this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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askmenover30
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Contrary to popular belief, your metabolism does not really slow down as you age.. From the time that you are 20ish to around 65ish, there is no inate change in how your body uses energy.
People use "metabolism" as some magic word, but it's literally just how many calories you burn by moving around a doing stuff and keeping your body temperature constant. Your metabolism slowing down would just mean that you are doing less stuff.
Some people don't like that information because they like to think that getting out of shape is due to factors outside of their control (and it definitely is for some people due to all sorts of life circumstances), and the fact that it is in your control makes them see it as a moral failing.
I see it more optimistically: when you age, you aren't fighting the tide. You do have control over your body composition. It gets inherently a little harder once you get up to your mid sixties, but even then, the difference is not as large as you'd expect.
Metabolism may not change on average, but that doesn't mean it can't change or differ wildly between people.
Look, I know some people who obsess over their calories, eat perfectly, and exercise constantly, and they still barely hit their "goal" weight/fitness. And I know other same-age people who do no exercise and eat fast food for almost every meal who are still skinny.
Maybe age isn't necessarily the reason, but we can't pretend it isn't easier for some people to lose/maintain weight than others. There ARE differences in metabolism.