What am I doing wrong

Question
Hi Lawrence,
I am a 67 yr. old male weighing 190 and standing 5'11'(BMI=26). I have been loosely following a weight watchers point system. I went from 214 to 189 three years ago(took me 7 months). I then continued and dropped to 178 (7/09). Since then I have slowly but steadily gained back to the 190 area. I am stuck there. I exercise regularly at the gym doing 45-60 min. of cardio at my target heart rate of 125-130bpm. I also do circuit training for resistance..not trying to change my physique rather trying to keep muscle mass from eroding. I have not changed my eating approach..eating between 1500-1800 calories a day. I eat high fiber, all the good stuff and avoid fatty foods for the most part. Can't remember my last pizza although I dabble a bit with bits of dark chocolate. Why am I gaining? Have a had regular physicals and am in good shape. Play gold in the summer (NY) two times a week and always walk. Any help?

Answer
There could be a few reasons but, I would recommend that you find a person who can do your RMR  ( resting metabolic rate). You might find someone who works at a gym who has purchased the machine that measures your oxygen intake. This test will tell you how many calories you are using without much activity. Until then I would say you might need to change your workout to keep your body constantly adjusting ,this will increase you metabolic rate.You might also try eating 5-6 times a day but meals that are not any bigger then your hand. This will also help to increase you rate.At your height your max weight should be 176. Because you are 67 I would say probably a little lower maybe 167-170 to give your organs a rest as they slow with age. I see that you are mostly doing everything good.

keep up the good work!

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