Trying to lose at 49

taekhi

It seems that as I get closer to 50, keeping the weight off and losing it is much more challenging though I am active. I’ve gained 5 pounds and in the process of trying unsuccessfully to lose it, seem to have gained 5 more. Maybe it’s due to my age, to stress from a busy schedule and maybe due to approaching menopause. I’m here for support, inspiration and motivation. Has anyone over 49yo lost weight successfully? Anyone else going through this too?

AnnPT77

taekhi wrote: »

It seems that as I get closer to 50, keeping the weight off and losing it is much more challenging though I am active. I’ve gained 5 pounds and in the process of trying unsuccessfully to lose it, seem to have gained 5 more. Maybe it’s due to my age, to stress from a busy schedule and maybe due to approaching menopause. I’m here for support, inspiration and motivation. Has anyone over 49yo lost weight successfully? Anyone else going through this too?

Yup, I lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight at age 59-60, after around 30 previous years of overweight/obesity. Of course I was menopausal by then. (I'm also severely hypothyroid, if that matters - I think it doesn't, since I'm properly medicated for it.) I've maintained a healthy weight for 7+ years since, so far.

The good or bad news is that research** suggests our future metabolism doesn't change much from our 20s into our 60s, and only quite gradually after that.

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

For many of us, what does change - often very gradually and subtly - is that we lose muscle mass as we age, and our daily lives tend to become less physical and more sedentary. Both can be so slow that we don't really notice it happening. I don't know about you, but 20-something me had a very different lifestyle than 67-year-old me!

We can get into a slow down-spiral of muscle loss (because we aren't challenging it to remind our body we need it, maybe aren't eating enough protein) plus reduced activity (so burning fewer calories and losing other physical capabilities in addition to muscle loss). Those things make being active less easy and less fun, so we do even less, lose even more capabilities . . . slowly, like that old saw about boiling a frog by heating the pot slowly so they don't notice.

On top of that, often the people around us are going through similar cycles, so it all seems normal and natural. But we can reverse the cycle, and make improvements . . . at almost any age.

For sure it's good news that both muscle mass loss and activity are under our direct control, as is our food intake. (BTW, "activity" is not just formal exercise, but also how we live our daily lives.)

This isn't your age, but this is one of many threads that might give you an idea that older women can succeed:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10047153/55-65-year-old-womens-success/p1

One thing I'd say is that there may be some threads here (and articles/groups elsewhere) where the main focus seems to be talking about "it's so hard" (to lose in peri-menopause, in menopause, as a middle-aged woman, whatever), and "it's so hard" sort of becomes a bonding experience. Empathy and understanding are great things, but they doesn't burn any calories, and that focus can potentially at worst become a self-justification for staying stuck.

Getting unstuck, losing weight, getting more fit . . . those are possible at any age, IMO. IMO, the only point of focusing on obstacles is to figure out how to get around, under, over, through or otherwise past them. Anything else is a waste of time and energy. I'm not saying there are no challenges! There are some, for sure. But success is possible . . . and in my experience, the quality of life improvement is 100% worth the commitment and effort.

Wishing you success!

taekhi

Thank you for the information and links.