I am Beyond Confused

Missdaisy99

I'm wanting to loose about 15 pounds.

I started searching weight loss ideas for menopause weight gain. I'm honestly so confused I get so frustrated that I don't know which way to turn.

One article will say Keto diet, next say no stay away, next says no diet eat what you want just count calories. Some family members just lost a lot of weight 40 plus pounds doing high protein, low card (I'm assuming similar to Keto as they are keeping there carbs under 25 g/ day. I hate the thought of giving up fruits and veggies. I love fruits and veggies. We raise our own beef so we do eat quite a bit of beef. I will by chicken breasts though for a change. Seriously Help. What has worked best for everyone. I want something doable long term. Are fruits and veggies that bad? Or will just cutting out bad carbs like pasta, potatoes, bread etc. help? Thanks

kpeterson539

The only plan you need to follow is CICO (calories in, calories out). Essentially, this means to eat less then what you expend. There is no food that is not allowed.

Do yourself a favor and buy a digital scale to measure all of your food. Be honest with your logging.

JenMc14

No reason to skip fruits and veggies. As was said, buy a scale, measure portions and log. Consume less calories than you burn.

jennifer_417

Here's the great thing about CICO (Calories In <Calories Out): you can eat literally any food and still lose weight. Plug your stats into MFP and eat the amount of calories it tells you, including any food you want.

blankiefinder

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside#latest

RobotPhysique

You don't need to and definitely don't want to cut out any macronutrient or food group for that matter. Keep the fruits, keep the veggies, keep the beef...eat a balanced diet, and yes most importantly, monitor your intake. Calculate your estimated total energy expenditure--there are plenty of calculators around--and consume less calories than you take in to lose weight. I'd recommend a 300-500 deficit. You don't need to follow the latest and greatest extreme diet. Keep it simple... calories in vs. calories out.

Edit: From experience.. I've done keto; I've carb cycled, along with whatever other nonsense you can imagine. Sure, I've seen results from various methods, but all due to the fact I was still in a caloric deficit. Especially since you said you're looking for a long term solution... I can't stress the importance enough of keeping it simple and not depriving your body or your mind of any essential nutrient.

TeaBea

Calories in vs. calories out. That's the key. Menopause (I'm 54) has nothing to do with the method you choose. You could use a Twinkie & vodka diet & still lose if your calories were less than your current maintenance.

Whether you prefer to eat low carb, or IIFYM (if it fits your macros) ...it's up to you. Keep in mind that consistency is very important. Eat a way that won't make you fall off the wagon.

Low carb makes counting calories easier for some people (most elimination type diets do). The water weight you lose at the beginning of low carb seems impressive (but that's not the same as fat loss- it comes back when you eat carbs again).

My main problem with low carb is that I will not eat this way in the future. I've lost weight and re-gained. No more elimination diets for me. Now I do IIFYM - I just try to meet protein & fat goals....carbs are whatever is left over. This is more like how I will eat during maintenance.

callsitlikeiseeit

kpeterson539 wrote: »

The only plan you need to follow is CICO (calories in, calories out). Essentially, this means to eat less then what you expend. There is no food that is not allowed.

Do yourself a favor and buy a digital scale to measure all of your food. Be honest with your logging.

^^ that

zoeysasha37

Calories in / calories out. There is no need to go on any special diet. Unless you have a medical condition, low carb or keto won't give you any advantage. So for me, it wouldn't be worth the hassle. People drop a lot of water weight at first while on a low carb or keto diet and think its working and its fast ! In reality, that initial big loss is mostly water weight anyway so again, for me its not worth the hassle. For me eating that way wouldn't be sustainable. I couldn't do it forever so it wasn't worth getting into for me. I'm in this for a lifestyle change not a quick diet. So counting calories , learning portion control and moderation has helped me be successful long term. I lost all my weight and have kept it off for 2+ yrs so far by counting calories. Tools like portion control and moderation where key for me . you don't need any special diets. Just get yourself a food scale and learn how to weigh all your solids and measure your liquids. Learn how to log them here accurately.

zoeysasha37

RobotPhysique wrote: »

You don't need to and definitely don't want to cut out any macronutrient or food group for that matter. Keep the fruits, keep the veggies, keep the beef...eat a balanced diet, and yes most importantly, monitor your intake. Calculate your estimated total energy expenditure--there are plenty of calculators around--and consume less calories than you take in to lose weight. I'd recommend a 300-500 deficit. You don't need to follow the latest and greatest extreme diet. Keep it simple... calories in vs. calories out.

Edit: From experience.. I've done keto; I've carb cycled, along with whatever other nonsense you can imagine. Sure, I've seen results from various methods, but all due to the fact I was still in a caloric deficit. Especially since you said you're looking for a long term solution... I can't stress the importance enough of keeping it simple and not depriving your body or your mind of any essential nutrient.

I like this !

snowflake954

Sigh. Why do people always think there's some "trick" to losing weight? Forget what the magazines and media say, there's no quick fix. Do the simple thing. Plug your stats into MFP and it will give you how many calories you can eat per day. Try to stay within you goal everyday. Get a digital food scale. Weigh and measure EVERYTHING you eat and drink. Then move as much as you can, log it on MFP and you will get more calories to eat that day. A good idea is to take your measurements-waist, hip, stomach, thigh, neck plus your weight every week--same day and time. Sooner or later when your weigh loss slows (and it will, happens to us all), you can look at your measurements to see your progress and keep your spirits up. Good luck.

RobotPhysique

@thorsmom01 Thanks. It wasn't until fairly recently that I learned much of what I accepted as fact or at least best practice was straight up misinformation. Most of us want things fast, easy, and spoon-fed. I'm no expert, but if I can help folks with what I've learned from my follies, or by directing them to actual reputable sources I've learned from to set them on the right path instead of chasing their tail... good deed for the day: ✓.

zoeysasha37

RobotPhysique wrote: »

@thorsmom01 Thanks. It wasn't until fairly recently that I learned much of what I accepted as fact or at least best practice was straight up misinformation. Most of us want things fast, easy, and spoon-fed. I'm no expert, but if I can help folks with what I've learned from my follies, or by directing them to actual reputable sources I've learned from to set them on the right path instead of chasing their tail... good dead for the day: ✓.

Same with me. When I first tried to lose weight, I believed carbs where the problem . I also believed I needed to eat 1200 calories to lose weight . I was very wrong ! I believed myths and it lead me nowhere.
It wasn't until I researched things that I finally realized that weight loss came down to calories. I lost all my weight while eating plenty of carbs. It came down to cico.

snowflake954

Right^^^^great advice. OP you say you have 15lbs to lose. That's not alot, and the last 15lbs go slowly. Set MFP to lose .5 lbs a week. Try to be as acurate as possible with your logging.

Psychgrrl

Don't try a "diet" like low carb unless you want to stick with it forever. If you change your eating habits for weight loss, you'll gain it all back when you revert back to your original habits and stop "dieting." It's about a life style change. There's no need to give up anything (unless you have a medical condition). CICO. That's it, plain and simple.

@RobotPhysique -- AMAZING ink, man!

nvmomketo

The way to lose weight is to have calories going in be less than calories out. Diets are a way to meet CI<CO and hopefully improve your health. Based on your lifestyle and health, certain diets may suit you better than others.

I eat a low carb ketogenic diet. It improved my blood glucose, cut my appetite and sugar cravings, gave me more energy and mental clarity and even improved my skin, all while getting to a healthy weight pretty quickly. For me, a ketogenic diet works and I plan to stick with, or at the very least just low carb and high fat, for the rest of my life. It was a lifestyle change for me, and I have no illusions that if I went back to my "normal" way of eating that I would regain weight and my health would decline.

If you decide to try a LCHF diet, do some reading, maybe join the Low Carber Daily group, and give it a good month. When people cut carbs their electrolytes will drop and you will have symptoms of low electrolytes, often called a low carb flu. If you increase your sodium up to 3000-5000mg per day and add some extra magnesium and potassium, you won't feel poorly and be more likely to quit - this is an unknown hurdle that cause many to quit LCHF because they think (incorrectly) that is how the diet is supposed to feel.

Low carb usually involves cutting sugar added foods, grains and baked goods, and starchy foods first. A healthy low carb diet will usually still involve plenty of vegetables and some lower GI fruits. A low carb diet usually has carbs below 100-150g, and a ketogenic diet is usually below 20-50g of carbs per day. I am in ketosis and keep my carbs around 20g per day.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

ETA that it is a myth that you will regain all of your weight if you stop doing low carb after a weight loss. As long as you eat an appropriate calorie level, carbs will not put your weight back on with any black magic like powers. Some do regain a pound or two or water weight but it's water and not fat.

vivmom2014

Please don't go low carb unless you want to do it for the rest of your days.

For me, it's a breath of fresh air to lose weight by eating everything I enjoy within a calorie goal. It works!!

starwhisperer6

I was in the checkout lane in the grocery store yesterday looking at the magazines (because the walmart lines are so long you can read a novel while you wait) Almost every one of them was shouting "LOSE 30 pounds this month" "Bikini body by spring!" or my favorite was a photoshopped image of Kim Kardashine talking about how she dropped her baby weight in a week. It is no wonder that the average person feels like a failure when they can't get their dream body in a matter of days.

middlehaitch

Everyone has given you good solid sustainable advice.
I just popped in to say- it works.
I lost 30 lb during menopause, and have kept it off for 6 years. (60yr old in avitar)

Personal observations.

At 15lb to lose go for .5lb a week. Towards the end it will probably drop to .25 if you do not adjust your calories down, using MFP, every 5 lb. and even then it may slow to a crawl.

If you are planning to exercise too, look at what is sustainable long term, not just what is going to work the most calories off.

Still on exercise, taking up some kind of resistance/weight training is really good for your bones, and will help you retain muscles. Cardio is good too.

There is often debate on if one should or should not eat back exercise calories, please do, your body really needs the extra energy to perform at its best.

There is a lot of talk about it being harder to lose during menopause; it has no need to be.
We slow down naturally as we age, up your activity if possible.
Be aware of hormones- they can give you urges to over eat.
Our BMR is dropping at the same rate it has been since we were in our 20's. 50-100cals per decade.
Visceral fat tends to gather in our abdomen and our organs drop a little; diet for the fat, and strengthening the abs and obliques, does overcome these problems- you can have a waist post menopause.

Cheers, h.

ChrisM8971

If you are looking to lose 15 lbs then first of all you need to accept that to do this in a healthy manner then it will take time, 0.5 - 1.0 lbs per week would be good. Then decide what you want to do after you have lost the weight, keep it off or take the chance of yo yoing? As has been said, a calorie deficit is what you need to achieve this and there are so many ways to get a sustainable deficit. Counting calories, 5:2 diet, keto etc etc. However think about something that you can sustain long term to stop the weight coming back on. My personal choice would be counting calories, eating nutrient dense whole foods for the main part but leaving room for those that I enjoy, that glass of wine, some cheese, the occasional ice cream. At the end of the day it comes down to what you can sustain and enjoyment of the food you eat has a lot to do with that

WendyLaubach

Vonda Wright's "Fitness After Forty" is helpful. When I came here a couple of months ago, I read about ten books on this and that aspect of exercise and weight loss. Since none of them included trendy nonsense, they were all helpful, but not as helpful as the straightforward advice I got here. I used the onsite calculator to figure out how many calories I should shoot for. I got a number that was a trifle too high, probably because I should have described myself as more sedentary. At first I wasn't sure how many of my exercise calories to "eat back." Presently it became clear that most methods turn out to over-estimate the calories burned in an exercise. After a week or two I decided not to eat back any exercise calories, so I wouldn't have to worry about whether they were being calculated properly, and I dropped a couple hundred calories from the initial number that the site gave me. That proved a winning formula for dropping at a reasonable rate. I don't avoid any foods absolutely, though I do try to fill up on things like vegetables, knowing that if I blow too many calories on chocolate truffles, I'll be hungry after I've eaten the whole day's allowance of calories. I eat the food I love, so I know I can keep this up long-term.