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5 Reasons It's Harder to Lose Weight and Gain Muscle with Age
If it’s becoming more challenging to shed those extra pounds or build muscle — even if you’re sticking with the same diet and exercise routine — you’re not imagining it. Several biological and lifestyle factors associated with aging contribute to these changes.
But what can you do about it?
Performance Rejuvenation Center and the men’s health experts understand how maintaining your goal weight and staying muscular are vital for your overall health. Performance Rejuvenation Center offers medical weight loss programs so you can look and feel your best.
Here are five reasons why losing weight and gaining muscle gets harder as you get older.
1. As you age, your metabolism slows down
Your metabolic rate — the number of calories your body burns at rest — naturally decreases over time. Researchers estimate that your metabolism slows by an average of four kilocalories per year.
This decline is partly due to a loss of muscle mass.
2. Your hormone levels decrease as you age
While many decreasing hormone discussions focus on women and menopause, the reality is that men also experience hormonal shifts as they age. This decrease can start as early as your thirties!
Hormones like testosterone and growth hormones play critical roles in your muscle growth and fat metabolism, and when they dip too low, you may struggle with weight gain, muscle loss, and other symptoms of low testosterone.
3. You lose muscle mass as you age
You lose about 3-5% of your lean muscle mass per decade after you hit 30. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, the reduced muscle mass can affect how much energy you burn. Less muscle mass means fewer calories burned at rest, making it easier to gain weight and more challenging to lose.
As a result, even if you’re eating the same amount as you did when you were younger, your body may burn fewer calories, contributing to weight gain.
4. You may not stay as active as you age
As you get older, you may naturally become less active due to factors like joint pain or fatigue. Even if you feel fine, a busy schedule and numerous after-work commitments can make it hard to get to the gym.
This reduction in physical activity can contribute to weight gain and muscle loss.
5. Changes in your lifestyle
Lifestyle changes often accompany aging, such as increased responsibilities, stress, or changes in social habits, which can affect your diet and physical activity. You might find yourself eating out more, indulging in comfort foods, or not having as much time for regular exercise.
These changes can lead to an increase in calorie intake and a decrease in calorie expenditure.
Not only does stress increase your risk of foods high in fat and sugar, but it also sabotages your cortisol levels. High stress levels can also slow down your metabolism.
How our weight loss plans can help
Not happy with your physique? We can help! The Performance Rejuvenation Center team creates custom plans to help you reach your goals, whether to shed excess pounds or build lean muscle mass — or both!
Your weight loss plan may include:
- Guidance on lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise
- Human growth hormone (HGH) replacement therapy
- Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to balance your hormones
- Stress management strategies to help lower cortisol levels
Our goal is to help restore hormonal balance, help you maintain a healthy weight, improve your mood, boost your performance, and build lean muscle mass.
Our anti-aging services (including weight loss) are available virtually in every state. To get started, call 202-251-4472. You can also request an appointment through our website today.