Everyday Systems

I have been on the diet for three weeks. this past week has been my birthday, so got off a little. but have lost NO weight. Am I usual and is it harder to lose at my age?

Yes. Due to increasing age, and decreasing activity often due to aging, our metabolism becomes a bit lower every year, which means that in order to even stay the same weight, we need to take in a bit less food every year. For most weight-challenged older people, it is a chore to keep from gaining weight, and losing weight becomes extraordinarily difficult.

I am 74 years old, and a lifetime dieter who has used computer food tracking daily for the past 15 years, so I have an enormous data base of my own calorie records. My personal example: During 16 months of dieting around 2005, I lost 75 pounds while eating an average of about 1230 calories per day. During the past 10 years, I've very slowly gained 20 pounds while eating an average of about 1000 calories per day. At present in order to Even Maintain my current 26 BMI, I now have to average no more than 900 calories per day.

No S is not a calorie counting diet, but I've found knowledge about calorie burn information helpful. There are many (mifflin) BMR charts online, but for your convenience, here is a link to one I often use. https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html IMPORTANT: the chart numbers show the "AVERAGE", it is common for weight-challenged people (such as me) to be up to 20% lower than the "Average" shown on the chart.

The good news is that, at least according to Valter Longo Phd, who's a longevity specialist, over 65 it is a good thing to be even obese. Maybe not morbidly obese, but I suspect that no morbidly obese even get to over 65 so that's a moot point.

It is a common assumption that there are very few morbidly obese people older than 65, but you might be surprised to learn how many "healthy" morbidly obese older people there are here in the world.

The anti-fat bias in our society often causes people to believe and state things that just aren't true. Around age 21 after the birth of my first child, I was morbidly obese without any health problems, I once had an obtrusive dentist tell me that I was far too fat and unless I lost weight I wouldn't live to see age 30. Interestingly enough, even though I yo-yo dieted throughout my life - and existed much of that time in severe obesity - I never developed any serious health problems, and in my late 40s, weighing 271 at a BMI of 52.9 I was STILL in good health when I chose to have a Gastric Bypass which was then (in 1992) still an experimental procedure. I did that because I wanted to stop being fat - It wasn't for health reasons, but in order to avoid the anti-fat bias of our society. I just got fed up with being treated the way that our society commonly treats people who are really, really fat. If you are interested in learning more details about my weight history etc, you can find it in the ABOUT ME section of my blog, DietHobby.

It is not uncommon for morbidly obese people to live into their 70s and 80s and beyond. Even I, personally, have seen quite a lot of morbidly obese people in their late 60s and 70s who appear to be functioning quite well for their age, and appear to be no worse off than their thinner counterparts.. and appear to be even better off than some of their thinner counterparts.

I am morbidly obese, so my comment had no anti-fat bias, be reassured. One of the beautiful benefits of this experience is that I feel great sympathy and tenderness for all my fellows fatties. And I don't have a shadow of sense of guilt or shame, I took good care of that.
Anyway, I can see what a stress this condition gives to my body and how limited is my ability to move, so I don't expect to live particularly long unless I lose weight. I am not condemning myself for it, there are many reasons why people may not make it beyond 65, some of those reasons being even sillier than eating, and it's ok. I do believe in reincarnation so for me it's not such a disaster in any case. It's like going to bed at night, if an evening I am tired early, no biggie.

If you were healthy at a BMI 52.9, well done. Also well done in losing all this weight.

I've read a fair amount of Longo's work and I'd be curious where he says it's okay to be obese, though I will say that he talks a lot more about modified fasting and the quality of the diet than about being thin. I actually wouldn't be surprised if he didn't think people do NOT need to be thin. He's from one of the Blue Zones, and from pictures I've seen of some of the older women there, they aren't necessarily very thin. I use his modified fasting protocol several times a year (not for weight loss) but will stop by the time I'm 70.

It can be pretty shocking how little food it takes to sustain the body. If you truly want or think you have to lose, you might have to be willing to eat a lot smaller or fewer meals. Only you can know if that's worth it to you.

VL says quite clearly in his book on longevity that old people shouldn't strive to be thin, but I heard the comment on them fairing better when "obese" in an interview and maybe that was just for emphasis. He mainly encourages eating more proteins, over 65, to overcome the increased fragility that comes with age (ayurveda would put it as vata aggravation, and gives recommendations that may be interesting too), and so he suggests to add eggs and goat cheese to the pescatarian diet. He mentions the centenaries from Sardinia ( a blue point), who eat pecorino in old age.
When I read it, it got my attention because, as I'm 55 and very overweight, it will likely take quite some time for me to be thin again, and so I thought: fantastic, well that is so typical, by the time I manage to be thin again it will actually be recommended that I gain weight.

Anyway VL is just one guy and we all better do what feels best for us, I mostly mentioned him because it's an unusual position and he's a specialist of longevity so not too random. My mom is 85 and definitely on the thin side (BMI around 18) and she's healthier than me. They told her she has bones of a 60 yo. And she wouldn't want to gain weight if the world ended for this.


Btw Oolala I am doing a monthly 5-days fast (not the mimicking thing because I find water fast just more practical). Or mostly planning to, my second one is starting tomorrow. I would love to know more about your experience with it!

margot17 wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 13, 2019 10:23 am

and so I thought: fantastic, well that is so typical, by the time I manage to be thin again it will actually be recommended that I gain weight.

oh my gosh you are hilarious Margot. Love having you on this forum.

Thank you Auto, what a really nice thing to say! glad to be here in such great company.

Have to agree with Auto, you are a welcome addition on here. From what I'm reading, you must be doing something right as to your health.

Wow thank you so much, that's very encouraging!