Soo, a "flexible uncontrolled" relationship with food, is the right thing? If you want to perform at (almost) anything, you better develop a more or less rigidly controlled relationship with it. Otherwise, it is caos, chance, luck... And as I understand it, rigidly controlled means a method. But I am not selling anything. Go with your own.

I am 35 and I noticed that weight has been increasingly hard to lose. Two years ago I was racing triathlon in the 151-157lbs weight range. I was doing olympic and half ironman racing. Last year I did my first full distance and two half ironman races I weighed in at 162lbs for the Ironman and was right around those weights for my 70.3 races which I did on back to back weekends. This year I am putting in more consistent workouts with solid intensity and I am having trouble losing the weight. I got up to 180lbs at one point this spring and have been bouncing between 169-176lbs for the last few months.

The changes to my routine have been the follow:

• Biking more consistently, at higher power, and for longer
• Running at higher intensity but not doing as many LSD runs
• Zero swimming, thanks COVID, but I never swam much anyway
• I have cut out doing yoga. This is probably the biggest difference

I have added meat outside of shellfish back to the diet in the last year, but not much has changed diet wise other than that. I am eating more meat, though.

I am looking for some guidance on the changes you have made as you have aged and what has/has not worked for you. I know we are all different and what works for one person may not work for the next. But I have also read stories from folks about how things were just not the same a year later. I am looking forward to everyones response.

I am 35 and I noticed that weight has been increasingly hard to lose. Two years ago I was racing triathlon in the 151-157lbs weight range. I was doing olympic and half ironman racing. Last year I did my first full distance and two half ironman races I weighed in at 162lbs for the Ironman and was right around those weights for my 70.3 races which I did on back to back weekends. This year I am putting in more consistent workouts with solid intensity and I am having trouble losing the weight. I got up to 180lbs at one point this spring and have been bouncing between 169-176lbs for the last few months.

The changes to my routine have been the follow:

• Biking more consistently, at higher power, and for longer
• Running at higher intensity but not doing as many LSD runs
• Zero swimming, thanks COVID, but I never swam much anyway
• I have cut out doing yoga. This is probably the biggest difference

I have added meat outside of shellfish back to the diet in the last year, but not much has changed diet wise other than that. I am eating more meat, though.

I am looking for some guidance on the changes you have made as you have aged and what has/has not worked for you. I know we are all different and what works for one person may not work for the next. But I have also read stories from folks about how things were just not the same a year later. I am looking forward to everyones response.

I am 35 and I noticed that weight has been increasingly hard to lose. Two years ago I was racing triathlon in the 151-157lbs weight range. I was doing olympic and half ironman racing. Last year I did my first full distance and two half ironman races I weighed in at 162lbs for the Ironman and was right around those weights for my 70.3 races which I did on back to back weekends. This year I am putting in more consistent workouts with solid intensity and I am having trouble losing the weight. I got up to 180lbs at one point this spring and have been bouncing between 169-176lbs for the last few months.

The changes to my routine have been the follow:

• Biking more consistently, at higher power, and for longer
• Running at higher intensity but not doing as many LSD runs
• Zero swimming, thanks COVID, but I never swam much anyway
• I have cut out doing yoga. This is probably the biggest difference

I have added meat outside of shellfish back to the diet in the last year, but not much has changed diet wise other than that. I am eating more meat, though.

I am looking for some guidance on the changes you have made as you have aged and what has/has not worked for you. I know we are all different and what works for one person may not work for the next. But I have also read stories from folks about how things were just not the same a year later. I am looking forward to everyones response.

Have you ever heard that metabolism slows with age? It's why a 20 year old can eat a burger, fries, shake, for lunch and then smash pizza for dinner and not gain a pound. If you're 40 and try the same thing you come in 5 pounds heavier the next morning.

Calories in/out is huge, but to say age is an excuse simply isn't true. Age is a challenge in terms of keeping your weight down.

it wouldnt slow down if you did not eat those foods with damaged fats (fries, soybean oil in shake = transfats). Transfats lower testosterone and raise estrogen. And to add the excess sugars in the shake eventually those insulin spikes will get to you

I can tell you I eat very clean at 42. Plant based diet with meat once or twice a week. I can gain weight very easy if I'm not extremely disciplined. When I was 20 I could eat anything and could not gain weight. Age is absolutely a big factor.

you missing my point? faster aging from earlier damage. the number means nothing. i know many 50-60 year olds beating on 20 year olds with out much degradation in their efforts

you missing my point? faster aging from earlier damage. the number means nothing. i know many 50-60 year olds beating on 20 year olds with out much degradation in their efforts

Pretty please do some research rather than sticking with your incorrect premise. Time marches on for all and there are absolutely very well documented changes in body composition, hormones, metabolism with age even when correcting for all other factors. Sure, lifestyle absolutely has an impact on the slope of the slow decay, but nothing you do can make the line upsloping or even horizontal. Well maybe not nothing, you can go to an “anti-aging clinic” and get pumped full of testosterone but even that will eventually catch up.

Pretty please do some research rather than sticking with your incorrect premise. Time marches on for all and there are absolutely very well documented changes in body composition, hormones, metabolism with age even when correcting for all other factors. Sure, lifestyle absolutely has an impact on the slope of the slow decay, but nothing you do can make the line upsloping or even horizontal. Well maybe not nothing, you can go to an “anti-aging clinic” and get pumped full of testosterone but even that will eventually catch up.

your weight gain has nothing to do with age. Its all the same formula - calories in / calories out. You're eating more. I hate this age-related weight loss crap. Your age is not an excuse.

I am not searching for an excuse. Just wanted to share experiences.

Also, Your age absolutely matters. Your daily caloric needs decrease as you age and that starts to kick in around age 30.

You are correct that I should be counting calories. That is something that I have never done consistently.

My remedy is going to be the following:

• Running more
• Counting calories

calories in vs. calories out always holds true.