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The real reason behind middle aged spread - and how you can fight it

Health

The latest science confirms it really is harder for both sexes to lose belly weight as they age – but getting older doesn’t necessarily have to mean getting bigger

Have your arms developed bingo wings? Can you no longer see your feet for your belly? If you can pinch an inch more than you used to then you’re not alone.

Even those lucky enough to be slim in their younger years can develop the dreaded “middle aged spread” .

But getting older doesn’t have to mean getting fatter, according to scientists such as Dr Neerav Padliya, weight loss expert at US supplement manufacturer MYOS Rens.

He insists these body changes are more manageable than we think.

And he believes that once you understand why the weight gain is happening , there are plenty of ways to outsmart it.

How hormones wreak havoc with our waists

As early as our thirties, a fall in the hormone levels for both sexes begins to slow our metabolism so we burn less energy and store more fat.

Researchers have found this causes the average man and woman to add 1-2lb around their middle every year from the ages of 35 to 55.

What this means for men

High testosterone keeps men slim when they're younger

High testosterone levels are responsible for keeping men’s bodies lean and muscular when they’re younger.

This is because the male hormone binds to fat, carrying it out of the body so less is stored around the middle. It also helps to build muscle, speed up the metabolism, and maintain insulin sensitivity (which prevents diabetes).

“However, as men age, testosterone levels naturally decrease at a rate of about 1% a year after the age of 30,” explains Dr Padliya.

This drop encourages the body to store fat – particularly around the belly, where it not only looks unsightly but can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes .

What this means for women

Hormone levels mean women are more likely to gain weight later in life

The female body has a delicate balance of progesterone and oestrogen throughout a woman’s fertile years. Higher levels of oestrogen are known to increase fat tissue formation, but for younger women this effect is offset by equally high levels of progesterone.

From the age of 35 onwards, levels of both hormones decrease, leading up to the menopause. “However, progesterone levels decrease at a faster rate, causing more fat tissue to form around the middle,” says Dr Padliya.

For both sexes

These hormone drops also lead to a reduction in muscle mass for both men and women. And because muscle tissue is the single largest consumer of glucose in the body, losing it means less is used up – and any excess is converted into body fat stored around the middle. Less muscle mass also means your body doesn’t process carbs as efficiently, so eating too many triggers weight gain.

5 ways to fight the flab

1. Eat more protein AND FEWER CARBS

Protein is the building block of muscle, and since muscle mass diminishes as you age, you need to up your intake.

How: Ensure you have protein with every meal. Healthy sources include nuts, seeds, fish, dairy and lean meat. Avoid refined carbs in the form of white bread and pasta and stick to wholegrain varieties which release glucose more slowly, causing less weight gain.

2. Make sure you Work those muscles

The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you’re not exercising. So, as you age, it’s important to do what’s called resistance training – exercising with some form of weights – to keep your muscles strong.

How: Light weight-lifting two to three times a week will help both men and women. You need to use weights that are heavy enough to exhaust your muscles with 12 repetitions, yet light enough to complete eight comfortably. Get advice from a personal trainer or local gym to get started. Yoga, which uses the weight of your own body for resistance, can also help build muscle.

3. Eliminate stress

Midlife can be a time of high stress – juggling troublesome teenage kids, elderly parents and high-pressure work. But research has linked high levels of the stress hormone cortisol to an accumulation of fat around your midriff.

How: Eliminating as much stress as possible from your daily routine will help cut the amount of cortisol your body makes. Trying a local mindfulness or meditation class can help here – check your local paper or go to nextdoor.com. And delegate more to colleagues and family members, so you’re not trying to do it all.

4. Use every opportunity to stand up

Being sedentary for too long decreases the activity of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase, which helps us burn fat around the middle. Standing, however, burns twice as many calories as sitting.

5. Don’t let lack of sleep affect your appetite

Set a soothing bedtime routine

Our sleep quality often declines in middle age, but when you’re short on sleep your appetite increases, meaning you eat more and gain weight.

How: Set a soothing bedtime routine that includes a warm bath, and turn off all screens and dim the lights an hour before going to bed.

His & hers flab-fighting diet

For this plan, there’s no need to count calories – all you have to do is stick to the easy male and female portion sizes below to shed up to a jeans size in two weeks.

Working out your portion size

Your palm represents one protein portion – of meat, fish, eggs, dairy or beans. One portion is also roughly the same thickness and diameter as your palm.

Your closed fist represents one veggie portion.

Your cupped hand represents one carb portion – of potato, rice, pasta, bread, etc.

Portion sizes on this diet for men

2 palm-sized pieces of protein with every meal

2 fists of veggies with every meal

2 cupped hands of carbs with most meals

Portion sizes on this diet for women

1 palm-sized piece of protein with every meal

1 fist of veggies with every meal

1 cupped hand of carbs foods with most meals

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