Maintaining Weight at Middle Age & Beyond
(PhysOrg.com) -- If a middle-aged or older woman with a normal body mass index wants to maintain her weight over an extended period, she must engage in the equivalent of 60 minutes per day of physical activity at a moderate intensity, according to new findings by Harvard researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).
By now, many of you have already read or heard about this study. BUT, we must also look at the PREVENTION part of it to. In an article from PhysOrg.com, 60 minutes of exercise per day needed for middle-aged women to maintain weight, they wrote:
"There is plenty of research on treating overweight and obesity — that is, looking at strategies for weight loss among overweight or obese persons, but very little research on preventing weight gain in the first place. Most overweight and obese persons who lose weight do not successfully maintain their weight loss over time, and so, from a public health perspective, preventing that initial weight gain is important,” said I-Min Lee, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), epidemiologist in the Division of Preventive Medicine at BWH, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Now that is an important point! I have read comments on other blogs when people say, HEY, yes, we have this obesity problem BUT what about focusing on prevention of it in the first place vs. all this other crap out there! Dr. J & Roy have been a big part of that call for more preventative programs out there!
I so agree with that. I also want to put a bit of my own personal feeling in here. My readers have read me blog endlessly about how my body is/has changed with age. This is not only during the perimenopause stage BUT before that as well. Our bodies do change as we age & for women, even more so with all those hormones! Some women have it easier than others. Me, I have battled my weight for my whole life & it always seemed harder for me to keep it off & maintain it vs. others I know.... meaning in my circle of friends/acquaintances, I seemed to have to work harder at it food & exercise wise than others I knew.
I heard one doctor say about this article: It really irks me that we are scaring women off from "trying" as they get older.
Well, I hate to disagree BUT let's all get real! It is a fact & I have lived it. It is hard to lose weight if you are overweight; it is hard to maintain it; it is hard to grow older & deal with the changes of our body & the way it wants to keep every little thing on us! I have many posts about all the changes I have made over time both with food & exercise. I have to be diligent with both & the older I get, the more it is this way. It is a fact of life! You can either say it is worth it or not. Maybe you don't want to stay as thin but you can still stay in a healthy range. Make your choice but remember, you have the choice to be healthy or not. You don't have to be like me BUT you can still stay healthy & fit BUT it will take more work than when you were younger. This is life & it is a fact. The older we get, the more the weight wants to cling to you & you also have to work harder at maintaining your muscle. Believe me, I live this every day & have been going thru perimenopause for years. It starts out "light" & increasingly gets harder. For us older folks, consistency, patience & persistence are even more important along with the all important food part of it! Dr. J shared this very good article with me about this change: Female Hormones and Fat & Loss.
OH, and don't forget, you don't have to do the 60 minutes all at one time. You can break it up! But also remember that it is not about just a leisurely stroll although that is fine. But, to keep the weight off and/or maintain it, you are going to have to put some intensity & work into it along with watching what you eat.
Here is the article:
Lee and colleagues analyzed data reported from more than 34,000 healthy U.S. women in the Women’s Health Study over 13 years to examine the relationship between the level of daily physical activity and weight change over time. Women in the study reported their leisure-time physical activities every two to three years. Each time that physical activity was assessed, women were divided into three groups, according to the amount of time they spent engaged in physical activity.
The most active group of women spent the equivalent of 420 minutes a week (60 minutes a day) or more engaged in moderate-intensity physical activity. The second group engaged in the equivalent of at least 150 but less than 420 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, and the least active group engaged in the equivalent of less than 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. An example of a moderate-intensity physical activity is brisk walking.
These three levels of physical activity were chosen based on the 2008 federal guidelines for physical activity, which recommended at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity for health, and a 2002 Institute of Medicine report on recommended dietary intakes, which suggested that 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity was needed to prevent being overweight, although the scientific basis for this level of activity has been questioned.
Over the duration of the 13-year study, the average weight of participants increased by 6 pounds, which is a rate of weight gain similar to that of comparably aged women in the general population. Compared with the most active women, both the group physically active for 150 to less than 420 minutes a week, and the group physically active for less than 150 minutes a week gained significantly more weight than the most active group. The two less-active groups also were significantly more likely to gain at least 5 pounds, compared with the most-active group.
Researchers discovered that the findings differed significantly, according to women’s body mass index (BMI). Physical activity was associated with less weight gain only among women with a normal BMI, which is less than 25. An average U.S. woman who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall must weigh less than 150 pounds to have a normal BMI. Among heavier women, physical activity — at least, within the levels that study participants undertook — was not related to less weight gain.
In this study, researchers were able to identify a group of “successful weight maintainers.” These were women who started with a normal BMI and managed to maintain their weight, gaining less than 5 pounds at each weight assessment, throughout the study. These women, 13 percent of participants, consistently engaged in physical activity that was the equivalent of 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity.
Researchers concluded that:
• Among middle-aged and older women consuming a usual diet with no calorie restriction, moderate-intensity physical activity for 60 minutes a day is needed to maintain normal BMI and prevent weight gain over time.
• The 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, which can be achieved by 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and which is recommended by the federal government, while clearly sufficient based on data from many studies to lower the risk of developing chronic diseases, is insufficient for weight-gain prevention, without restricting caloric intake.
• Among women who are already overweight or obese, physical activity — at least, at levels carried out by participants in this study — is not related to weight change, emphasizing the importance of controlling caloric intake for weight maintenance in this group.
“These findings shouldn’t obscure the fact that for health, any physical activity is good, and more is better,” Lee emphasizes. “It is important to remember that weight is only one aspect of health. Many studies have shown that being physically active for even 30 minutes a day, five days a week, significantly reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.”
PS: I have very busy days coming up still so if I don't get to commenting on your blog, please understand. Lots going on & family here for the wedding!
Categories: Tips, Health, Weight Loss, Exercise, Challenges, Aging
Tags: Weight Loss lifestyle challenges fitness aging Exercise eating workouts health Tips
I agree with the doctor who said that he's afraid this study will scare women into giving up. If I were going into menopause 30 or 40 lbs overweight, the study would make me feel like my situation was hopeless. While I understand that hormonal changes affect our ability to lose/maintain our weight, we also need to consider that as we age we naturally can become more sedative. We are no longer chasing after small children, we may retire from jobs that kept us busy, we probably drive even for short errands. Many people hire out yard work, snow removal and other household cleaning. All of those activities could be included in the 60 minutes per day.
On another note, good luck with the wedding plans!
Reply to this
Yes, the 60 mins can be spread over the day! People sometimes look at 60 mins (or whatever time frame) and they think "Ughh! How am I going to fit that in?" But you know what, it's an excuse. You CAN fit it in. You just might have to be a little creative, but you can do it.
Have a wonderful time at the wedding! I'm leaving for D.C. on Sunday so I'll catch up with your blog after Spring Break as well. Make sure you post pictures! I love weddings.
Reply to this
Whether the 60 minutes be all at once, or broken up, is truly relative to what is trying to be accomplished -- and why. That is, if the focus is on aesthetic fitness -- of how the body looks, and minimizing fat, 60 minutes continual and rigorous is definitely in order. If the objective is to simply function at a higher level, drop a few pounds, and stay a few steps ahead of the grim reaper, 60 minutes broken up might make a dent.
I'll distill this a bit more simply; if you want to be LEAN, hard work and lots of it is required for most. If you want to be fairly trim, not as much work needed. If you want to be non-obese, but still a bit heavy, exercise grazing is a good fit.
Reply to this
Roy, I so agree & I tried to say that by making the point of intense exercise vs. a stroll but you said it so better! Yes, it is all bout what you want out of it & since I want more, it is a lot of hard work & diligence!
Reply to this
I like what Roy wrote!!
Only being a woman n a former life, I can't remember how it all played out
Reply to this
You are tooooooooooooooooooooo funny!
Reply to this
Ah, prevention. What a wonderful little thing. IT's true, and I agree that prevention of obesity is being over-shadowed by the "curing" of it.
Hence why I hammer on building habits. Speaking of habits, Jody do you REALLY have to try so hard these days? You've been working out for years... I would think it's 80-90% autopilot by now is it not?
Or are you still putting over-the-top conscious effort to make shit happen?
Curious to hear...
Reply to this
FJ, I am definitely putting over the top conscious effort into every workout! My bod works hard to fight me & always has plus I can't say it enough.. AGE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE! It really does. You have to keep at it & it is all about how a person wants to look. I want to look lean & have my muscles & the older I get the harder I work at it both food & exercise.
I am glad you asked this as I am sure others wonder...
Reply to this
The other day in my psychology class we were actually learning about the exercise- I think it's so interesting that you can get the same benefit by walking 10 minutes three times a day than doing 30 minutes at one time!
and I definitely agree with you.. we all have a choice! My mom has arthritis which prevents her from doing a lot of exercises, but that doesn't stop her from doing walking dvds at home!
Reply to this
Jody, I have to agree with you, at least as far as my own personal experience goes. Being your same age (or a skosh older
Keep up the great posts, Jody, and blessings on your wedding and family this week!
PS--Sent the link to your blog to my Pilates instructor today. Thought she would especially like your post yesterday on Fat vs. Muscle.
Reply to this
Thx Terri. Hey, these people know how old I am so now that know that about you too!
Reply to this
I had seen this study and wondered what you thought of it. I see how incredibly fit you are (not that you are old!) and how hard you work at it. You inspire me to use my weights and push myself harder because I want to be fit and fabulous like you!!
Reply to this
Diane, such a sweetie! Thank you. I can say that my bod has changed thru the years but in perimenopause, I have really seen & felt it & it is much harder & I work even harder!
Reply to this
Hi! Let me just say I really like yours site!
I am 41 years old and dropped 60 pounds in July 2008 - February 2009. I've been maintaining this weight since. It IS hard work! It does not come easy.
If I just eat 300 calories more a day, I will have a gain on my weigh in day. Its ridiculous how hard we have to work to keep our weight off, but I will say this it is totally worth it!
I will not give up on myself, I have finally found life now that I've lost weight and getting in shape.
Don't let these doctors or naysayers get you down. Nothing is easy, but it can be done!
Reply to this
Congrats on your weight loss! YES, it can be done! Never give up on yourself .. so great! Thx for commenting!
Reply to this
I'm kind of over reading studies.
Reply to this