Going off on a tangent from Andrew’s lifting thread, I’m curious to learn from those who may have accumulated then shed stubborn body fat around the waistline.
I have historically been lean / athletic build and probably like many here having had the luxury of eating whatever you liked and not put on weight. In early to mid 40’s noted a tiny little roll of skin / fat over the waistband when leaning over. Found it annoying as everywhere else is still lean / sinewy and still looks athletic.
My 40’s also coincided with some darker times. Stopped training for races and sleep fell away. Injury didn’t help with training.
Last few months I’ve started exercising more with about 7 hrs solid bike riding, 1-1.5 hrs jogging (knee dependent) and some gym work. But that little mid section wobbly bit is fighting me. My colleagues laugh when I say I’m watching my weight as I don’t eat a lot during the day.
Can you shake this off without consuming a cocktail of chemicals?
I haven’t conquered it but I’m trying light dinners (salad based all veggie mainly) and trying to avoid processed food in general. My weakness is sweets. If there is chocolate around i just can’t stop eating. Seems to be heading in the right direction so far.
I’m 45 and 132 lbs. my smart scale says about 21% fat
I gained a fair few pounds over the years. Probably 10 lbs when I stopped doing tris, and then probably another 10 between age 35-48 or so. I was at my heaviest on the day I retired from the Navy (not super fat, but heavier than I wanted to be). I switched to lighter lunches (salads most days), heavily reduced snacking and shifted from crap snacks to slightly healthier ones, significantly reduced soda intake (even though I only really drink Coke Zero), and reestablished a workout routine that include cardio and a couple of lift sessions per week to hit big muscle groups. For awhile, between when I left active duty and started my new job, I also walked 30-45mins each morning, and played golf on the weekends.
I lost about 20lbs pretty quickly, and have been able to mostly keep it off.
No supplements, no Ozempic, or anything like that.
I do find that it comes back really easily if I start to stray back into snacking, or if I’m on work travel for a week and eat worse with less working out.
As a result of a debilitating foot injury I was unable to train for 10 years (from age 35 to 45). I gained 60 lbs. After 10 years, my foot condition spontaneously resolved itself, and I was able to train regularly again. Starting on my 46th birthday, I lost 65 lbs to go from 209 to 144 lbs / 9% bf by my 47th birthday. I was really mostly there after about 6 months. But, that’s where I stabilized at the 1 year mark.
I’m 56 now… I’m about 12 lbs up, again due to several months of being sidelined by a stress-fracture. Its coming off at about 1 lb / week. No magic…just eat less and exercise.
The only difference between now and 10 years ago, is that less is less than it used to be, by about 200 more calories per day. The last few lbs DO seem to be the hardest.
I get the same thing…but, I’m almost certain that is due to increased sodium intake and associated water retention. Because it goes away as fast as it came on, as soon as I start sweating again.
Sleep: Aim for 7 hours of deep sleep (quality REM cycles). You’ll have the most beneficial hormonal production during this time (HGH) and secrete less grehlin and more leptin.
30-45% of your daily calories come from protein (lean protein first)
Strength train 3x/week for 30-60 minutes focusing on moderate to high intensities in multi-joint exercises.
It’s not a fun thing to do, but count your calories (and macro makeup) for 2 weeks daily. Be honest with yourself. A lot can be unlocked through this and scrolling through others posts above, dropping calories helped.
I’m not quite sure how I had 50 lbs to lose but I did. Ironmans and all. Always active.
Turns out it was wicked easy to lose 40 lbs. Just can’t seem to lose the last 10.
This is how I lost 40 lbs in under 60 days. Weight Watchers has 0 point foods. I ate as much as I wanted of zero point foods all day long. Then had 1 meal a day of whatever I wanted.
For me if I log my diet I lose weight doesn’t really matter what I eat.
Yes,
I think your rides and runs are sufficient. These, with the strength work will definitely assist in driving blood sugar into muscle tissue, thereby converting adipose into glycogen in the liver, your physiology won’t have any other source of fuel.
My suggestion is to severely restrict refined sugar. No soda, juices, beer, wine, sweets, etc.
I’m 63yo, and can shed/shred it in few weeks with about 10-12hrs of training/wk and refined sugar restriction.
In Jan I was about 100 kilos, 2 weeks ago I was 91 (that went up a bit after a 2 week trip) but I have been counting calories and i know that I am in a deficit, so I am losing weight, but because its most apparent at my waist line and I think I am losing it evenly across my body - its not readily apparent
I have a goal of another 12 kilos by August - I think I just need to stick with the plan
If I feel hungry it’s a quick progression to a headache, and then just hangry. Fasting would be miserable for me and anyone around me.
I’m back now to 3lbs over what my IM racing weight was (tri fitness), and my waist size is what it was when I graduated college (soccer fitness) years ago.
I log everything about my food (eat right), my workouts, and things feel nicely dialed-in right now.
Logging lets you have a plan, and see what needs to be adjusted more/less - and that analysis can be fun/interesting.
If you cut out the refined sugars and lose it, does it come back if you keep up the upgraded exercise?
To be honest there’s very little to lose. I’m 74kg now. Peak racing 15-20 yrs ago I was about the same weight on average. Down to 71 after big week and dehydrated, up to 75-76 on down weeks. Most I’ve ever been has been 80-81 kg when doing no exercise and having the MIL fatten me up when visiting for a few weeks.
I look shredded everywhere but tiny soft spots around the waist band. It’s more an annoyance rather than a health concern.
I knowingly have one tsp raw sugar in coffees (3-4 per day) and prob some in the muesli bars I eat during the day, I think I’m generally pretty good, but of course could be better.
Sounds like the normal course of aging. A little fat around the middle isn’t a bad thing necessarily. I would focus more on performance and health goals and let the little fat rolls fall where they may.
Get your hormones checked. Full blood panel. Etc etc. Let that be your guide.
I’m similar to you. 51. Not quite as lean as I once was but compared to the average 51 year old … not too bad! I’ve found that when I was at my leanest and fittest for competing (most bike racing), I was also comparatively weak.
Now that I am a bit heavier with a little more cushion around the middle, although I am no where near the same speed on the bike, I am far more full body fit.
This mindset shift was critical for me to get a handle on the realities of aging.
Your described phys sounds similar to mine, as well as activity levels.
Like you, with the MIL, I have a wife who makes specialty cakes for a living. There is in my house, an abundance of dessert sweets/ref.sugar within arms length 24/365. Similarly to people who work in ffood, I no longer consistently eat much of it, but when I do, I notice waistline accumulation within 2/3 days. Same with beer. I can have a PBR 2/3wk. and see/feel no difference. But if I have 6/7wk. I need to immediately cut back - and increase training intensity. Sugar is insidious. And it doesn’t take much.
It sounds like you don’t have much to get rid of, and pretty much under control. But 3/4 tsps/day maybe your biggest nemesis. See what happens if you cut it down to 1/2tsp per.
Don’t disagree with your comments. I’m sure if I was kicking a few more goals elsewhere it wouldn’t be on the radar as much.
907’s sleep comment is one area where I am so far from ideal. 7 hours deep seems like a pipe dream at the moment. I’ve developed a bad mindset of wanting to be in the office by 6 ish (to then take time showering and eating - my ‘me time’). But that means waking around 4 to get the 1-1,5 hr bike commute in. Very hard to be in bed by 9 or even earlier, assuming it takes some time to fall asleep and hit REM. I don’t know how people manage that but all power to them.