06/25/2024

Dr. Eleni P. Andreou, RD, LD, Clinical Dietician

Why do so many people gain weight during midlife?
Blame it on the hormones in convergence with poor lifestyle choices, overeating, not exercising enough, and stress.
But hormones only account for about 2 to 5 pounds. The rest is the result of overeating, poor lifestyle choices -- such as not exercising enough -- and stress.

How can I not be one of those people who gains?

The keys are three: mind, mouth, muscle.

Use your mind to control stress. If you walk around and everything is stressful, you have a problem. You may respond to stress by making poorer lifestyle choices, such as not eating healthfully and not exercising enough.

Look at your nutrition -- in terms of quality, quantity, and frequency of eating. You should eat often.

Quality is all about eating whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein.

Processed foods are bad. Anything that comes in a family-size bag, turn in the opposite direction and run.

Quantity is where a lot of people fall. The majority are baffled by what a serving size should look like. When eating out, and in doubt, eat half of it or less.

Be accountable for calories. You need a general idea of how many calories you need. An average woman, not an athlete, in her 40s or 50s, needs about 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day, on average, if she is exercising. A middle-aged man, average height and not an athlete but exercising, needs about 1,800 to 2,000.

Muscle, of course, refers to the need to exercise and, of course, to weight train.

Should my goal weight increase when I hit midlife?
A better goal than focusing on scale weight is to keep track of body fat. The goals should be to decrease body fat and optimize bone strength.

For a man, a body fat percentage of 18% to 25% is not bad for 40-plus. For women 40-plus, 22% to 27% is not bad.

To get that body fat percentage, you need to have excellent fitness to maintain a good muscle base.

Also, a man should have a waist circumference below 108cm and a woman below 88cm.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/expert-qa-fighting-midlife-weight-gain-pamela-peeke?page=1  Pamela Peeke

How many times have we envied someone because they eat as much as they want without gaining weight?

How many times have we attribute weight gain to our bad metabolism, often saying "what can I do? I don’t have a good metabolism!" Is it true that metabolism changes when getting older and that there are ways to enhance it? Is it true that exercise helps us improve our metabolism?

"The term metabolism includes all chemical reactions occurring in the human body."

Metabolism is divided into two major categories: anabolism, consisting of chemical reactions in which the body makes complex compounds from simpler and catabolism which includes reactions in which nutrients are burned and produce energy, useful for all bodily functions.

Daily, the human body needs large amounts of energy to achieve all anabolic and catabolic processes, in order to warm up, move, etc. Also, energy is needed for the function of various organs and body systems, eg heart, which is performing a great mechanical work for blood circulation, and uses only 10% of this energy, while the brain uses up to 19%. The liver with other abdominal viscera uses 27% and kidneys uses 7% of this energy. Moreover, a significant amount of energy is spend due to heat loss with in the external environment.

Usually we calculate the energy we spend, which is described as "basal metabolism”, in calories which can be measured accurately if we are in a state of absolute tranquility without having eaten for 12 hours (which is a bit difficult) or using calorimetric equipment. And although in theory most people burn approximately 1800 to 2800 calories a day, high metabolism is dependent on many factors. Who are those factors and how are they related to the metabolism?

1. Gender
   Myth: Men and women have the same metabolism, ie they “burn" the same energy.
   Truth: The proportion of fat and muscle tissue plays a major role in the amount of energy that the body “burns”. Men, who generally have less fat and more muscle tissue, consume more energy than women; therefore they have a higher metabolism.
2. Weight
   Myth: Overweight people have lower metabolism, while thin people have higher metabolism.
   Fact: weight gain leads to increased metabolism. Thus, a heavier person burns more calories than a lighter person because he/she needs more energy to move.
3. Muscle
   Myth: Lifting weights in the gym is not related to metabolism.
   Truth: Muscle is the most active metabolic tissue of the body which when increased, due to exercise, the basal metabolism also increases. It is also true that for every 100 calories we burn during exercise, we burn about 15 more after the exercise due to the so-called «after burn effect».
4. Body fat
   Myth: People with too much fat in the abdominal area have a bad metabolism.
   Truth: Part of the adipose tissue, especially abdominal fat, may be associated with the basal metabolism. Obese individuals, especially those with abdominal fat accumulation (male-type obesity) have a higher metabolic rate.
5. Age
   Myth: As we grow older our metabolism increases.
   Truth: As we grow older our metabolism decreases. This is because with age our body reduces our muscle mass and increases fat. More specifically, the basal metabolism of the individual from age 10 and on, is reduced by about 1% to 2% per decade.
6. Body temperature
   Myth: An individual with a fever has a lower metabolism.
   Fact: For every 1 degree Celsius increase in body temperature, our basic metabolism increases by 12%.
7. Climate and temperature
   Myth: In Cyprus / Greece, countries with warm climate, citizens burn more calories than eg in Finland.
   Truth: Even though in Cyprus / Greece is warmer, citizens in countries with cold climate have 2% to 5% higher energy consumption.
8. Strict diets
   Myth: Reducing meals will result in increased metabolism
   Fact: Digestion, as a bodily function "burns" calories. Thus, reducing considerably the amount of food we eat, our body reduces its metabolism rate to conserve energy. If we want to increase our metabolism we mustn’t reduce the meals we eat, but enrich them with purified proteins (without fat) and fibers. Moreover, eating small meals at a regular basis (every 3 to 4 hours) helps in the appropriate distribution of calories, thereby increasing the metabolic rate.
9. Coffee and cigarettes
   Myth: Coffee and cigarettes reduce our metabolism
   Fact: It has been estimated that a 200 mg dose of caffeine, especially after a meal, increases the metabolic rate by 5% to 8% and that 4 cigarettes increases the metabolic rate by 3% for more than 3 hours. This is due to the effect of nicotine which leads to increased energy consumption and suppression of appetite.
10. Genetics
    Myth: If my parents have a low metabolism then I will never lose weight.
    Fact: We are not born with low metabolism (unless we have a thyroid hormone problem). We can all gain and lose weight depending on your calorie "burn" and consumption. No one is a victim of “bad” metabolism.  How effective is our metabolism depends purely on our personal choices.

Finally, it is important to know that metabolism, being affected by countless factors, can change at any time according to our way of life. There are types of foods that "block" it, preventing weight loss and other types of food - like fat and carbohydrates; that "burn" slowly.   The only sure way to increase our metabolism and consequently lose weight is by exercising regularly.

Menopause is a period of great change for women. It usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years and means the end of the reproductive age.

Symptoms of menopause

• weight gain,
• hot flashes,
• perspiration,
• irritation,
• poor concentration,
• frequent headaches and related pain,
• reduction of sexuality,
• dryness of the vagina,
• insomnia,
• fatigue,
• unstable and painful menses cycle,
• long term, the loss of estrogen greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and loss of calcium from the bones

Menopause and metabolism
During menopause, the metabolism slows down, whilst various hormonal changes occur that may increase the feeling of hunger, cause depression or insomnia. Thus, women who enter menopause can often witness an increase to their body weight if they do not adjust their lifestyles in order to respond to the changes that will occur to their bodies.

So, women in menopause should reduce their calories intake and increase their physical activity.

Why does our weight increase?

Our weight increases when we receive more calories than we can consume. While seemingly we do not change the amount of food we consume, suddenly our waistline increases.

Factors that lead to weight gain before and during menopause

1. Increased calorie intake.
Studies show that women consume more calories - while estrogen decreases - and eat less nutritious food, rich in fat and sugar.

2. Reduction in physical activity.
The spontaneous, unplanned physical activity is also reduced, often even without recognizing it.

This may be exacerbated by some menopausal symptoms: such as fatigue, difficulty sleeping, depression and other mood disorders.

3. Reduced Resting Metabolic Rate.
It is suspected that low levels of estrogen can reduce the resting metabolic rate (RMR) by 40-70 calories / day.
This amount of energy is stored if it is not compensated by diet and exercise.

Weight Loss Plateau-Metabolism

In simplest terms metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. The speed at which your body burns calories is called the metabolic rate. This rate may vary significantly from person to person.

Basal metabolism is the measure of the energy your body spends, calculated by calories.

The basal metabolism (BM) is calculated when the person is lying down, calm, at room temperature (20-25 ° C) and without having eaten for 12 hours. It is thus clear that the main feature is that the calculation is carried out when a person is calm - showing thereby the amount of energy consumed by the body while resting and does not spent any energy, due to any physical activity.

What are the key factors affecting the metabolic rate and thus the overall energy consumption?

GENDER
WEIGHT
MUSCLE
ADIPOSE TISSUE
AGE
GROWTH
BODY SURFACE
DEGREE OF TRAINING
BODY TEMPERATURE
PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING
CLIMATE AND ECOLOGY
DEPRIVATION DIET
DIET COMPOSITION
OVEREATING
REGULAR MEALS
ALCOHOL
SMOKING
CAFFEINE
ILLNESS, CATABOLIC STATES, TRAUMA
HORMONAL
WEIGHT LOSS

Factors of the metabolism rate

The rate of your metabolism depends on several factors such as age, physical condition and the amount of fat and muscle mass in the body.

At birth a person has a very high metabolism. From the decade of 30 years old and on, the metabolism slows by 3 to 5% every 10 years, so at 55, a person needs 150 calories less a day than when at 30.

Fat vs mass.

A muscle "burns" more calories in order to maintain itself than fat.
If you have low fat and increased muscle mass you have a high metabolism.

Fitness

Diabetes, health problems, lack of physical activity or hypothyroidism, are all factors that could lead to a significant reduction in metabolism and increase weight.

Such conditions can contribute to difficulties in weight loss.

Other causes for low metabolism

• Starvation (900 calories), low-calorie diet. A diet should contain no less than 1200 calories
• High consumption of sweeteners (candy, soft drinks, cakes).

How to increase your metabolism

• Adjustment of calories depending on age: ↓ calories and / or ↑ exercise
• Fibre, 25-30g / day (vegetables, fruits, full wheat products) - acceleration of calories burn
• 12% of daily calories from protein-↑ calorie production
• Water and more water. Choose the method you prefer: 6-8 cups / day, 30ml per kg of body weight, 1 ml per calorie
• Aerobic exercise and weight-resistance. Muscle building increases metabolism.

Estrogen
Estrogens play an important role in weight control. They affect the appetite, how active we are and the type of food we crave.

The absence of estrogens, changes the fat distribution in the body, which now accumulates in the abdomen (rather than the hips) and increases the risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Menopause & Phytoestrogens

Isoflavones are considered as the most active phytoestrogen, which can act like a weak estrogen or anti-estrogen.

• Genistein and Diazine: soy, red clover and other plants.
• Lignano: linseed, cereals, vegetables and fruits.

(RYMER, J., MORRIS, E.: in: "Clinical Evidence", 5. Aufl., BMJ Publishing Group, Jun. 2001)

Muscle mass
Still, increasing age may adversely affect a person’s weight because of:

• Gradual loss of muscle mass, cardio strength, reduction of the amount of calories consumed during exercise.
• There are even reports claiming that a young, healthy woman can increase her energy consumption by 8-10 calories / minute during exercise, while a middle-aged woman can only burn 6-8 calories / minute.
• Which means, that increased frequency and / or exercise intensity in perimenopausal age, is imperative.
• This does not imply that all women are doomed to gain weight.
• Yet, exercise is the first line of defense.

Bone health

From the age of 35 and on there’s a slow muscle loss in both men and women. However, at menopause, lower estrogen levels lead to increased calcium loss from the bones.
This is more common in women which do not follow hormone therapy rehabilitation.

The aim should be to consume 3 servings of dairy a day (a portion equal to one glass of milk or 1 cup of yogurt or 40g of cheese).

Calcium, however, can be found in small fish like sardines and green leafy vegetables like rocket.

Recommended daily calcium intakes

Children 4-8 years 800 mg / day
Teenagers  9-18 years 1300 mg / day
Women proemmin. <50 years 1000 mg / day
Menopausal or> 50 years 1500 mg / day
Men 18-50 years 1000 mg / day
Men > 50 years 1200 mg / day
Pregnant or lactating > 18 years 1000 mg / day
Pregnant or lactating <18 years 1300 mg / day

Reference Point – 1 cup of milk ~ 300mg Ca

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced in the body when a person comes in contact with sunlight, and it is necessary for bone health.

Women who don’t exposure themselves to sunlight should take vitamin D supplements along with calcium and magnesium, after consulting a doctor!

Avoid weight gain

• Increase the frequency of exercise. Even a brisk 20-minute walk is enough.
• Increase the duration of exercise. Another option is to do additional exercises. Try adding 5-10 minutes to one exercise or adding more exercises.
• Strength training is the most important thing you can do to maintain muscle strength, balance, muscle mass and weight as you age. Studies show that middle age individuals can increase the resting metabolic rate and energy consumption by adding resistance exercises. One study even showed that the combination of high-intensity aerobic exercise with resistance training, along with a balanced diet is the best way to reduce abdominal fat.
• Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, minimizing saturated fats (from animal products), sugar and processed foods with high sodium (cans, salted foods, meat products, savory snacks, etc.).
• Replace high-calorie foods you eat regularly (such as yogurt, cheese, bread and cereals) with products low in fat and calories.
• Eat smaller portions focusing on a salad instead of the main dish.
• Become more active (eg housework, walking around the office or neighborhood, stand upright as often as possible, etc.).
• Adopt a diet rich in dairy products, fruits, vegetables, oily fish and whole grains.
• Eat 2 servings of fatty fish a week because it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (eg sardines, salmon, mackerel, trout).
• Do not eat a high amount of fat and prefer olive oil.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine and be sure to drink plenty of water.
• Limit your intake of protein.
• Reduce salt in cooking.
• Do not smoke.