If you’re a male in your forties or more, you definitely know that the struggle is real. It doesn’t matter if you were an athlete back in college or even a soldier back in the day… you will notice changes in your body.

You’ll find it easier to gain weight and more difficult to lose it. If you do workout, you’ll find it more difficult to do the same things that you used to do with ease. The weights will seem heavier. Your stamina would have dropped. You’ll feel less energetic and driven.

The only consolation here is that whatever you may be feeling is very normal. It’s part and parcel of aging. Let’s look at why a man has a tougher time losing weight once he crosses forty.

Drop in metabolism

This happens to everyone as they age regardless of gender. Your metabolic rate determines how fast your body burns calories. Young people, usually have a higher metabolic rate. Some people still manage to have a high metabolic rate even when they age and this is due to genetics.

The only way to raise your metabolic rate will be to engage in high intensity training and eat foods that boost your metabolism naturally. Gaining muscle mass will help too.

Muscle atrophy

After the age of 35, most men will lose about 5% muscle mass every 10 years. This may not seem like much but it has an effect on the body. When you lose muscle mass, not only will you lose strength, but you’ll also burn less calories while at rest.
Muscle is metabolically expensive. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. This means you will be able to burn fat faster and also more easily.

Since men above 40 are losing muscle, this is a double whammy. They gain more fat and become weaker. The only way to counteract this problem will be to engage in resistance training to retard the muscle loss and reverse the process.

Sedentary lifestyle and stress

Most men usually focus more on their careers as they age. Exercise and fitness takes a backseat as they strive to earn more and provide for their families. With this come the stress of a hectic lifestyle and pressures from work.

Stress causes the body to release cortisol which indirectly leads to weight gain. Over and above that, since they’re so busy and exhausted at work, most men just plop themselves on the couch and watch TV once they’re home.

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This sedentary lifestyle causes them to gain weight over time. Before they know it, they’re obese and have a huge belly to deal with.

The only way to fix this problem will be to make your lifestyle more active. You’ll need to dedicate thirty minutes to an hour specifically for exercise. You must make it a part of your daily routine, rather than an afterthought.

It’s best to exercise first thing before you start your day or go to work. In this way, you’d have gotten it out of the way and will not be too exhausted to exercise later. You’d also raise your body’s metabolic rate and put it in fat burning mode for the rest of the day.

These are some of the most common reasons men gain weight after forty. There are other reasons but these are the big three. Most men would solve their weight gain issues just by eliminating these 3 causes. It can be done if you work on it.