Weight Gains later in Life? Here's Why!

I was able to maintain my weight up until my mid to late 30's by eating a set amount of calories, but started to gain weight afterwards even though I tried to do the same things. The reason was that like most people I started to lose muscle mass at this point in my life.

Earlier in life your body builds muscle mass, but then by about your mid 30s it begins to diminish if it is not used. When your body starts to lose muscle mass, it leads to a lower metabolic rate, resulting in fewer calories burned daily.

Strength training is necessary for preventing muscle loss. Examples of activities that help maintain muscle mass include push ups, sit ups, walking or hiking with some weight in a backpack, and of course going to the gym and lifting weights or using a machine with variable resistance. In my case I stayed active in sports, and later worked for a major Airline Carrier on the "Ramp", which helped me stay reasonably fit.

But maintaining muscle mass isn’t the only way to keep from gaining weight. Making wise food choices becomes all the more important as the years pass.

Decreasing mindless calories is a great place to begin. Pass up the handful of chips when walking past a bowlful. When you feel full, stop eating, and save the leftovers for another meal. It doesn't take much to add pounds over the years, or much effort to keep it from happening.

As we get older, maintaining muscle mass and taking extra care with what we eat can keep us all fit, trim and slim. We can be sure that some things will change as we age, but it doesn't have to be our belt size.