Some of us are blessed with genes that make us less likely to succumb to middle-age spread. But consume more energy than you burn and you’re likely to see increased belly fat, no matter what.
Your first reaction might be to put on your trainers and head out to pound off the pounds, but, says Mosley: “It will be a lot easier if most of the heavy lifting is done through dieting. You would have to do a huge amount of exercise to burn through enough calories to lose that much weight.” Yes, you can tone up – you will look better and feel good – but you probably won’t drop a significant amount of weight.
This is something that he attempted to demonstrate in his 2020 Channel 4 series Lose a Stone in 21 Days with Michael Mosley. His conclusion was that it really is possible to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time with a rapid weight-loss keto diet – not that a keto diet, with its emphasis on low carbs and high fat, will be to everyone’s taste.
Banish carbs
Mosley says that the most effective approach, at least in the short term, is to significantly cut back on carbs. “If you reduce the carbs you eat to less than 50g a day then you will go into a state of ketosis, where you start burning through your fat stores,” says Mosley. “One of the big advantages of ketosis is that it suppresses production of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, so you don’t feel ravenous.”
This includes all carbs, including the healthy fibrous ones such as vegetables, legumes – chickpeas and lentils – and wholegrains, such as barley, oats, buckwheat, and rye.
Such a strict approach won’t suit everyone but if you’re determined to lose a stone, Mosley says research shows that the best way to do so, and keep it off, is to start with a low-calorie, low-carb diet, and then gradually increase the carbs and calories until you are no longer losing weight.
And while extremely restrictive diets will help you to lose weight quickly, the risks to wider health cannot be ignored. The cricketer Shane Warne recently died from a suspected heart attack, days after completing a strict detox diet.
Take a Mediterranean approach
“After you have lost the weight, I recommend sticking to a lowish carb Mediterranean-style diet, rich in oily fish, nuts, vegetables and legumes, and with occasional treats, as this has been shown to be the best diet for long-term mental and physical health,” says Mosley.
For nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert, a Mediterranean diet has an added effect that can get lost in the conversation about weight loss. How happy you are.
Sitting down to a regular Sunday roast with family, where you enjoy social interaction – the kind that goes hand in hand with a Mediterranean lifestyle – could be more effective than staying at home on the gruel. “We have good research that says more social interaction around meal times is healthy for you as well.”
In contrast to Mosley’s exacting approach, Lambert favours a holistic one that looks at sleep, gut health and how you eat. When it comes to weight loss, she prefers slow and steady, without affecting your set point weight – the level at which your body decides whether to hang on to or burn fat.
“Remember you’re an individual. Have you lost a lot of weight to get to this point? Have you put on a stone? What is your job? What is your relationship with food like?”
Lambert’s concern is that if you’re not in a good place with food, then how can you lose the weight and keep it off?
Sometimes it’s about being realistic regarding your goals.
“It can be easy to pick the number that’s the lowest you’ve been in your life and then aspire to that. The problem is that you were younger then and now have less muscle mass. Then there are hormonal fluctuations. Your body is meant to change.”
Maintaining a calorie deficit is one of the most ubiquitous pieces of advice when it comes to weight loss. However, Lambert says that the calorie content of food labelling is about 30 per cent inaccurate. “And based on a calculator that’s 120 years old.”
We don’t all absorb calories in the same way. “We’re unique human beings, so someone might absorb all 100 calories of a pack of crisps. Someone else might absorb 70 per cent.”
Count calorie quality
In her book The Science of Nutrition, she explains that it’s about the quality of the food, not just the amount of energy it contains. “Avocado toast is more nutritious than a cheese sandwich, but it has more calories,” she says as an example. So make sure the calories you take in come in the form of healthy whole foods.
Try changing the carbs you eat from white to brown. “Try bulgur wheat and quinoa, or different rices.” Lambert recommends incorporating more pulses and legumes, which contain iron, fibre and protein. “Aim for 30g a day, the recommended amount. In the UK we’re only hitting around 17 grams.”
A higher fibre intake has been linked to a lower risk of belly fat. Although it’s not understood why entirely, studies show that people who consume more fibre have a greater variety of gut bacteria, which can impact how we process food, as well as other biochemical reactions, thereby influencing weight loss.
But, warns Lambert, don’t do it overnight. Build your way up slowly so that your stomach gets used to the amount of fibre. “Try having porridge in the morning instead of white toast. Weetabix, Shredded Wheat or overnight oats are great if you’re time-poor.”
Hydration is also key. Lambert recommends six to eight glasses of water a day – this will curb cravings. But take care to avoid the extra calories of fruit juices and milky drinks.
“If your aim is body-fat loss, you’re better off having a black coffee with a dash of milk than a latte.”
Rethink alcohol
Similarly, cutting back on alcohol will affect your waistline. Men and women aged 55 to 64 are the most likely age group to drink more than the recommended maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week. That routine half-bottle with supper is doing midlifers no favours.
“You could easily consume 250-350 calories extra a meal depending on whether it’s a small, medium or large glass of wine,” says Lambert. “Many of my clients use it as a stress-relieving tool every night. So encouraging them to drink moderately and only at the weekend is still a huge achievement.”
Saving your favourite tipple for Friday and Saturday night will mean better weeknight sleep, improved digestion and better metabolising of food.
A lack of sleep may also affect the body’s regulation of the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which are thought to be central to appetite. Ghrelin promotes hunger, and leptin contributes to feeling full. In one study, men who got four hours of sleep had increased ghrelin and decreased leptin compared to those who got 10 hours. This might explain why sleep-deprived people also tend to reach for high-fat, high-calorie foods. Most adults should aim for at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.
Adopt healthy routines
Take time to check in on your habits and look at whether they are helping or hindering you to lose the weight you want to. Are you frequently eating while also consuming TV or other media? Mindless eating can easily lead to overeating.
One quality Lambert recognises in people with stable weight is that they have set meal times. “They’re often breakfast eaters, and they probably sit down at a dinner table, or are opting for the right things when they’re on the go. They probably stay hydrated and maintain good gut health. They are a lot less stressed and sleep well.”
So while it can be tempting to think that restriction is the only way to shift those unwanted pounds, rethinking the big questions can make the difference.
“Ask yourself how you feel when you eat food. Are you satisfied versus feeling full? Once you master that it can be life changing.”
The best exercise for midlifers with a stone to lose
“Evidence suggests that people who regularly exercise are able to maintain weight loss. This is partly because increased muscle ratio boosts your metabolism and increases your calorie burn, but it’s also because exercise also lifts the mood, which means less binge-eating and feeling low,” says physiotherapist Katie Knapton.
“Fat in itself can cause inflammation and joint pain (not just due to the increased load, but also because it releases cytokines, the body’s inflammation response). Losing fat could eventually help to ease joint pain, allowing you to exercise with more ease. Putting in the work now means you will be fitter, more active and more able to maintain a healthy weight in years to come.”
