[dijit]

I think thats basically true for most people, hence the belief that metabolism slows with age.

Proving that its not metabolism would imply that our weight gain in later life is a combination of other factors. I would bet good money on the increase in sedentary leisure activities, the reliance on motorised vehicles and a lack of energy to be active.

I would bet on those long before anything as nebulous as diet or intake volume.

[saiya-jin]

Have kids and compare yourself against them. It truly sobering to see how much relentless energy hey have, in body and mind (and when they hit the wall with burning out all energy, they hit hard). All the movement is just burning through all energy. I feel myself very active, but next to my 3 year old son I feel glacial and lazy.

We can reverse that, like we can revere many ways we slowly decline, just need a right mindset. Spend a really active vacation or start a new sport and lack of energy of yesterday will be gone, to certain extent. One can always do some dramatic change in lifestyle to see a dramatic change in body, weight, strength, stamina etc.

I see as people get older their mental model of how they behave and think often mimics somebody much older than their actual age, acting as if they are completely powerless to greater evil forces of muscle atrophy and weight gain. It simply ain't true but going against it is certainly harder than just complain.

[hombre_fatal]

I can think of two major, extra lifestyle factors that increase calories in adulthood that we overlook in favor of more appealing explanations like "metabolism tho":

1. We eat out more as adults. Our skinny kid/teen selves didn't even have the money/vehicle/norm to eat out much less do it daily like we can as adults. This also includes eating out during our lunch break. Every time we eat out that's an easy 1000+ calories.

2. When you live with a partner, every time they ask "wanna eat something?" and you say "yes", that's a moment you wouldn't have eaten had you been a bachelor. We'll even say yes when we aren't hungry.

It's funny how much we want to believe in factors out of our control.

[tonyedgecombe]

Alcohol consumption is probably in there as well.

[Lord-Jobo]

yep, so many people go from 10k steps a day in college to 5k in an entry level position to 1k in a desk role. for a 200lb 6 ft tall male, thats 3000 kcal burned a day to 2600, to 2300. 700kcal a day being a weight change total of around 1.5 lb a week when you consider days off.

[reactordev]

Multiply that by 15-20 years and you’re looking at a solid extra 200lbs you have. Naturally every 40 or so makes you look in the mirror, make some minor changes that last a year or maybe a bit more and it’s back to getting out from under the gelatin we’re packing onto ourselves.

In order to really, truly, get a handle on your weight - you need to increase muscle mass, operate at a slight caloric deficit, eliminate excess calories, and forgive yourself. The easiest way to distract you from excess calories is by doing something that keeps you busy (and hopefully works those muscles). Bikes rides, hikes, climbing gym, treadmills, skating, skiing, walking at a faster than moderate pace, running, weightlifting, tree cutting, brick laying.

People often get demotivated when they call it “working out”. Instead, just call it “working”.

[paulpauper]

Then why do so many people go to the gym, do 10k steps/day, intervals, etc. yet do not lose weight? Americans are arguably more active and health conscious than ever before as evidenced by the huge popularity of fitness content on YouTube, record number of gym memberships and attendance, the huge popularity of fitness apps, awareness of GMOs, food tracking apps, etc. yet fatter than ever too.

[civilitty]

Because they don’t control their portions or eating habits. Take a look at the UK TV show “Secret Eaters”* which sets up secret cameras in and has investigators follow a different household every episode to estimate everything they eat down to the tablespoon of sauce. It’s an eye opening look into psychology. Lots of people think they’re eating 2K kcal or less but are in reality consuming 3-5K per day.

* full episodes on Youtube

[reactordev]

This is the biggest culprit. Snacks, portion control, mislabeled calories. For example, Pringles says it’s 160 calories per serving. Serving size 4 chips. Most people eat 40.

[anthomtb]

food tracking apps

Food tracking is completely useless unless you also have a food scale, which, for whatever reason, is not terribly common in American kitchens. At least I never had one growing up and my Mother fancied herself a serious baker. Volume measurements are terrible if you are trying to track caloric consumption.

And I have not used a food tracking app but they appear to depend on honest inputs. I can just imagine someone telling their friends, "I don't know why I'm gaining weight $FOOD_APP says I'm only eating 1400 calories a day", somehow forgetting to put the 3 glasses of wine they are consuming into the app.

So totally IME but the best way to lose or maintain a healthy weight (whatever that means to you - the world really doesn't care) is to have an honest, internal drive to get it done. No one, no app, is going to do it for you. Do the cookies in the break room look good? They sure do, but I like my body far more than those cookies.

[reactordev]

Americans also eat more portions of food. Super sized. We also don’t eat the right kinds of foods. Opting for quick serve processed foods vs natural ones.

No amount of leg work will reverse putting garbage in your body.

[uncletaco]

I’m a 6’0 man who went up to 220lbs when I started working a desk job that provided sodas on demand. When I left there and went somewhere I needed to walk to eat lunch to I lost 30lbs and now hover around 190lbs.

When I learned how to swim last year that dropped to 175 ish and would’ve probably kept dropping if I spent more than 3 months going to the pool for an hour a day twice a week.

[sdwr]

Swimming is where it's at! Sounds like a little went a long way.

[paulpauper]

If inactivity were the explanation, it would be possible to fix obesity by having people be more active, yet this this does not work :

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U1RxtW9oglcck-2g2X_SrKzIA44=...

exercise not help at all. the body compensates in many ways

400 calories burned from a run does not magically offset a donut. The conversion rate may be flat or even negative.

source: https://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/weight-loss-exercise-...