years with relatively low BF but not as much lean muscle as I had a few years ago. I can eat pretty much what I want, when I want and remain the same. Much happier.
It can be done - you just need to find what works for you.
What was it that worked for you?Was 10.5-11 stones (65-70 kg) as a teenager (6'1").
By my early forties I was out of shape, run down, XL T's, out-growing 36" waist jeans and over 90 kgs.
Spent the next decade dieting/exercising/lapsing - repeat... sometimes got down to 80 kgs and had almost accepted my lot.
Then got into many/most of the 'fad'/trendy diets of the time; Paleo, Low carb, Veggie, Vegan, Keto, Carnivore - probably others, and reasonably consistent in the gym lifting weights. I was probably at my 'then' happiest eating paleo and lifting 5-6 times a week - but I was still north of 80 kgs, but a better composition as I'd gained quite a lot of muscle.
Anyway, long story short I've been 72 kgs for the last couple of years with relatively low BF but not as much lean muscle as I had a few years ago. I can eat pretty much what I want, when I want and remain the same. Much happier.
It can be done - you just need to find what works for you.
Not too dissimilar a story to yours OP, and the answer in my case was to do a few months of keto, settling out on a generally low carb diet. We stick to it, though aren't terribly catholic about avoiding carbs. That, and a combination of 2-3 hours a week resistance training and 2-3 hours of cardio, mainly cycling. But the biggest single effect was diet, and I dropped 20Kg without any effort at all in 4 months or so. I eat as much as I want, just modulate the composition of what I eat. Now, at a similar age to you, my waist is stably at 30" and chest 40", so definitely better shape than most my age.
In my experience, it's virtually impossible to maintain weight loss that's purely down to exercise, it's what you put in your gob that matters more. And unless you modulate it, you will become round. It's called middle aged spread for good reason.
In my experience, it's virtually impossible to maintain weight loss that's purely down to exercise, it's what you put in your gob that matters more. And unless you modulate it, you will become round. It's called middle aged spread for good reason.
Louis Balfour said:
What was it that worked for you?
TBH, I'm not sure it's any one thing, except changing perceptions and desires.In ye olden dayes, I was a bugger for pasties, sausage rolls and the like, plus I ate takeaways at least once a week. Also drank for England.
I think the two extremes of Vegan and Carnivore helped a lot. Both are very restrictive so I learnt that there is nothing I absolutely must have. I was 14 months vegan and ate no animal products - missed meat, milk and cheese the most - but I survived and was at least initially pretty healthy. Some time later went full Carno for a year - no fruit or veg though I did have occasional nuts/seeds. Felt great and very strong. Now, I'm probably 90% carnivore - I eat some veg most days, but they're just an accompaniment to the meat/fish/cheese. I never eat breakfast, decent lunch and biggish dinner. No snacks, except occasional sweet binge.
Whatever I was eating, and ever since I've eaten no refined 'vegetable' oils. I think that's important.
Olive oil, butter and similar no problem. - just none of the novel industrial products.
I have no longer desire rubbish, so not eating it is no hardship.
456mgt said:
In my experience, it's virtually impossible to maintain weight loss that's purely down to exercise, it's what you put in your gob that matters more. And unless you modulate it, you will become round. It's called middle aged spread for good reason.
Indeed. You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet. There aren't enough hours in the day. I used to think "I've put the bins out, so I can have a fry up." But putting the bins out means you can probably lick a stamp. LordGrover said:
Louis Balfour said:
What was it that worked for you?
TBH, I'm not sure it's any one thing, except changing perceptions and desires.In ye olden dayes, I was a bugger for pasties, sausage rolls and the like, plus I ate takeaways at least once a week. Also drank for England.
I think the two extremes of Vegan and Carnivore helped a lot. Both are very restrictive so I learnt that there is nothing I absolutely must have. I was 14 months vegan and ate no animal products - missed meat, milk and cheese the most - but I survived and was at least initially pretty healthy. Some time later went full Carno for a year - no fruit or veg though I did have occasional nuts/seeds. Felt great and very strong. Now, I'm probably 90% carnivore - I eat some veg most days, but they're just an accompaniment to the meat/fish/cheese. I never eat breakfast, decent lunch and biggish dinner. No snacks, except occasional sweet binge.
Whatever I was eating, and ever since I've eaten no refined 'vegetable' oils. I think that's important.
Olive oil, butter and similar no problem. - just none of the novel industrial products.
I have no longer desire rubbish, so not eating it is no hardship.
There are echoes of what I learned when I used to train a lot (you have just applied it to diet) and that is that you don't get where you're going in one go.
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