Does 5:2 help reduce fat caused by age-related muscle loss?

This topic contains 6 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by Sarah Van Loo 6 years, 6 months ago.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

Poody

10:24 pm
16 Jan 18
Permalink

I’m trying the Fast Diet because my legs have got very fatty as the muscles have got smaller (apparently natural as you age….see Angela Rippon programmes of a year or so ago). I’m fit, do a lot of walking (at least half an hour twice a day, everyday), horse riding three times a week and wild swim about twice a month, but still have this fatty flab. Anyone got any tips to help? Does the diet work on this sort of fat? Thanks.

simcoeluv

10:49 pm
16 Jan 18
Permalink

Hi Poody:

There is no diet I am aware of that can target fat loss on the body, including 5:2. It will come off where it comes off. Sorry.

Poody

11:08 pm
16 Jan 18
Permalink

Hi, thanks for the quick reply. I feared as much. I’m pretty slight on my upper body and always lose weight there first. Oh well maybe it’ll help a bit.

Cinque

11:33 pm
16 Jan 18
Permalink

Hi Poody, I have found that the fat goes last from the places it goes on first. Everyone is different. In my case that is mostly around my upper arms and tummy. 5:2 helped me get down to the bottom end of my healthy weight range 18 months ago, but my arm flaps are still a problem. Sigh. I’m 60 and my body just isn’t as resilient as it once was. But my upper arms are smaller than they were a year ago. Patience seems to be the only hope! Good luck.

diverdog

1:30 am
17 Jan 18
Permalink

Age related muscle loss is reversible with resistance training. It doesn’t have to happen but few people are willing to do the hard work required to prevent and reverse it.

BTW Fat does not replace the “lost muscle” the new fat is there simply because you are eating more calories than you burn.

Poody

10:27 pm
17 Jan 18
Permalink

Hi Cinque, I think my age is against me too. I’ve always been less shapely in the legs than I would like, now my skin is slacker and maybe not holding the fat in as well (ugh, horrible thought).

Diverdog thanks for the info on resistance training. I’d need info on what to do. My ‘problem’ is I have two horses and three dogs that require attention every day. I spend about 3 hours doing this. I must have a very low metabolic rate as I do loads to burn up calories (min 15000 steps every day). However, I am a tortoise rather than a hare, so maybe that’s it.

Not sure I’ve the time or energy to do resistance too. On the plus side I do have great abs! 😀

fasting_me

2:26 am
18 Jan 18
Permalink

Poody, the fat and the muscle loss are 2 separate issues. As we age, we lose muscle. This would happen even if you had gained no fat. The loss of muscle is reversible. I am 69 yrs old and have more muscle than I did 6 years ago. It is not a matter of going to the gym: wall-sits will help to build the quads; push-ups will work on pectorals; lunges build glutes.

You skin is not holding in the fat. The skin on your legs is crepey because of loss of muscle tone under the skin. Some people blame this on gravity, but it is less muscle mass.

Do you ride the horses? Do you walk the dogs? These are great ways to exercise the legs.
Good luck.

Sarah Van Loo

6:07 am
10 May 18
Permalink

You don’t even need to think about the calories if your are spending some of your time exercising, if you are still gaining weight it must be muscles that are being built.