Why is weight loss so hard as we age?
Have you been dieting and working out, but just not seeing the results that you used to achieve when you were younger? Normal age-related changes to your body may be sabotaging your efforts. As we get older, our bodies no longer respond the same to weight loss efforts as they once did. According to a 2013 study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, it was discovered that we typically gain an average of at least 1-2 pounds per year as we age. That may not seem like much, but it accumulates over time and can lead to significant weight gain and eventually even to obesity. Obesity is a condition marked by a body mass index (BMI) over 30. Typically, this process begins in our late twenties to early thirties, when coincidentally we also begin to stop producing new collagen in our skin causing the sagging, wrinkling, and rougher looking skin that tends to make us look older and more tired.
Recent studies have found however that the reason for age-related obesity is not as simple as once believed. Previously it was assumed that our bodies metabolism simply began to slow down in our thirties causing the aforementioned weight gain as we age. However, more recent studies have found that our metabolism actually stays fairly steady through the age of 60 before it finally begins to slow down. So then why is it so hard to lose or maintain our weight as we age?
New research at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden has uncovered that Lipid turnover in the fat tissue decreases as we age making it easier to gain weight, even if we don't eat more, or exercise less than before.
Scientists studied the fat cells in 54 men and women over an average period of 13 years. During that time, all subjects, regardless of whether they gained or lost weight, showed decreases in lipid turnover in their fat tissue. Lipid turnover is the rate at which lipid (or fat) in the fat cells is removed and burned by our bodies. Those who didn't compensate for this change in Lipid turnover by eating fewer calories gained weight by an average of 20 percent, according to the study. When we are younger, lipid turnover expels fat from our cells at a higher rate to be processed into energy and expelled through our lymphatic system. As we age and this slows down, more lipids remain in our cells and are thusly not expelled causing us to retain more fat and gain more weight.
Knowing that our metabolism is actually remaining fairly steady as we age, we then still require a similar number of calories to maintain the energy levels that we are used to. However, with this advanced knowledge on lipid turnover, it is clear that we also need to consume significantly fewer calories to maintain or lose weight as we age. Factoring into all of this is that as we age and maintain busier work and family schedules, we are unable to stay as active as we may have been in our younger days. Let alone find the time to work out the required extra amount to compensate for this lack of activity. Very few of us have the schedule (and discipline) to work out more and eat less as we age to achieve (or keep) the body figure that we desire. So what are we to do? It is a very tough balance but there are ways to supplement these changes as we age.
At Executive Esthetics, we offer non-invasive RF (Radio Frequency) body contouring and EMS muscle stimulation for those with a rising BMI but are not yet too far over the obesity threshold. Utilizing our state-of-the-art Evolve X system by InMode we are able to destroy fat cells, tighten skin, and tone muscle at a very highly efficient rate in a single 60-minute session. Radio Frequency has been proven as the best non-surgical option to target and destroy fat cells, as well as to restructure skin tissue for optimal skin tightening. The treatment also includes simultaneous EMS muscle stimulation that can generate 288,000 muscle contractions in only 30 min to really accelerate your workout routine into hyperdrive. When combined with a healthy diet and at least a minimal level of physical activity, Our Evolve X treatment system can transform your body in ways you never thought personally possible! This allows you to not only balance the aforementioned changes in lipid turnover but actually overcome them for a leaner and stronger physique.
RF contouring is also the perfect treatment for patients who may be in great overall shape but have stubborn fat deposits in hard-to-work areas. While Evolve X can be utilized anywhere on the body for full transformative results, our Evoke facial sculpting system utilizes the same RF technology but is designed for use on the face and neck. This allows patients to focus their contouring needs directly where they store their most stubborn fat. You may be in great physical shape but find yourself frustrated by stubborn neck fat that is not so easy to exercise away. Evoke is designed to target the RF energy directly into those fat deposits to erase and contour those most stubborn areas!
For our patients that are above the obesity threshold, we offer a revolutionary medical weight loss program designed to reset your metabolic system at a cellular level causing rapid weight loss. Our patients typically tend to lose around 10 – 40 pounds after taking part in the program, even when other forms of weight loss have been ineffective. The treatment is a three-month program consisting of weekly injections of our specially formulated peptide. Injections are done with a very small needle and can be administered in-clinic or directly by the patient at home just under the skin. It is well-tolerated, FDA-approved, and safe. In addition to weight loss, our program offers a number of other benefits, including improved fertility, habit cessation such as smoking and drinking, cardiovascular benefits, and more. The Executive Weight Loss Program is a revolutionary new treatment and is only found at Executive Esthetics!
During all weight management treatments patients are closely monitored with regular reviews by our medical team as well as full body scans utilizing our Evolt 360 body scanner to ensure positive progress. The body scans will monitor changes in BMI, BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), Lean Body Mass, Visceral Fat, Total Body Water, and over 40 other metrics to ensure we are achieving healthy results that last!
Schedule a Free Weight Management Consultation today! Receive a free Body Scan and determine if one of our state-of-the-art weight loss and fitness plans might be right for you!
