Losing Weight in Middle Age: Skip the Chicken Parm and Do This
The best way for a middle aged man or woman to lose weight? Burn more calories than you consume.
“Oh man, you’re telling me I’ve got to give up my chicken parm?!?! But, I LOVE chicken parm! I dunno Paulie, I’m not sure I can do it…”
Such was Teddy’s response as we dove into the 3-day food journal that I had asked him to compile as part of his new nutrition coaching plan.
As we constructed a sustainable middle age weight loss, training, and nutrition plan for Ted, we decided on 2300 kcal per day as his target.
Teddy’s initial reaction was, “This is going to be a piece of cake!”
I’m not sure he understood the irony of that statement, but he sure seemed confident that he’d easily be able to live within the boundaries we discussed.
The key to losing weight in your middle ages is keeping an honest food journal.
We took a closer look at exactly what and how he had been eating, using the “journal” he’d been keeping with an app on his phone called My Fitness Pal. It helps log and calculate daily calories and has thousands of pre-programmed foods that make it fairly simple to record what we’re eating.
While it can be a pain to try to keep a food journal accurately, and most folks are less than completely accurate in their recording, the data are really helpful in nutrition coaching to establish a baseline from which to start.
His primary objective of the renewed training and nutrition plan was to shed 20 lbs over six months.
Shedding 1 lb of fat per week was both realistic and sustainable. To do that, we needed to create a daily calorie deficit of 500 kcal. While this kind of adjustment would definitely trigger cravings, it included enough nutrition to keep him energized.
For Teddy to accomplish his deficit, he could either restrict his daily calories to 1,800, or he could exercise each day to burn an additional 500 kcal. Or some combination thereof.
When it comes to a new nutrition plan and exercise regimen, sustainability is essential.
Knowing Teddy as I do, and his fondness for chicken parm, I knew it was really unlikely that we would succeed with an approach that limited him to 1,800 kcal per day.
However, Ted doesn’t love working out either.
When he does train, he works hard. But he’s no gym rat. And he’s super busy. So, finding an additional 4-5 hours in his week to burn off that 500 kcal per day is also unrealistic.
We devised a combined approach.
He would reduce his consumption by 200 kcal/day, setting a target of 2100 kcal. We agreed to spread that reduction over the course of the day, rather than try to reduce any one meal by the full 200 kcal. Over the course of each week, he’d consume 1400 fewer kcal.
Additionally, he figured he could make time to add two short workouts each week. Each would be about 30 minutes tops. They’d be high-intensity workouts that are not only super-efficient (given the short amount of time he has available) but also induce an “after-burn” that keeps his metabolic engine revving well after the workout. This build-and-burn process is one of our favorite ways to help clients see real, measurable results.
Calculating the caloric expenditure of different forms of exercise is an inexact science. But, I estimate these workouts, and the resultant afterburn, would each add 500 kcal of expenditure, for 1000 total each week.
So, now we’re up to a calorie deficit of roughly 2400 kcal for the week.
Daily movement can also boost the impact of any middle age weight loss plan
Teddy also agreed to purchase a wearable fitness device, like a Fitbit, so he could track his steps. I knew increasing his daily movement would help round out his exercise and nutrition plan, and would be a simple way to increase the impact of our work together.
Based on some calculations of his height and weight, we estimated that by adding 5,000 steps per day to his current baseline, he would potentially burn an additional 1,000-1,500 kcal per week, depending on how fast he walks and whether it’s on hills or level ground.
When we add all that up, we’re somewhere between 3,400-3,900 kcal of potential caloric deficit each week. Right where we want to be! Executed consistently over time, we should see Teddy start to peel off about a pound of fat each week.
His ideal body weight is 195 lbs, down 20 from his current 215 lbs. Theoretically, without any hiccups, false starts, or disruptions, it would take Teddy about 20 weeks to get down to his “playing weight” of 195. That’s five months. But, “the best-laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.” Life seldom cooperates. Given what I know about our friend Teddy’s busy career and family, I think a six to nine-month timeline is more realistic.
So where does Teddy’s affinity for Chicken Parm fit into this plan?
He works down the street from an Olive Garden, where he eats lunch once or twice a week. The Olive Garden’s Chicken Parm serving is listed as containing 1,060 kcal. Adding the salad and a breadstick that Olive Garden is known for, the total calories for that lunch are 1,450 kcal! That’s assuming he drinks water with the meal and limits himself to one breadstick and a modest portion of the salad.
Well, if we rigidly constructed and adhered to his plan, Teddy would have to give up his Chicken Parm. There’d simply be no margin for the gigantic caloric bomb of that lunch. Such a rigid plan is unrealistic and probably doomed to failure.
Rather than launch this effort anticipating inevitable non-compliance and the accompanying discouragement, we built into his weekly plan some space for a "splurge day”.
Because the best way for any middle-aged person to lose weight? Make a plan they can stick to.
Want your own customized middle-age weight loss program?
Julie has put together an awesome group Nutrition Coaching program that we call our Build & Burn Cohort. All our Cohort members get a personalized daily nutrition plan like Teddie's. If you’ve been frustrated with stubborn belly fat, flabby arms, adorable love handles, multiplying chins, or feeling skinny fat, this program is what you’ve been waiting for.
You can apply by filling out the form here: midstrong.com/contact.
MidStrong is for life.
Middle age weight loss requires a two-pronged approach: Functional fitness training and personalized nutrition coaching.
That’s why we offer both online midlife fitness classes + coaching, and in-person training, right here in Westborough, MA.
Ready to make food, fitness, and function the priorities that power the best years of your life? Let’s talk!