Losing weight for seniors must be planned wisely so as not to cause damage related to sudden, irrational weight loss. You also have to take into account that the whole process is much slower than in younger people. However, slimming a senior can be both effective and he althy. Check how an elderly person should lose weight.

Contents:

  1. Losing weight for seniors is more difficult
  2. Slimming seniors - caloric demand
  3. Slimming seniors - rules
  4. Slimming seniors - menu
  5. Slimming seniors - what do you need to remember?

Among seniors there are often problems with maintaining a he althy body weight. Some people lose weight, which is related to the loss of appetite with age. However, the problem is largely related to being overweight. The older a person gets, the easier it is to gain weight.

It happens for several reasons, and the most important is the decrease in the basic metabolism, the so-called slowing down the metabolism, which translates into a lower caloric demand of the body.

The second important issue is the reduced mobility of the elderly. Many of them do not take up any physical activity during the day or even go for a walk. This is often related to deteriorating he alth and the coexistence of various diseases.

However, despite the worse he alth condition, overweight should be combated at any age.

Losing weight for seniors is more difficult

The main cause of problems withslimming in the elderlyis a decrease in muscle mass. Beginning around the age of 30, the body loses 3 to 5% of its muscle mass every decade.

Why is it so important? Muscles are metabolically active tissue and they use most of the energy supplied to the body with food.

So, the fewer muscles there are in the body, the fewer calories the body needs to perform basic life processes. This is what is associated with a decrease in the rate of metabolism.

With age, the concentration of testosterone and growth hormone - hormones that are largely responsible for building muscle mass - decrease with age.

It is more important for men, because the initial testosterone concentration in their bodies is much higher than in women. However, it makes it difficult for both sexesprotection against loss of muscle tissue and its development.

He alth problems that often occur in people over 60 and affect body weight are insulin resistance or type II diabetes, and hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism significantly slows down the metabolism and reduces the demand for energy.

On the other hand, insulin resistance and diabetes disrupt the carbohydrate and energy balance, making fatty tissue accumulate more easily, and energy from food is not used as efficiently as before.

Other issues that make you more likely to gain weight include less fitness, and therefore less exercise in any form. Also, more free time that retired seniors have at their disposal is conducive to overeating.

Slimming seniors - caloric demand

Energy demand decreases with age. You have to accept it. It is not possible to eat as much at 65 as at 50 and not gain weight. However, this applies to every period in life, not only to the elderly.

The basic issue that allows you to protect yourself from uncontrolled weight gain is to reduce the number of meals.

It's not about drastic cuts and eating half of your dinner so far. Simply put, it can be said that every 10 years the daily caloric requirement of a woman drops by 150 kcal, and that of a man by 250 kcal. However, it should be remembered that this is only a simplification showing the scale of the change.

The exact energy needs of your body vary widely and depend on your body weight, body composition ratio (muscle mass), and level of physical activity.

Worth knowing

Basic metabolism, i.e. the amount of calories that the body spends on maintaining life processes without any physical activity or movement, is described by the following formulas:

WOMEN OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE
PPM=(9.082 x body weight) + 658.5 [kcal]

MEN OVER 60 YEARS OF AGE
PPM=(11.711 x body weight) + 587.7 [kcal]

To calculate your total caloric requirement, the PPM value is multiplied by the PAL coefficient for the level of physical activity. PAL can range from 1.4 for a sedentary lifestyle to 2.2 for high physical activity. The standards do not assume a higher PAL ratio for people over 65.

It must be taken into account that the number of calories showing the need for energy is not the only determinant of composing a senior diet.

The formulas do not take into account the he alth condition, diseases that affect the metabolic rate and individual characteristics. Primaryan issue that enables the proper selection of portions, and therefore also the energy of meals, is to observe your body and its needs.

It is also worth noting here that the mere amount of calories in a diet is not the most important issue in composing a slimming diet. In modern dietetics, more and more often work is done with the principle of "calories not equal to calories", which says that energy from various macronutrients is used by the body differently.

Slimming seniors - rules

1. Eat a diet rich in protein

A diet rich in protein is recommended for weight loss in all age groups. Protein in the diet contributes to the preservation of muscle mass during weight loss, thanks to which the metabolism of a person on a diet does not slow down excessively, and the figure and body composition have better proportions.

In addition, protein is digested in the digestive tract for a very long time, which makes the feeling of fullness after a meal prolonged. This allows you to eat less and avoid snacking.

A 2022 study conducted on a group of elderly people with obesity showed that a greater amount of protein in the diet not only promotes weight loss, but also prevents the reduction of bone density and muscle mass, which often accompanies slimming seniors. The study included 96 people aged 66 and over.

They have been divided into two groups. Each group was fed a reduced calorie, nutritionally balanced diet for 6 months. In one group, the amount of protein was in line with the norms and amounted to 0.8 g / kg of body weight per day.

In the second group, the diet contained more than 1 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. The study showed that a diet with an increased supply of protein prevents the reduction of bone density and may even improve bone he alth. The mean weight loss was around 6 kg.

PROTEIN-RICH PRODUCTS: meat, fish, seafood, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs

2. Limit carbohydrates, especially simple sugars

With age, tissue resistance to insulin increases, which promotes overweight and obesity. Additionally, being overweight and obese itself increases insulin resistance. The easiest way to break this cycle is to limit your intake of carbohydrates, which are metabolized with insulin.

The lower the pancreatic stimulation, the lower the insulin release, which over time leads to an increased sensitivity of tissues to this hormone. Insulin is a "building" hormone, also fat tissue.

The lower its concentration in the blood, the easier it is to burn fat and lose weight. Due to the speed of digestion,carbohydrates are the least desirable macronutrient in a slimming diet.

PRODUCTS RICH IN CARBOHYDRATES: bread, pasta, rice, groats, cereals, rice cakes, rusks, potatoes, snacks: chips, sticks, crackers.

PRODUCTS RICH IN SIMPLE SUGARS: all sweets, cakes, donuts, buns, fruit juices, carbonated and non-carbonated drinks

3. Move

The basic problem with slimming in old age is slow metabolism, i.e. lower calorie requirement. To speed it up, you need to increase your physical activity. Strength training is the best for seniors. However, any form of movement is good.

Walking, swimming, yoga … Anything that will keep your body moving, speed up your metabolism and improve your overall he alth.
The best he alth effects come from a combination of diet and physical activity.

This scheme also works well among seniors. One prospective randomized trial in 107 people over 65 years of age showed that a significant decrease in body weight occurred both with diet and exercise (9-10% of baseline body weight).

In contrast, the greatest improvement in efficiency and ability to perform daily activities, such as getting up from a chair or lifting something from the floor, was observed in the group using physical activity combined with a diet. After a year, the improvement in mobility in this group was 21%.

In the group using only physical activity - 15%, and diet only - 12%. Among the subjects who used a diet combined with physical activity, the greatest increase in aerobic capacity, the smallest decrease in muscle mass and bone density was observed compared to the other groups.

4. Do strength training

The main mistake of more active seniors is to perform only cardio workouts - brisk walking, running, aerobics, etc. This type of exercise helps to lose weight, but it also reduces muscle mass, which seniors are deficient anyway.

It is definitely more beneficial to do strength (resistance) training with weights or using your own body weight.

Contrary to popular belief, weight-bearing exercises are very beneficial for burning calories, as they strongly stimulate the muscles to work, and this condition lasts up to several hours after training.

Strength training increases muscle mass, thus increasing the metabolic rate. However, this is not the only benefit. They also strengthen tendons, joints and bones, reduce the risk of injury, improve efficiency, coordination and balance.

Trainers recommend seniors resistance training with free weights more than training on machines, because it allows you to get to know your body better and has a much more positive effect on balance, coordination and reducing the risk of injury.

It is enough to do strength training twice a week. You should start training with very light weights and it is best to ask the trainer what exercises and how many repetitions to perform.

Slimming seniors - menu

Day 1
  • Breakfast:

- salad: 5 slices of chicken meat + 2 handfuls of lettuce + 2 pickled cucumbers + half a fresh cucumber + ½ peppers + 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds + 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spices

  • Second breakfast:

- smoothie: 300 ml of natural kefir + a glass of raspberries or strawberries
- 2 tablespoons of almonds

  • Lunch:

- 4 roasted chicken thighs (200 g of meat in total)
- salad: + 2 handfuls of lettuce + 2 pickled cucumbers + half a fresh cucumber + ½ peppers + 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds + 2 tablespoons olive oil , spices

  • Dinner:

- sweet potato pancakes with smoked salmon

Sweet potato pancakes (1 serving):

  • 1 sweet potato (about 150 g)
  • 1 carrot
  • tablespoon of millet
  • 1 tablespoon ground linseed + 2-3 tablespoons water (mix to a paste)
  • 50g smoked salmon (half a packet)
  • ½ lactose-free natural yoghurt packaging (75g)
  • chives, garlic, spices: s alt, dill, parsley, chili, coconut oil (1 tablespoon)

Grate vegetables, add linseed paste, flour and spices: s alt, pepper, chili / hot pepper, dill, basil, blend. Fry in coconut oil, place half the salmon on top. Turn when they start to cut at the top. Combine yogurt with s alt, dill and parsley. Pour the yoghurt over the pancakes, put the rest of the salmon on top

Energy value: 1480 kcal

Day 2

  • Breakfast:

- 3 scrambled eggs on a tablespoon of coconut oil + 2 tablespoons of bacon + tomato + chives

  • Second breakfast:

- 3 rice cakes + 2 tbsp peanut butter

  • Lunch:

- pork loin rolls with dried tomatoes and mushrooms
- a handful of lettuce sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of olive oil

  • Dinner:

- any vegetable soup, e.g. zucchini cream, tomato cream 500 ml + 3 tablespoons of boiled millet + 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds

ROLLS WITH DRIED TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS (2 PORTIONS)

  • pork loin slices (400g)
  • dried tomatoes (4 pcs)
  • 5 large mushrooms

Smash the meat, wrap the tomatoes previously drained from the brine with slices of mushrooms in slices, protect the rolls with toothpicks against falling apart, put them in aluminum foil, bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Energy value: 1420 kcal

Day 3

  • Breakfast:

- 4 good quality pork frankfurters 4x30 g + 2 tomatoes

no stabilizers, m altodextrin, flavor enhancers, dyes, sodium nitrite, gelling agents

  • Second breakfast:

- 2-3 slices of sourdough rye bread + spread with half a ripe avocado + vegetables

  • Lunch:

- 2-3 fried eggs in a tablespoon of coconut oil
- 200 g of cooked asparagus (half a bunch) or green beans + 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 200 g of cooked cauliflower (approx. 1-1.5 cups) sprinkled with dill

  • Dinner:

- stewed spinach (300 g) with 1 clove of garlic + 100 g (half a package) of natural yoghurt + 3 tablespoons of boiled millet + 2 dried tomatoes from oil + 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Energy value: 1400 kcal

Slimming seniors - what do you need to remember?

When losing weight, remember to drink plenty of water, at least 2 liters a day. Water not only prevents snacking, effectively filling the stomach, but above all hydrates the cells. Water is the environment for all body processes. So there is no need to explain how important it is.

Moreover, in old age, when the skin is much less moisturized, the role of drinking water increases. Adequate amounts of fluids throughout the day prevent the deterioration of the skin during weight loss and ensure its elasticity.

Seniors on a diet must be patient. Their weight loss will certainly not be 1 kg per week. 1-2 kg a month is a good result. Moreover, the most important thing is not to lose kilograms, but to change the circumference.

It may even happen that the weight will stay in place and the circumference will decrease. This is enough change. You have to remember that muscle tissue weighs 3 times more than fat tissue. So a slimming and exercising senior (overweight, not obese) does not have to lose weight when exercising forcefully.

Diet at any age should be individualized, but it is of particular importance in people with various diseases. Then the standard he althy diet regimens do not work completely and you need to modify them to your own abilities and needs.

The basic principles of a he althy slimming diet are:

  • reducing the portion size
  • 3-5 meals a day
  • based on vegetables
  • fruit once a day
  • avoid frying in breadcrumbs, roux, thickening of soups and sauces
  • carbohydrate restriction
  • increasing the proportion of protein and fat
  • protein-fat breakfast
  • choosing low-processed products with short ingredients
  • avoiding sweets
  • avoiding ready meals
  • Diet for seniors - what the elderly should eat
  • A he althy diet for people over 60 - will give you energy
  • Nordic walking - the perfect sport for seniors
About the authorAleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietician Food technologist, dietitian, educator. A graduate of Biotechnology at the Gdańsk University of Technology and Nutritional Services at the Maritime University. A supporter of simple, he althy cuisine and conscious choices in everyday nutrition. My main interests include building permanent changes in eating habits and individually composing a diet according to the body's needs. Because the same thing is not he althy for everyone! I believe that nutritional education is very important, both for children and adults. I focus my activities on spreading knowledge about nutrition, analyze new research results, and make my own conclusions. I adhere to the principle that a diet is a lifestyle, not strict adherence to meals on a sheet of paper. There is always room for delicious pleasures in he althy and conscious eating.

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Category:

Geriatrics