Losing is harder in your 30's

neverquit33

No kids here, but I'm 33. I just lost all of mine in the last year. It's no harder than you convince yourself it is.

ETA: being a beast in the gym is awesome, but you can't out-exercise a bad diet.

I do believe it is mind over matter. I agree with you there but there is a change in the metabolism the older you get. my point of the post was I see it now and know i have to adjust accordingly.

neverquit33

I dont buy it... i just turned 44 and am in the BEST shape of my life, ever....boost that metabolism.. Lift twice as much as you do cardio! When I say lift, I mean, REALLY lift weights. Look at scoobysworkshop.com, New Rules Of Lifting for Women (NROLFW), strong lifts 5x5, or get a good trainer to show you the basics. When we age we begin to loose muscle at a rapid rate... Muscle is what keeps our metabolism running hot.... Cardio 3-5 times a week, 20-30 minutes but LIFT LIKE A BEAST!!!!
Oh yeah, and 1500 calories a day is too little for as much as you working out. Make sure you calculate your BMR and never, never , never eat less than this amount, EVER! I eat about 2100 calories a day!

Best believe I have been weight lifting since after my first child and i agree it is amazing the health benefits you get from it. That's how i lost 70lbs the first time. I am not saying I can not lose the weight or because i am in my 30's that its impossible. I am only realizing that it takes more effort to lose the weight the older I am and after giving birth to 2 kids. NO EXCUSES, just a realization that my mom was right. lol Back when I was 19 yrs old I could not understand what the big deal of weight loss was about because it was so easy for me to see results in a week. now it takes longer but the results do come. You did say something I will need to add more into my routine. CARDIO! I just took up cycling and love it but need to do it more times a week.

neverquit33

At 52, I think it's easier. I no longer deal with water weight or monthly emotional swings. For me, I am better now. My doctor tells I am one of the lucky ones, but I wonder if we older women use our age as an excuse. I agree that OP should start being healthy today, don't wait until you are in your fifties like so many of us do. A hot forty year old woman is awesome! Oh, and your face is beautiful! Love the wide eyes!

Aww, that is soo sweet of you. Thank you for the nice compliment! And this is why I am on the quest now instead of 15 yrs later on practicing on eating better.

I have a friend that's trying to get me to on this Shakeology diet. I rather learn how to eat a balance meal without relying on some shake. That's not my style. I am no way making an excuse that my age is holding me back on losing weight. I just noticed the difference of effort I have to put in from 20's until now to see results.

neverquit33

I'll be 36 in August and had my first baby 2 yrs ago. It's definitely harder to get the weight off now. I'm glad I'm not the only one in the 30's club who's having a tough time of it! Thanks for starting this thread

no problem. its crazy how your body changes with age AND after having kids. We can lose the weight but it just takes longer time to see results.

neverquit33

Hey, I'm your age, and have some of the same issues!

It's true, it sucks not being able to do the jumpy stuff that really get things moving. I too find cardio hard to manage - never sure if I'm pushing too easy (because whoo boy have I felt it going too much the other way. Even with something basic like 30 mins on a rowing machine. Now I stop the minute things don't feel right). Can only advise switching up machines every time, and taking as much recovery as you need.

I have a few low-impact sequences I do at home to try to get the heart rate up. Eg:
- burpees (not jumping though - walk out, but do it fast)
- 10 high knees & get down, & get up again, that's one rep
- kicks all kinds. bodyweight squats + kicks, lunges with kicks, roundhouse kicks, front/side/back kicks (=1 rep). Kicks in between everything else. Basically kick as much as possible
- swiss jacknife
- kettlebell or dumbbell swings
- Step-ups on a chair are good too if you can do them (I can't now really sad bc I loved those).

If you alternate 1 min of each of those with 1 min of 'calmer' calisthenics (eg pushups, planks, glute bridges/hip thrusts - these are like your 'rest' periods) it turns into a decent interval-type workout. Do it 2-3 times in a row and I guarantee a good sweat.

I'm gonna try this! Thank you for sharing.

pinkraynedropjacki

I'm 38. I started losing last year when I was still 36. It's no harder, in fact I'd say it was easier cause I've learnt from mistakes made when younger. Plus I'm no ordinary 38yo.....I have more energy now than I ever have in my life. I have more drive now than ever before. I have more discipline than I ever have & I know what I need to do to keep my weight off.

It's not hard at all, just takes willpower and a hell of a strong mind.

neverquit33

Hi I was in the same boat. I lost all my pregnancy weight after my 1st son and then after my 2nd it was MUCH harder. I would love to help out as best as I can.

I personally prep all of my food on sunday night for the week. I measure and weigh everything out and package all of my meals in tupperware. It is a little bit of a pain BUT it really makes it easy to eat clean and get all of my protein and veggies in.

I just sent you a friend request.

I'm on week 2 with my meal plan where I eat the same breakfast and lunch everyday for a week and man what a difference of calorie intake. I can see before this i was just stuffing my face, with healthy food, but over eating. Now I know exactly what I'm having for breakfast and lunch everyday and it's simple.

neverquit33

Oh yeah, and 1500 calories a day is too little for as much as you working out. Make sure you calculate your BMR and never, never , never eat less than this amount, EVER! I eat about 2100 calories a day!
[/quote]

oh and i got the 1500-1600 calorie intake range from myfitnesspal and from the metabolic testing . Myfitnesspal increases my calorie intake when I work out but I just added the basic numbers.

katdav60

Well do it now cos it only gets harder lol ! Good luck.

neverquit33

I'm 38. I started losing last year when I was still 36. It's no harder, in fact I'd say it was easier cause I've learnt from mistakes made when younger. Plus I'm no ordinary 38yo.....I have more energy now than I ever have in my life. I have more drive now than ever before. I have more discipline than I ever have & I know what I need to do to keep my weight off.

It's not hard at all, just takes willpower and a hell of a strong mind.

willpower and strong mind is what helped me lose 70lbs last time. I have that. Maybe my choice of words is incorrect. its not harder but i have noticed the results don't come as fast, for me at least, like in my 20's. This is just my observation about my body.

zubin14

Wait until you're in your fifties like me and then tell me how hard it is.

bertabird

For me, it has always been hard to lose weight, but not anymore. My metabolism was super slow and I just didn't know it. I've gone low carb and low fat and fat is melting off of me. No drugs, no crap food, no special foods - except protein added to my smoothie on lift days. I lived a life-style of fast pre-packaged meals or pizza on weekends and ate clean during the week. I THOUGHT I was doing things right, but I wasn't. I've lost 101 pounds so far by just eating right and exercising. When I would diet before going low carb I wasn't losing, I would plateau after 20 pounds or so. I began to get bigger around age 22 and I couldn't sleep for crap. Now, I sleep through the night... every night. I am 43 now and I soooooo wish I had obtained the knowledge I have now back then. I had almost 20 years of sleep deprived nights. Good Luck to ya, Chica! Keep going and NEVER give up! ;o)

anemoneprose

Hey, I'm your age, and have some of the same issues!

It's true, it sucks not being able to do the jumpy stuff that really get things moving. I too find cardio hard to manage - never sure if I'm pushing too easy (because whoo boy have I felt it going too much the other way. Even with something basic like 30 mins on a rowing machine. Now I stop the minute things don't feel right). Can only advise switching up machines every time, and taking as much recovery as you need.

I have a few low-impact sequences I do at home to try to get the heart rate up. Eg:
- burpees (not jumping though - walk out, but do it fast)
- 10 high knees & get down, & get up again, that's one rep
- kicks all kinds. bodyweight squats + kicks, lunges with kicks, roundhouse kicks, front/side/back kicks (=1 rep). Kicks in between everything else. Basically kick as much as possible
- swiss jacknife
- kettlebell or dumbbell swings
- Step-ups on a chair are good too if you can do them (I can't now really sad bc I loved those).

If you alternate 1 min of each of those with 1 min of 'calmer' calisthenics (eg pushups, planks, glute bridges/hip thrusts - these are like your 'rest' periods) it turns into a decent interval-type workout. Do it 2-3 times in a row and I guarantee a good sweat.

I'm gonna try this! Thank you for sharing.

No worries - hope you enjoy! Arthritis is a beetch.

blue_i

I'm 35 and cant blame having a baby for being extremely overweight.....BUT I agree it's hard trying to lose the weight. My daughter's 16 and my son's 9 :-D ............ life's just been so hectic....you kinda dont notice how you pile the weight on .... however...... my eyes are open and I'm using my kids as inspiration to lose the excess, setting small goals and once I reach them, re-set them :-D it's been working for me, also excersising, started small and am working my way up..... dont wanna be in my 50's and then only 'wake up' when I cant move!!! LOL....so I'm thankfull for MFP and all the people here....who arn't afraid to say "it's hard" and post what they eat!!!! Normal people....like me :-D

Stay strong....it's hard...yea....BUT MAN OH MAN..............SO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!! :bigsmile:

luvs2teachincali

I just have to say... I have been fat since I was about 10 or 11 years old and losing weight has ALWAYS been hard for me. I've had my moments... In college I got "down" to my lowest adult weight: 165 (still too big being 5'3"). After my son was born I joined WW and dropped 30 pounds, but was still in my 170's.

For me, the hardest part is sticking to it from start to finish (GOAL). All my life I have NEVER been to goal. :grumble: This time I am also faltering... been at this over a year now... but it's different this time, because I REFUSE to give up. I don't care if it takes another two years. I WILL eventually get to goal.

Anyhow...
My point is... you are LUCKY that it *WAS* easier for you when you were younger as there are folks like me who have ALWAYS struggled every bitter step of the way. :flowerforyou: Best of luck! You can do it!!

TheFitnessTutor

I dont buy it... i just turned 44 and am in the BEST shape of my life, ever....boost that metabolism.. Lift twice as much as you do cardio! When I say lift, I mean, REALLY lift weights. Look at scoobysworkshop.com, New Rules Of Lifting for Women (NROLFW), strong lifts 5x5, or get a good trainer to show you the basics. When we age we begin to loose muscle at a rapid rate... Muscle is what keeps our metabolism running hot.... Cardio 3-5 times a week, 20-30 minutes but LIFT LIKE A BEAST!!!!
Oh yeah, and 1500 calories a day is too little for as much as you working out. Make sure you calculate your BMR and never, never , never eat less than this amount, EVER! I eat about 2100 calories a day!

I agree with most of this except the scooby part. He's said too much nonsense bro science.

Weight training is so much more beneficial than cardio or any of the typical dvd workouts. The problem is that the typical trainer knows jack shhh about proper loading of muscles and joints, and the consumer swears they're too broke to try personal trainers anyways...but will spend thousands on special tv's, dinners, frivolous lifestyle, cars, pocketbooks, etc.

But the sooner we can realize that the body doesn't like exercise, the sooner we can come to terms with the idea that intake is the key. If you're burning 500 calories during a workout, then yes, 1500 is probably not enough calories. The story of 99% of females. They under eat and over exercise, because the industry told them to because it makes you lose weight. The problem with this is that it slows the metabolism more than it already is going to slow up.

The body doesn't care about exercise. It reacts to it. It will become just another stress situation if you're not eating enough and resting the body enough. Trying to lose weight with exercise stresses skeletal muscle enough, increases free radical and associated damage of high volumes of activity, then we want to under nourish it? It's noone's fault. It's Everyones fault.

pinkraynedropjacki

I'm 38. I started losing last year when I was still 36. It's no harder, in fact I'd say it was easier cause I've learnt from mistakes made when younger. Plus I'm no ordinary 38yo.....I have more energy now than I ever have in my life. I have more drive now than ever before. I have more discipline than I ever have & I know what I need to do to keep my weight off.

It's not hard at all, just takes willpower and a hell of a strong mind.

willpower and strong mind is what helped me lose 70lbs last time. I have that. Maybe my choice of words is incorrect. its not harder but i have noticed the results don't come as fast, for me at least, like in my 20's. This is just my observation about my body.

I lost all my weight in 7 months. Came off damn fast I'd say. Perhaps you lose it slower or just don't work out as hard as I do. I have no idea. All I know is that it's not hard, not for me at least. Workout every day, no rest days. Eat right every day, no cheat days. Simple done & great results.

neverquit33

I'm 38. I started losing last year when I was still 36. It's no harder, in fact I'd say it was easier cause I've learnt from mistakes made when younger. Plus I'm no ordinary 38yo.....I have more energy now than I ever have in my life. I have more drive now than ever before. I have more discipline than I ever have & I know what I need to do to keep my weight off.

It's not hard at all, just takes willpower and a hell of a strong mind.

willpower and strong mind is what helped me lose 70lbs last time. I have that. Maybe my choice of words is incorrect. its not harder but i have noticed the results don't come as fast, for me at least, like in my 20's. This is just my observation about my body.

I lost all my weight in 7 months. Came off damn fast I'd say. Perhaps you lose it slower or just don't work out as hard as I do. I have no idea. All I know is that it's not hard, not for me at least. Workout every day, no rest days. Eat right every day, no cheat days. Simple done & great results.

I agree about losing slower than you do BUT I work my *kitten* off everytime I'm at the gym, always have (how i lost 70lbs before) and always will. That is why every body is different and have to work with what they have which is what i am doing now. Congrats on reaching your goal weight in 7 months! That is inspiring and thank you for sharing.

I'm not concerned how fast it takes to lose for me. it was just an observation I noticed on how MY body has changed from then till now with age and after having kids. This affects some and doesn't in others. My intentions was not about complaining how I can't lose but how I have aged, opened my mind to other techniques I'm willing to embrace instead of taking the stubborn route and not listening to my body. Thank you again.

neverquit33

For me, it has always been hard to lose weight, but not anymore. My metabolism was super slow and I just didn't know it. I've gone low carb and low fat and fat is melting off of me. No drugs, no crap food, no special foods - except protein added to my smoothie on lift days. I lived a life-style of fast pre-packaged meals or pizza on weekends and ate clean during the week. I THOUGHT I was doing things right, but I wasn't. I've lost 101 pounds so far by just eating right and exercising. When I would diet before going low carb I wasn't losing, I would plateau after 20 pounds or so. I began to get bigger around age 22 and I couldn't sleep for crap. Now, I sleep through the night... every night. I am 43 now and I soooooo wish I had obtained the knowledge I have now back then. I had almost 20 years of sleep deprived nights. Good Luck to ya, Chica! Keep going and NEVER give up! ;o)

thank you!

Best believe quitting was never in the cards and I'm learning value of patience.

neverquit33

I dont buy it... i just turned 44 and am in the BEST shape of my life, ever....boost that metabolism.. Lift twice as much as you do cardio! When I say lift, I mean, REALLY lift weights. Look at scoobysworkshop.com, New Rules Of Lifting for Women (NROLFW), strong lifts 5x5, or get a good trainer to show you the basics. When we age we begin to loose muscle at a rapid rate... Muscle is what keeps our metabolism running hot.... Cardio 3-5 times a week, 20-30 minutes but LIFT LIKE A BEAST!!!!
Oh yeah, and 1500 calories a day is too little for as much as you working out. Make sure you calculate your BMR and never, never , never eat less than this amount, EVER! I eat about 2100 calories a day!

I agree with most of this except the scooby part. He's said too much nonsense bro science.

Weight training is so much more beneficial than cardio or any of the typical dvd workouts. The problem is that the typical trainer knows jack shhh about proper loading of muscles and joints, and the consumer swears they're too broke to try personal trainers anyways...but will spend thousands on special tv's, dinners, frivolous lifestyle, cars, pocketbooks, etc.

But the sooner we can realize that the body doesn't like exercise, the sooner we can come to terms with the idea that intake is the key. If you're burning 500 calories during a workout, then yes, 1500 is probably not enough calories. The story of 99% of females. They under eat and over exercise, because the industry told them to because it makes you lose weight. The problem with this is that it slows the metabolism more than it already is going to slow up.

The body doesn't care about exercise. It reacts to it. It will become just another stress situation if you're not eating enough and resting the body enough. Trying to lose weight with exercise stresses skeletal muscle enough, increases free radical and associated damage of high volumes of activity, then we want to under nourish it? It's noone's fault. It's Everyones fault.

i agree. 1500 calories is not enough if I'm burning 500. But is why when i log in the days I workout out myfitnesspal will increase my calorie intake. I remember early on in my journey of my body going in starvation mode because of my low intake. That was over 6 yrs ago and i did it again. Trail and Error. I love weight liting and lost alot of inches but find a way to balance cardio to take off overall fat too. thanks for clarifying.