Feeling Discouraged

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Hello all. I will be 51 in April. I’ve really packed on the pounds this past year. I’m not a big eater. It’s just my hubby and I so we don’t bring in a lot of sweets and I don’t drink soda. I have always had very physical jobs. The past three years I’ve had a sedentary job and I don’t exercise much. Especially this year because of Achilles tendon surgery. Two weeks ago I started low carb with intermittent fasting 16/8. I’ve only lost two lbs. My metabolism not optimal at all. My carb intake is less than 25g a day. My calories are around 1200. SW 233 CW 230 I’m struggling with getting enough fiber to keep me regular. I’m at a loss.

Megan_smartiepants1970

You gotta be patient ... it takes time to lose weight and the older we get the harder it is .... instead of focusing on the scale maybe trying measuring yourself (scale doesn't always cooperate ) wishing you the very best

AnnPT77

I don't know whether this is good or bad news from your perspective, but recent research suggests our metabolism doesn't change much from 20s to 60s:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34385400/

For sure, though, being more sedentary does make a difference, potentially a surprisingly big one. I'm talking not just formal exercise, but day to day stuff. Plus, if we don't do things to keep up our muscle mass as we age, that leads us to burn slightly few calories at rest daily, plus makes it less easy and less fun to move, so we may do less and less of it, increasing our weight management challenge. It can become a down-spiral of less movement, less fitness, even less movement, muscle mass loss . . . etc.

Personally, I think it's good news that our metabolism doesn't tank in middle age, because it means the control levers are in our hands: Maintain or gain muscle mass, move more, get fitter, manage calorie intake . . . reverse the spiral down into a spiral up. We can do those things, if we choose.

A few specifics:

* It's very easy to gain weight on healthy foods in what seems like reasonable quantities. I did that, but stayed overweight to obese for around 30 years. (I'm 67 now, after losing from class 1 obese to a healthy weight at 59-60.)

* Calorie counting can be a good tool, but it's a surprisingly subtle tool. It's easy to make some accuracy slips without realizing it, and be eating more calories than we think. If you open your diary in MFP, some of the old hands might be willing to take a look and see if anything jumps out. Most anyone who's been doing it for a while will've learned some things from experience (the hard way!) that they can share.

* In my experience, it's calories that control my weight, though nutrition can have an indirect effect through fatigue or cravings. I didn't low carb, didn't IF, and still lost weight. Some people find that IF or low carb help them more easily or happily eat fewer calories, but beyond that neither will guarantee weight loss.

* A pound a week is a good loss rate - something most people can sustain for the length of time it will realistically take to lose a meaningful total amount of weight. However, two weeks isn't really long enough to get a reasonable per-week average. I'd say go for 4-6 weeks on a new regimen, and compare weight at the same relative point in at least two different menstrual cycles if you still have those.

* I find that if I get generous amounts of varied, colorful veggies and fruit, it's not difficult to get well above normal fiber recommendations. Personally, I also find those filling, though people vary in that respect. I know that if you're finding low carb helpful, you need to be selective about veggies and fruits, but there are still some good low-carb choices. Consider eating more veggies/fruits, if you can. It's OK to use a fiber supplement (like psyllium husk) temporarily while you work out how to get more from food. I'd caution anyone to increase fiber gradually, though, and get enough fluids and fats alongside, or constipation can occur. Obviously, too-low fiber can also cause constipation. No matter the cause, constipation can increase scale weight until things get moving again.

* Exercise is optional for weight loss, and for sure extremely demanding vigorous exercise is unnecessary. (Sometimes intense exercise can even be counterproductive, via fatigue.) That said, exercise is good for health, and as I alluded earlier, getting fitter makes movement easier and more fun, thus more likely to happen automagically.

There are lots of exercise videos on YouTube that are seated exercise, so wouldn't stress your Achilles, if that's still an issue. (They're not just exercises for frail elders either: They're varied, all the way up to things aimed at wheelchair athletes. Not that there's anything wrong with exercises for frail elders: We all start where we are now, but can make pretty great progress from there anyway, with patience and persistence, at any age.) If you're able to walk or do pool exercise or yoga or something, those can be pretty fun and manageable. There are lots of options. Any amount of added movement helps.

* Working at increasing daily life (non-exercise) movement can make a surprisingly big impact on calorie expenditure. Lots of MFP-ers share their ideas in the thread linked below. Some of those ideas won't be practical for you, probably, but I'd bet some could work.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

I understand that it can be really frustrating if progress is slower than we're expecting or aiming for. I'd encourage you to hang in there, because losing any significant amount of weight is a thing that favors patience and persistence. It also requires developing some new knowledge and skills, and that takes time, too.

Even the fastest realistic weight loss, like a couple of pounds a week (only suitable for someone with many tens of pounds to lose) is going to take weeks, months, maybe even a small number of years, if we have quite a lot to lose. I averaged about a pound a week loss for just under a year, faster at first and slower at the end.

I don't know about you, but for me, if I'm going to do something for a whole year, I need to focus on how to make it relatively easy, very sustainable, or it won't end well. Sometimes a slow loss rate can get a person to goal weight in less calendar time than some more extreme approach that triggers periodic overeating, has frustration/impracticality-imposed breaks, or even makes a person give up altogether because it's too hard to stick with.

You can do this. Many people do this, just regular people, not special. That includes people your age, and older. (I was older). That includes some people with severe movement limitations. (There have been some folks here who were wheelchair users who lost large amounts of weight, for example.) There are ways around, over, through or otherwise past the obstacles that arise, if a person just keeps going and adjusting when some tactic isn't working. Patience, persistence, and personalization of tactics are key, IMO.

I'm cheering for you, wishing you great success, because it's for sure worth it. Hang in there!

88olds

Ditto @AnnPT77

beachme14

OP - I’m also turning 51 in April and can say that after successfully losing 20-30 pounds TWICE in the last 9 years—— this time around is INSANELY harder. Since I have done this before I know how to do it but it honestly feels like something in my body is fighting against me now. I’m still trying though if for no other reason than it makes me feel better than when I’m not trying. And maybe at some point something will kick back into gear. Send me a friend request if you want Just wanted you to know you’re not alone

ninerbuff

2 weeks isn't a long enough time to get into a groove. Water weight is usually the first loss and fat weight takes a good amount of time. Patience. You SHOULD involve some physical activity as well because eventually dieting only will reduce your metabolic rate faster.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

sarabushby

1lb a week is actually a great rate of loss that many would be envious of so please recognise that, don’t have such high expectations. The weight didn’t go on that fast so it won’t come off that fast either. Play your best long game. If it helps you then set mini milestones and celebrate meeting those. You need to be ok that this is going to take a while.

kelnewt

I hear you! I'm 45 but already menopausal and I feel like the weight is just piling on. While weight loss has always required effort for me, I never had a problem maintaining weight before this past couple years. I think that's why I'm having a hard time getting motivated to lose weight. I'm definitely less active overall as a result of job changes, and I'm sure that factors into it.

norrkat

I’ll be 51 in April as well. Good company! I’ve been working on improving my health for the last year. I lost 80 lbs before starting on mfp, and I have about another 80 to go, so it’s a long haul. I’m focused on clean eating, activity, and sustainable efforts.

I’m curious how it’s going now! Any updates?

crewcutbear

I had a wake up call at my last physical in December-my weight was starting to be a problem. My doctor was kind (This is your greatest weight EVER!) but I didn't want that to be my strong point. I started really small, to try to eat healthier. I started with a goal to eat a salad at least five times a week-it could be home made, or pre packaged from the supermarket or something from the hospital cafeteria where I work. The first week was a little awkward to be putting lettuce and spinach in my mouth, but some salads had raisins and strawberries, too. After the second week, I started to feel like a bowl full of greens and some fruit was enough to fill me up-and vegetables have few calories and plenty of fiber. I have made other changes too, like instead of drinking diet coke constantly at work, I can drink carbonated water or sometimes I drink the powdered mixes with greens in them. One I like has a cinnamon taste, another, clearly greens. After about two months, I have slid into the habit of not drinking ANY soda at work and the salad gig has taken off as I fill up my grocery cart at the vegetable aisle and try new stuff. This week, I tried dragon fruit-looks really cool and has nutritional value but I probably won't buy it again. I am hoping to encourage others is saying SLOW, SMALL changes over a few weeks, can sneakily become big changes over time as I have lost about a pound a week. I am impatient, but at least I am heading in the right direction and I won't top my "greatest weight ever" I hope..