Concerning weight control, aging changes LOTS. If we turned the clock back 20 years or more, many of us (not all) could get away with the following and still be able to maintain a weight we were happy with:
- Eat higher quantities of foods
- Consume much more alcohol
- Not count portions of carbs and sugar-containing foods
- Snack on the things we love at night
- Skip meals
- Not have to incorporate exercise
- Drink sugar-containing beverages
And, as most of us have realized, the aging process has changed the dynamics of all of the above, and more as this relates to weight control. Although both men and women go through these changes, women seem to be impacted much more by the aging process. The slowing of our metabolic rates contributes greatly to this process, with women (especially those that have gone through childbirth) noticing this even more.
There are a number of people convinced that they have a sluggish/low thyroid situation only to find out via lab testing that their thyroid production is normal. Clearly, the changes in sex hormone levels that both genders experience contributes to the changing metabolic situation that leads to weight gain.
Given these age changes, the following situation occurs: We can eat the same amount of food and exercise the same from year to year but weight will go up despite this lack of change. Therefore, adjusting for age is something we all must do in order to shed weight or not gain weight over time.
The adjustments? What sounds simple is clearly not simple to enact (for lots of reasons) but here goes: Increase protein intake, decrease carbs/fruits/sugars, reduce alcohol consumption and incorporate exercise.
Stay cognizant of age-changes, actively intervene/adjust and we will age like fine wines instead of like rotten fruit.
Enjoy one of the best scenes ever in a movie…including Dooley Wilson singing “As Time Goes By”. A classic with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman
