Can 4 years make such a difference?

LovesDogsAndBooks

I was more or less sedentary all my life and my weight kept creeping up. About 4 years ago I started going to the gym, I knew I had to do something, but didn't want to go on some diet or count calories for the rest of my life. So I kept eating the way I had been, but exercised, lost 13 lb in the first year, got fitter and toned. Eventually my weight started stalling and then slowly going back up, even though I kept exercising. Last year I completely fell off the wagon and stopped going to the gym. In Feb I started exercising at home, in Mar I started logging my calories here, and so far I've lost about 10 lb.

Now to my question, when I started going to the gym then, I noticed progress in muscle development fairly quickly (I never did any heavy lifting, but cardio and strength training). Now it seems like I'm not making that much progress, even though I do exercises 5 - 6 times a week. I'm 51 now, was it easier in my late forties to build muscle? Or is this because I eat at a calorie deficit, which I didn't do then? I think I have enough fat to be able to lose weight and build muscle at the same time, so why do you think it's going so slow?

jemhh

You were eating in a deficit previously, though a small one since you lost 13 lbs over a year. You've now lost 10 pounds in a bit over a months, so your deficit is 10x what it was before. Yes, that makes a difference.

LovesDogsAndBooks

Thanks for your reply! When I lost the 13 lb within a year I was definitely not eating at a deficit. The reason I started exercising was that I thought I could get around dieting or calorie-counting. After a while the effect of going from sedentary to exercising must have worn off, since the weight started coming back. I realize that I am losing weight quicker now than then, but muscle development seems to be a lot slower than when exercising and not eating at a deficit. Just wondering whether the reason is me being older or eating at a deficit.

inertiastrength

LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »

When I lost the 13 lb within a year I was definitely not eating at a deficit.

Yes, you were. There is no other way to lose weight. You just didn't realize it

LovesDogsAndBooks

Well, I can't say for sure how many calories I was consuming then, although in my memory it seemed to be as many as got me heavy in the first place. So I have to assume that the calories I burnt through exercise must have put me in a deficit.

Thanks for taking the time to answer!