Golfers show inevitability of a paunch at middle age

[playit]

I don't know if it is inevitable, I am hoping for discussion! Not until the covid era did I add on enough belly weight that I sport the proverbial paunch. It also coincided with age 66 and 67, so, who knows what caused it. And, yes, I have gained weight continuously since high school. Perhaps it's simply more of the same progression! But I watched some of a senior tour event and thought, "My gosh, they're all fat!" Not all, but most. Of course, this is also what has happened to the USA as a whole, overweight has skyrocketed over the past 30-40 years. (I think it's crappy diet related... cheap carbs is my guess.)

 

But these tour players are not your average American, they're still athletes and more active than most. So, the question is, do you think that for men, sporting such a paunch is inevitable with age? Must it be so? Do you think it is simply due to the sagging of skin and muscles and plain old gravity doing its thing?

 

Also, can it be cured? I would like to lose this extra weight and wonder how reasonable it it to think that a 67, almost 68 year old man could become trim again. Methinks it would require an intense training program to do so. Which I am willing to do.

 

As for that broadcast, I saw John Cook and thought, "Hmmm... his paunch looks kinda like mine."

 

Hope you will chime in!

Edited September 25, 2021 by playit

[MtlJeff]

If you stay active and eat well you should be able to stay in decent enough shape until your later ages. Also it's not crazy hard to lose weight if you make a couple of basic changes, again getting some exercise in (even of it's just something low impact like an elliptical) and getting a side salad instead of fries

 

When I lost a lot of weight other than jogging, the biggest changes I made were no more fries, and always getting fish on business trip dinners

[ChipStrokes]

no, it’s not inevitable. 

 

if you have a paunch you’re either lazy, eat like crap, or both. there’s honestly no excuse to be a slob. 

[Blaiser]

If golfers ditched the cart, most would be surprised how quickly the gut disappears.

[Hawkeye77]

Not to your age yet, but all it took for me was a bout with COVID last spring and lost most of the weight I'd added and been carrying around for the better part of the last 25 years.  Last two days I'm under 200 two days in a row!  So lost 22+ and now a couple more and goal is 188, we'll see if that's workable.  Nothing sags, lol, I'm kind of lanky but was less so!

 

I don't recommend getting extremely ill to lose weight!  But I was determined to keep it off, enjoyed wearing 34 waist pants again and smaller shirts, and have kept if off and then a little bit more for six months.  Winter will tell the tale around here.

 

Cut out anything liquid with high fructose corn syrup or remotely sugary, eat smaller portions - haven't been a fast food person for a long time so that's no issue, eat less bread, fewer fat filled snacks, especially in the evenings an hour or two after dinner in the winter time while watching basketball or just in general, actual fruit for breakfast (on weekends, haha, when my wife tosses it in front of me).  On the other hand, I drink 2% milk, eat red meat and bacon, cook with olive oil or grapeseed oil and eat and cook with real butter, and have an unnatural attraction to sour cream and cheese, so meat and dairy are in moderation vs. before. My cholesterol has always been a complete nonissue. Walk more and more often.  

 

Pretty basic stuff, just sometimes takes inspiration or having the heck scared out of you!

Edited September 26, 2021 by Hawkeye77

[PNWGuy]

It's not just golfers.

[aenemated]

I’m here for a good time, not a long time. 

[2bGood]

1 hour ago, Blaiser said:

If golfers ditched the cart, most would be surprised how quickly the gut disappears.

I play at course where just about everyone walks and there are PLENTY of guts. 

 

I am sure there are guys that can run the numbers, but on my calorie counting app the difference between walking and carting is like 300 calories or about 1.5 pints.

 

It is pretty tough to exercise your way thin if you have a high calorie diet. 

 

 

[cwilk]

Like @2bGood said, you can’t outwork a bad diet. And most old school pro golfers don’t live the “athlete” lifestyle like some of the younger guys. It’s an issue in the US and responsible for more deaths than any “pandemic”. It may be THE pandemic. I guess it’s not fun to eat meat and vegetables (with water to drink) for most meals. 

[Medson]

I put on 20 lb in early 30s because of getting married and wife cooks well. 
 

I shred pretty much all 20 lbs after being more disciplined with my diet and exercise more. 
 

So it’s all about having a healthy habit. 

[GG194]

Not impossible to lose as you get older but maybe not easy. In the last couple of years I've lost 40 pounds and kept it off for a year. Now 75 and feel good as a rule. For me it's been easier to just not eat since my wife says I am a picky eater, doing a variation of intermittent fasting. Do a 16/8 eating schedule where I do pretty much all my eating in an eight hour window. I think it may be just as important when you eat as what you eat. I still do pizza and spaghetti so could do better with better eating habits. Gone from a 40-34 waist and think I might have picked up a little distance with the driver maybe due to being a little more flexible. There's a lot of information on the internet, plus I'm no longer considered a diabetic and take no meds, just a vitamin D3. Can be done. 

[rwc356]

Age 69 and I've lost 40 pounds over past year. Increased exercise, walking my rounds whenever possible and tracking my food intake - making better choices. My weight is back to age 40 and now I'm working to get back to age 30 (10 more pounds). It's doable, not necessarily fun but I do feel much better on the course!

[John76]

12 hours ago, Blaiser said:

If golfers ditched the cart, most would be surprised how quickly the gut disappears.

I played a round with a guy earlier this year who bought a pushcart last year when Covid started because walking was the only way to play.  He kept it up the whole year and said he lost 50 lbs.  

[BigEx44]

Intermittent Fasing!

 

I’m 63 yrs old and I’ve lost 30 lbs since Jan (209 lbs to 179 lbs).  I now weigh less than I did in college (although the weight is distributed much differently!)

 

I use the 5/2 plan.  Eat as I normally do for 5 days a week with no restrictions.  For the other 2 days I eat 600 calories or less.  Easy Peasy.  Fits my personality as I can do anything for a day.

Edited September 26, 2021 by BigEx44

[Redpro]

Eliminate white sugar products, high fructose corn syrup, white flour products. No soda of any kind. Eat fruits and vegetables, chicken (broiled), fish and lean meat. Water, tea and black coffee (no designer latte's etc. )

 

Eliminate the drive through food dispensaries. 

 

Maybe walk a mile a day. But do something, get some 5 pound weights and do a little lifting. Nothing crazy is needed (unless you want to). 

 

Then, mentally prepare yourself for your body to scream in withdrawal as its chemistry changes. It will affect your brain like a drug addict's withdrawing experiences; sweating, twitching and nervousness. It might last a week depending on how long you've been drugged by the SAD diet (standard Anerican diet). 

[golfarb1]

Overall Metabolic rate is stable from  age 20-60 and declines 3/10 of 1 % /yearly after 60. 
Men lose about 3% of muscle mass each decade past age 30 with this loss accelerating past age 60.

Because muscle requires  more energy than fat , this muscle loss past age 30 means that one will gain weight , ceteris  paribus . 

Past age 60 we are faced with a double whammy of accelerating muscle loss and a lower metabolic rate. 
 

The solution to the seemingly inevitable paunch is simple but requires discipline , which is difficult for many . 

Discipline to reject the American diet of high carbs, high white flour , high sugar and high amounts of red meat and increase the amount of vegetables in your diet. And watch out for the “white stripe fat “that is present in most chicken breasts . 
And Discipline to not only increase your aerobic activity , but to also perform resistance training to increase muscle mass. 

Edited September 26, 2021 by golfarb1

[vman]

As you age all you need is a clean diet, keep off the processed food and you can eat anything that grows above or below the ground and anything that used to have a face. Regular speed walking, some bodyweight and resistance band exercises are all you need.

[tomba51]

It's not your age that's slowing your metabolism, new research says. Here's what to do. https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/24/health/how-to-boost-metabolism-wellness/index.html

[CasualLie]

On 9/25/2021 at 7:03 PM, 2bGood said:

I play at course where just about everyone walks and there are PLENTY of guts. 

 

I am sure there are guys that can run the numbers, but on my calorie counting app the difference between walking and carting is like 300 calories or about 1.5 pints.

 

It is pretty tough to exercise your way thin if you have a high calorie diet. 

 

 

Might want to recheck that app.  You burn a lot more calories lugging a bag for 18 vs the cart.

 

But your other point is spot on; can't out work a bad diet.

[llewol007]

As you age it does become harder to stay active. Along with that, your metabolism slows as well so you have an athlete who at a younger age would go for a morning jog before he heads out to the golf course to meet with his swing coach then, he heads over to the gym to work on his strength and conditioning. Even the normal individual faces the same issues. When you are younger, you have energy for days. As you age, the same motivation to get up and go for a walk or a run becomes replaced with taking a day off and pushing till the next day. Things like that are going to happen. Well guess what is thrown on top of that. Covid!! So now we have lock downs, social distancing and really telling us to shelter in place as much as possible. So what do we do at home? We can only motivate ourselves to get on our treadmills or work out before we say the same thing and push it till the next day. I myself have gained so unwanted weight. Now Im working on getting the weight off and staying on some consistent work out regimen. It does become harder as we age. But we all have to decide on whether or not we will do it. That in itself becomes a challenge. 

[milesgiles]

On 9/25/2021 at 7:53 PM, playit said:

I don't know if it is inevitable, I am hoping for discussion! Not until the covid era did I add on enough belly weight that I sport the proverbial paunch. It also coincided with age 66 and 67, so, who knows what caused it. And, yes, I have gained weight continuously since high school. Perhaps it's simply more of the same progression! But I watched some of a senior tour event and thought, "My gosh, they're all fat!" Not all, but most. Of course, this is also what has happened to the USA as a whole, overweight has skyrocketed over the past 30-40 years. (I think it's crappy diet related... cheap carbs is my guess.)

 

But these tour players are not your average American, they're still athletes and more active than most. So, the question is, do you think that for men, sporting such a paunch is inevitable with age? Must it be so? Do you think it is simply due to the sagging of skin and muscles and plain old gravity doing its thing?

 

Also, can it be cured? I would like to lose this extra weight and wonder how reasonable it it to think that a 67, almost 68 year old man could become trim again. Methinks it would require an intense training program to do so. Which I am willing to do.

 

As for that broadcast, I saw John Cook and thought, "Hmmm... his paunch looks kinda like mine."

 

Hope you will chime in!

 

if you dont care.. and the overwhelming western majority don't.. then yes a paunch is inevitable..

 

At the end of the day, youre as fat as you want to be. 

[Ghost of Snead]

On 9/25/2021 at 2:53 PM, playit said:

I don't know if it is inevitable, I am hoping for discussion! Not until the covid era did I add on enough belly weight that I sport the proverbial paunch. It also coincided with age 66 and 67, so, who knows what caused it. And, yes, I have gained weight continuously since high school. Perhaps it's simply more of the same progression! But I watched some of a senior tour event and thought, "My gosh, they're all fat!" Not all, but most. Of course, this is also what has happened to the USA as a whole, overweight has skyrocketed over the past 30-40 years. (I think it's crappy diet related... cheap carbs is my guess.)

 

But these tour players are not your average American, they're still athletes and more active than most. So, the question is, do you think that for men, sporting such a paunch is inevitable with age? Must it be so? Do you think it is simply due to the sagging of skin and muscles and plain old gravity doing its thing?

 

Also, can it be cured? I would like to lose this extra weight and wonder how reasonable it it to think that a 67, almost 68 year old man could become trim again. Methinks it would require an intense training program to do so. Which I am willing to do.

 

As for that broadcast, I saw John Cook and thought, "Hmmm... his paunch looks kinda like mine."

 

Hope you will chime in!

 

Pretty simple formula to lose weight - calories out > calories in. If you don't change your diet and cut calories, it might not matter how intense your workout program is ... 

[golfarb1]

4 hours ago, milesgiles said:

 

if you dont care.. and the overwhelming western majority don't.. then yes a paunch is inevitable..

 

At the end of the day, youre as fat as you want to be. 

My exercise routine is more  vigorous than 99% of people my age. . Even so I recognize the fact that it is damn difficult for many people to really push themselves , given the inevitable aches and pains that almost everybody  develops as they age. And for some people with serious issues like rotator cuff tears , arthritis , back issues etc. , it is close to impossible to perform even a simple exercise routine . Add in the effects of multiple drugs that many people take  , I refuse to criticize people who do not push themselves , because I do not walk in their shoes . 

[ShowMe]

Generally speaking, diet has a bigger effect on weight than does exercise (which is not to say that you shouldn't exercise).  Eat all the protein and fat that you want, but stay away from sugar (and simple carbohydrates).  Your body can only process so much sugar at a time, and the rest ends up getting converted to fat and stored.  Even something like yogurt has a huge amount of sugar.  So does milk.

[milesgiles]

3 hours ago, golfarb1 said:

My exercise routine is more  vigorous than 99% of people my age. . Even so I recognize the fact that it is damn difficult for many people to really push themselves , given the inevitable aches and pains that almost everybody  develops as they age. And for some people with serious issues like rotator cuff tears , arthritis , back issues etc. , it is close to impossible to perform even a simple exercise routine . Add in the effects of multiple drugs that many people take  , I refuse to criticize people who do not push themselves , because I do not walk in their shoes . 

 

 

Im 47.. yes its easier to put on weight now, so I have to diet much harder than I ever did. All the typical health issues you mention are compounded by being overweight.

 

If it matters to you enough, you'll do something about it. Non western countries show there is nothing inevitable about getting fatter as you get older (so did the West up until the last couple of decades)

[justasgood]

As you age, your body collects weight(Fatty tissue) in the abdomen and chest as a way to insulate and protect vital organs. I am 59, Play weekly outdoor sand volleyball(competitive league) and competitive full court basketball(also weekly) as well as walking(I carry full set) 9 holes every morning (M-F) and walk full 18 F, S & Su. I weigh 182 (5'9") and I use a push mower to cut my grass. All the weight I carry is in my Stomach/chest.

 

Drinking Beer is why I carry more than I should and I have cutout the beer and got down to 172. But at this point, I enjoy a few cold beers after all of my activities and don't go to the gym so a Paunch it is......

[johnrobison]

It's convenient and easy to make aging the scapegoat but the truth is that most people simply have poor nutrition. Sure, as we age it's harder to stay active and retain muscle but that just means that we have to make a choice whether to submit or step up to those challenges. And then we have to tailor our nutrition to match our activity level. When we were young, constantly active, and muscle mass came easy, we didn't have to consider nutrition as much but as those things wane, nutritional considerations become the more important factor. Most people I see don't do that - they eat with relative disregard and add a pound or two (or more!) of body fat each year. That excess each year adds up and becomes harder and harder to shed. They blame aging but, in fact, the bigger culprit is the choices that they made over time.

 

Regarding nutrition... The evidence is pretty clear now that caloric quality is far more important than caloric quantity. Even as recently as a decade ago most of us were still subscribing to the "calories in - calories out" formula. Now we know that all calories aren't equal - far from it, in fact. Remove all high-glycemic calories from your diet and you'll discover a couple of things: First, good nutrition is satiating so you won't feel the urge to over eat; Second, good calories are metabolized well so you won't have to be in such huge deficits to lose weight and won't have to be so cognizant of quantity to maintain it.

[sirbigspur]

Lift weights. Most important thing you can do as a man. Simple as that. If it scares or you just hate doing it, don’t worry you can start small. Trust me you will grow to love it and you’ll eventually need it to maintain sleep and energy levels, and at that point you’ve made it a habit, probably the best habit you can have. Strength training in both women and men has been clinically proven to reduce myriad health issues commonly thought to just advance with age. Of course diet is equally, maybe more important. Lots of sugar and processed foods in the modern diet. Eliminating/minimizing those and replacing with fruits and veggies and quality protein will go a long way. Godspeed!

[Redpro]

20 minutes ago, sirbigspur said:

Lift weights. Most important thing you can do as a man. Simple as that. If it scares or you just hate doing it, don’t worry you can start small. Trust me you will grow to love it and you’ll eventually need it to maintain sleep and energy levels, and at that point you’ve made it a habit, probably the best habit you can have. Strength training in both women and men has been clinically proven to reduce myriad health issues commonly thought to just advance with age. Of course diet is equally, maybe more important. Lots of sugar and processed foods in the modern diet. Eliminating/minimizing those and replacing with fruits and veggies and quality protein will go a long way. Godspeed!

Totally right. I have a tendency to start with weights, then something "gets in the way"; daily schedules, etc. But when I am consistent, the sleep and energy levels are where I want them to be. Thanks SirBig!

[bortass]

On 9/25/2021 at 8:12 PM, Hawkeye77 said:

Not to your age yet, but all it took for me was a bout with COVID last spring and lost most of the weight I'd added and been carrying around for the better part of the last 25 years.  Last two days I'm under 200 two days in a row!  So lost 22+ and now a couple more and goal is 188, we'll see if that's workable.  Nothing sags, lol, I'm kind of lanky but was less so!

 

I don't recommend getting extremely ill to lose weight!  But I was determined to keep it off, enjoyed wearing 34 waist pants again and smaller shirts, and have kept if off and then a little bit more for six months.  Winter will tell the tale around here.

 

Cut out anything liquid with high fructose corn syrup or remotely sugary, eat smaller portions - haven't been a fast food person for a long time so that's no issue, eat less bread, fewer fat filled snacks, especially in the evenings an hour or two after dinner in the winter time while watching basketball or just in general, actual fruit for breakfast (on weekends, haha, when my wife tosses it in front of me).  On the other hand, I drink 2% milk, eat red meat and bacon, cook with olive oil or grapeseed oil and eat and cook with real butter, and have an unnatural attraction to sour cream and cheese, so meat and dairy are in moderation vs. before. My cholesterol has always been a complete nonissue. Walk more and more often.  

 

Pretty basic stuff, just sometimes takes inspiration or having the heck scared out of you!

Glad to read you didn't have any other issues from COVID.

 

Something I heard many years ago, probably from Tony Horton in P90X, was something along the lines of 'you can't work out of a bad diet'. You need to clean up what you eat if you're overweight. Working out will help, especially lifting since it'll increase your basal metabolic rate aka how many calories you burn while doing nothing. How 'clean' you need to eat will depend on your goals. What I eat has the biggest impact on my weight but the best shape I was ever in was a combination of cleaning up the food and doing P90X

 

I don't think a paunch is a given as we age but I'm a lifelong overweight guy, so can't speak from experience. I hope I'm not wrong since I'm in my early 50s and in the middle of dropping some weight because I got fed up with myself finally. Just cracked the 30lb mark with another 25 - 50 to go. I need to see how I feel when I hit the 220s. I can finally fit back into 36 waist pants again, lol. Hoping I can get back into my 34s, if I still own any, again someday. No luck yet on smaller shirts since I prefer them to be loose.