AGING MEANS MORE POUNDS, AND LESS MUSCLE
Women, in particular post-menopausal women, are more likely to gain body fat and to require fewer calories as they get older. What’s more, natural changes in fat tissue that come with aging can also prompt the body to put on weight, according to a 2019 article published in Nature Medicine. As women hit menopause, estrogen levels drop and they suffer muscle mass decreases of 3-5% every decade after age 30. That’s a big deal because muscle burns more calories than fat.
Although you can’t control the calendar, you can control your eating habits. People of any age can lose weight and keep it off so long as they create the habits that are necessary, and have a plan in place for any ‘slips’ that can cause weight gain. Effective behaviors include making nutrient-rich foods the basis of your diet, while limiting processed foods, excess sugar and empty calories, as well as adding weight resistance exercise to rebuild lost muscle into your weekly routine.
MEDICATIONS
Some medications cause weight gain or get in the way of your efforts to lose weight. Among them, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, are insulin, certain antipsychotics or antidepressants, some epilepsy medicines, steroids and blood pressure-lowering meds like beta blockers. These may cause weight gain because, in some way, they upset your metabolism, alter your appetite, cause water retention or contribute to fatigue which makes you less active.
If you or your doctor notice that you’ve unintentionally gained weight, talk about it. Don’t stop taking …