How can someone in their middle age lose weight?

Losing weight in middle age can seem challenging, but with the right approach, it's definitely achievable. In this article, we will explore effective strategies and tips that can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Keep reading to discover how to make the most of your weight loss journey!

Weight gain in middle age

Middle-aged people often gain weight more easily as a natural consequence of aging.

Body weight in both men and women increases by 0.3 to 0.5 kg per year on average between the ages of 40 and 66, after which it remains stable or even continues to increase until the age of 70 (1).

Changes in body weight represent both reductions in lean tissue and gains in body fat (2). Fat tissue accumulates toward the center of the body, including around the internal organs.

Various factors, such as metabolism, lifestyle, and hormonal changes, contribute to weight gain in middle age.

Your metabolism tends to slow down as you get older, i.e., it burns fewer calories at rest, but your appetite and food intake do not. As a result, your body weight tends to increase steadily with age.

Why does metabolism slow down as you age?

1. Loss of lean muscle mass — Your body naturally loses muscle mass as you age. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so with less muscle, the body burns fewer calories even at rest.
2. Reduced physical activity — Many people become less active as they age, especially if they have a job that involves a lot of sitting. Lack of exercise can lead to fat gain and muscle loss, further slowing down your metabolism.
3. Gender and genes — Men generally have a faster metabolism because they have more muscle mass, heavier bones, and less body fat. Conversely, women transitioning to menopause face an increased risk of central fat mass gain and related health issues due to hormone-related changes in appetite, body fat distribution, and energy expenditure (3 – 5). Genetics also plays a role in the development of overweight and obesity (6).

You can read more about the menopause supplements in some of our previous articles: 

• Female Supplements - Menopause, Libido, and Fertility
• Menopause supplements and vitamins - do they work?

Discover the Menopause Bundle available at Augment Life Shop:

• Menopause Bundle

Lifestyle changes that can boost your metabolism:

1. Increase physical activity — Moving your body uses the most energy and burns calories. Regular exercise, especially aerobic activities such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and hiking, helps you burn calories. Remember to choose aerobic exercises you enjoy so that you will keep doing them. Strength training helps you build muscle mass by lifting weights, and muscles burn more calories at rest than fat tissue.
2. Balanced diet — Your diet plays a key role. Try to eat less fat and more complex carbs. Fuel your body with breakfast, lean protein, and satiating foods that will keep you full longer. Lean proteins will also speed up your metabolism by boosting your overall muscle mass.
3. Stay hydrated — Getting enough water is crucial for your metabolism. 

Those extra kilograms have consequences beyond your clothes not fitting. The risk of many chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases, rises with age. Excess weight can make these risks even higher. 

Fortunately, you can take steps to achieve and maintain a healthy weight as you age.

How Can Middle-Aged Individuals Lose Weight?

Be more active

Regular exercise helps you burn more calories and build muscle. Strength training, in particular, can be very useful as it helps combat muscle loss. Muscle is the calorie-burning engine of your body, so the more muscle you maintain, the easier it will be to lose or maintain your weight.

Older adults who exercise regularly have less central body fat, better muscle function, and better insulin sensitivity than sedentary older adults (2).

You can find out more about the influence of exercise on longevity in our previous article:

• Do HIIT and Zone 2 workouts influence longevity?

Clean Up Your Diet

Try to shift toward healthier eating habits. Simply replacing unhealthy foods with healthier ones – not just for a few weeks, but for life – will help you achieve weight loss while also offering numerous other benefits.

Focus on whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins while reducing processed foods and added sugars. Increase fiber intake to stay full longer and prevent overeating. Vegetables and fruits should fill up one-half of the dish.

Reduce calories

The principle of weight gain is simple: you gain weight when the caloric intake exceeds energy expenditure (6). Reducing calorie intake without malnutrition leads to fat and weight loss (2).

You can achieve this not by starving yourself or reducing meal portions, but by choosing nutritious, low-calorie foods instead of high-calorie options. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories but rich in important vitamins and minerals, including fiber, which can keep you full between meals.

Prioritize Sleep

Proper sleep hygiene is another key factor in weight loss. People who don’t get good-quality sleep are more likely to gain weight, as people who sleep less eat more calories and even crave higher-calorie foods. Additionally, sleep affects certain hormones related to appetite and feelings of fullness. Getting enough sleep keeps these hormones balanced, making it easier to manage your weight.

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night by maintaining a consistent bedtime routine and limiting screen time before bed. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals before going to bed.

You can read more about the importance of sleep in some of our previous articles:

• 50 and not sleeping well, what do I do?
• The Strategic Sleeper: Leveraging Rest for Professional Achievement

Explore the Sleep Bundle offered by Augment Life Shop:

• Sleep Bundle

Manage stress

The stress hormone cortisol promotes fat storage around the abdomen. Moreover, chronic stress can also affect how well your body responds to insulin, which controls blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, stress can make you more likely to binge on unhealthy food. Try activities like yoga, meditation, deep breathing, non-sleep deep rest (NSDR), or reading a good book.

Find out more about NSDR in our previous article:

• What is Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)?

Stay hydrated

Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger. Studies have shown that increasing daily water intake, replacing sugary drinks with water, or drinking water before meals can lead to weight loss (7).

Reduce your alcohol intake

A glass of wine or beer contains about 150 calories, and that can add up if you drink often. Not only that, but alcohol can make you hungry, so you may eat more while you drink, too.

You can also read this interesting article on alcohol:

• Does Alcohol Make You Age Faster?

Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting means that you eat methodically during a certain period of the day instead of eating whenever you want. It may help reduce calorie intake and improve fat loss. If you decide to follow this approach, make sure to focus on what you eat, not just when you eat.

You can learn more about promoting autophagy through fasting in our previous article:

• The Role of Autophagy in Health and Longevity

Supplements that help with managing weight in middle age

Here are some dietary supplements that can support weight management efforts in middle-aged individuals when combined with a healthy diet and regular physical activity:

Protein intake

Middle-aged adults need more protein to compensate for muscle loss. The benefits of resistance training on skeletal muscle mass and strength are greater with adequate protein intake (8).

You can read more about the importance of eating protein and the impact of protein intake as you age in some of our previous articles:

• The importance of eating protein – how much do we need and why?
• The Role of Protein in Maintaining Muscle Mass as You Age
• The Protein Debate - Do we need more proteins in old age or not?

Leucine and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation

Leucine supplementation and HMB supplementation may be beneficial for increasing muscle mass (8).

Learn more about taking leucine as a supplement in these articles:

• Why should you take leucine?
• How much leucine should I take?

Omega-3 fatty acids intake

Supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids may help enhance muscle mass and function with aging (9, 10), although the exact mechanism is not fully understood.

Multivitamins and Vitamins B6 and B12

A study found that long-term use of multivitamins and vitamins B6 and B12 was associated with less weight gain over time among middle-aged individuals who were overweight or obese (11).

Chromium

This mineral has been linked to reduced weight gain in overweight and obese individuals. Long-term use of chromium supplements, particularly at doses of 150 micrograms per day or more, was associated with lower weight gain in a study involving middle-aged participants (11).

Berberine

A meta-analysis of 10 clinical trials revealed that berberine supplementation significantly reduced body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (12).

Find out more about the incredible berberine in these articles:

• Is Berberine a Natural Ally in Cancer Prevention and Treatment?
• Berberine - Health Benefits, Dosage and Side Effects
• Finding the Right Dose: How Much Berberine Do I Need?
• Taking Berberine: Best Times, Forms, and Other Considerations

Take a look at the berberine available at Augment Life Shop:

• Berberine - Berberis Aristata

Whey protein

Consumption of whey protein increases levels of satiety hormones, which help reduce appetite. Whey protein may promote fat mass reduction while preserving lean muscle mass (13).

While taking supplements can be helpful, it's essential to consult with a healthcare provider before adding them to your regimen, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications.

Conclusion

Before starting your weight-loss journey, take some time to think about the kinds of healthy foods you enjoy so that you have plenty of choices as you plan your meals and snacks. Keep in mind that the best diet is the one you'll stick to, so don't rush out and buy a bunch of "health foods" that you know you'll never eat.

Staying active is crucial for weight loss, so aim to maintain an active lifestyle by incorporating daily walks or regular visits to the gym.

Make sure to monitor body composition (muscle vs. fat) rather than focusing solely on weight to stay motivated. Focus on gradual progress and set realistic goals.

With a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a patient, sustainable approach, weight loss is possible.

Literature sources:

1. Distefano G, Goodpaster BH. Effects of exercise and aging on skeletal muscle. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(3):a029785. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029785.
2. Palmer AK, Jensen MD. Metabolic changes in aging humans: current evidence and therapeutic strategies. J Clin Invest. 2022 Aug 15;132(16):e158451. doi: 10.1172/JCI158451. PMID: 35968789; PMCID: PMC9374375.
3. Lovejoy JC. Weight gain in women at midlife: the influence of menopause. Obes Manage. 2009;5(2):52-56. doi: 10.1089/obe.2009.0203.
4. Lovejoy JC, Champagne CM, de Jonge L, Xie H, Smith SR. Increased visceral fat and decreased energy expenditure during the menopausal transition. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008;32(6):949-58. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2008.25.
5. Abdulnour J, Doucet E, Brochu M, Lavoie JM, Strychar I, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Prud'homme D. The effect of the menopausal transition on body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors: a Montreal-Ottawa New Emerging Team group study. Menopause. 2012;19(7):760-767. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e318240f6f3.
6. Institute of Medicine (US) Subcommittee on Military Weight Management. Weight Management: State of the Science and Opportunities for Military Programs. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2004. Chapter 4, Weight-Loss and Maintenance Strategies [Internet]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221839/
7. Bracamontes-Castelo G, Bacardí-Gascón M, Jiménez Cruz A. Effect of water consumption on weight loss: a systematic review. Nutr Hosp. 2019 Dec 26;36(6):1424-1429. doi: 10.20960/nh.02746. PMID: 31657610.
8. Gielen E, Beckwée D, Delaere A, De Breucker S, Vandewoude M, Bautmans I, et al. Nutritional interventions to improve muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in older people: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Nutr Rev. 2021 Jan 9;79(2):121-147. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa011. PMID: 32483625.
9. Smith GI, Julliand S, Reeds DN, Sinacore DR, Klein S, Mittendorfer B. Fish oil-derived n-3 PUFA therapy increases muscle mass and function in healthy older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jul;102(1):115-22. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.105833. Epub 2015 May 20. PMID: 25994567; PMCID: PMC4480667.
10. Smith GI, Atherton P, Reeds DN, Mohammed BS, Rankin D, Rennie MJ, et al. Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb;93(2):402-12. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.005611. Epub 2010 Dec 15. PMID: 21159787; PMCID: PMC3021432. 
11. Nachtigal MC, Patterson RE, Stratton KL, Adams LA, Shattuck AL, White E. Dietary supplements and weight control in a middle-age population. J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Oct;11(5):909-15. doi: 10.1089/acm.2005.11.909. PMID: 16296926.
12. Xiong P, Niu L, Talaei S, Kord-Varkaneh H, Clark CCT, Găman MA, et al. The effect of berberine supplementation on obesity indices: A dose-response meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020 May;39:101113. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101113. Epub 2020 Feb 1. PMID: 32379652.
13. Watanabe M, Risi R, Masi D, Caputi A, Balena A, Rossini G, et al. Current evidence to propose different food supplements for weight loss: A comprehensive review. Nutrients. 2020 Sep 20;12(9):2873. doi: 10.3390/nu12092873. PMID: 32962190; PMCID: PMC7551574.