As you age, expenses tend to increase.

While working on manuscripts at home, I had the radio on, and I heard a segment about how "people over 60 tend to develop a shuffling gait." That's when I felt the need for strength training and started going to the gym.

The first instruction I received at the gym was to "avoid sugar and fat for three weeks." The body's metabolic rate is proportional to muscle mass, and as we age, muscle mass decreases. When you increase your metabolism through training, consuming carbohydrates and fats can lead to weight gain. Since I wanted to slim down, I adhered to this advice for three weeks.

This is my personal theory, but fish fats do not accumulate in the body during daily activities. This is because a fish's body temperature is lower than a human's. Conversely, animal body temperatures are higher than humans', so their fats are not burned off and accumulate. At the gym, I was only permitted to eat chicken breast.
Strangely enough, I stopped eating tonkatsu, tempura, gyoza, and ramen, which I used to love. I also eat much less rice now.

Fortunately, my body fat percentage, which was over 20% before I started training, is now maintained between 9% and 10%.

In addition to training, I do K1 exercises, and for skincare, I use Crème de la Mer's moisturizing cream.
As you age, expenses do tend to increase (laughs).

To turn black paint white...

When I first received instructions at the gym, the instructor used this analogy: "Imagine your current state is like black paint. To turn it gray, simply adding a little white won't make it gray. You need to add as much white as there is black to achieve gray." The black paint represented carbohydrates and fats.

When you decide to do something, professional guidance is absolutely essential. For example, I'm interested in cycling, but rather than riding on my own, I'd want instruction from a professional cyclist to improve my performance. The reason many people don't see results despite their efforts is precisely this.

Every day is a battle against aging.

In the past, being "unhealthy" was considered cool. It was a form of "rebellion" against a society where health was easily attainable. However, in response to such an unhealthy society, Madonna pioneered the pursuit of health through "rebellious" practices like yoga and Japanese cuisine.
Now, health is the new "rebellion."

Emil Yama mentioned that "anti-aging is about preventing the downhill slide that comes with aging from accelerating," but I believe that downward-looking perspective is mistaken. Don't think about settling down after 60 (laughs). For us, being forward-looking is particularly important. To truly shine, it's crucial to try things you might initially dismiss as "not for me" or "too difficult." That's how you broaden your horizons.

This means that in anti-aging, "making your body beautiful" is an act of defiance. There's no other way to prove it. The times have definitely shifted; being able to talk knowledgeably about wine is no longer considered cool.
Isn't anti-aging about trying everything, rather than saying, "That doesn't suit me" or "That's not like me"? And isn't continuous change the very essence of living?

Profile
Masafumi Suzuki
Editor-in-Chief, Shinchosha ENGINE

Born in Tokyo in 1949. After working as a journalist for an English-language newspaper, he joined Gakken Co., Ltd. He participated in the launch of the automotive magazine "NAVI" and became its editor-in-chief in 1989. Under his leadership, the magazine advocated for critiquing automobiles not just by numbers but also by social and cultural standards, defining itself as a magazine for automotive culture. In 1999, he went independent and launched the men's lifestyle monthly magazine "ENGINE" (Shinchosha) the following year. His books include "Marx" and "Run! Yokoguruma."

From Ryozo Saito to Editor-in-Chief Suzuki

Suzuki-san attends a training gym renowned for its body transformation programs. It's a gym with a superb concept that helps people realize the importance of protein. It's said that about four weeks of caloric restriction in animals triggers longevity genes, suggesting that this approach can offer not only a slimmer physique but also anti-aging effects. However, during caloric restriction, especially when practicing a high-protein diet, nutrition solely from food is insufficient. The demand for vitamins B, zinc, calcium, and magnesium, in particular, increases, so we ensure Suzuki-san supplements these nutrients.

Suzuki-san's statement, "Isn't continuous change the very essence of living?" truly captures the core of our theme, "Anti-Aging Lifestyle."
Humans must constantly strive to maintain their individual existence (homeostasis) by observing their environment and themselves. Without this continuous effort, they cease to live. This principle extends beyond the confines of medicine to encompass all aspects of life, including lifestyle habits.
This has been incredibly insightful. Thank you, as always.