The problem

Us older guys (over 40, but especially over 50) just struggle more and more as we age to lose fat. We try to eat less and less, and it becomes more and more difficult (as we eat less and less, our metabolism will fall lower and lower due to the body thinking it is in a famine environment).

Then we jump on bandwagons like Keto, Intermittent Fasting and so on to try and resolve the problem. Now, before I get stoned by the supporters of these diet concepts, let me put it out there – “I do not claim those approaches do not work!”

But, what I do strongly believe is that there are better sustainable long term approaches that can correct our metabolism to function optimally and not further damage it or prevent it from correcting!

For example, when the body is already in famine mode due to eating too few calories, it is NOT a good idea to start IF on top of that! It is not going to correct your metabolism. It will just be compounding the problem with you ending up losing more muscle than fat. Yes, on the scale you will lose weight but the WRONG weight. You never want to lose muscle. Muscle is the only thing giving us shape. You want the perfect balance where you lose fat but increase muscle size. Sounds impossible? Nope, very much possible. But all these new fancy popular diets make this “sweet spot” near impossible.

The fat loss tricks

So let me give a quick overview of the fat loss “tricks” I suggest for the older guy.

1. Avoid insulin spikes. The more the insulin spikes the more you will struggle to lose fat. The more infrequent you eat and the bigger a meal (in calories) the higher the insulin spike. The ONLY way to keep insulin as stable/flat as possible is to eat more frequent but much smaller meals. I suggest 6-7 small meals (prepared the previous night and in ready-to-use containers for the day). This alone will make fat loss much easier and take away most hunger pains.
2. Sticking to your exact daily calories – not more and not less. You cannot manage your diet to force results if you do not track your exact daily calories. Many apps are available for this! (Sample diet template)
3. Every 14 days use a body fat caliper + weighing scale + tape measurement (Click here for my preferred choices of these tools) to take specific measurements of the body and make note of this in a logbook. With this logbook you will then compare, every 14 days, your body changes to that of the previous 14 days. This will tell you your fat/muscle loss/gains. Depending on that results you will change (if necessary) your daily diet calories either up or down (never with more than 10%) to force results. If fat was gained, daily calories must go down. If the muscle was lost calories must go up. You will reach the “sweet spot” where the muscle is gained while fat is lost. If necessary, make the caloric increase in very small increments. That “sweet spot” is only temporary though, and the body very easily goes out of it. Every 14 days you will have to go through this process. This is how you force results with the diet.
4. Drinking plenty of water and coffee/tea helps to curb hunger pains (caffeine also helps with burning fat – just don’t overdo it).
5. Very little to no cardio. Cardio forces smaller muscles, it is the body’s natural reaction to cardio and the older we get the worse this reaction gets. Resistance training is key and might be complemented with something like brisk daily walking. But again, LIMIT the cardio! Fat should be lost via the diet and NOT cardio, especially the older we get. Sure, cardio is good for general health but so is resistance training!
6. Of course…dropping alcohol! The single biggest reason for protruding tummy for us older guys!
7. Then, something new I have not discussed previously – Ozempic / also known as Wegovy (by Novo Nordisk). It is a new prescription drug that has been launched in 2021 and is quite revolutionary for fat loss. And no, I am NOT getting anything from them! Lol…I discuss it because of the drug’s ability to really help people lose fat. It originally was used as a diabetic drug but now has been approved for weight loss. Sometimes we just got to love the side effects some drugs have! It seems quite safe, and in fact, will protect you from ever becoming diabetic. What it does is take hunger away very effectively. In fact, one got to force yourself to eat (which can be a problem because eating too little will result in muscle loss). But for those really struggling with hunger while on this journey, this could be a heaven send. It is not too expensive, but the only catch is your doctor must prescribe it. However, even if you are just moderately overweight, you should not have a problem with it. What about negatives? There is one note…keep your anti-acids ready, it will give you bad reflux! If you can live with that then it is a win-win. For obese people, 0.5mg per week and for moderately overweight people 0.25mg per week should be sufficient. I would NOT suggest other hunger suppressants. They do more harm than good. In my opinion, next to Ozempic, caffeine is the best tool (albeit MUCH lower on the scale of effectiveness).

Lol, I even went so far last year when they announced this new drug and bought some shares in the parent company Novo Nordisk (not much $200 US) and spot on it has grown so far nearly 40%. Which is a great sign that this is working and making some waves.

Conclusion

So, there you have it guys. These 6 “tricks” are what I believe is key for the older guy to lose fat (and build muscle).

Of course, all this forms part of my unique coaching system for older guys – the ADVANCED SYSTEM II.

So, those that want to find out more or signup, just go to the link on the screen.

Let’s keep fighting the good fight my older brothers. The unhealthy people can call us vein or narcistic, but we know how great it feels to be in good shape and healthy. THAT is a blessed life!

Happy training

Gert Louw