Midlife Weight Gain Occurs Over Decades | The Misunderstood Delusion

03/13/21 • 22 min

Midlife weight gain occurs for many women during menopause and it’s compounding an already-present problem of weight gain that begins in your 30s (if you let it). But as this post will share, it’s not the 10lb problem it seems. It’s worse.

In the aging process a gradual creep of weight is not what it seems. A weight gain of 10 lbs. per decade that is the average is really a 20 lb. body composition problem.

What do I mean?

Without exercise interventions (that you know I’m going to talk about) the average adult loses 5 lbs. of muscle mass per decade and gains 15 lbs. of fat. The result is a 10 lb. change on the scale, but a 20 lb. physical appearance change and a far more devasting health problem.

[Please, I can hear a few of you say, no not me, I’m the same weight as I was. OK, girlfriend… are you wearing the same clothes, same size, as strong? Or has that mass changed so it’s more fat and less muscle? Be honest.]

The Answer?

So, exercise, right? Yes, but as all the exercise modes have emerged over the last 40 years, there doesn’t seem to be a clear message to adults how to prioritize that activity. Barre exercise and yogalates won’t keep you alive and thriving as long or as powerfully as other forms of exercise.

The one that offers the most benefits? Resistance training. Also known as strength training or weight training, to be specific.

Resistance Training or Really Weight Training?

You’ll ask, what about bands, are they good?

Me: They’re better than nothing.

What about suspension training (TRX) is that good?

Me: It’s better than nothing.

You’ll ask, what about body weight?

I’ll say, you should be able to move your own body weight… and I’ll ask:

But what’s best?

The closest thing to the dog food bag, baby in a basinet, and china on the top shelf… is weights.

It doesn’t matter what shape. Kettle bells are weight, dumbbells are weight, books in a backpack are weight. And your body doesn’t know the difference.

Why strength training?

You may not lose weight on a strength training program, right away.

But read on, and decide for yourself, would this be OK even if you didn’t lose weight?

Without changing anything else (no more or less eating, sleep, water or stress changes) the results you can expect from starting a strength training program [like STRONGER] include:

Loss of 4-lbs fat in 4 weeks
Gain of 3-lbs muscle in 4 weeks
And those results are typical each of the first three months.

What’s that mean? A total loss of only about 3-lbs?

And in full disclosure… some don’t lose at all. In fact, a few gain.

And that is flipping awesome! Why?

Offset Midlife Weight Gain with Weight Training

Because MUSCLE… metabolically active muscle that burns fat … is more dense than fat. That means you’re on your way to a better metabolism for the rest of your life. Losing muscle (since age 30 unless you’ve been lifting weights and increasing protein) has a damaging cumulative effect on metabolism.

If you don’t lose weight but you lose inches, your clothes will likely fit better … or looser. You might get reacquainted with some old favorite clothes or use a notch you haven’t used on your belt recently. Or, you may have to use those three little words I used to love to hear my mom say, Let’s go shopping!

There’s more. When you improve your strength (some adults who begin strength training increase strength by 50% during 12 weeks) you can do more… of the things you love and also the things that help you be more active, use more energy, and yes, lose weight if you need to.

The Good News: Eat More and Avoid Midlife Weight Gain

That’s not all. When you increase your lean muscle tissue you can also eat more. About 300-350 kcals more and still reap the rewards of increase metabolism and weight loss. Let’s face it, the deprivation diets you’ve tried backfire on you and literally, come back to bite you in the butt. When you eat more, you message your body to burn more. If you’re choosing high quality protein and whole foods like vegetables you’re also enhancing your health and satiety. Bye-bye cravings.

But just any weight training program isn’t a hormone balancing fitness program. The wrong exercise can be either too little or too much to be effective and may or may not allow the fitness opportunity you need.

So… you have choices.

1) do nothing and keep getting the same results you’re getting – until your metabolism slows more and you start increasing fat.

2) start lifting weights and guess that what you’re doin...

In the aging process a gradual creep of weight is not what it seems. A weight gain of 10 lbs. per decade that is the average is really a 20 lb. body composition problem.

What do I mean?

The Answer?

The one that offers the most benefits? Resistance training. Also known as strength training or weight training, to be specific.

Resistance Training or Really Weight Training?

You’ll ask, what about bands, are they good?

Me: They’re better than nothing.

What about suspension training (TRX) is that good?

Me: It’s better than nothing.

You’ll ask, what about body weight?

I’ll say, you should be able to move your own body weight… and I’ll ask:

But what’s best?

The closest thing to the dog food bag, baby in a basinet, and china on the top shelf… is weights.

It doesn’t matter what shape. Kettle bells are weight, dumbbells are weight, books in a backpack are weight. And your body doesn’t know the difference.

Why strength training?

You may not lose weight on a strength training program, right away.

But read on, and decide for yourself, would this be OK even if you didn’t lose weight?

Without changing anything else (no more or less eating, sleep, water or stress changes) the results you can expect from starting a strength training program [like STRONGER] include:

Loss of 4-lbs fat in 4 weeks
Gain of 3-lbs muscle in 4 weeks
And those results are typical each of the first three months.

What’s that mean? A total loss of only about 3-lbs?

And in full disclosure… some don’t lose at all. In fact, a few gain.

And that is flipping awesome! Why?

Offset Midlife Weight Gain with Weight Training

The Good News: Eat More and Avoid Midlife Weight Gain

So… you have choices.

1) do nothing and keep getting the same results you’re getting – until your metabolism slows more and you start increasing fat.

2) start lifting weights and guess that what you’re doin...

Previous Episode

A Discussion About Vaccines | Special Guest

Now, 12 months from the start of this pandemic, vaccines are rolling out. Whether you're eligible in your state or not you may still be wondering if it's the right thing to do, or what to expect.

This episode is nothing but a discussion. It's firsthand recount of participation in a study from an expert with the ability to interpret the science. She's also a mom, wife, sister, daughter who wants the same thing we all want.

My Guest

Polly Murphy was trained as a Veterinarian and has a PhD in Veterinary Pathology plus an MBA. She has nearly 30 years in the Biotech/Pharma/Academia world, including working directly with many of the people at Pfizer who worked on the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine.

She retired from Pfizer in August and thus was eligible to be in the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine trial. She’s currently on the Board of Directors of a company that has an oral treatment in clinical studies for COVID19.

She does not profit from people getting vaccines.

In her words:

“Ironically, I would do better financially if people don't get them [vaccines], but what I really want is this to be over, so my finances are irrelevant to the way I think about it. But I do spend many hours each week reading original documents like clinical studies and information from government agencies regarding COVID19.

That said, I am NOT a physician and am only stating the logic I give my friends and family. People can do with it what they'd like. I'm making no recommendations.”

Questions we cover in this episode:

You were in a recent study, so before we dive into this, tell us about it, how you got selected to participate and details about the study.
Isn't taking the vaccine risky, since we don't know what the long term side effects are?
Why can't I rely on others to get the vaccine to build herd immunity?
What would your answer be to a friend, who hypothetically was traveling – without having had the vaccination at this point – to see family members who have been vaccinated?

“Just trying to help in whatever way I can for us to get to the other side of this terrible pandemic.” – Polly Murphy

Are you asking, Should I get the vaccine?

That’s not the question. My guest responds, "The question is do I take this risk on a vaccine with unknown side effects (as all vaccines have) or on a virus that’s known to cause long term cardio myopathy (heart damage), or death?"

The news since my conversation with Polly: I had second thoughts about my trip, was able to schedule both doses of my vaccine, and am traveling to a family wedding. I'll mask and shield my eyes before I enter the airport until I'm in my rental car.

The right exercise does boost immunity. STRONGER is open for enrollment a few times a year.

Next Episode

How Digest Better | Beyond Food | Rest and Digest

To digest better, reduce bloat, and ultimately help the side effects that occur if you’re not digesting, and resting, well, I have a special guest in this episode. She’s one of my favorite essential oil gurus.

Of the most common complaints among women in our Flipping 50 community and women I’ve worked with over more than 3 decades, is gut issues. Often women put up with constipation, diarrhea, gas and or bloating for years. If you too have accepted those symptoms for too long or are experiencing more of them now as hormones shift, this is for you.

Why Now?

During out pandemic, this is a timely topic. Stressors we didn’t have, showed up. Stressors we had have been amplified. Then we witnessed, fires, and weather changes, and political chaos.

Please note: You will hear a barking dog for about a minute in the background. (Some realities of pandemic life).

My guest:

Jodi Sternoff Cohen is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, functional practitioner and founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, where she has combined her training in nutritional therapy and aromatherapy to create unique proprietary blends of organic and wild-crafted essential oils.

She has helped over 50,000 clients heal from brain related challenges, including anxiety, insomnia, and autoimmunity. For the past ten years, she has lectured at wellness centers, conferences, and corporations on brain health, essential oils, stress, and detoxification.

She has been seen in The New York Times, Wellness Mama, Elephant Journal and numerous publications. Her website, vibrantblueoils.com, is visited by over 300,000 natural health seekers every year, and she has rapidly become a top resource for essential oils education on the Internet today.

Questions we answer in this episode:

To digest better, the Parasympathetic state is so important, how is it connected to bloating, gas and other issues?
You’ve got a new book coming out so very related to stress. The topic of parasympathetic state is going to be important here today. What’s the title of the new book?
Would you define sympathetic and parasympathetic before we go into the importance of this book for our stress.
Why does tension/congestion start in the neck?
How does that affect us

Jodi’s New Book: Essential Oils to Boost the Brain and Heal the Body

Learn More About the Book:

https://boostthebrainbook.com/gift/

Connect with Jodi Social media:

@vibrantblueoils

Exercise to reduce your stress levels?

The sweet spot for exercise starts with LESS, and better exercise. Exercise is not the ticket to weight loss, though it is the gateway to good habits that can optimize weight and or body composition. Strength is directly connected to longevity and “healthspan.” Less cardio and more strength is the right longevity cocktail.

If you're ready for your first next step but don't know where to begin... STRONGER is open a few times a year.