Exercising, for 30 minutes every day, is one good way of improving your muscle mass. When you 'boost' your mental and physical activity, your 'extra luggage' will go to the right places
When you look around and 'picture' successful people with big waistlines, you'd sure think that bulging 'middles' represent good fortune and prosperity, all right. Besides, the good, old adage, 'the longer the belt, the shorter the life,' corresponds to a healthier bank balance. Also, there was a time when 'size-zero' was considered sick. This brings us to the big question - what is a good, healthy weight for you?
That being well and comfortable is vital for a healthy weight is obvious - but, take a look at the relative use of the two terms in question. This does not mean that you care two hoots for your waistline. Just the opposite, because there is enough evidence to show that being overweight puts you at amplified health risks, some of them serious - for instance, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disorders, diabetes, gall bladder disease, among others.
Losing weight is a vital part of any early treatment plan for high blood pressure, diabetes and so on. There's also oddly reason enough why research contends a paradox - that having a few 'supplementary' pounds in life may not be as dangerous as it once seemed to be. It may, contrary to popular opinion, actually protect you. As for individuals who are not yet overweight, or obese, and over age 40, but have a few additional pounds, you would obviously need to weigh your choices cautiously before going on a diet plan.
This piece reviews the precise effects of aging on your body weight and focuses just as much on the measure of what it means to be overweight. The basic idea is, of course, formulated to enable you to make your own personal decisions as to how best you'd reduce your weight without risks.
Aging is a natural process - and, as you get older, you age. Besides, you tend to consume fewer calories than you did when you were younger. But, the irony is - you tend to gain more weight. You wonder why. There are reasons - with aging, your muscle mass decreases and your activity levels also drop down. This leads to a situation where you could make do with less energy requirements. Life also changes; you are not like the hare you were before. You don't run to catch the local train, or bus, anymore, you don't play active sport, or even if you do, you accept defeat on the tennis court with a smile, not frown. You may also ask for a glass of fresh lemon juice, not biscuits.
You feel nice with what you are doing - after having slowed down your pace of life. However, you find yourself locking horns with a knotty issue. As you age, you find it difficult to burn, or knock, those 'ever-present' additional deposits of fat, around your waist, or hips. This was not a problem when you were younger - you would throw a grand party, eat with 'gluttonish' appetite, if not intent, and quickly burn your 'excess' fat. However, at 40-plus, you find it an uphill task to pull the 'waist' of your clothing to fit around your belly.
When your 'reduced' energy needs, owing to aging, are not in step with a comparable decline in food consumption, your body's fat depot only increases in size. It is a satirical equation. If you knew how the average muscle mass changes with aging, you would be puzzled - more so, when you don't stay in shape. When you reach old age, your body scan, for instance, will show a shrunken muscle mass - which is a compromised fraction of its 'young' size. This could be a major jolt for you.
It all depends upon how you respond - of decreased activity, reduced lean body mass and increased fat. One way of stopping aging in its tracks is getting more active. Exercising, for 30 minutes every day, is one good way of improving your muscle mass. It also helps to improve your appetite. When you 'boost' your mental and physical activity, your 'extra luggage' will go to the right places. The resultant benefits are just as healthy - physical activity promotes sound sleep, it helps you feel confident about yourself, and, in the process, it reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Besides, when you carry a few extra pounds of fat around your waistline, while being 'fit,' which is better than being thin and unfit, you will sure lead a longer and healthier life.
Research evidences that if you mindfully reduce the intake of calories, you will not only live life to the full, but you will also enjoy living a full life. This does not, however, mean that you should starve to reach your ripe old age. Far from it. Just look at the data compiled by insurance companies. It will be clear that the longest-lived people are individuals in the middle-weight categories - not those who have been underweight and grossly overweight. The latter tend to have the shortest lifespan, barring certain exceptions.
The most ideal thing for you to do, to lose weight sensibly and safely, is to seek the guidance of your physician, dietician and fitness trainer. They would know what regimen, or plan, suits your needs best. To paraphrase Edward Schneider, MD, the noted gerontologist, and author of "AgeLess: Take Control of Your Age and Stay Youthful for Life," an insightful 'how-to' book on aging, "If you are serious about dieting, start by lowering your ('bad') fat intake, for example, saturated and transfats (butter, lard), while moderating your 'good' monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat consumption (omega-3, among others). If you consume the same amount of calories, there is no evidence that replacing fat with protein, or carbohydrate, will result in weight loss. However, lowering your ('bad') fat intake will at least help prevent heart disease." The inference: you ought to eat to live, not live to eat.
Nidamboor is a wellness physician, independent researcher and author