Eating for Longevity vs. Weight Loss

By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD 

Weight loss is often the focus of dietary changes, but what you eat also plays a role in how long you live. Getting to a healthy weight can help reduce your chances of developing a chronic disease that takes years off your life. Plus, there may be metabolic changes that promote longevity happening under the surface when you eat less. 

Here’s an overview of how eating for longevity and weight loss can overlap to help you live a longer life and achieve a sustainable weight. 

Benefits of Caloric Restriction 

Individual goals for weight loss vary, but many people want to drop excess pounds to decrease the risk of chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity.  

Losing just 5% of initial weight has been linked to numerous metabolic improvements, such as better blood sugar control, improved lipid panels, reduced visceral fat, and healthier blood pressure. These benefits help reduce the risk of conditions that decrease lifespan, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, liver and kidney diseases, and even some cancers. 

Consuming fewer calories than you need—the basis of weight loss—may have other benefits independent of lowering the number on the scale. Research suggests caloric restriction may decrease overall inflammation and affect hormone pathways in ways that support cellular repair and prevent DNA damage associated with aging. These mechanisms, in addition to the aforementioned metabolic benefits, reflect how eating for weight loss may also have anti-aging benefits. 

Importance of Quality 

While caloric restriction is necessary for weight loss and may promote longevity too, it’s important to strike a balance and eat enough nutrient-dense foods. Eating adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich carbohydrates is key to healthy aging and maintaining weight loss over time. You can support both of these goals with what’s on your plate! 

A review of the effects of dietary factors on longevity found that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, unsaturated fats from plant foods and fish, and plant-based proteins help extend lifespan. In addition, not smoking, exercising regularly, and limiting alcohol intake may help people live longer. 

Foods to Eat 

Here are some example meals with foods that help with both weight loss and longevity and can fit in a 1200 calorie meal plan: 

  • Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal made with unsweetened almond milk, topped with berries and served with hard boiled eggs on the side 

  • Lunch: Arugula salad with chicken, pears, blue cheese, dried cranberries, pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette 

  • Dinner: Baked cod with roasted tomatoes and fennel, farro, and avocado 

  • Dessert: A baked apple with lightly sweetened granola and a drizzle of almond butter 

Note from Healthy For Life Meals: Our menus are nutritionally balanced and designed to meet (and not exceed) your calorie needs! Check out how our plans can support your weight loss and healthy aging goals, all while tasting delicious. Get started today and get $10 off your first order with discount code: TryHFLM.

Stef Keegan