How to lose weight as a 48 yr old woman

isaott

Hey y'all,
I'm so confused and looking for some advise.
Ten years ago, I lost a ton of weight (about 24kg) by simply following the calories in vs calories out logic.
Over the last five years, the weight has been creeping up again and it's time to hit the brakes before it gets too bad.
But I'm struggling to get back into the habit of logging and exercising is a lot harder than it used to be. I've also got chronic gastritis so finding it difficult to figure out what I can eat.
Any tips or advice what I should focus on? I'm reading so many things about metabolic diets and keto diets and hormonal diets and menopause diets (no sign of that yet but who knows), that I'm questioning my sanity.
Help!

12Sarah2015

I’m finding calories in vs calories out is working just as much as it was 10 years ago. I do think making sure you have protein in your diet is important.

yirara

It works at any age. for how long have you been trying? The main reason why it doesn't seem to work is:
a) impatience. Especially as a woman with still somewhat of a cycle water retention can mask weight loss, especially if you don't have a lot to lose. Wait at least 6 weeks before re-evaulating
b) not tracking carefully enough. Do you use a foodscale for everything you eat?

isaott

Thank you! I have been pretty lazy with logging, struggling to get seriously back into it. But all I read about losing weight as a woman of a certain age had me questioning things.
I used to meticulously log every gram of food, gotta get back to that (while figuring it what to eat that will be goods for my stomach and stop me from being hungry all the time).

cmriverside

I lost 80ish pounds post menopause. There are quite a few others like me on this site. No special "diet" required, but I did gradually go toward mostly whole foods, and 5-8 servings of whole fruit or vegetables daily.

I logged food, took walks. Learned from my FOOD diary. I lost weight at the predicted rate. The main points of my food were, more protein and fiber, less wheat products (like one serving a day) and I tried to only very occasionally have an actual sweetened treat because I don't have a lot of control over desserts! Some days were better than others but such is life, yeah?

Rockmama1111

I’m 51 and have lost 24 pounds in 6 months.

Logging my food every day, no matter how much I eat, is THE most impactful change I made. That means I logged on through every binge (like Valentine cheese from my Dad!), every holiday, every trip, every pizza devoured. Some days were ugly, some days were super healthy, most were in between—but mindful, because I’m logging! I still eat a whole lot of “whatever I want” and have built a tasty roster of lower-calorie, high nutrition meals that I fit in wherever I can.

I get very nerdy with the data because I really want to up my nutrition game to help alleviate some age-related annoyances. I’ve been able to reduce joint stiffness…. That’s probably attributed to a combo of weight loss, lots of walking, and less alcohol, etc., but I don’t want to discount “more comfortable aging” as a HUGE motivator for getting control over your health at this stage of life.

I’m still working on hot flashes!

kshama2001

isaott wrote: »

Thank you! I have been pretty lazy with logging, struggling to get seriously back into it. But all I read about losing weight as a woman of a certain age had me questioning things.

Really the only relevant thing about weight loss as we age, which is true for men as well, is that people tend to be less active as they age so need less calories, which makes weight loss seem harder, when it's really just a byproduct of less Calories Out. It can also take longer to recover from injuries, which can also reduce Calories Out.

I used to meticulously log every gram of food, gotta get back to that (while figuring it what to eat that will be goods for my stomach and stop me from being hungry all the time).

As a 54 year old woman, I reduced fat to the MFP default of 30% or a little less, and made sure I hit my protein and fiber targets, which meant eating more lean meat and vegetables, and dropped almost 40 pounds without suffering. I did log meticulously.

Are you working with a specialist for your chronic gastritis?

spiriteagle99

I lost 50+ lbs when in my mid-50s. For me, being consistent in getting daily exercise made a difference as did logging everything I ate. There is no reason you can't lose weight in middle age. Issues like medications and low thyroid may make it harder, but CICO still works.

isaott

Are you working with a specialist for your chronic gastritis?

What you are saying makes a lot of sense. I've always been sedentary but now I feel I should be eating even less, which freaks me out a little.
I've started figuring out what I can handle and what my stomach doesn't like, sadly, the GP wasn't very helpful (other than telling me to eat only potatoes for a month 😳 but I've been reading a lot of books on low acid diets so I feel like I'm getting there). Most grains seem to disagree with my stomach and I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to all things bread but I'm getting there.

thesawyerbunch

For me, CICO just works. I eat whatever I want as long as it fits within my calorie limit. I still have my snacks and cheeseburgers, yet here I am still losing weight. It's as simple as just logging your daily food intake into the MFP app and making sure to not go over your calorie limit. I weigh myself once a week and try to stay hydrated; that's pretty much it.

AnnPT77

isaott wrote: »

Are you working with a specialist for your chronic gastritis?

What you are saying makes a lot of sense. I've always been sedentary but now I feel I should be eating even less, which freaks me out a little.
I've started figuring out what I can handle and what my stomach doesn't like, sadly, the GP wasn't very helpful (other than telling me to eat only potatoes for a month 😳 but I've been reading a lot of books on low acid diets so I feel like I'm getting there). Most grains seem to disagree with my stomach and I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to all things bread but I'm getting there.

Can you get a referral to a registered dietitian (RD), since you have a relevant health condition? Or perhaps access an RD some other way? Sometimes health clubs, supermarkets, or the like offer a free or low-cost RD consultation. Or, self-pay, if you can afford it.

Like others, I don't think you need to worry about special much-trumpeted popular diets like "metabolic diets and keto diets and hormonal diets and menopause diets"**, though it's possible that an RD would recommend a specific diet for you to try.

** I'm another who lost weight fine at an older age (59-60), in menopause, while severely hypothyroid (properly medicated), simply by calorie counting: 50+ pounds down in a bit under a year, obese to healthy weight, and have been at at healthy weight since, now 67.

If you've been sedentary, can you increase your calorie needs by moving more so as to lose at slightly higher calories than if fully sedentary? It needn't be some miserably intense gym-y exercise regimen, any reasonably enjoyable (at least tolerable) way of moving more will help a bit. Intentional exercise is great, but injecting more movement into daily life also helps. Various people share their ideas for daily life movement in this thread:

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

I can understand feeling discouraged in your circumstances, but I'm confident that you can work your way through the challenges to a successful outcome. I'm cheering for you!

isaott

AnnPT77 wrote: »

isaott wrote: »

Are you working with a specialist for your chronic gastritis?

What you are saying makes a lot of sense. I've always been sedentary but now I feel I should be eating even less, which freaks me out a little.
I've started figuring out what I can handle and what my stomach doesn't like, sadly, the GP wasn't very helpful (other than telling me to eat only potatoes for a month 😳 but I've been reading a lot of books on low acid diets so I feel like I'm getting there). Most grains seem to disagree with my stomach and I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to all things bread but I'm getting there.

Can you get a referral to a registered dietitian (RD), since you have a relevant health condition? Or perhaps access an RD some other way? Sometimes health clubs, supermarkets, or the like offer a free or low-cost RD consultation. Or, self-pay, if you can afford it.

Like others, I don't think you need to worry about special much-trumpeted popular diets like "metabolic diets and keto diets and hormonal diets and menopause diets"**, though it's possible that an RD would recommend a specific diet for you to try.

** I'm another who lost weight fine at an older age (59-60), in menopause, while severely hypothyroid (properly medicated), simply by calorie counting: 50+ pounds down in a bit under a year, obese to healthy weight, and have been at at healthy weight since, now 67.

If you've been sedentary, can you increase your calorie needs by moving more so as to lose at slightly higher calories than if fully sedentary? It needn't be some miserably intense gym-y exercise regimen, any reasonably enjoyable (at least tolerable) way of moving more will help a bit. Intentional exercise is great, but injecting more movement into daily life also helps. Various people share their ideas for daily life movement in this thread:

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

I can understand feeling discouraged in your circumstances, but I'm confident that you can work your way through the challenges to a successful outcome. I'm cheering for you!

Thank you so much for your reply and the encouragement! Much appreciated ❤️

kshama2001

isaott wrote: »

Are you working with a specialist for your chronic gastritis?

What you are saying makes a lot of sense. I've always been sedentary but now I feel I should be eating even less, which freaks me out a little.
I've started figuring out what I can handle and what my stomach doesn't like, sadly, the GP wasn't very helpful (other than telling me to eat only potatoes for a month 😳 but I've been reading a lot of books on low acid diets so I feel like I'm getting there). Most grains seem to disagree with my stomach and I'm having a hard time saying goodbye to all things bread but I'm getting there.

Wow! I'm a veteran and get my health care through the VA, and while I have a complaint or two about that, at least they are not shy about referring patients to specialists.

Do ask for a referral to a registered dietitian.

My mother has silent reflux and got the three "Dropping Acid" books. I glanced through the first two. I liked the first one, but the second had a vegan chef, and the author needs to be gluten free, and between the low acid, low fat, GF, and vegan recommendations, my mother, who hovers around Underweight anyway, wasn't getting enough calories.

However, since grains and acid are bothering you, and you want to lose weight, I will pass the title along: https://www.amazon.com/Koufmans-Acid-Reflux-Never-need-diet-again/dp/1940561035/

vivmom2014

Rockmama1111 wrote: »

I’m still working on hot flashes!

Me too. Year 10. What the WHAT. Where did I get the idea that heat flashes were a "one & done" (one year) deal? OMGGGGGGGGGG

OP, it's true: calorie counting is king. I just turned 60. I haven't given up bread, in fact, I slice those huge Safeway bagels into thirds and use a tablespoon of butter on 2/3. It's all recorded, it's a splurge (of sorts) that I'm willing to take. You really can keep your favorite foods, but you have to find creative ways to fit them in.

springlering62

Echoing what everyone else here has said. I started at 56, and lost over 40% of my starting weight, just counting calories and beginning to (and then ramping up because “who knew it was fun?”) to exercise.


I would like to say, though, my GERD From Hell vanished with the first twenty pounds or so I lost. I was astonished and so damn happy you can’t even comprehend. And mostly, mad at myself. My doctor had told me for years weight loss would help, but no, I continued to stuff my face with food and my gullet with antacids and pills. My word. I bet I kept the Tums company in the black for at least a decade. I’m still finding rolls I hid away for emergencies.

May you have the same happy experience as me.

isaott

However, since grains and acid are bothering you, and you want to lose weight, I will pass the title along: https://www.amazon.com/Koufmans-Acid-Reflux-Never-need-diet-again/dp/1940561035/

Thank you! I've got the other book by Dr. Koufman and it's been very helpful. Just need to stick with it, that's my challenge. As soon as I notice symptoms ease off, I think let's try bread again, and before I know it, I'm back to square one.

paperpudding

I found menopause made no difference to my calories in/calories out equation.

I lost weight to goal in 2013, age 50 and still having regular periods.

By the time I was 54, I had my last period - my maitenance equation of 1710 calories did not change - I ate same amount and my excercise level did not significantly change during those years and my weight stayed the same on the same calorie level. As it still is.

I did not follow any specific diet.

Edintokyo

vivmom2014 wrote: »

Rockmama1111 wrote: »

You really can keep your favorite foods, but you have to find creative ways to fit them in.

Could ‘t agree more. That’s calorie awareness in a nutshell.