How to Successfully Lose Weight After 50

For many, losing weight can be a challenging process, and some find that it becomes more difficult with age. Is it true that it’s harder to slim down once you’ve passed 50?

It is a widespread belief that the older you get, the harder it becomes to lose weight. With age, there’s a tendency to gain weight, and many reach a point where they want to lose weight. Especially if the body mass index rises significantly above the normal range of 18.5 – 25, the risk of weight-related health problems begin to increase. At a BMI of 30 or higher, it may therefore be beneficial for health to reduce weight.

There are several reasons why it becomes easier to develop overweight and obesity as one gets older, including:

1. Reduced need for physical activity
2. Illness that limits opportunities for physical activity
3. Psychological factors such as stress and depression
4. Certain medications (e.g., Prednisolone, some antidepressants)
5. Lower resting metabolism due to age-related muscle loss
6. Women: Lower estrogen levels after menopause

Sarcopenia – age-related muscle loss

It is common to lose muscle mass as we get older. People over 50 years old lose 1-2% of muscle mass annually (1). Weight reduction, which often leads to decreased muscle mass, therefore becomes an extra challenge for older people who want to lose weight. It can result in an increased risk of fractures, reduced mobility, and loss of independence

Older adults need more protein

What can be done to preserve the vulnerable muscle mass if one wants to lose weight after turning 50? Perhaps an increased intake of protein can prevent loss of muscle mass when dieting? Research suggests that the recommended daily intake of protein at 0.8g/kg/d is insufficient to maintain muscle mass in older adults (2). People over 65 years old are recommended to eat 1.1 – 1.3 grams of protein per kg body weight per day (3). This can delay or reduce the risk of sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). However, research is not conclusive on whether a high enough protein intake prevents age-related muscle loss. Some studies show that a high protein intake does not prevent sarcopenia. Protein-rich foods include both plant-based foods and animal-based foods. The quality of proteins is generally better in animal sources, while the overall health effect seems to be better if one gets proteins from plant products.

Animal based proteins

• Fish (approx. 20g/100g)
• Eggs (13g/100g)
• Meat (approx. 25g/100g)

Plant based proteins

• Beans and lentils (approx 7g/100g)
• Seeds (approx. 20g/100g)
• Nuts (approx. 20g/100g)
• Peanut butter (20g/100g)
• Grains and whole grain products (10-13g/100g)

Combine strength training and proteins

If older adults tend to lose muscle mass, especially during a weight reduction phase, perhaps even if protein intake is high, what can be done to prevent loss of muscle mass? Can exercise prevent muscle loss in older adults? For many older people, walking is the only form of physical activity they do. To prevent muscle loss, strength training is a better alternative. In a study over 1.5 years, about 250 overweight people in their 60s participated in a weight reduction program where they either had:

1. Calorie restriction and additionally did strength training, or
2. Calorie restriction and walking

Participants who did strength training had significantly less muscle loss (1kg vs 2kg) and significantly greater fat reduction. Reducing weight while preserving muscle mass is especially important for older adults who are overweight.

The researchers observed that cardiovascular training in overweight older adults led to greater loss of muscle mass than dietary changes alone (4)

Study: It is not more difficult for older people to lose weight

The same lifestyle changes that can help younger people lose weight are also effective for older people. In a study of 240 participants, researchers compared the effect of a weight reduction program on people under 60 with people over 60 years old. The lifestyle interventions included advice and guidance on physical activity, dietary changes, and psychological support. During the study, the groups had approximately similar weight loss. In fact, people over 60 years old lost somewhat more weight than those under 60 years old (5). Nevertheless, it can be challenging to succeed with weight reduction, and many find that they have to put in significant effort to achieve it. One of the reasons for this is that over time, one experiences a metabolic adaptation – a lowering of the metabolism, which is a response to weight loss. This means a reduction in resting metabolism. Studies have shown that this effect occurs at 10-20% weight loss. However, when weight loss stops, the resting metabolism returns to normal levels

The fact that people regain weight after weight reduction is often due to the hedonic system kicking in more strongly. The reward system in the brain is amplified with greater weight loss. We eat for many different reasons, one of them being for pleasure. When the reward system is amplified with a larger weight loss, it becomes a greater challenge to maintain a reduced calorie intake (6).

However, there is documentation suggesting that resting metabolism begins to decrease from around age 45, and total energy turnover from about age 60 (5, 6). For older individuals, it may be more appropriate to avoid too rapid weight reduction due to increased loss of muscle mass with rapid weight loss. Try to lose about 0.5kg per week. This can make it easier to preserve muscle mass. Dietary changes are more important than physical activity for achieving weight reduction. This is because for most people, it’s easier to eat fewer calories than to burn an equivalent amount of calories through physical activity. A main meal can often contain 500-700 kcal. This is equivalent to about an hour’s jog, which for many is more demanding than eating correspondingly fewer calories.

DIETARY STRATEGIES FOR WEIGHT REDUCTION

There are mainly three dietary strategies that can be used to achieve weight reduction, where all strategies have their advantages and disadvantages:

1. Counting calories

This is a ‘watertight’ slimming method where you keep track of how many calories you eat during a day. You start with how many calories you need to maintain your weight and typically subtract about 500 kcal. For example, if you need 2000 kcal to maintain your weight (based on activity level, weight, etc.), a daily intake of 1500 kcal will result in weight loss over time, approximately 0.5kg per week. In the calculator below, you can get an overview of how many calories you need to maintain your weight and to reduce your weight by about 0.5kg per week:

Advantages: There are no restrictions on which foods you can eat. This means you can eat the same diet as before. Challenges: It is demanding to get an overview of how many calories you actually eat during a day. Especially if you cook meals ‘from scratch’. However, there are helpful tools that can contribute to success with this strategy, e.g., A Food Composition Table and A Diet Planner (english language is available).

2. Change dietary pattern

Another well-documented strategy is to change the diet to a type of diet that has been shown to reduce weight over time, without needing to focus on how many calories you eat. There are several dietary patterns to choose from so that you can hopefully find a type of diet you enjoy:

Carbohydrate-reduced diet / low-carb

In this strategy, the intake of carbohydrates is reduced and you eat more proteins and fats. Preferably choose plant-based proteins where possible, to avoid an intake of animal foods above the recommended level. This type of dietary pattern has been shown to reduce weight somewhat more than other dietary patterns in the first few months, partly because this diet also results in some fluid loss.

Low-fat diet

In this diet, the intake of fat is reduced, meaning that you limit/avoid fatty foods such as butter, cream and other fatty animal foods, as well as oils and fatty plant-based foods such as nuts and seeds.

Whole food plant-based diet

The greatest weight reduction with a ‘free calorie intake,’ meaning no restrictions on how much food you can eat, has been observed in studies on a (fat-reduced) whole food plant-based diet. With this strategy, you can eat as much food as you want without worrying about the number of calories. However, there is a limitation on which foods you can eat. A whole food plant-based diet means that you only consume 1) plant-based foods, and 2) foods that are not processed/processed to a significant degree. This means avoiding pastries, soda, and other refined plant-based foods.

In the BROAD study, the effect of a whole food plant-based diet was tested, and it was found that participants lost an average of 12 kg in the first 6 months, even though they could eat as much food as they wanted. This appears to be a dietary pattern where you do not have to sacrifice feelings of fullness to achieve weight reduction.

Follow the national dietary guidelines and be mindful of how much you eat

Focus on low-calorie and high-fiber foods. A simple strategy is to ensure you get 500g of fruits and vegetables each day and to reduce/plan for ‘calorie bombs’ such as sweets and fatty foods. Use the plate model with regard to portion sizes. Choose water as your drink of choice.

3. Limit eating time – intermittent fasting

A third and somewhat less researched dietary strategy involves eating food only within a period of 6-8 hours during the day, for example, from 08:00 to 14:00/16:00, or eating very little on two days a week (e.g., only 500 kcal/day). Advantages: You can eat the foods you are used to and enjoy while still losing weight. Challenges: Especially at the beginning of such a program, you may experience hunger outside of eating periods. However, the body has an ability to adapt to this.

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES FOR WEIGHT REDUCTION

Motivation

If motivation is high to lose weight, the likelihood of successfully reaching your weight goal is greater. Generally, the more weight-related issues one has, the greater the motivation to reduce weight. However, it is best to lose weight before developing weight-related problems. If motivation and confidence in succeeding are lower than 7 on a scale from 1 to 10, it may be helpful to work on increasing motivation and self-efficacy (either independently or with healthcare professionals).

One Thing at a Time

At the rehabilitation center where I work, it is not uncommon for patients to go home with goals to quit smoking, exercise more, lose weight, and perhaps also change their diet. The change process tends to stall if one embarks on too many large change projects at once. It’s best to start with what you are most motivated to change. Once you have made significant progress and find that the changes are becoming easier, you can begin other lifestyle changes.

Goals and Subgoals

Losing weight is often a long-term project. It may take several years to reach the finish line. To avoid losing motivation before reaching your goal, it is important not only to set a main goal but also to establish subgoals along the way. Set subgoals that are no more than 2-3 months ahead. This way, motivation and self-efficacy can be more easily maintained.

Monitor Weight and Interventions

Even if you are “not on good terms” with the scale, there is a greater likelihood of reaching your set weight goal if you weigh yourself 1-2 times a week. In addition to monitoring your weight, it is important to ensure that dietary interventions are being implemented.

Social Support

While some individuals are quite self-sufficient and succeed in weight reduction on their own, many experience that support from family, friends, or healthcare professionals is important for achieving weight loss. Additionally, telling others that you have decided to lose weight can help reinforce your own motivation and ability to follow through.

Setbacks Are Not a Crisis

A change process rarely follows a straight line from A to B. It is expected that one will experience setbacks and regressions when making lifestyle changes. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this and not lose heart when the weight does not always go down or when one gives in to food temptations. The quicker you can put setbacks behind you without punishing yourself, the greater the likelihood of reaching your weight goal.

Plan ahead

If many meals are eaten outside the home, such as at a restaurant, it can be helpful to think through what you want to eat before sitting down with a tempting menu. It is often more challenging to choose “correctly” when faced with all the temptations compared to planning in advance what type of dish you want to have when you arrive at the restaurant.This translation accurately conveys the original content, maintaining the structure and key message about the importance of pre-planning meals when dining out.

Does Physical Activity Contribute to Weight Reduction?

Physical activity is primarily important for maintaining weight loss, but it is also beneficial to combine dietary changes with physical activity. For individuals over 50-60 years old, it is important to include strength training to prevent weight-related and age-related muscle loss. Aim to be physically active for 30-60 minutes per day, with an intensity level comparable to brisk walking or higher.

Conclusion

As we saw in the study earlier in the article, it is not more difficult for older adults to lose weight compared to younger people. However, weight reduction requires motivation, patience, and effective strategies for diet and physical activity.

• Set a realistic goal. Don’t try to lose too much too quickly. Aim for a goal of about 0.5 kg weight reduction per week.
• Find a dietary strategy that can be followed over time. There are many different dietary patterns and strategies that can lead to weight loss, so feel free to experiment until you find something that works for you.
• Stay active. Physical activity is important for maintaining muscle mass and metabolism during the weight reduction phase.
• Get support from others. Motivation can be strengthened by having someone to share the journey with.

Here are some specific tips for preserving muscle mass while losing weight:

• Strength training. Strength training is the best way to stimulate muscle growth and can help preserve muscle mass when combined with increased protein intake.
• Increase protein intake. For older adults, a daily protein intake of 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight can likely reduce muscle loss during a weight reduction period.

Remember that it is never too late to take charge of your health. By making effective lifestyle changes, you can improve your health and reduce the risk of diseases.