During the pandemic, you'd hear stories of people gaining weight in what some called "The Pandemic 20" or "The Quarantine 15." But while many people gained weight, there was a select few who decided to use this time to get in the best shape of their life.
56-year-old Roy George from Manchester in the UK used to been unable to walk for more than 10 minutes or play a low-key game of football. However, he reversed deadly weight gain and lost nearly 90 pounds.
He explains how he did in his own words to Yahoo.com:
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"Over the last 10 years of my life, the weight came on slowly. I always thought I knew how to train because I had been a football coach and had exercised with kids, but I had left myself go over the past 10 or 15 years. I was eating junk food at the wrong times and had stopped playing football entirely. Diet was the main contributor and, at my heaviest, I was over 19 stone at 54 years old, from eating fatty foods and having four or five takeaways a week. My body fat was all over the place and I felt awful.
Despite this, the turning point—when I knew I needed to make real change—was when I knew I couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes or play football. Arthritis in my leg also meant I couldn't tie my shoelaces and, inevitably, friends made upsetting comments about my weight gain. I needed to make a change and turn my whole life around.
I started at 270 pounds in October 2019 and, because of the lockdown, I finished in July at 182 pounds. I feel fantastic, I'm smiling far more—in fact, I'm much more comfortable around people—and can walk up to three hours a day without any pain. My friends and family were amazed and my next goal is to take up football once again.
Now, I feel fitter and I'm going for long walks. I can play sports and join in with my sons, which I always wanted to do. My strength has gone up. I feel strong and healthy and have a six-pack. I thought it was impossible. But nothing is impossible with hard work.
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I also wanted to see the smile back on my wife's face and that's given me more pleasure than anything. That's the be-all and end-all—to see her happy and smiling again. It’s brought our relationship much closer and now, she says, she doesn't have to tie my shoelaces anymore. I can do it myself."
If you're getting older and want to lose weight, here are three ways a person can lose weight and maintain the weight loss after the age of 50 years.
1. Move more
The underlying principle of losing weight is burning more calories than one consumes.
Some research has linked sedentary lifestyles to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, obesity, and poorer health in general.
One significant factor in many people’s sedentary lives is having a job that involves a lot of sitting, such as an office worker, driver, or cashier.
However, studies suggest that by taking short breaks every half an hour, people can reduce the amount of time they spend sitting and potentially increase their overall health.
2. Get enough sleep
Many studies have suggested a link between a lack of good quality sleep and obesity.
Specifically, they suggest that there is a correlation between short sleep duration and poor quality sleep and an increased risk of developing obesity.
Making sure that one gets enough high quality sleep is important to ensure that they are not at risk of having obesity.
3. Do not skip meals
It may seem like a good idea to skip meals to lower caloric intake, but this can actually prove detrimental to weight loss.
Some studiesTrusted Source suggest a link between skipping breakfast and obesity, meaning that there is a high risk of this habit leading to a person gaining weight rather than losing it.
