Sarcopenia - muscle loss

[Kar]

My husband Al and I have been doing the Whole30 for just over a week.  He is worried about sarcopenia since he is just over 75 years old  (and that is when it really picks up) and he is losing weight and muscle mass now on the Whole30.  He has never had good muscle mass - 150 lb, 5"10'.  We have reviewed the "muscle mass" links found on Whole30, and note the use of more protein, dense carbs like sweet potatoes, weight training, Kettlebell training.

His first meal is a handsize of meat or 3 eggs with 2-3 C cooked veges with olive oil, few olives, pickle, kimchee.  Basically, same with last 2 meals.  He has stopped snacking - too full to snack - between meals and at night and middle of night.  With gall bladder removed, he is watching the fat at night closely, but always takes digestive enzymes.  We note the ox bile recommendation.

This muscle loss has really gotten his attention and he really wants to stick to the Whole30, so is there any beginning prescription or modification to what has already been said in prior posts about how to start with the exercise, given he is > 75 years old, only walks, treadmills, and rides bike for 30 min at a time.  We do have access to full gym. 

Thanks!

Kar

[kirkor]

He's too full to eat between meals, but how about making the meals larger?

How was he eating before that kept weight on?

[Kar]

His meals are larger now than they were before, although we had protein and cups of cooked veges and oil anyway.  He doesn't think he can eat much more at the meals.

He used to eat more simple carbs whenever he wanted to snack.  

We don't know how the weight was kept on.  He has lost 6 lbs in 10 days.

[QuilterInVA]

He needs strength training to keep muscle. I'm 75 and do it 3 times a week. Simple carbs cause the body to retain a lot of water. Most of the 6 pounds is probably water. Eat more starchy vegetables like potatoes, winter squash, beets to get more calories without eating more foods.

[Kar]

Thanks for your confirmation of these principles.  He is starting strength training and increasing starchy veges.  Yesterday he got a wake-up call with a full-blown hypoglycemic attack from too much exertion and not eating soon enough (although the exertion was quite mild).