As you age, you may find it more difficult to maintain or lose weight. Find out what changes in your body are making weight loss more difficult and how to adjust your weight loss strategies as you age.

Why Are You Gaining Weight as You Age?

As you age, your metabolism begins to slow down naturally. This means that you’re burning fewer calories while at rest. You might also find that you’re less active, whether it’s because you have less energy, or simply because your lifestyle is becoming less demanding. The less active you are, the fewer calories you’ll be burning. A slower metabolism and less physical activity means you need to reduce the amount of calories you eat every day, or you’ll soon notice you’re putting on extra pounds.

Gaining Weight as You Age – How Can You Fight Back?

The strategies for managing your weight as you age are the same as they were when you were younger.

To avoid gaining weight as you age:

• Count your calories. Remember that you’ll need fewer calories now than you did when you were younger.
• Control hunger by eating plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
• Make sure that your fat intake makes up less than 30 percent of your total calories.
• To maintain your weight, exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Losing or maintaining your weight always comes down to consuming fewer calories than you burn. As you age, you may simply find that you need to be more aware and aggressive about monitoring your calorie intake against your daily activity because of your slowing metabolism.