Used to Losing a LB a Day now takes a week - AGING...

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gia_incognito
gia_incognito Posts: 103 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm in my late 30's and weight just doesn't come off as easily. Even if I am sticking to the plan! In my teenage years and twenties I could lose a pound a day and keep it off, eating 1600-1200 calories a day. Now, eating the same amount nothing happens. Or happens SLOWLY.

Is this just age? Has anyone found a way to keep your metabolism moving even as you age?

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  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Mine still goes up or down the same dependant on my calorie consumption.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    A pound a week is the expected rate of loss. If you were losing a pound a day you weren't doing things correctly.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,981 Member
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    I'm guessing losing a pound a day in her teens and 20s meant and "keeping it off" meant that every time she was 2 or 3 lbs over her ideal weight, she cut back to 1200 to 1600 kcal for a few days, lost some water weight and maybe a pound of fat and muscle, went back to something at or just below maintenance for a few weeks ("keeping it off"), until the next time she ate a little over maintenance and the weight came back.

    Also, OP, unless this ability to lose a pound a day is based on one instance, it doesn't sound like you were able to keep it off, because you had to do it again, right?
  • gia_incognito
    gia_incognito Posts: 103 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    I'm guessing losing a pound a day in her teens and 20s meant and "keeping it off" meant that every time she was 2 or 3 lbs over her ideal weight, she cut back to 1200 to 1600 kcal for a few days, lost some water weight and maybe a pound of fat and muscle, went back to something at or just below maintenance for a few weeks ("keeping it off"), until the next time she ate a little over maintenance and the weight came back.

    Also, OP, unless this ability to lose a pound a day is based on one instance, it doesn't sound like you were able to keep it off, because you had to do it again, right?

    I was able to lose a pound a day for most of my life. Not really in the way that you described, but close. Now I can lose a pound the first two days and then the next several weeks it's only about a pound a week. I know this is "normal" but it just doesn't seem efficient.

    Granted I don't have a lot to lose. I'm 140 now at 5'7" and want to get to 125. My body seems to just stay the same, maybe it likes being 140? I feel like I'm starving now even when I have 1400 cals a day.

    Maybe I'm just more intolerant to hunger now. IDK!
  • gia_incognito
    gia_incognito Posts: 103 Member
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    Also, by keeping it off I meant I could keep it off for several years until something happened like stress and then I'd gain back. My low weight is 120, the highest I've been is 160. On average I'm 130-145. If I don't diet at all and eat whatever I want I stay around 140.

    I just notice that now I'm kind of "thin-fat" these days and not bikini ready (in my mind). Maybe more strength training?!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Patience grasshopper, patience.
  • gia_incognito
    gia_incognito Posts: 103 Member
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    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    Patience grasshopper, patience.

    Ughh but it's sooo slowwwww. Fiiine. :smile:
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    1-2 pounds a week is a safe, healthy rate of loss. Aiming to lose weight 7 times faster than that is not.
  • MeteoraTitanium
    MeteoraTitanium Posts: 102 Member
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    To keep your metabolism healthy keep eating a healthy diet and regular excersise. Oh and have patience and trust mfp. I lost all the weight I want to lose, been maintaining for about a year.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    If you were actually losing 1 Lb per day of fat on 1600 calories that means your maintenance would have been 5,100 calories per day which would mean you were incredibly active...and even then I find it far fetched. This is all math...it would largely be impossible to actually lose 1 Lb of fat per day.

    Your basal metabolism doesn't slow down that significantly as we age...what does happen is that we tend to become more sedentary as we age...less active jobs, etc.

    Still, 1-2 Lb per week is what is considered a healthy rate of loss...actually losing 1 Lb per day would be incredibly unhealthy.
  • summerresolution
    summerresolution Posts: 651 Member
    edited July 2018
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    gia_incognito wrote: »

    Is this just age? Has anyone found a way to keep your metabolism moving even as you age?

    I read somewhere age doesn't slow it down. It's really that we aren't as active as we were back in the day. For me personally, I can see this being true.
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    If you were actually losing 1 Lb per day of fat on 1600 calories that means your maintenance would have been 5,100 calories per day which would mean you were incredibly active...and even then I find it far fetched. This is all math...it would largely be impossible to actually lose 1 Lb of fat per day.

    Your basal metabolism doesn't slow down that significantly as we age...what does happen is that we tend to become more sedentary as we age...less active jobs, etc.

    Still, 1-2 Lb per week is what is considered a healthy rate of loss...actually losing 1 Lb per day would be incredibly unhealthy.

    This all the way!!
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    You're already at a healthy weight for your height, so even 1 lb per week is probably unrealistic. As for the "thin-fat" - it's unlikely that losing more weight is going change that. It sounds like you are in a good place to consider a recomp, in which you decrease body fat and either maintain or gain a little muscle. You look more "toned" and may see a drop in clothing size, but the scale stays pretty close to where you are.
  • Sam29a
    Sam29a Posts: 201 Member
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    I only wish it was possible for me to lose 1 lb a week! I lose that in a month nowadays, if anything. This past month I have lost 4 ounces after working out so hard and counting every calorie.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    gia_incognito wrote: »
    Also, by keeping it off I meant I could keep it off for several years until something happened like stress and then I'd gain back. My low weight is 120, the highest I've been is 160. On average I'm 130-145. If I don't diet at all and eat whatever I want I stay around 140.

    I just notice that now I'm kind of "thin-fat" these days and not bikini ready (in my mind). Maybe more strength training?!

    Yeah, I'd suggest focusing on building some muscle. You are already in the healthy weight range for your height and aiming for the bottom of the range. That is very hard to do and WILL be slow. Building some more muscle may make you happier with how you look without having to lose much if any weight.

    Check out this post when you get a chance:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1
  • gia_incognito
    gia_incognito Posts: 103 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    gia_incognito wrote: »
    Also, by keeping it off I meant I could keep it off for several years until something happened like stress and then I'd gain back. My low weight is 120, the highest I've been is 160. On average I'm 130-145. If I don't diet at all and eat whatever I want I stay around 140.

    I just notice that now I'm kind of "thin-fat" these days and not bikini ready (in my mind). Maybe more strength training?!

    Yeah, I'd suggest focusing on building some muscle. You are already in the healthy weight range for your height and aiming for the bottom of the range. That is very hard to do and WILL be slow. Building some more muscle may make you happier with how you look without having to lose much if any weight.

    Check out this post when you get a chance:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

    I guess I never thought of it that way as far as my goal being at the bottom of the range and therefore it might be slower. Thanks for the link too!

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