Letting Yourself Go Later In Life - Ramifications?

[KingOfTheCheapos]

Hi,

Just to be clear, I have no intention of letting myself go for the hell of it!

I am 50 and in good health (don't smoke, drink moderately). My only issue is I have higher cholesterol which can be easily treated with statins.

But I LOVE to eat food. It's my one vice. So far my weight is normal due to an excessive variety of exercises routine (every day at least 45 minutes "hard") but I believe that when my body starts to fail me I won't be able to exercise as much. For example, if I get some heart issues I'll stop cycling long distances or if I get knee issues I'll stop running.

I'm guessing somethings going to break in me, hopefully in my 70's and I'll have to stop the hard exercising, but I don't want to stop the eating.

So what are the ramifications if you live a healthy life but put on 10-30 pounds in your 70s (currently 6'1 and 185 pounds)?

 

[REWahoo]

What about us late in life folks who didn't "let" ourselves go, but our bodies went anyway?

 

[KingOfTheCheapos]

What about us late in life folks who didn't "let" ourselves go, but our bodies went anyway?

That's exactly my point. In my 70's (hopefully) my body goes away but I continue to eat what I like (no salads for me every lunch and dinner!). What are the ramifications if I pack on 10-30 pounds in my 70s?

 

[SecondCor521]

As a rough guess, you could go to any life expectancy calculator, put in all your current numbers, and note your life expectancy. Then go back and add 10 or 30 pounds to your weight and see how the number changes. I would *guess* that your life expectancy would be shorter by a few years.

Also there may be adverse effects on aches and pains, endurance, flexibility, and maybe on sexual performance as well.

Blood pressure is likely to go up, which may add a BP medicine to your pill regimen depending on your existing BP. This increases, I think, your risk of stroke and heart attack, but that would be reflected in the life expectancy numbers I would guess.

(I'm not a doctor or health professional by any stretch.)

 

[Chuckanut]

My advice is to go to Rome now, and climb to the top of St. Peter's. Don't wait until you are 70+.

I did St. Peters in my 50's. And I did Santa Maria del Fiori in Florence as well as Giotto's Bell Tower in my 60's. I think me and my friend were the oldest people up there. We were certainly the slowest going up.

I could probably make it up both again, but with more problems. I'm glad I did it then.

 

[braumeister]

People have been controlling their weight without "hard" exercise for a long time. It's not that big a deal.

 

[Midpack]

Right up your alley, led to a spirited discussion here when it was originally published. I agree with the author FWIW.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/10/why-i-hope-to-die-at-75/379329/

 

[W2R]

That's exactly my point. In my 70's (hopefully) my body goes away but I continue to eat what I like (no salads for me every lunch and dinner!). What are the ramifications if I pack on 10-30 pounds in my 70s?

I am 73. I have noticed that as I age, my appetite has diminished. I no longer feel the need to eat as much food. Despite that, I'm still struggling with my weight! You can't win. But anyway, I am extremely obese and the smaller appetite has been helpful as I try to keep from gaining even more weight.

A full sized salad for lunch and another for dinner sounds like a food fest from this side of 70, especially if the salads have all the "good stuff" like grated cheese, bacon, ranch dressing, olives, croutons, or whatever else can be put on salads. Instead of two full sized salads with everything like that, I'd be more likely to eat a small green side salad for lunch and an apple for dinner.

I need to re-calibrate my ideas of how much food I need on an average day.

 

[Sniggle]

Hard truths - As you age, you will not be able to exercise enough to keep from putting on the pounds (well, if you decide to train for ultra marathons, maybe).

I am 57, work out an hour or so a day (6 days a week), ruck for GoRuck events, and if I get relaxed with eating (sweets, rice/potatoes, too much bread) I will pack on 1-1.5 lbs. a month until my pants start to get tight.

My solution is to do relatively strict keto dieting for 3-4 months a year, and then relax until I need to do it again. Not ideal, but I like you like food and would prefer to be restricted and focused for 3 months out of the year than be somewhat restricted all year.

My red line in the sand is 36 waist pants...if they don't fit well time to diet.

 

[dak2018]

Ramifications? You will probably not feel "fit", you will put extra strain on aging joints, and your clothes will not look good on you. Those are the simple and obvious results - your health may or may not suffer in other ways, but that would be speculative for an individual.

Lots of my friends have packed on weight in their 50s and 60s. They look uncomfortable but it does not seem to really stop them from living their life. They do, however, uniformly express regret that they are in such bad physical condition compared to their earlier years.

 

[chassis]

Obese is obese.

Fat is fat.

Diabetes, which often stems from obesity, is diabetes.

Ditto with congestive heart failure.

If you are able to chose lifestyle behaviors that avoid obesity, CHF and diabetes, what should your actions be?

 

[Amethyst]

If anecdata is acceptable, I have a friend in his late 70's, formerly athletic, with a huge appetite. He will message me about the immense breakfast he just cooked and ate while his wife was still in bed. One time I said, "That is more than I eat in a whole day, including the gym." He replied, "That is why I am fat, and you are not."

All very amusing, but my friend is a walking heart/arterial disease time bomb, in and out of the hospital constantly. Recently, they drained more than a gallon of fluid from around his heart.

That seems like a high price for large plates of food.

OTOH, everyone I've known who reaches 90 (they've all been thin) has had dementia, which I consider far worse than being dead.

Hobson's choice.

 

[tb001]

At 50 I’m already struggling with this due to back issues. None of my ‘fun’ exercises are doable at the moment. So I’m carrying an extra 20lbs and struggling for it not to turn into 30.

All I can say is that this extra 20lbs is extremely uncomfortable at 50. I can’t imagine what it would feel like at 70. Not to mention I’m vain and don’t like it.

The ramifications—shortened lifespan, extra meds, more pain/discomfort—all are pretty miserable. My advice would be make sure your exercise routine now includes things like yoga, weights and swimming. The latter is the only way for me to get a decent calorie burn right now and I find it mindnumbingly boring.

 

[JRon]

I’m in a similar situation to OP, only 10 years older. My knees caused me to quit running years ago so I walk and/or use an elliptical every day for an hour. I also use the intermittent diet - no eating from 7:00 pm till noon the next day.

It all helps, but I still need to cut back intake. I just don’t need to eat the amount I used to - even 5 years ago, but it’s hard to get that through my head. I have 2 measurements - my belt and my weight. If I get to a certain weight or if I need to loosen my belt I know I need to cut back for a while.

 

[chassis]

I also stopped running due to hip discomfort, I think it’s bursitis.

I replaced running with swimming in winter and bicycling in the warmer months. Consider bicycling if you are looking for something to add to or complement swimming. I’m going for a 7 mile ride tonight.

One MUST know one’s calorie requirements. It’s not optional. Without knowing your caloric intake requirements, it’s like driving with no speed limit sign. It’s like driving at night with your headlamps turned off.

Caloric intake requirements must be known. Otherwise weight control will disappear and 30 lbs of weight gain will appear. With weight gain comes inactivity and obesity and diabetes and hypertension and congestive heart failure. Soon you will need a seat belt extender on airplanes, among many other expensive and inconvenient health equipment and medications. Why would anyone knowingly do this to themselves?

It’s not hysteria, it’s real. And it’s preventable by one’s own lifestyle choices.

 

[Ronstar]

I used to be able to offset bad eating habits with exercise alone. But exercise alone doesn’t keep me in shape anymore.

I gained 30 lbs during inactivity following foot surgery. I’ve lost about 20 of it since through running, hiking or biking daily. But It doesn’t seem that I can get in better shape without diet changes. I don’t think that I can exercise harder without risk of injury.

I can see diet becoming even more important as we age, because the amount and intensity of exercise we do will continue to lessen as we get older.

 

[Car-Guy]

OTOH, everyone I've known who reaches 90 (they've all been thin) has had dementia, which I consider far worse than being dead.

From my POV, "at that age" I'm not sure who has it worse... The person with severe dementia or the family caregiver.

 

[qwerty3656]

Are there any obese late 80's early 90 year olds here? I am late 50's and would probably be considered obese. I'm assuming that I won't make it much past 80.

 

[tb001]

Are there any obese late 80's early 90 year olds here? I am late 50's and would probably be considered obese. I'm assuming that I won't make it much past 80.

My father is obese and 83. That's the only data point I have.

 

[audreyh1]

What about us late in life folks who didn't "let" ourselves go, but our bodies went anyway?

Good one!

 

[audreyh1]

As a rough guess, you could go to any life expectancy calculator, put in all your current numbers, and note your life expectancy. Then go back and add 10 or 30 pounds to your weight and see how the number changes. I would *guess* that your life expectancy would be shorter by a few years.

Also there may be adverse effects on aches and pains, endurance, flexibility, and maybe on sexual performance as well.

Blood pressure is likely to go up, which may add a BP medicine to your pill regimen depending on your existing BP. This increases, I think, your risk of stroke and heart attack, but that would be reflected in the life expectancy numbers I would guess.

(I'm not a doctor or health professional by any stretch.)

Having a little extra weight when you are older seems to improve life expectancy.

But where you are starting from is important!

 

[braumeister]

For most of us (not everyone) the BMI calculation is a reasonable place to start when looking at your weight.

But I've always said that the best device available is a full length mirror.

 

[RunningBum]

Exercise, too. You know what the best exercise is? "Push-aways" You know, you push-away from the table rather than eat seconds or desserts.

Seriously, moderation is key. You don't need to give up stuff completely, just have smaller portions of the not-so-healthy foods, and eat them less often.

 

[1242Vintage]

I just did one of those life expectancy calculators at my pre-retirement weight (250 lbs … ugh) and current weight (204 lbs … yea). Being lighter only added two years. I was expecting a bigger difference.

My plan is to keep hitting the gym, cycling up the steep hills here in Northern California and trail running as long as I can. I’m encouraged by a guy who I race against who is in his 70s and very fit and fast. He regularly posts lap times faster than most of us 50-something guys. My goal is to be that guy a decade and a half from now.

 

[RunningBum]

I just did one of those life expectancy calculators at my pre-retirement weight (250 lbs … ugh) and current weight (204 lbs … yea). Being lighter only added two years. I was expecting a bigger difference.

That's really awesome! Maybe the life expectancy gain isn't as much as you hope, but I'd bet that your qualify of life gain is high--able to do more things, fewer aches and pains and fatigue due to carrying less weight, etc.