I had one of those doctor’s comments the other day that always gets my back up. You know, it began with “at your age.” My age?
Apparently at my age weight and weight loss isn’t as important as maintaining muscle. And as you age, when you lose weight, it’s more likely that it’s muscle that you’re losing.
From an article in the Globe and Mail, by Alex Hutchinson, We need better guidelines to deal with age-related muscle loss.
“You might be relieved to hear that the creeping weight gain of middle age – a pound or two (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a year starting in your 20s, on average – eventually grinds to a halt. By the time you’re in your 50s, you’ll typically start slowly shedding weight. Don’t celebrate yet, though. There’s a good chance that the weight you’re losing is muscle – precisely what you need to hang onto to stay metabolically healthy and independent into old age. “
You need to be sure you get enough strength training in and make sure you’re eating enough protein.
Okay, my doctor might be on to something but still the “at your age” comment rubbed me the wrong way. Lol.
I’ve written lots about this in the past. Maybe I could have shown him some of my posts!
Past posts:
