When did losing weight become hard?

jfarns1234

Typical athlete here who got older (40's) and all of a sudden got heavy. I'm in a career that causes me to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day and have an avocation where my appearance and fitness level is quite important.
I know that metabolism will slow as you age but the change in the last couple years has been drastic. To help I've joined this system to track calories a little better. But honestly it's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Little snacks add so many more calories than I thought it would. Measuring out some of my meals leaves me with portions that are much smaller than I thought it would be. It's only been a week but I feel like I'm starving. I'm tired. My workouts are sub-standard. And to top it off, I've only lost 3 pounds this week.
No real question here, just venting about how difficult this is. I'm used to eating whatever and so long as I hit the gym 4 to 5 times a week, I would be fine. But in the last couple years, it's all changed and trying to correct has been both eye opening and demoralizing.

puffbrat

jfarns1234 wrote: »

Typical athlete here who got older (40's) and all of a sudden got heavy. I'm in a career that causes me to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day and have an avocation where my appearance and fitness level is quite important.
I know that metabolism will slow as you age but the change in the last couple years has been drastic. To help I've joined this system to track calories a little better. But honestly it's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Little snacks add so many more calories than I thought it would. Measuring out some of my meals leaves me with portions that are much smaller than I thought it would be. It's only been a week but I feel like I'm starving. I'm tired. My workouts are sub-standard. And to top it off, I've only lost 3 pounds this week.
No real question here, just venting about how difficult this is. I'm used to eating whatever and so long as I hit the gym 4 to 5 times a week, I would be fine. But in the last couple years, it's all changed and trying to correct has been both eye opening and demoralizing.

Weight loss is one of those things that is simple but not easy. 3lbs is a lot in one week! For the hunger, make sure your deficit isn't too large and you are eating back exercise calories. Many people also find that more protein and fat improves satiety. You can do this!

kimny72

jfarns1234 wrote: »

Typical athlete here who got older (40's) and all of a sudden got heavy. I'm in a career that causes me to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day and have an avocation where my appearance and fitness level is quite important.
I know that metabolism will slow as you age but the change in the last couple years has been drastic. To help I've joined this system to track calories a little better. But honestly it's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Little snacks add so many more calories than I thought it would. Measuring out some of my meals leaves me with portions that are much smaller than I thought it would be. It's only been a week but I feel like I'm starving. I'm tired. My workouts are sub-standard. And to top it off, I've only lost 3 pounds this week.
No real question here, just venting about how difficult this is. I'm used to eating whatever and so long as I hit the gym 4 to 5 times a week, I would be fine. But in the last couple years, it's all changed and trying to correct has been both eye opening and demoralizing.

Expecting more than 3 lbs in one week might actually be your problem.

Unless you have 100+ lbs to lose, you shouldn't be expecting to lose that quickly. Pushing to lose as aggressively fast as possible IS going to be difficult. It's also not great for you.

Pick a reasonable goal. Log consistently. Give yourself a maintenance week every few months. Be patient, give yourself and your appetite a couple of weeks to get used to not eating everything you want.

Check out the Most Helpful Posts threads pinned to the top of each forum :drinker:

sijomial

"only lost 3lbs"
Only??? !!!
Reset your expectations - this is real life not some dumb weight loss show.

If you are tired all the time, workouts dragging, starving hungry you are doing it wrong and you won't sustain it for long.
Have a read of the sticky posts at the top of the getting started forum.
Then revisit your goal setup to ensure you are using this tool properly.

Losing weight doesn't have to be as hard as you are making it. Personally I found it far easier due to improved tools (like this one), food labelling and the availability of good information (if you can separate it from the terrible information that is far too common).

hesn92

I agree with the others. You lost 3 lbs in a week. That is a lot. You probably feel like you're starving and lacking energy because you're eating far less than you should be. I would re-evaluate your expectations. 1 lb a week is a reasonable goal for most people.

kgirlhart

If you think 3 pounds per week is not much then that is probably most of your problem. That is really aggressive. You don't say how much you need to lose, but unless you are very obese you don't want to lose more than 2 pounds per week. One pound per week is probably good, and if you need to lose 20 pounds or less then .5 pound per week is probably best. You should set your goal to lose .5 - 1 pound per week. Set to sedentary (since you have a desk job) and then add in your exercise and eat back at least half of the extra calories mfp gives you. Theoretically you can eat them all back, it just depends on how accurately your exercise burn is calculated so some people will start with half and adjust from there. And try to be patient. I felt hungry the first couple of weeks at a deficit, but once I got used to eating smaller portions I didn't feel as hungry as before. I started on here at 47 and have lost ~80lbs. I don't think it is age. I think it is the change in activity level going to a desk job. At least it was for me.

taylormoooon

Also agree with everyone that you should really aim for one 1-2 lbs a week max. It's only normal to lose more than that the first week when water weight tends to drop off quickly.

It's also a bit normal to be hungry around the first week just because you're changing your habits BUT like others said make sure you are eating plenty of protein and healthy fats because that will definitely make you fuller for longer. You should not feel starved - usually when people are, their calorie deficit is too big.

One more thing - expect water fluctuations. People can go up and down around 5lbs every day and that's normal as well. Ate more carbs? Expect water weight. Ate more salt? Expect water weight. Tried a new exercise or lift? You get the drill.

Weight loss is a patience game and it is in no way linear. Right now I only lose weight every other week. It's frustrating at times but I know that it's probably just water weight masking the loss since diet and exercise is consistent!

quiksylver296

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

mummy_h

What is water weight? How much water weight are you expected to gain from exercise etc?

jfarns1234

Thanks. I think the point of my original post was to express the frustration of a few keys points.
1) measuring the food really surprised me how small a serving really is.
2) choosing sedentary really showed a much more restrictive caloric intake on this site than I expected.

and the surprise at "only" 3 pounds lost was because I'd always thought the first week was a huge week for people who start a diet so I was surprised by the number.

When exercise always compensated for a lack of diet discipline in the past, I was a little surprised by week one. I'm in this for the long haul because my weight/fitness goals are not just to fit into nice pants. I want to continue being involved in sports as much as I've always been and I won't be able to do that at my current weight. These extra pounds are just too much for the joints. I'm just a little surprised at how my body has changed in the last couple years. That's all.

sijomial

jfarns1234 wrote: »

Thanks. I think the point of my original post was to express the frustration of a few keys points.
1) measuring the food really surprised me how small a serving really is.
2) choosing sedentary really showed a much more restrictive caloric intake on this site than I expected.

and the surprise at "only" 3 pounds lost was because I'd always thought the first week was a huge week for people who start a diet so I was surprised by the number.

When exercise always compensated for a lack of diet discipline in the past, I was a little surprised by week one. I'm in this for the long haul because my weight/fitness goals are not just to fit into nice pants. I want to continue being involved in sports as much as I've always been and I won't be able to do that at my current weight. These extra pounds are just too much for the joints. I'm just a little surprised at how my body has changed in the last couple years. That's all.

Weighing food and comparing to suggested serving sizes is very revealing isn't it?

Are you really sedentary? Many people simply think desk job = sedentary but in reality it's your whole lifestyle (excluding exercise). If you are sedentary then increasing your non-exercise movement pays dividends. It's not sexy but it is effective and a great habit to build. Stairs not elevators, walk don't ride, cycle don't drive, walk during lunchbreaks etc etc.

You can transform your body but it takes time, I didn't get my *kitten* in gear until my 50's so you are ahead of me.

hesn92

jfarns1234 wrote: »

Thanks. I think the point of my original post was to express the frustration of a few keys points.
1) measuring the food really surprised me how small a serving really is.
2) choosing sedentary really showed a much more restrictive caloric intake on this site than I expected.

and the surprise at "only" 3 pounds lost was because I'd always thought the first week was a huge week for people who start a diet so I was surprised by the number.

When exercise always compensated for a lack of diet discipline in the past, I was a little surprised by week one. I'm in this for the long haul because my weight/fitness goals are not just to fit into nice pants. I want to continue being involved in sports as much as I've always been and I won't be able to do that at my current weight. These extra pounds are just too much for the joints. I'm just a little surprised at how my body has changed in the last couple years. That's all.

I understand, it is quite shocking to see how many calories are actually in the things we eat. It is equally as shocking to experience what a huge difference working a sedentary job can make to your overall calorie burn. It can be a lot harder to maintain a healthy weight when the majority of your life is spent sitting, or at least you have to be a lot more conscious of how active you are outside of work and/or how much you eat. Living an active lifestyle really does make a huge difference (at least for me it does)

lorrpb

One key for me is to find ways to add bulk with minimal calories. Lots of veggies and salads for volume, and a good amount of protein throughout the day for satiety.

mom23mangos

Do you have a sit/stand desk? I just purchased one of these to use when standing at my desk to up my NEAT. I'm really enjoying it so far. Even just using it to shift my weight so I'm not locking out my knees.

girlwithcurls2

It's an eye-opening process after 40 for sure. I had no idea how (or where) the extra calories came from until I started logging. Second helpings, large first helpings, SNACKS! Alcohol. It all adds up so fast. I did find that as I got accustomed to eating more calorie dense foods and making different snack choices (or eliminating the non-hungry snacks), I was able to cut out a lot of extra calories. Also, I decided to find something fun to do physically. Learning to run slowly was actually way more fun than "going for a run" that was just way too stinkin fast. Also, learning to swim has been a great way to get a workout in because in order to learn, I had to show up and practice.

I figured that what I was doing (my eating and lack of exercising habits) was not sustainable for the rest of my life, so I decided to make little changes, one by one. As I got used to each one, I added another. Little by little, things became a habit. I've put on several extra pounds since I first lost, but it's because I got lazy logging (rookie mistake) and fell into the "but I had a great workout" excuse.

Hang in there. Knowledge is power. And if you make small changes and stick to them, you'll see results.

chocolate1902

I was athletic my whole life and still remain athletic at 55 I can still play a mean game of racquetball and handle myself on the basketball court. You’re doing the right thing by addressing this now but you must remain that discipline or into your 50s you’ll even be more shocked. If you’re also including weight training then you’re going to naturally gain muscle weight. Assuming you just re-started in this discipline. Remember, 85% of weight loss is diet. Stay strong, and be sure to include a interval training into your exercise routines.

alisonpinnell

34 here and i feel same, portion sizes are much smaller then most restaurants and not much wiggle room for treats...but after 1 week of this i feel not as craving junk food as bad. so good luck, it IS hard but u can do it! we have more to motivate us at this age, I don't want a heart attack and leave my babies motherless.