This is part 2 of an article regarding “sarcopenia”, which is muscle loss
(and accompanying bone loss) associated with aging. How do you avoid muscle loss, and how can you come back? Part 1 was included in the previous e-newsletter. “Am I too old? Is it too late?” No! It is NEVER TOO LATE. Even if you are very frail you can start small and work on getting stronger. It will take time. Weight Loss It’s important that we see food as fuel, and as a means of support for us, while having some enjoyment from food and its use for social interactions and celebrations. In our clinic we may have a specific food plan for you that may include avoiding certain foods for a time, or maybe for a lifetime, depending on your issues. There will be some changes that are short term but we aim for long term nutrition plans that you can live with. Sometimes this will require an adjustment. I miss Chips Ahoy and Doritos, but I don’t miss how I felt while eating those foods. Reasons why it’s hard to lose weight (especially for women as they age)? There are numerous reasons, and in many cases all will need to be addressed to see the scale move. Mindset – Many times women do not talk to themselves in a positive manner. The constant stream of negative messages impacts our body, causing depressed moods or anxiety which means it will be hard to work out or do other activities that promote health. Negative thoughts depress our immune system as well. Remember what your body can do and send more positive messages to yourself! Toxins – Our body is exposed to toxins at an alarming rate. The body tries to store them to keep us from getting sick, and they may be stored in fat or bones. Women in menopause may start breaking down bones faster than they are building them up, releasing toxins. If we want fat loss, sometimes we will need to detoxify to get the body to release the fat. Nutrition – Most women and men are not eating enough protein. We’re eating too many convenience foods that may be nutritionally deficient. If we’re not getting enough nutrition from the food we eat the body can decide this deficiency is a chronic state and will hang on to extra weight. Worse, low protein intake means if you do lose weight you’re probably losing muscle, not fat. Gut health – Gut inflammation, overgrowth of bad bacteria, lack of beneficial bacteria, leaky gut and digestive issues that can be from lack of enzymes, diluting enzymes with a lot of fluid during a meal, low stomach acid, low bile and motility issues that may cause difficulty in getting nutrition out of our food. Hormone imbalance – This can be sex hormones, stress hormones or thyroid hormones. Blocked detox pathways – We need our skin, gall bladder, liver, kidneys, digestive tract and lymph system to help with detoxification. If any of these are blocked, the offender remains in the body. Calorie intake – Many people are using injectable drugs like Semaglutide, Ozempic, or Monjouro for weight loss. They do “work”, because they help with calorie restriction. But these drugs have many concerning side effects, and the weight tends to come back when the drug is stopped. The trick is to do calorie restriction naturally, without the drugs and side effects. Many people think they “don’t eat much”, but since they don’t weigh their food a person can think they ate a cup of chopped chicken, but you can really pack the cup and get a lot in there so the calorie count is not accurate. It takes some diligence to track calories correctly. Fasting is another way to restrict calories that can have desired effects without the side effects and cost of these medications. Food manufacturers can be off on calories by 20% on their packages, so weighing food is more accurate. Another way to do it right is to eat a high protein diet. Your body is a fine tuned machine – it knows it’s getting what it needs, and stops asking for more. But eating processed, inflammatory, or nutrient poor food won’t fool the body. Metabolic dysfunction – Blood sugar and insulin levels are very important and when out of balance it makes weight very hard to get off. insulin does many good things in the body but when it is too high, it can contribute to fat storage. Stress – Stress causes high levels of cortisol which are very detrimental and will keep fat on us especially in the middle of the abdomen. You will need to manage your stress to get weight off. Exercise – When we were younger eating less and doing more cardio was the ticket to weight loss. We wanted to get into the dress and we did it. Now that you are older and have had changes in your hormones, most women will find this does not work for weight loss. High intensity workouts, running, cardio, high heart rate can now be perceived by the body as a stressor and then the weight will remain due to cortisol levels. Walking for longer periods with a weighted vest may be a good substitute. Incorporate strength training instead but make sure you give the body time to rest in between workouts. Intense exercise like distance running (sprinting is ok) can be oxidative and stressful to the body. Consider NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis), which is being active versus exercising constantly. Progressive overload, which is lifting heavier as you are able, is beneficial for body recomposition and for increasing muscle. Disclaimer: the information provided on the site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice
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AuthorLolita Hanks FNP-C Archives
September 2024
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