Is it better to be fat than thin after 50? Experts: Losing weight requires increasing muscle, 6 key points of eating smartly

Weight is a concern for many people. When I was young, I could still cope with it easily; but after I turned 50, my weight slowly got out of control even though my appetite and exercise volume remained the same. Obviously, as we age, we not only develop age spots, but also become more susceptible to obesity. Recently, there are more and more opinions that it is better to be fat than thin when you are older. The middle-aged people are fat and have better resistance, so they have a higher survival rate after being infected. The saying that it is better for middle-aged people to be fat than thin refers to a body mass index (BMI) of around 24 to 27.

Being overweight in middle age (BMI greater than 30) is prone to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, joint load and other problems. It’s not that you can’t lose weight after age 50, but you must be careful not to lose weight at the expense of your health. Experts suggest six key points:

1. Lose weight, but still need to gain muscle

After the age of 50, unplanned weight loss will lead to loss of muscle, which can be said to be one of the reasons why middle-aged weight loss leads to loss of health.

Muscle can increase metabolism and help you lose weight. More importantly, muscles help supply energy to the brain, support internal organs, prevent type 2 diabetes, aid blood circulation, fight inflammation, promote wound repair, and fight disability and dementia.

Literature indicates that after the age of 30, people's muscles naturally decrease by 1-2% each year; at the age of 60, only 60% of the lower body muscles may remain. Therefore, the first step to losing weight after the age of 50 is to "gain muscle." Doing weight training, such as lifting a water bottle with both hands and doing squats, is the best way to increase muscle. Other aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, cycling, and swimming, are also helpful.

After age 50, weight gain is associated with decreased activity levels. Therefore, people who are unable to exercise might as well try to move as much as possible. For example, you can shake your legs while sitting at a desk, or do leg lifts while watching TV. If you originally bought groceries once a week, you might as well change to buying groceries every day, which is also a good way to increase the amount of activity.

2. Increase protein intake

On average, only 16% of the average person's diet is protein. For weight loss after the age of 50, experts recommend increasing the amount of protein to 40% and encourage us to eat more white meat, beans and nuts. Protein should be evenly distributed among three meals, and a low-sugar, high-fiber diet should be adopted to help lose weight. If you are the kind of person who has to eat to feel full, it is recommended that you eat vegetables and meat first, and leave rice for last to reduce gastrointestinal absorption.

3. Get enough sleep

It is known that people who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be obese. People over 67 who sleep less than five hours a night are four times more likely to be obese than those who sleep seven to eight hours. In addition, shift workers have a higher rate of obesity, which shows that it is also important to go to bed at a fixed time every day.

4. Review medication

Certain psychiatric drugs, antihistamines, hormones, steroids, etc., have a weight-increasing effect. After the age of 50, if you are taking long-term medication for a chronic disease, you can discuss with your doctor to adjust the prescription when losing weight.

5. Try starvation to lose weight

One way to lose weight is to choose 5 days each month and only consume 800 calories a day. In addition to weight loss, this method can also treat metabolic diseases. Its principle is that during hunger, the brain nerve conduction that controls appetite and the insulin secretion that controls blood sugar are shut down. When eating is resumed, they are restarted and their functions are improved.

Friends over 50 can choose 5 days a month or one day a week to go on a starvation diet. It can effectively reduce weight and improve health. However, people with illnesses need to seek medical advice and obtain the doctor’s approval!

6. Eat Smart

Eating is often considered a mindless activity. Some people work hard to lose weight, but end up ruining it by "unconsciously eating 50 dumplings" or "feeling it a pity and eating all the leftovers." "Smart eating" means using wisdom to calculate your daily calorie intake and executing it according to the plan.

Recommended eating tips to everyone:

●When there is food in your mouth, put down your chopsticks, chew thoroughly (at least 10 bites), swallow, think about which dish you want to pick up, and then pick up your chopsticks.

●When you are having a meal together and there are delicious dishes in front of you, you can choose to finish all three dishes, or just take a bite of each dish.

Remember, only by eating smartly can you lose weight effectively!

This article is from the book "The Challenge of Eternal Age: Creating an Ideal Old Age" by Aquarius Culture