Have you been blaming those extra pounds you’ve gained recently on your increasing age? Or maybe you think because you’re a woman, your metabolism works a little slower? Well, what if we told you that this wasn’t necessarily true.
A new study suggests that a lot of what we thought we knew about our metabolism is wrong. Many of us believe that as we age, our metabolism slows down. This is true, to some extent. Only, it doesn’t start slowing down in our late twenties, or even our thirties, forties, or fifties. No, the changes actually start taking place in our sixties.
You might be thinking, how is this possible?
Well, we are here to answer your (fat) burning questions. In this article, we’ll be exploring the misconception of how age truly affects your metabolism.
Keep reading to find out more.
Follow the Science
Metabolism is the chemical process that takes place in your body that turns food into energy. A healthy metabolism ensures our cells are working correctly and keeps our bodies going. Many of us believe that as we reach our late twenties, the stability of our metabolism decreases. However, research suggests otherwise.
The previously mentioned study closely followed participants from 29 different countries around the world between the ages of eight days old to 95. The research allowed scientists to analyze the changes made in our metabolism over a lifetime. The results left researchers shocked with its revelations about the human body.
They found that in our first year of life, we burn calories about 50% faster than fully grown adults, making this the peak of our metabolism. This then gradually declines up until we reach the age of 20 (give or take a few years).
The twist was that from that point, your metabolism more or less stays the same right up until you reach your early sixties. At that point, it begins to decline by roughly around 1% each year. This is still a fairly gradual decrease in comparison to what we all previously believed to be true.
Metabolism Misconceptions in Women
Another common myth we like to tell ourselves is that women’s metabolisms are slower. This misconception is often justified by arguing that things such as women’s menstrual cycles and menopause are part of the reasons. However, the results are in, and we can once again conclude that these assumptions are very wrong.
In fact, research suggests that menstrual cycles and menopause have little to no effect on your metabolism rates. They also discovered that there is hardly any difference in metabolism between men and women as we age.
How Does This Affect Weight Loss?
People often find themselves gaining weight as they get older because they end up eating more calories than they end up burning. But this doesn’t have to be the case. With some simple lifestyle changes, like exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet, you can be sure to get on track to achieving your weight goals, no matter your age.
Empowerment Is Ageless
If there’s anything that this study shows us, it’s that we must stop blaming our metabolism for our struggles to lose weight. Additionally, we can’t point fingers at factors like age and sex either.
Really, it all just comes down to implementing the appropriate lifestyle changes that suit you as an individual. Whether that means joining a local gym or cutting out carbs, the bottom line is that your ideal weight is achievable no matter your age or sex.
The findings of this study also give us the reassurance that, no matter our age, our metabolism is still working in the same way at fifty as it did at twenty. That in itself is empowering to know.
Have you been blaming any weight gain on your “aging” metabolism? Were you shocked to find out the results of this recent study? Please let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
