When on a weight-gaining track, especially when you’re trying to gain a lot of weight like I was, there’s no way to avoid putting on a little bit of fat on the way. That being said, a lot of bodybuilder sites out there encourage guys to completely cut out cardio when they’re putting on weight. I completely disagree, and kept up cardio, including swimming for up to 2 hours per session 3 times a week. Therefore I had to adjust my diet for more calories.

I still gained a relatively small amount of fat with the weight I put on, and the second I stopped gaining I lost it pretty fast. (I admit that part of the reason for that is because my natural build leans towards being on the slim side.)

As far as your metabolism goes, for someone without medical issues, there’s no substantial proof that I’ve encountered thus far that eating multiple meals a day is better or worse than eating three big meals a day. You should do what works for you as long as you make sure to keep it healthy.

-Rafi

There are definitely different calorie requirements at different ages, and at older ages you usually need to take in less calories per day. If you click the link in the post to the calorie calculator, you’ll see that it adjusts for age.

Is it harder to lose weight after age 40? Yes. That being said, there’s no age where you can’t improve, and there are a ton of guys and gals over 40 who are in amazing shape.

Not only that, there are some older people who were never in shape who become more athletic at age 50+ than they were at 30. Is it harder? Yes, and consistency and hard work is key. Albeit, while it may be a bit harder, you’re also probably wiser and more disciplined than you were at 20. So I’d say it breaks just about even.

-Rafi