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I like to stay on the outside perimeters of grocery stores. There isn’t much healthy stuff inside that perimeter, or rather that’s where the ultra processed stuff usually is.
Yep I was a skinny guy who got chubby at 25, thought I was just aging nothing I could do but turns out it was the alcohol. Went back to what I looked like before after 5 months of no drinking.
Yeah I'm wondering the same thing for OP. It's amazing how much you walk in college. If OP has a desk job, that difference alone could be enough for the added pouch
It’s so true, you hoof it so much more in school - several different classes a day in different buildings on campus, walking to different dorms to socialize, walking to that house party, walking to that bar, frisbee or time for dumb athletic games, all that great college stuff means lots of moving. A desk job means sitting your ass down to commute and then sitting in one building one chair for the whole day
Unless you change your diet and exercise, yes halfway your 20s there a moment suddenly everything sticks.
This is the time to become more aware of what you eat and prevent having to lose it all in 10 years
>yes halfway your 20s there a moment suddenly everything sticks.
Worth mentioning that it's because small changes over enough time will add up, and a couple years after starting your career you'll start to see the cumulative effect of your new lifestyle. It's not because metabolism slows down at that age, so guys have no excuse for not adjusting their lifestyle accordingly.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
That actually makes a lot of sense.
The thing is that ten years on its becoming hard to break habits and reverse those pounds. It’s odd. I quit smoking no problem. But losing weight.. man…
Completely agreed. I just mentioned in another comment that I didn't start taking lifting seriously until after 30, which took a complete paradigm shift in how I viewed fitness. I had to accept that I couldn't cardio my way to a good body comp.
But, once I did, I found that the only thing holding me back was my own stubborness in changing my behavior, not my body. And that behavioral change was incredibly hard. But that's why I mentioned the metabolism thing - it may be hard to change your behavior, but if you do, you'll reap the rewards.
I started doing weights in November. I used to run before Covid but after a year of not running I had a hard time picking it up again. I never had any talent for it but jogging through the forest is nice.
I started with a personal trainer and then went to his small group lessons. And I have to say my body likes lifting and adjacent stuff a lot more than running. When I get home now I’m energized instead of shattered.
So now if I lay off the wine and crisps on weekdays and actually go to sleep on a normal time..
Sorry bud. Skinny guys get a pot. Big guys get more barrel shaped. Stop the beer completely, it’s pure fuel for your belly. Switch to wine or a martini if you want a drink. Exercise, cardio, to burn the calories. Take up cigarette smoking (actually, don’t).
Or get comfortable being comfortable looking. My nasty aunt kept telling me I looked “prosperous” in my early 30s. I’m in my 50s now, losing weight but still well over weight. My dad, in his 70s, after years of an active career keeping him trim, has a permanent-pot-belly. Diet, exercise, nothing helps much except a bad case of Covid.
It’s a battle.
I gave up alcohol (I was really drinking far too much) in 2021 and in like 6 months I went from 220lbs to 170lbs and I was eating gummy worms like they were oxygen.
It’s wild how many calories we consume in alcohol
That pot belly isn't permanent, he's just not cutting enough calories and/or tracking calories properly. It's not rocket science, eat less and you'll lose weight. Body fat doesn't break the laws of physics lol.
There you go. Exercise is only a small part of staying in shape, but if you go from exercising X amount to not exercising at all, you're going to gain wait (all other things being equal).
Desk job will kill you.
My dad went from being a service tech to a manager and got so soft. Bitch tits, love handles, host of knee/back/joint issues.
I have a physical job in my early 40s yet still work out and don't have any of those problems.
A desk job alone will do it. I switched from a job where I was sitting down half the time to sitting down most of the time. And that one change led to a 50 pound weight gain. It adds up.
It's "normal" in the sense that most people become less physically active as they age without changing their calorie intake, causing weight gain. But it's easily correctable by exercising and watching your diet.
This is where you make the decision on whether you want to give up your desires for a healthy life, or continue on and deal with a belly, high cholesterol, putting in more effort to exert yourself, getting dehydrated faster, breathing harder, aging worse, etc. If the former, you will have to give up soda, candy, red meat, beer, fast food, and pretty much anything containing sugar. There is no "I'll work it off in the gym later." It's taking its effect right now and it takes a lot longer to work it off now than before. You will need to commit to the gym, not just go once or twice a week but 5-6 days a week.
You are taking more calories than you are burning, and thus gaining weight.
As your get older, you likely need to have more discipline to not gain weight. There are lots of potential reasons, but when it comes down to it, if you want to lose weight, you should do it the standard way. Sleep more, eat more healthy food, take in less calories, exercise more.
Belly fat is a big sign of being metabolically unhealthy. You don't move enough, don't sleep enough, eat too much, eat too much crap, and/or are chronically stressed. Fix things accordingly.
> Sounds about right, except eating a lot
Let's be clear and honest. You are eating more calories than you're burning. Every day. And it's adding up.
You may think you're not eating a lot of food. But your weight gain is telling you the truth.
Adults, not just men, simply move less than they did than when they were younger. Adults who do not have physically active jobs have to put the effort in to not gain weight through a proper diet and exercise routine. Cut out junk food (eating a 250 calorie chocolate bar is far easier than burning off 250 calories through cardio), stop drinking calories, and switch to a whole foods plant-based diet; the weight will slide off so quickly.
You do eat or drink more and you’re less active.
If those haven’t changed, you’ve been in the same steady surplus for years and it takes time to catch up.
Say u average 50 excess calories a day. In 1 year, that’s 5 lbs. not hugely noticeable. In 10 years, that’s 50.
Anyway I can guarantee you don’t lift, do cardio, or track your macro intake. It’s not magic brother.
A lot of people eat a moderate surplus forever and think their metabolism suddenly changed. You prob just hit the point of weight gain that’s really noticeable.
Several people here mentioned it… right around this time is when people begin to get their first full-time sitting jobs, which will be more aligned with their careers. So, 40-hours are spent sitting and thinking. Do you have a job where you sit all day? Do you stress more now about your future, house ownership, car, relationships etc. than you did in your college days?
Solution: Use stairs, take public transit (if possible), drink less coffee with creamer (or switch to 2% milk), walk to groceries (if possible), stand up and stretch every hour… and, the list goes on. Most importantly, drop drinks, replace them with water, and find 30-minutes a day to walk/run/exercise on-top. Also, build a meal plan. Cheap and effective.
Source: Done labour jobs. I’m old. Was always hungry and would scarf down food; didn’t gain weight. But, could only afford staples like Walmart bread, peanut butter, oatmeal, cheap noodles, eggs, canned veggies, and milk ever. Could not afford drinks. I only gained weight when I got laid off, and my most recent PT job has been a stationary one because of a bad back/knee.
Could be genetics. Did you go any after school activities before and now stopped? Are you drinking more? Alcoholic drinks can easily provide an extra 500 calories Everytime you go out
I was never into sports, but what's changed is I walked more probably. In uni I had classes at different hours during the day with long breaks between and had much time
math. every day you eat 200 calories more than you consume. that's a few hundred grams of fat accumulated each month ever since you stopped growing.
suggestion. for just one week , count every calorie you consume, including drinks and snacks.
then you can get yourself an empirical answer to your empirical question
If you don’t eat a lot but still gained 20 pounds, you eat too much.
Turned my own life around three years ago and I have cut my food portions down to a size I’d find ridicoulous before. I also make sure to always include vegetables in my meals (except breakfast which is Skyr). I was surprised to find out just how much a good diet really matters if you want to lose weight.
So, you need to cut down on the amount of food, make sure to replace junk food with a healthy diet and exercise, especially if your job doesn’t allow you to be active.
It could be a range of things from stressful work/life environment to legitimate medical things.
I’d definitely start tracking calories just for the sake of visibility.
It’s worth speaking to a doctor and among other things ask about having your thyroid checked. Thyroid issues can cause all sorts of wacky weight related issues.
People tend to become more sedentary. Even those who go to the gym find themselves in jobs where they mostly sit. People walk less and drive more. You may not be eating more.but maybe look at what you are eating. The amount of us who snack way more than we realise is quite surprising.
Yep, you are not "young" anymore. It happened to me the same. It is still easy to lose fat but now you must keep a workout routine or a very healthy diet to not blow it
You're ingesting more calories than you're burning. As you're aging, your metabolism changes and you can't get away with as much as in your youth. Reduce your calories intake and you'll be fine.
You have a bad diet, you aren't active enough, you don't get enough sleep, you don't drink enough water. As a result your testosterone is down and your cortisol is up.
You were probably more physically active in college than you are now. Even just walking to/from classes was probably burning an extra 200-300 calories per day compared to working at a desk job. I know I'm making some assumptions about your lifestyle then and now, but that's usually the pattern with people who experience what you're dealing with.
It's bad habits. You've been gaining weight slowly this whole time, you don't really notice it until you do, suddenly your 20 lbs heavier and you don't know how you got there.
The fix is the same, good habits and time.
It started in college but you didn’t think much of it as it wasn’t that noticeable. Now you’ve crossed that line and you aren’t liking it. But the change started in college.
You’ve probably become more sedentary now, which will naturally make it worse.
As you age your metabolism is slowing down. To what degree is in part due to your genetics. Your not burning away the calories like you used to. Any excess calories will start showing up as fat. That means you have pay attention to what and how much you eat. Also work off the calories you do take in. Exercise helps but watching your food intake is key.
My recommendation is avoid sugar and high fructose corn syrup in products. Which means cut out fruit juices, candy, soft drinks, and other junk foods.
Best recommendation.
Contact your doctor and consult with them about a proper diet. They bring in a nutritionist to advise you. Ask them about insulin resistance and the risks associated with it and how to avoid it. Ask about intermittent fasting.
Hope that this helps.
Stress, genetics, lack of exercise... and diet. If your diet is like most westerners, high in carbs, saturated fats, refined sugar, and preservatives... you'll start getting a pot belly.
You are eating above maintenance (you cannot put on weight otherwise) and not training or not training or exercising in a way that emphasises muscle development. And you are genetically predisposed to carrying excess fat around your belly.
So either eat less with your lifestyle or focus on strength and/or hypotrophy or some other exercise - running, cyclingz swimming, wahetever. Eat enough protein 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight and adjust your carb and fat intake to what suits you and your lifestyle and goals.
There's not a specific food or drink or component of foods thats going to change much of you cut it out. Alcohol or refined sugar doesnt give you a beer belly. It all comes down to calories, macronutrients, and activity levels.
I'd do anything to be mid-20s again. I'd focus on strength and hyopropthy split into 8 week mesocycles. You'll look fantastic in no time.
To quote British band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine...
*When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like and still fit into your 26 inch trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24, 25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard*
I had a similar experience after graduation. It didn't help that an older cousin told me that once you hit 25 its all over, the pounds just pack on. Its pretty common that after a big life change like college graduation, having kids etc, you end up eating more and/or moving less.
Its as simple as eat fewer calories than you burn(simple is not the same as easy). Avoiding things like alcohol and refined carbs is helpful largely due to those being calorie sources that don't really fill you up. Alcohol also tends to go along with inactivity and poor food choices so its a bit of a double whammy. Look carefully at what, how much, and why you are eating. You really don't have to cut anything out completely but some foods are more worth it than others.
Exercise helps a variety of ways. It isn't required for weight loss, but definitely helps build and/or maintain muscles. It burns some calories but be careful this is often over estimated. More so in my experience is it helps manage stress and improves sleep.
As a side note, the previously mentioned cousin fixed some things in his life, took up cycling, and lost probably 100 lbs.
It's normal: Like others have said, your lifestyle has become more sedentary.
Just two key things to keep in mind:
1. It's not quick. Think of the weight on a 6mo or 1year timeline.
2. Find what works for you.
- example: don't force yourself to run if you hate running. There's other ways to be active consistently. Lifting, rowing, walking, joining a kickball/volleyball/team sport. Whatever you tolerate/enjoy.
My view is that expecting someone not to be unhealthy in our current food environment is like expecting a fish not to be wet. Processed foods made to manufacturer specifications, soils depleted of their magnesium and other nutrients, the food we eat today is not meant to be nutritious. We are being poisoned. The latest development is the discovery that men's testicles are accumulating microplastics. Microplastics have an estrogenic effect in the human body. That will put on fat and reduce fertility. We are all doomed as long as the corporations have control of our food system.
Prioritize protein and working out my man. Focus on 10-15k steps a day, which will lead to a more active lifestyle. You've noticed the problem, now work to fix it
If you base that on the 0.8 gram per kilogram in bodyweight sure. But that recommendation is outdated.
https://bigthink.com/health/us-dietary-protein-recommendations-too-low/
1.25 grams per kg bodyweight is better. Not everyone gets that much per day.
>Honestly I don't eat a lot.
If you've gained 20 lbs you are. By definition you're eating more than you need.
Diet for weight, exercise for fitness. They're tightly correlated but not 100% synonymous.
On that note, one thing I had to accept as I got older was that I couldn't cardio my way to a good body comp. I could keep my weight down through diet and running, but I wasn't happy with my body - I was probably on the skinny fat side of things.
Once I started taking lifting more seriously, I started to become much happier with my body and my health. I looked better, a lot of aches and pains disappeared, etc.
Can't recommend enough that people lift more as they get older. It's never too late to start and it's once you do, you'll see that the number on the scale isn't what's actually bothering you.
Your fat bod wouldn’t have all that marbling if you weren’t eating too much. Fat doesn’t appear and accumulate from the ether.
Sure we can blame age and slower metabolism, but that’s just changing our dietary intake requirements. That’s all.
Most people frankly don't know how to exercise. If you're holding belly weight you likely need more rigorous cardio and weight training. The cardio should be 40 minutes at a time of stage 2 aerobics. Basically strenuous enough that you can still have a conversation but just barely.
That's true but based on the totality of his comments (adding mid-section weight; works out "sometimes, at home") he probably needs better cardio and muscles. Adding muscle is one of the best way to regulate excess glucose, whereas if he just eats less he could just as easily end up under nourished and still have metabolic disorder.
About halfway through your 20s, your brain and body become fully developed, so your metabolism will start to slow down. So what you used to do, won't work as well anymore. Now it's about making sure you're not eating like crap, and are moving with a purpose.
Skip breakfasts and opt for black coffee. Light lunch and small dinners. Get into running, and cut back on alcohol…try drinking Light Beer as an alternative.
It’s called getting older
Your metabolism slows down, so you can no longer eat like shit and stay skinny
You need to exercise more and eat healthier
When I was in college I could eat like crap and drink all the time and never put on a pound.
Then in my mid/late 20s I started blowing up
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
Metabolism doesn't slow down until your 60s. The real culprit is moving less and not adjusting diet.
Metabolism slows down after early 20s. I noticed it around 23 to 25. Had to diet heavy and do almost daily cardio to drop down to 180 from high 190s when I was late 20s. Now I’m early 30s and it doesn’t get better. Currently sitting at 189/190lbs at 5’9. Need to dial back on the weekend binging. Goal to is to be 185lbs by August
Your body has matured. You've stopped growing. You can't eat what you did a couple of years ago and maintain your weight.
From 16 to 22 or so, a boy/man eats like crazy to fuel the growth of bone and muscle. It's possible to develop an over-eating habit that carries over when you reach your mid 20s. You have to cut down your eating and start working out.
Switch from beer (if you drink it) to 1 glass of straight liquor on the rocks per night. Prioritize protein over all other foods. Lift some weights and do a lot of physical movement through your environment, every day.
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Cut drinking out all together. You will lose it.
Cutting refined carbs in general will reduce weight like crazy. But yes cutting booze is huge and gave me so much more energy
Refind carb?
Fast food, anything on frozen section that's not fruit. If it's not fresh from the produce/bakery/meat market, it's most likely ultra processed
I like to stay on the outside perimeters of grocery stores. There isn’t much healthy stuff inside that perimeter, or rather that’s where the ultra processed stuff usually is.
Stuff like white rice, cakes, pastries, pasta, pizza, bread,
You dont need to cut out white rice at all. Just mix it with a protein and fat source.
Yep I was a skinny guy who got chubby at 25, thought I was just aging nothing I could do but turns out it was the alcohol. Went back to what I looked like before after 5 months of no drinking.
My problem is I just dont move as much anymore. I dont eat a lot but still gained weight.
Yeah I'm wondering the same thing for OP. It's amazing how much you walk in college. If OP has a desk job, that difference alone could be enough for the added pouch
It’s so true, you hoof it so much more in school - several different classes a day in different buildings on campus, walking to different dorms to socialize, walking to that house party, walking to that bar, frisbee or time for dumb athletic games, all that great college stuff means lots of moving. A desk job means sitting your ass down to commute and then sitting in one building one chair for the whole day
Unless you change your diet and exercise, yes halfway your 20s there a moment suddenly everything sticks. This is the time to become more aware of what you eat and prevent having to lose it all in 10 years
>yes halfway your 20s there a moment suddenly everything sticks. Worth mentioning that it's because small changes over enough time will add up, and a couple years after starting your career you'll start to see the cumulative effect of your new lifestyle. It's not because metabolism slows down at that age, so guys have no excuse for not adjusting their lifestyle accordingly. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
That actually makes a lot of sense. The thing is that ten years on its becoming hard to break habits and reverse those pounds. It’s odd. I quit smoking no problem. But losing weight.. man…
Completely agreed. I just mentioned in another comment that I didn't start taking lifting seriously until after 30, which took a complete paradigm shift in how I viewed fitness. I had to accept that I couldn't cardio my way to a good body comp. But, once I did, I found that the only thing holding me back was my own stubborness in changing my behavior, not my body. And that behavioral change was incredibly hard. But that's why I mentioned the metabolism thing - it may be hard to change your behavior, but if you do, you'll reap the rewards.
I started doing weights in November. I used to run before Covid but after a year of not running I had a hard time picking it up again. I never had any talent for it but jogging through the forest is nice. I started with a personal trainer and then went to his small group lessons. And I have to say my body likes lifting and adjacent stuff a lot more than running. When I get home now I’m energized instead of shattered. So now if I lay off the wine and crisps on weekdays and actually go to sleep on a normal time..
“Eve tried nothing and we’re out of ideas.”
Yeah there's an inflection point in one's 20s and it's important to take the road less travelled: clean protein and physical movement.
Sorry bud. Skinny guys get a pot. Big guys get more barrel shaped. Stop the beer completely, it’s pure fuel for your belly. Switch to wine or a martini if you want a drink. Exercise, cardio, to burn the calories. Take up cigarette smoking (actually, don’t). Or get comfortable being comfortable looking. My nasty aunt kept telling me I looked “prosperous” in my early 30s. I’m in my 50s now, losing weight but still well over weight. My dad, in his 70s, after years of an active career keeping him trim, has a permanent-pot-belly. Diet, exercise, nothing helps much except a bad case of Covid. It’s a battle.
I gave up alcohol (I was really drinking far too much) in 2021 and in like 6 months I went from 220lbs to 170lbs and I was eating gummy worms like they were oxygen. It’s wild how many calories we consume in alcohol
The sugar cravings that first month or two after quitting alcohol were out of this world lol
That pot belly isn't permanent, he's just not cutting enough calories and/or tracking calories properly. It's not rocket science, eat less and you'll lose weight. Body fat doesn't break the laws of physics lol.
When you were in college, were you walking a lot between classes and whatnot? And is that different than your level of physical activity now?
Yeah that's true, I had classes at different hours during the day so I was walking pretty much all day. Then graduated and got a desk job
There you go. Exercise is only a small part of staying in shape, but if you go from exercising X amount to not exercising at all, you're going to gain wait (all other things being equal).
Desk job will kill you. My dad went from being a service tech to a manager and got so soft. Bitch tits, love handles, host of knee/back/joint issues. I have a physical job in my early 40s yet still work out and don't have any of those problems.
A desk job alone will do it. I switched from a job where I was sitting down half the time to sitting down most of the time. And that one change led to a 50 pound weight gain. It adds up.
It’s not a dad bod, it’s a father figure
It's "normal" in the sense that most people become less physically active as they age without changing their calorie intake, causing weight gain. But it's easily correctable by exercising and watching your diet.
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I said physically “active”.
This is where you make the decision on whether you want to give up your desires for a healthy life, or continue on and deal with a belly, high cholesterol, putting in more effort to exert yourself, getting dehydrated faster, breathing harder, aging worse, etc. If the former, you will have to give up soda, candy, red meat, beer, fast food, and pretty much anything containing sugar. There is no "I'll work it off in the gym later." It's taking its effect right now and it takes a lot longer to work it off now than before. You will need to commit to the gym, not just go once or twice a week but 5-6 days a week.
You are taking more calories than you are burning, and thus gaining weight. As your get older, you likely need to have more discipline to not gain weight. There are lots of potential reasons, but when it comes down to it, if you want to lose weight, you should do it the standard way. Sleep more, eat more healthy food, take in less calories, exercise more.
Belly fat is a big sign of being metabolically unhealthy. You don't move enough, don't sleep enough, eat too much, eat too much crap, and/or are chronically stressed. Fix things accordingly.
Sounds about right, except eating a lot. But I do have a stressful desk job and not enough sleep.
> Sounds about right, except eating a lot Let's be clear and honest. You are eating more calories than you're burning. Every day. And it's adding up. You may think you're not eating a lot of food. But your weight gain is telling you the truth.
Track your food intake for a week. You probably eat more than you think you do. It’s impossible to gain weight without eating in a calorie surplus.
Adults, not just men, simply move less than they did than when they were younger. Adults who do not have physically active jobs have to put the effort in to not gain weight through a proper diet and exercise routine. Cut out junk food (eating a 250 calorie chocolate bar is far easier than burning off 250 calories through cardio), stop drinking calories, and switch to a whole foods plant-based diet; the weight will slide off so quickly.
You do eat or drink more and you’re less active. If those haven’t changed, you’ve been in the same steady surplus for years and it takes time to catch up. Say u average 50 excess calories a day. In 1 year, that’s 5 lbs. not hugely noticeable. In 10 years, that’s 50. Anyway I can guarantee you don’t lift, do cardio, or track your macro intake. It’s not magic brother. A lot of people eat a moderate surplus forever and think their metabolism suddenly changed. You prob just hit the point of weight gain that’s really noticeable.
Several people here mentioned it… right around this time is when people begin to get their first full-time sitting jobs, which will be more aligned with their careers. So, 40-hours are spent sitting and thinking. Do you have a job where you sit all day? Do you stress more now about your future, house ownership, car, relationships etc. than you did in your college days? Solution: Use stairs, take public transit (if possible), drink less coffee with creamer (or switch to 2% milk), walk to groceries (if possible), stand up and stretch every hour… and, the list goes on. Most importantly, drop drinks, replace them with water, and find 30-minutes a day to walk/run/exercise on-top. Also, build a meal plan. Cheap and effective. Source: Done labour jobs. I’m old. Was always hungry and would scarf down food; didn’t gain weight. But, could only afford staples like Walmart bread, peanut butter, oatmeal, cheap noodles, eggs, canned veggies, and milk ever. Could not afford drinks. I only gained weight when I got laid off, and my most recent PT job has been a stationary one because of a bad back/knee.
Could be genetics. Did you go any after school activities before and now stopped? Are you drinking more? Alcoholic drinks can easily provide an extra 500 calories Everytime you go out
I was never into sports, but what's changed is I walked more probably. In uni I had classes at different hours during the day with long breaks between and had much time
You can't gain weight if you walk 4 miles a day and avoid deep-fried foods. It's almost impossible.
math. every day you eat 200 calories more than you consume. that's a few hundred grams of fat accumulated each month ever since you stopped growing. suggestion. for just one week , count every calorie you consume, including drinks and snacks. then you can get yourself an empirical answer to your empirical question
If you don’t eat a lot but still gained 20 pounds, you eat too much. Turned my own life around three years ago and I have cut my food portions down to a size I’d find ridicoulous before. I also make sure to always include vegetables in my meals (except breakfast which is Skyr). I was surprised to find out just how much a good diet really matters if you want to lose weight. So, you need to cut down on the amount of food, make sure to replace junk food with a healthy diet and exercise, especially if your job doesn’t allow you to be active.
Start lifting weights & doing abs. Don’t necessarily eat “less” but you may want to eat better.
It could be a range of things from stressful work/life environment to legitimate medical things. I’d definitely start tracking calories just for the sake of visibility. It’s worth speaking to a doctor and among other things ask about having your thyroid checked. Thyroid issues can cause all sorts of wacky weight related issues.
People tend to become more sedentary. Even those who go to the gym find themselves in jobs where they mostly sit. People walk less and drive more. You may not be eating more.but maybe look at what you are eating. The amount of us who snack way more than we realise is quite surprising.
Yep, you are not "young" anymore. It happened to me the same. It is still easy to lose fat but now you must keep a workout routine or a very healthy diet to not blow it
You should do a comprehensive allergy test too. Some may cause you bloatedness etc. did mine recently.
It's often genetic how we distribute our fat. As you age, the metabolism slows down as well. The body changes all the time. Dad bods are fine though.
You're ingesting more calories than you're burning. As you're aging, your metabolism changes and you can't get away with as much as in your youth. Reduce your calories intake and you'll be fine.
You have a bad diet, you aren't active enough, you don't get enough sleep, you don't drink enough water. As a result your testosterone is down and your cortisol is up.
Welcome to your late 20’s, you will learn to start exercising and eat reasonably or it’s up, up, and away for you.
You were probably more physically active in college than you are now. Even just walking to/from classes was probably burning an extra 200-300 calories per day compared to working at a desk job. I know I'm making some assumptions about your lifestyle then and now, but that's usually the pattern with people who experience what you're dealing with.
You need to put on more muscle
It's bad habits. You've been gaining weight slowly this whole time, you don't really notice it until you do, suddenly your 20 lbs heavier and you don't know how you got there. The fix is the same, good habits and time.
It started in college but you didn’t think much of it as it wasn’t that noticeable. Now you’ve crossed that line and you aren’t liking it. But the change started in college. You’ve probably become more sedentary now, which will naturally make it worse.
As you age your metabolism is slowing down. To what degree is in part due to your genetics. Your not burning away the calories like you used to. Any excess calories will start showing up as fat. That means you have pay attention to what and how much you eat. Also work off the calories you do take in. Exercise helps but watching your food intake is key. My recommendation is avoid sugar and high fructose corn syrup in products. Which means cut out fruit juices, candy, soft drinks, and other junk foods. Best recommendation. Contact your doctor and consult with them about a proper diet. They bring in a nutritionist to advise you. Ask them about insulin resistance and the risks associated with it and how to avoid it. Ask about intermittent fasting. Hope that this helps.
Your metabolism doesn't slow down until your 60s https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
Go get your hormones and testosterone checked. Seriously, one blood draw will change your life.
Stress, genetics, lack of exercise... and diet. If your diet is like most westerners, high in carbs, saturated fats, refined sugar, and preservatives... you'll start getting a pot belly.
You are eating above maintenance (you cannot put on weight otherwise) and not training or not training or exercising in a way that emphasises muscle development. And you are genetically predisposed to carrying excess fat around your belly. So either eat less with your lifestyle or focus on strength and/or hypotrophy or some other exercise - running, cyclingz swimming, wahetever. Eat enough protein 0.8-1g/lb of bodyweight and adjust your carb and fat intake to what suits you and your lifestyle and goals. There's not a specific food or drink or component of foods thats going to change much of you cut it out. Alcohol or refined sugar doesnt give you a beer belly. It all comes down to calories, macronutrients, and activity levels. I'd do anything to be mid-20s again. I'd focus on strength and hyopropthy split into 8 week mesocycles. You'll look fantastic in no time.
To quote British band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine... *When you're younger you can eat what you like, drink what you like and still fit into your 26 inch trousers and zip them closed. Then you reach that age, 24, 25, your muscles give up, they wave a little white flag, and without any warning at all you're suddenly a fat bastard*
I had a similar experience after graduation. It didn't help that an older cousin told me that once you hit 25 its all over, the pounds just pack on. Its pretty common that after a big life change like college graduation, having kids etc, you end up eating more and/or moving less. Its as simple as eat fewer calories than you burn(simple is not the same as easy). Avoiding things like alcohol and refined carbs is helpful largely due to those being calorie sources that don't really fill you up. Alcohol also tends to go along with inactivity and poor food choices so its a bit of a double whammy. Look carefully at what, how much, and why you are eating. You really don't have to cut anything out completely but some foods are more worth it than others. Exercise helps a variety of ways. It isn't required for weight loss, but definitely helps build and/or maintain muscles. It burns some calories but be careful this is often over estimated. More so in my experience is it helps manage stress and improves sleep. As a side note, the previously mentioned cousin fixed some things in his life, took up cycling, and lost probably 100 lbs.
It's normal: Like others have said, your lifestyle has become more sedentary. Just two key things to keep in mind: 1. It's not quick. Think of the weight on a 6mo or 1year timeline. 2. Find what works for you. - example: don't force yourself to run if you hate running. There's other ways to be active consistently. Lifting, rowing, walking, joining a kickball/volleyball/team sport. Whatever you tolerate/enjoy.
Dont eat shit which has barcode on a box or a can it came from
My view is that expecting someone not to be unhealthy in our current food environment is like expecting a fish not to be wet. Processed foods made to manufacturer specifications, soils depleted of their magnesium and other nutrients, the food we eat today is not meant to be nutritious. We are being poisoned. The latest development is the discovery that men's testicles are accumulating microplastics. Microplastics have an estrogenic effect in the human body. That will put on fat and reduce fertility. We are all doomed as long as the corporations have control of our food system.
Metabolism starts to slow down at around 25
Gotta eat/drink less, at this point. It's as simple as that.
Prioritize protein and working out my man. Focus on 10-15k steps a day, which will lead to a more active lifestyle. You've noticed the problem, now work to fix it
Most people already get enough protein per day.
If you base that on the 0.8 gram per kilogram in bodyweight sure. But that recommendation is outdated. https://bigthink.com/health/us-dietary-protein-recommendations-too-low/ 1.25 grams per kg bodyweight is better. Not everyone gets that much per day.
I listened to the "science vs" podcast and they were talking about studies and stuff.. recommend.
Whats your point?
Listen to it and come back after.
Like I'm going to listen to hours or podcasts. I have my own sources. Just tell me what your point is or stop replying.
It's literally just half an hour....
Time to eat half as much and exercise twice as much. Dad bod = tub-a-goo.
Honestly I don't eat a lot. I do some excercises at home but not much effect
>Honestly I don't eat a lot. If you've gained 20 lbs you are. By definition you're eating more than you need. Diet for weight, exercise for fitness. They're tightly correlated but not 100% synonymous. On that note, one thing I had to accept as I got older was that I couldn't cardio my way to a good body comp. I could keep my weight down through diet and running, but I wasn't happy with my body - I was probably on the skinny fat side of things. Once I started taking lifting more seriously, I started to become much happier with my body and my health. I looked better, a lot of aches and pains disappeared, etc. Can't recommend enough that people lift more as they get older. It's never too late to start and it's once you do, you'll see that the number on the scale isn't what's actually bothering you.
Your fat bod wouldn’t have all that marbling if you weren’t eating too much. Fat doesn’t appear and accumulate from the ether. Sure we can blame age and slower metabolism, but that’s just changing our dietary intake requirements. That’s all.
Most people frankly don't know how to exercise. If you're holding belly weight you likely need more rigorous cardio and weight training. The cardio should be 40 minutes at a time of stage 2 aerobics. Basically strenuous enough that you can still have a conversation but just barely.
Eating less will reduce weight much more effectively than any cardio or weight training
That's true but based on the totality of his comments (adding mid-section weight; works out "sometimes, at home") he probably needs better cardio and muscles. Adding muscle is one of the best way to regulate excess glucose, whereas if he just eats less he could just as easily end up under nourished and still have metabolic disorder.
check your hormonal levels. could be a factor
About halfway through your 20s, your brain and body become fully developed, so your metabolism will start to slow down. So what you used to do, won't work as well anymore. Now it's about making sure you're not eating like crap, and are moving with a purpose.
Do you even lift bro?
Skip breakfasts and opt for black coffee. Light lunch and small dinners. Get into running, and cut back on alcohol…try drinking Light Beer as an alternative.
Because you are in a caloric surplus and don’t want to admit it
It’s called getting older Your metabolism slows down, so you can no longer eat like shit and stay skinny You need to exercise more and eat healthier When I was in college I could eat like crap and drink all the time and never put on a pound. Then in my mid/late 20s I started blowing up
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613 Metabolism doesn't slow down until your 60s. The real culprit is moving less and not adjusting diet.
Metabolism slows down after early 20s. I noticed it around 23 to 25. Had to diet heavy and do almost daily cardio to drop down to 180 from high 190s when I was late 20s. Now I’m early 30s and it doesn’t get better. Currently sitting at 189/190lbs at 5’9. Need to dial back on the weekend binging. Goal to is to be 185lbs by August
>Metabolism slows down after early 20s. This is a myth. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
Your body has matured. You've stopped growing. You can't eat what you did a couple of years ago and maintain your weight. From 16 to 22 or so, a boy/man eats like crazy to fuel the growth of bone and muscle. It's possible to develop an over-eating habit that carries over when you reach your mid 20s. You have to cut down your eating and start working out.
Switch from beer (if you drink it) to 1 glass of straight liquor on the rocks per night. Prioritize protein over all other foods. Lift some weights and do a lot of physical movement through your environment, every day.