Middle Aged Spread

[Scruffs]

So I’m doing fairly well with my current weight loss programme now in its 11th week. I’m doing all the ‘right’ things, losing some pounds, looking thinner and, at 90.2kg, feeling much fitter. Not bad for a bloke nearing 60. But I still have this unsightly paunch which doesn’t seem to be budging. My wife tells me that because of my time of life it’s always going be there. Is she right? Is there no hope? Thoughts and tips highly appreciated 😊

[Bee-bop Maintainer 2st 7lbs]

Hi scruffy,

I'd say no, you don't have to think it's just your age. I thought I would just have to 'put up with' my extra packing. Can you/ do you exercise ok? This could help a bit. My friend whose sixty had quite a paunch a few years ago but he started to loose weight when he got a new job and it went and he's still without it.

[Scruffs in reply to Bee-bop]

Thanks Bee-pop. That’s an encouragement- I’m doing quite a lot of exercise - bike and run

[Bee-bop Maintainer 2st 7lbs in reply to Scruffs]

That's good that you are keeping up exercise, I wonder if you did any work on your core it would help?

[Scruffs in reply to Bee-bop]

Yep doing what seems to work best. Could probably look at other core excerices I cd do. Thanks

[Hidden]

There was someone here in his later years, mid 70s I believe, who got back into the trousers he wore in his late teens. He did it through intermittent fasting.

[Scruffs in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I’m wondering after this and other replies that this might be worth a go. However I’m not convinced that intermittent fasting (a) works - long term (b) is good for you. Any thoughts?

[Hidden in reply to Scruffs]

Well, I’m a bit loath to reply as I’ve had my head blown off 3 times this weekend ok this forum... 🤣 however! How it works is that it reduces insulin production, which in turn reduces hunger if you have too much fat stored. It’s basically not eating snacks after supper & skipping breakfast. I can’t do it myself yet as I have something awry with my transport of fuel to my brain & I get a bit hangry. Others here do it here with great success. Subtle_badger is one such. Dr Jason Yung is the global expert on it.

[Scruffs in reply to Hidden]

That’s helpful and sounds do-able. Thanks Slim_for_good!

[Subtle_badger in reply to Scruffs]

It's amazingly good for you, it seems, with effects well beyond weight loss.

Evidence is accumulating that eating in a 6-hour period and fasting for 18 hours can trigger a metabolic switch from glucose-based to ketone-based energy, with increased stress resistance, increased longevity, and a decreased incidence of diseases, including cancer and obesity.

nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/N...

That's a review article; not a study in itself, but an examination of other studies into IF. Read it and you can decide for yourself. I have skimmed it, and am pretty convinced.

You need to "register" to access the full paper, but you can do that will literally any email address, it doesn't have to be yours, and then download the paper immediately.

[Subtle_badger]

Not only do you not have to live with it, dealing with it should be your highest priority. Looking slimmer is great, but that's purely vanity. Subcutaneous fat is metabolically harmless. It's the visceral fat, the fat around your organs, your belly fat that is damaging to your health. Slim, active people with fat bellies can get type II diabetes. It's called TOFI thin on the outside, fat on the inside.

There are a couple of metrics you might want to look at to see where you stand: waist/height ratio and waist/hip ratio. You can google them, and judge how you are doing.

My experience (menopausal woman) and what I have say that VLCD and/or fasting have more affect on on visceral fat than slow and steady weight loss.

I lost 10cm around my waist doing a month of the Fast800 diet, then only 1cm more in the follow 4 months eating much more though I lost 5kg (ie it almost all came from subcutaneous fat). I am just experimenting with alternate daily fasting, and the first week of that has taken another 4cm off.

I'm not a doctor blah blah blah..

[Scruffs in reply to Subtle_badger]

Really helpful, Subtle_badger! Thank you 😊 I’m definitely going to look that up on google, #hoperestored