Middle aged guy struggling to drop a few lbs in the belly area

[Predator_SD]

Thats called aging my guy. Really no way around it there is no fountain of youth.

Now, that being said you can try TRT if you want to extend your bodies ability to appear younger for another decade. The trade off though is the evidence is showing you likely won’t live as long.

Personally i think aging gracefully, staying active, eating right, and getting enough sleep is the way to go.

 

[Predator_SD]

Overall it sounds like you are doing a lot of things right.

How is your sleep? Duration? Consistent bed time? Easy to fall asleep/stay asleep?

I have noticed that making body composition changes like loosing 5 lbs of weight, mostly belly fat, happens a lot faster when I get 7+ hours of sleep instead of 5-6 hours.

Sleep deprivation alters the levels of the appetite-regulating hormones and increases cortisol levels. All of course work against you and everything good you’re doing during the day.

 

[socoalt]

I’ve just been reading on the new protein requirements for active people. The old belief was that to maintain or gain muscle while working out we need to consume 0.7-1.2 grams of protein per kg. of body weight. That is now old science and the current recommendation is 1- 1.3 grams of protein per POUND of body weight. That is a huge change. With the amount of activity you are doing per week and being middle aged protein is going to preserve muscle tissue, which will also burn fat.

I am in the same boat as you, mid to late 40’s and struggling to keep the body fat down. Keep doing what you’re doing but focus on fueling the muscle you have so that you can maintain or gain lean body mass. Like was stated earlier with the banana in the afternoon you can add a protein shake with it or drop the banana for the protein shake. Count macros, knowing that is a must but even more important is calories. You have to know how many calories are going in to know what you need to burn.

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Carnivore was a game changer for me. Wrestled my entire youth from 5-18 so not an issue cutting or maintaining weight. At almost 40 I’m in better shape than at 18. Carnivore changed it all for me for the better

 

[The Fat Coyote]

The best diet I ever did was the Slow Carb Diet, written by Tim Ferris and the focus of The 4 Hour body book. The diet allows for a weekly cheat day which made it so much easier. I lost 70 pounds and my wife hated me for it. I stopped and slowly gained this weight back over the course of two years but if i was single I would still eat that way or I would do carnivore. The only downside to Keto and Carnivore diets in my opinion is the no bread/refined carbs ever- and dont get me wrong, we shouldnt eat refined crap, but once in awhile its a really nice treat to do that once in awhile.

the best diet is the one that becomes a lifestyle and the way you want to eat forever. I feel like slow carb is one i couldve done forever if I had support at home.

 

[freediver111]

This sounds good. Consistency is key with your out put. Ie if your going to run 2 miles x number of days then do that not extra one day skip one. You can only measure what is consistent. It still makes me smile with the bad info about hormones in this thread. His test levels were good…. Mmm ok by what standard. Most tests will tell you a “good” range is anywhere from 350-900ngl. So seriously.. think about that. I’m not going to continue to try and convince you but if you think your test isn’t declining you’re just digging in repeating a narrative. It’s a fact. If you do your blood work and it’s above 500 with good free test and manageable estrogen levels then you are good but I highly doubt you are. I’ve worked with hundreds of male and female athletes and only seen one guy, 35 year old male in that range. Why do you think young men have the lowest testosterone levels in history (or at least since we tracked it) right now? It’s the water, pesticides and lack of vitamin D. If you do, I will be waiting for the thank you card because I promise it will change your life. Having something optimal that helps you live your best most enjoyable life possible is very different than good enough. Or at least it is for me.

I finally had some time to schedule an appointment with a clinic that specializes in men’s health. Place called “Oregon Man’s Clinic”. Definitely made me skeptical with the clinic name and the mention of TRT and ozempic prescriptions.

I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The doc I saw was awesome. Overall she said I was in excellent shape and doing great. I was a little low on magnesium, DHEA, and vitamin D so more supplements now.

My overall testosterone was 800, which she said was good, but my free test was a touch low. Think the “good” range starts at 2.6 and I was at 2.3. Since I have no classic symptoms of low T, she told me to try something called Testoplex plus. I have another blood test scheduled for the end of 2025 and the plan is to monitor and possibly go on a very light dose of T if I’m still low of the free t test. We’ll see, but overall I feel great and doing well so no major concerns.


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