50+ Changed metabolism
 

I'm now 55 and hit 235 and a 40 inch waist. In my 40's I weighed in about 210 with a 38" waist. Not much better but obviously girth is growing. In the past, some dieting and gym time doing cardio, I could drop the excess. No longer the case.

Used to ride a lot in my 20's and 30's and bought a new trek hybrid.

Hope to hear some stories about similar situations and ways to beat the 50+ blues.

Ride the heck out of your bike and post often on BF :thumb:

The "only" way to loose weight is to eat less, smaller portions and no munching between meals--not easy to do but it is the safe way and keep riding!

After a couple of weeks you will see the difference and your body will get use to eat less.

You could be Low on Thyroid as i am.

Armour Thyroid and coffee works for me.

As you get older, your metabolism slows. As you put on more weight, your metabolism slows. It's a lose-lose situation. You should keep a food diary, logging everything you eat and the amount of calories you have consumed. It will open your eyes how fast you can consume calories. Weight loss is somewhat easy, burn more calories than you consume. The hard part is stopping the hunger, especially if you get the late night cravings. Try different things, frozen fruit for example, and eat that instead of something else. It will only get worse as you get older and heavier. Plan your rides to burn calories, and exercise will help curb your apatite. If you can, see a nutritionists, or at least do an internet search for a low calorie diet that will satisfy hunger.

Don't forget to have your coronary arteries checked for blockage, your blood pressure checked, and HDL/LDL levels too.

Could very well be!

Have you had a complete blood/urine work up? I had some issues and needed 1/2 of my thyroid removed along with a parathyroid tumor. Working on improving an anemia, some heavy metals and a T3 issue. High PSA again but that will be addressed after my Ironman.

Never did go for the, "it's all because of slow metabolism due to age", angle of thought. Eat really healthy, exercise regularly, keep up to date with body organ functions and the chemistry of the blood sure can help out.

Didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express so my thoughts could be meaningless for you. ;) Good luck.

I don't know what is "Armour Thyroid" but if that is a medication over the counter it is so incredibly dangerous.

Thyroid problems can only be safely dealt with by an endocrinologist and no one else.

Way too dangerous any other way.

Hi Mike...

Turned 59 today, so I hear you. It doesn't get any easier, does it? That said, it can be done. If you haven't done so, check out the Nutrition forum on BF. Some real good advice out there. Back in March I was pushing 170(I'm 5'5"). I started dieting (lots of quinoa and chicken), and doing some moderate resistance training with dumbbells. I'm not really a gym type of guy, so I bought a set of entry-level Power Blocks adjustable dumb bells. Developed a routine of 45 minutes every other day, and not particularly high intensity. Stuck with a diet of high, clean protein, low calorie type stuff...egg whites, chicken, fish, the quinoa,things of this nature that a bit of googling will spell out further for you. Stuck to my routine with the weights, again, structured enough to be effective, but not overwhelming to the point of being exhausted and/or discouraged, and kept my expectations in check. Lost 20 lbs. by June. It *is* harder for us older guys, but not as impossible as it seems when you first start out and everything is in front of you. Just keep at it, and set realistic goals. Actually just started riding after 40 years of not owning a bike. Again, I am only out there a few days a week, 45 mins to an hour to get some cardio that weight training won't provide. Lost a few more lbs. but I've levelled off a bit now.

It *is* doable. Best of luck to you, and do check out the Nutrition forum.

Regards, Bill

Yo Mike, similar situation with me. I'm a fair amount older than you but until I retired there was no problem maintaining a svelt waistline and high school weight. I'm healthy and active but but it is very difficult to lose weight. I got up to 172 pounds as of a year ago from 156 pounds in spite of riding 3000 to 3500 miles each year. In the past year, calling on a superhuman effort to limit portion size, I've dropped back to 162 but it requires constant vigilance. The target is 156 again and a 33 inch waist. Basically, I want to look good in spandex and once again draw those oohs ahs of past eons. As VNA said above, watch how much you eat.

"Armour Thyroid" is thyroid hormone extracted from porcine thyroid glands. Rx only.

I've been riding all my life it seems but more seriously with an obsession of going fast for the last 4 summers. I'm 5'9, 180lbs. My metabolism had a jump start with the diagnosis of significantly low thyroid and the proper dosing. Being athletic through the adult years has had a good effect on overall health and I am most grateful to the Lord for this. Am I getting slower at 56? No, quite the opposite.

I noticed this issue in my 40's - exercise didn't have the same reliable effect. Got heavy and had/have a hard time getting it off. Still too heavy but working on it. Keep active and biking has been a the best exercise of all because it doesn't beat up the body like running or bball. It helps with the cardio, lungs and overall stamina - and the core. Lately been reducing carbs and focusing on eating protein (don't worry about fat at all) - sort of like an Atkins diet. That helps for me.

Loss of muscle tissue accompanies aging and some of it never to return regardless of your workouts. Keep on truckin' to keep on flowin'.

To ramp up the metabolism you need to do some running . You don't need to do alot of running each day , 30 minutes will do ..

Are there not good healthy fats and very bad fats********** All fats are not created equal.

If you google the term "mangalitsa" as in mangalitsa pig, you'll read nowadays they're finding that pork fat, especially the mangalitsa's, is considered way healthier than lard. Go on and laugh.

I make my own sausage, patee and bacon all of the time and haven't gained weight. It's inactivity that makes me gain weight.

I think carbohydrates and sugars are the worst things for you. The way I understand it is that refined sugar and carbs are processed by the liver and turned into fat cells. Fat is not. If you're going to eat carbs and sugar, do so just before an activity and your body will use the fuel. If not, it will store the fuel as fat cells and you'll never get rid of them. I'm no nutritionists but that's what I've read.

How many miles are you riding on each outing? How often do you ride?

I'm 72 and began riding a year ago after a 43 year hiatus. Since then I've put 5500 miles on the bike and dropped 20 lbs. My resting heart rate is now 50 bpm. I'm free of blood pressure medicine. You can do it no matter what your age. Go for it...ride!

Rich

I started cycling fairly seriously about 7 years ago at age 58. I quit smoking, dropped 65 lbs, about 5 or 6 inches in my waist, and have kept it off. Last year, I rode a little over 6,100 miles between my two road bikes. I've never been known as an athlete. I started out being really proud of riding 5 or 10 miles on paved trails on my mountain bike. It can be done.

Anyone with thyroid problems must consult the correct physician i.e. endocrinologist who can assess through blood analysis the state of one's thyroid anything else is way too dangerous.

+1

"...and doing some moderate resistance training with dumbbells." I find most of the resistance I encounter in life is from "dumbbells".

Speeding up metabolism with thyroid meds RX, will it shorten recovery time after hard training?

That's the way to do it - if you ride a lot and are careful about what you eat, the pounds will come off. No magic diets or specific workouts - just a lot of time in the saddle and reasonable (but not strict) dietary limits.

I actually eat *less* on days when I ride 50+ miles. I think the endorphins negate the urge to snack.