Losing weight after 50: why it is harder and what works

Losing weight after 50 is possible, but it helps to know what has changed. Metabolism does not collapse at that age, as people often say: loss of muscle, less movement and, in women, the menopause weigh more. What helps most is looking after your muscle and keeping up your habits; and if that is not enough, there are medical treatments that can be assessed at a consultation.

Is it true that metabolism slows down at 50?

It is one of the most repeated explanations, and it is not entirely accurate. A study published in Science in 2021, using data from people aged between 8 days and 95 years, measured daily energy expenditure and found that, adjusted for lean mass, it stays stable between the ages of 20 and 60 and only drops after that. At 50, your body does not suddenly start burning much less.

So why is it harder? It is usually the sum of several changes rather than a single switch: less muscle, less movement in daily life and, in women, going through the menopause.

How does the menopause affect weight?

The menopause does not by itself explain weight gain, but it does change where fat is stored. According to a 2012 review in Climacteric, prepared by a working group of the International Menopause Society, weight gain cannot be attributed to this stage alone, but the hormonal change is associated with more total body fat and more abdominal fat. That is why many women notice a bigger tummy in these years.

If you are at that stage, talk to your doctor: they can guide you according to your case.

What happens to muscle when you lose weight after 50?

When you lose weight, you do not lose only fat: you can also lose muscle. A 2010 systematic review in Nutrition Reviews, covering 52 studies in middle-aged and older adults, suggests that exercise is an effective tool for men and postmenopausal women aged 50 or over with overweight to keep their lean mass when losing weight on a moderate calorie restriction.

That is why, to lose weight after 50, your diet should go together with exercise: in that review it was mostly aerobic, and the WHO adds strength work, with weights, elastic bands or your own body weight. You do not need a gym, but you do need to start gradually and, if you have pain or a medical condition, check with your doctor first.

How much exercise do you need and what else helps?

The WHO sets a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, cycling or sport, and adds that strengthening your muscles is good at any age. According to the WHO itself, any amount of movement is better than none, and everything counts: climbing stairs, going for a walk or moving around at home.

To make it last, choose something you can keep up. A perfect plan you give up after three weeks achieves less than a simple one you follow for months.

At the table there are no tricks: real meals, with protein, vegetables, fruit and fibre, sensible portions and fewer ultra-processed foods and sugary drinks. Sleeping well and managing stress also matter, because with exhaustion or tension any plan is harder to stick to. A registered dietitian can adapt the plan to your health and your medication.

What does the WHO say about healthy eating?

The WHO does not have a diet of its own for people in their fifties, but its principles work as a starting point for any adult. According to the WHO, you should have at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables a day and at least 25 grams of fibre from food, and limit free sugars to under 10 % of daily energy and salt to under 5 grams.

On protein, the WHO considers 10 to 15 % of daily energy enough for most adults, about 50 to 75 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet, and warns that too much can place a metabolic load, especially on the kidneys. If you have kidney disease, your doctor sets the amount of protein.

How do I know if my weight is healthy?

The NHS suggests body mass index (BMI) as a starting point, but combines it with the waist-to-height ratio. This second measure helps show whether you carry too much fat around your abdomen, and the NHS suggests it when BMI is under 35. Your doctor interprets them according to your age, your health and your history. The NHS adds that changing what you eat helps you lose weight, but moving more helps you keep it off.

What should you talk to your doctor about before starting?

Before changing your diet or training harder, a check-up with your GP avoids surprises and fine-tunes the plan. These are useful topics to write down and take with you:

• the conditions you already have, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or thyroid problems;
• the medication you take, because some drugs affect appetite or weight;
• the state of your joints and your back, so you can choose exercise that will not injure you;
• how you sleep and whether you are going through the menopause or a stressful period.

With that information, the plan stops being generic and is tailored to you.

What mistakes hold back weight loss at this age?

Three come up again and again:

• cutting calories suddenly without exercising, which favours losing muscle along with fat;
• relying only on the scales, when your clothes, your waist and how you feel also count, especially if you are gaining muscle;
• setting a plan you cannot sustain, because what is not sustained ends up being abandoned.

When does medical treatment for weight loss make sense?

When habits are not enough or excess weight affects your health, it is worth addressing it with a medical team. On its weight loss page, EGOS explains that it works with doctors, dietitian-nutritionists and psychologists, and that the aim is not to regain the weight. A medical plan with nutrition follow-up is what makes the difference when diet alone does not work, as Judith explains after her weight loss treatment.

Among the options its website describes are the gastric balloon and the MEGA endosleeve, which do not require open surgery; the gastric sleeve and the bypass, which are surgery; and drug treatment for obesity, always by prescription. According to the gastric balloon page, it is considered for a BMI between 30 and 40 if diet and exercise did not work. The sleeve page mentions a BMI between 35 and 40, or weight-related conditions.

What decides whether a treatment suits you is not only age: the team assesses your general health, your conditions, your medication and your BMI. In every case it accompanies a change of habits and does not replace it.

What happens to your skin if you lose a lot of weight?

If the weight loss is large, the skin can be left loose, and age is one of the factors that reduce its elasticity. Once your weight has stabilised, the surgeon can assess options. We explain it in the article on loose skin after weight loss.