Why losing weight gets harder as you get older

You may have known this for a long time, but as you get older, it becomes more difficult to lose weight. Not only that, but you often arrive faster too. Difficult of course if you actually want to lose weight.

There are several reasons why it gets harder as the years go by and it has to do with your metabolism, among other things. That’s because it gets slower. That’s because by the age of thirty we’re really done growing and developing. The body therefore does not need nearly as much energy to ensure that your body functions and continues to develop. As a result, you burn fewer calories and it is easier to store fat

Muscle mass

In addition, you start to lose muscle mass as you get older. You usually notice this especially after your fortieth birthday. For example, because you are less active because life is a lot busier with work, a family and all kinds of other obligations. The downside to that is that muscles consume more calories than wet. One way to combat muscle loss is to consciously engage in strength training. This way you can ensure that your muscle mass remains at the right level.

stress

And that busy life can also cause extra stress. You probably already know that stress is generally not so good for your body. Due to extra stress, you start snacking more, sometimes without realizing it. But the increase in the hormone ghrelin – the hunger hormone – can also cause your body to store more fat.

Hormone levels

Of course there are the hormones. In both men and women, hormone levels change as you age. That’s why women between 45 and 55 – often they are in menopause – gain weight more easily. They have much less estrogen in their bodies. Men, on the other hand, have less testosterone from about the age of forty. This also causes the body to become less good at burning calories and building muscles.

All this together doesn’t make it any easier. However, it is not the case that you cannot lose weight at all when you get older. Learning good eating habits, for example, already helps a lot. And also keep moving is a must.