Females - Mid-Fifties 20 lb. Weight Loss Seems Impossible

fitmom4lifemfp

CMNVA wrote: »

fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »

I am 61. I also have always been a runner until I had a new hip in 2014, and a meniscus tear repaired last summer. I still run, but only a couple days a week and even then it's short and slow. I want to lose 11 more pounds (I gained a few over the last couple of years) and it is really hard without my nightly runs. I have had to really increase my other activity to make up for that as I have a desk job and that makes it so much harder. I am losing, but slowly - about .25 pound a week in the last month. I am averaging around 1100 calories a week.

Yeah, those desk jobs make it tough. It's embarrassing how little steps I can get in. I don't exercise all that much due to time contraints. At 61, are you doing strength/resistance training? I'm not. Last fall I did Couch to 5K but I think I'm going to concentrate more on building muscle mass to help with the burning calories.

My "normal" has been to do a full-body workout at least twice a week. That means about 20-22 different free weight/machine sessions. Generally takes me about 2.5 hours to do everything I want to do. My ideal is to do that 3 times a week, and that HAS been my normal, for damn near 35 years - the gym feels like home to me. Unfortunately the last 2 years that has been more difficult - elderly parent issues have put a serious crimp in what little free time I have. And in April I started renovating my kitchen...and THAT has been a massive timesucker. The other issue is I used to have a gym across the street from work (a fireman/police gym) and that is where I went every day at lunch. They moved us to a new location (it SUCKS) last fall so that has made a major change in daily fitness. Very pissed about that...and counting down to retirement even harder because of it.

So yeah...for people that have a lot of crap going on, it's damn hard to get in the exercise. I did run last night, well I ran about 1.75 miles and walked 2. That felt good. But I did that at the expense of going to the gym as I needed to work on my kitchen.

fitmom4lifemfp

fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »

I am 61. I also have always been a runner until I had a new hip in 2014, and a meniscus tear repaired last summer. I still run, but only a couple days a week and even then it's short and slow. I want to lose 11 more pounds (I gained a few over the last couple of years) and it is really hard without my nightly runs. I have had to really increase my other activity to make up for that as I have a desk job and that makes it so much harder. I am losing, but slowly - about .25 pound a week in the last month. I am averaging around 1100 calories a week.

Yikes I meant a DAY! Sheesh.

AnnPT77

candylilacs wrote: »

Your move to hiking could prove it's muscle mass. At 1400 calories, you're a little low. I would eat 1500-1600 calories.

Sadly, it can't be muscle mass.

Under ideal conditions - which include a calorie surplus and a solid progressive weight lifting program - gaining a quarter pound of muscle per week would be an excellent result for a young woman.

For those of us 50+, in a calorie deficit, doing mostly cardio with limited lifting, substantial or speedy muscle mass gain isn't gonna happen. We can preserve muscle, we can even gain strength . . . but we're not remotely likely to add any muscle mass while losing weight.

dotwilldoit

I agree with so many here.. give it time. And yes you can do this. I am almost 59 post menopausal and lost 37 pounds. I run about 20 miles a week..and at a quicker pace with my lower weight!

Unlike previous poster, I did gain muscle mass. That is just the way I am.. I get muscles. I lost inches more than pounds at first actually. I noticed hysteresis where good decisions took time to accumulate

So stick with it.. make sure you measure correctly, log everything and it does sounds like you are doing what I did wrt sugar carbs and exercise.

Congrats to Christine for beating cancer.
One thing I love about mfp is how supportive everyone is. You got this!

AnnPT77

dotwilldoit wrote: »

I agree with so many here.. give it time. And yes you can do this. I am almost 59 post menopausal and lost 37 pounds. I run about 20 miles a week..and at a quicker pace with my lower weight!

Unlike previous poster, I did gain muscle mass. That is just the way I am.. I get muscles. I lost inches more than pounds at first actually. I noticed hysteresis where good decisions took time to accumulate

So stick with it.. make sure you measure correctly, log everything and it does sounds like you are doing what I did wrt sugar carbs and exercise.

Congrats to Christine for beating cancer.
One thing I love about mfp is how supportive everyone is. You got this!

OK, I'll back off a little: Some previously inactive, but obese, women who start a strength-building activity can add some muscle as novice exercisers. It's going to be much slower than any observable reasonable fat loss rate, though: We don't gain so much muscle mass in as few weeks that it equals the fat lost via a significant weight loss deficit over that same time period.

Water weight gain (related to muscle repair) can mask fat loss for a few pounds' time, and that's pretty common among women who start a substantial exercise program at the same time they cut calories sharply . . . but muscle gain is slow.

I'm not saying older women can't gain muscle. We can, and I have. But we don't do it speedily, and it's less likely when we're in a substantial calorie deficit.

I'm just trying to counter the idea that the reason someone in a substantial calorie deficit isn't losing weight because she's gaining equal muscle mass in a few short weeks. I wish!

fitmom4lifemfp

dotwilldoit wrote: »

I agree with so many here.. give it time. And yes you can do this. I am almost 59 post menopausal and lost 37 pounds. I run about 20 miles a week..and at a quicker pace with my lower weight!

Unlike previous poster, I did gain muscle mass. That is just the way I am.. I get muscles. I lost inches more than pounds at first actually. I noticed hysteresis where good decisions took time to accumulate

Same here. When I lost 60 pounds, back 13+ years ago, I hit the gym hard (had really slacked off the 5 years before). I absolutely gained muscle. Completely redefined my body.

nicolewc

Good evening Ladies. So many helpful comments here, and such wonderful support. That flow chart is inspiring. Thanks to all of you.