A certain age …

chrissielt7238
chrissielt7238 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone have any weight loss tips for a 50 plus woman ? It’s so hard …

Replies

  • barbarae130
    barbarae130 Posts: 16 Member
    It's not all down to what you eat especially if going through menopause- which the majority of us females do at 50+ ....

    I'm in that age bracket too, and Over the last 6-8 weeks (not all recorded here) I slowly changed a lot of habits. I'd recommend investing in a PT for a few sessions to get a programme that suits you as your body stores calories in slightly different places now unfortunately.

    Balance you blood sugars by eating small and often, every 3 hrs - this stops the craving for sugar kicks from treats.

    There's so much at this stage of our lives we need to balance.

    Start small. Build the habits. Get the head focused first and the body will follow 👍
  • MacLowCarbing
    MacLowCarbing Posts: 350 Member
    chrissielt7238 wrote: »
    Anyone have any weight loss tips for a 50 plus woman ? It’s so hard …

    Hello. I'm 54. LOL remember at 25 or 30, you go on a diet and drop like 10 lbs so easy? Every decade that goes by it gets harder. The struggle is real, lol. But it can be done and many do it.

    The way I see it, it's important to find a diet that is not just a temporary thing, but a way of eating that is something you can sustain for life, and change your lifestyle to go with it.

    I don't believe in any one-size-fits-all diet. Some people do better as vegetarians, some do better with learning to balance their meals, I personally do best since going very low carb/keto. We all have different preferences, lifestyles, metabolisms, health issues, fitness levels, etc... so you gotta look for what works for you. Starting with the diet that you think is most sustainable for you is a good start, and tweak it as you go along if necessary.

    My other best advice-- if you have any trigger foods (foods you can't seem to control yourself around and that trigger cravings), just cut them out altogether. Give them up, at least for now. And if you have any buffer foods (foods that you're okay around that satisfy certain kinds of cravings without making you go overboard, and you enjoy them) make sure to include them regularly to keep yourself happy. And if you're not sure what are your trigger foods or buffer foods, well, that's something to discover... it helps.

    As long as there is a continuous calorie deficit with few exceptions, the weight loss follows. So hang in there! You can do this.

    ~Mac

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I lost 80ish pounds when I was over 50. I've kept it off for years now.

    My suggestions:
    • Log your food
    • Study your FOOD diary each day
    • Take a walk every day
    • Step on the body weight scale every day and record it

    Other than that? It doesn't matter about the number of meals. Find a way of eating that is comfortable for YOU. I tried the tiny meals thing and it was miserable for me. I eat two large meals and one small (200 calorie) snack in between them when I'm losing weight. I cut back on breads, pasta, and potatoes. I make sure to eat up to my Goals on protein and fat and then carbs just fall where they fall after that.

    Log food. Most important thing, in my opinion.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    chrissielt7238 wrote: »
    Anyone have any weight loss tips for a 50 plus woman ? It’s so hard …

    Where exactly are you struggling?
  • droothompson
    droothompson Posts: 10 Member
    Find an eating style that works for you. Balanced carbs/protein/fat. Low fat. High Protein. It doesn't matter. Find a set of foods (obviously baseline nutrition needs must be me, and you need to pay attention to fibre).... but find a set that works for you. Then find an eating pattern that works for you. I am eating 5 times a day, ~350 calories each. Some meals are bigger, some smaller. Now, I"m a big man, so 1750cal/day for me is somewhat lowish - and i'm dropping weight faster than is sustainable, so i need to up that to about 2100 -- but that's for me. MFP can give you a baseline calorie goal, and then you can (and should) adjust it up or down based on what results you are getting after 2, 4, and 8 weeks.

    Log *all* your food and water. I connected my MFP to Google fit for steps and sleep tracking. LOG it.
    If you log it, you get a good picture of exactly how much you are eating -- and I think 99% of us are stunned at how much more food is going into us than we are normally picturing in our heads.

    Exercise. It doesn't have to be gutbusting. I use a 22-minute HIIT plan off Youtube 3 days a week, and am easing into a weightlifting plan the other 3 days -- but it doesn't really matter what you do for the first 6 months - just *move*. And don't start with the 10k steps a day nonsense. Start with 1500 steps the first week - because pretty much all of us will do that easy. Easy win - checkmarks on goals *feel* good.

    Then set 2k for week 2. Because you'll be aware you can do the 1500, and its only a little push to get to 2000.....

    and so on. Small, manageable , attainable physical activity goals, and a sensible plan with food you enjoy.....

    All the advice looks so complicated on so many forums and websites. it isn't - it's 2 things. A sensible eating plan that you *track and adjust* so that you enjoy food while knowing exactly what you're eating, and a slowly progressive physical activity plan. The more aggressive the plan and the food setup, the faster you lose weight -- but there's a balance between aggressive planning and sustainability - and its different for everyone. You're the only one who can decide when you've reached it -- and its ok to seesaw around it a little while you figure it out. I think most people don't ADMIT they do ... but I also think most people guess wrong a few times on the way to 'sorting it out.'
  • knoxy550
    knoxy550 Posts: 22 Member
    Hi coming back after a long break (2 stone heavier break :( ) and I can't remember the rule on deficit on calories. Answered questions and allowed 1368 cals, to lose weight do I need to eat below that amount? I do very little in way of exercise as well. Thank you in advance for your relies.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2023
    knoxy550 wrote: »
    Hi coming back after a long break (2 stone heavier break :( ) and I can't remember the rule on deficit on calories. Answered questions and allowed 1368 cals, to lose weight do I need to eat below that amount? I do very little in way of exercise as well. Thank you in advance for your relies.

    @knoxy550 one of the questions you answered was about your weekly weight loss goal. Assuming you chose a rate of loss, the calories you got are what you need to meet that goal.

    Many people initially choose an overly aggressive goal. Here's a good guide:

    9kjwnia17qv9.jpg
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    knoxxy550 - did you state that you wanted to maintain your weight or lose? What rate of loss? If you stated that you wanted to lose a pound a week, then that goal reflects the 500 calorie deficit you need to lose a pound a week. If you said you wanted to maintain and it gave you 1368, then you need to eat less than that. MFP will not give a woman less than 1200 minimum as it is difficult to get sufficient nutrition at less than that.

    To the OP: I lost 55 lbs. in my early 50s and have kept that weight off for the past 10 years. I am also hypothyroid, but it is controlled with meds so no longer affects my weight. People usually gain weight or have a hard time losing it as they get older because they move less. Jobs tend to be more sedentary and you no longer are running around after the kids (unless you live with your grandchildren.) We become efficient at saving effort. We also tend to have long time habits that work against us, like fattening coffee drinks or alcoholic drinks before dinner. To lose weight, you need to log everything you put in your mouth and figure out where your calories are coming from and what you can live without. You need to make a conscious effort to be more active. That is essential not just for weight loss, but you are at a point in your life where health concerns start to cause trouble. For so many issues, exercise is one of the best ways of lowering risks or improving outcomes.
  • knoxy550
    knoxy550 Posts: 22 Member
    Thank you for your reply and table
    excuse me if I'm being stupid. Opposite 0.5lbs which I'm aiming for it says 250 cal deficit that is to be subtracted from 2000 cals allowed for women, which would be 1750 cals, so I should be eating that amount of cals. Apologies again for question but I had a severe period of depression over the summer and it takes a while for things to sink in.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,222 Member
    knoxy550 wrote: »
    Thank you for your reply and table
    excuse me if I'm being stupid. Opposite 0.5lbs which I'm aiming for it says 250 cal deficit that is to be subtracted from 2000 cals allowed for women, which would be 1750 cals, so I should be eating that amount of cals. Apologies again for question but I had a severe period of depression over the summer and it takes a while for things to sink in.

    Where are you finding that 2000 calorie number - what web site, app, or whatever? I don't see it in the post above.

    I hope that source makes it clear that 2000 calories is not a standard amount of calories that applies for all women.

    Calorie needs to stay at the same weight (maintenance calories) are very individual. Things that make a differece are our age, current weight, height, level of activity in our daily life (job, home chores), and more. There are calculators (like the one built into MFP) that will make an estimate for you, but even that calorie level may need to be adjusted once you get 4-6 weeks of personalized experience data (calorie intake and body weight).

    Yes, for anyone, subtracting 250 from true maintenance calories should result in about half a pound of weight loss.

    What I'd suggest you do:

    * Put your personal info into the MFP profile.
    * Tell it you want to lose half a pound a week.
    * Follow that estimate for 4-6 weeks.
    * Calculate your actual average weight loss per week over that time period. (Use a full menstrual cycle, from the same relative point in at least two different cycles, if you have those cycles).
    * If your weekly average loss is very different from the half a pound a week you intended, adjust your calorie goal up (to lose slower than you have been) or down (to lose faster).
    * Repeat that multi-week process until your loss is as you expect/want.

    If you do exercise, that makes it a tiny bit more complicated: You'll need to eat more to fuel it, but let's keep it simple for now and ignore that.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,222 Member
    OP, I'm another 50-plus woman. Back in 2015-16, when I was 59-60, I lost 50+ pounds, from class 1 obese to a healthy weight. I've stayed at a healthy weight since, now age 67. I'm severely hypothyroid (but properly medicated).

    I didn't materially change my exercise routine to lose weight. (I was already active, had been for a dozen years while remaining overweight/obese.) I didn't change the range of foods I ate. (I changed the portion sizes, proportions on the plate, frequencies of some calorie dense things.) I didn't start some different new eating schedule.

    I started logging, noticed foods that "cost" too many calories for the tastiness, satiation, nutrition, or other goodness I was getting from them. I ate less of those things, hit my calorie goal. I lost weight. Along the way, I found and practiced new habits I could keep up long term to stay at a healthy weight, after getting there.

    This process is not different when we're over 50. Research suggests that our metabolism is quite consistent from our 20s to our 60s. Even in our 60s, changes are pretty slow, and somewhat under our control. Here's the study:

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

    So what is it that changes?

    If we're inactive, we lose muscle mass as we age by not using it to remind our body we want to keep it. That means we burn slightly fewer calories at rest, but mostly means that moving becomes harder and less fun, so we avoid it more. That creates a negative spiral of more inactivity and more muscle loss. We can reverse that.

    In addition, many of us have less physical lives at 50 than we had at 20.

    In my 20s, I had a more physical job, used public transportation (walked to the bus) or my bike more, was in a life phase where I was doing various home and garden improvement projects myself, had a social life that was more likely to include active games/sports/walking, and more.

    At 50, my job was very sedentary, I drove my car everywhere I went, hired out the few big home/garden projects that were still happening, had a social life of more restaurants and theaters. Some people have young families in their 20s, so are chasing toddlers.

    All of that stuff makes a surprisingly big difference in daily calorie needs - hundreds of calories per day. We can reverse that, too.

    I'm with the previous posters: The key thing for me was to switch my brain from "I ought to lose weight" to "I'm committed to lose weight". It demands changes in habits, but IME the process doesn't need to be miserable.

    Once committed, the only reason to think about an obstacle or challenge is to plan how to get over, around, through, or otherwise past it. Anything else is a waste of time and mental energy. Beware of people who want to make "it's so hard" (for any reason!) a bonding experience . . . an excuse.

    Others above have given you practical tips about logging, weighing yourself, changes of habits you can try. There's good stuff in there. We're all individuals, so different tactics work for different people. Experiment with the ideas, see what work for you.

    You can do this, if you commit to it. I'm cheering for you, because the results are very, very worth it in my experience . . . a big quality of life improvement.

    Best wishes!

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2023
    knoxy550 wrote: »
    Thank you for your reply and table
    excuse me if I'm being stupid. Opposite 0.5lbs which I'm aiming for it says 250 cal deficit that is to be subtracted from 2000 cals allowed for women, which would be 1750 cals, so I should be eating that amount of cals. Apologies again for question but I had a severe period of depression over the summer and it takes a while for things to sink in.

    I don't know where the 2000 calories comes from. :confused:

    Go here: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change-goals-guided or More > Goals in app.
    1. Put in your stats.
    2. normal daily activities refers to your job.
    3. Ignore How many times a week do you plan on exercising? - that does not get included in the equation.
    4. Select Lose 0.5 pound per week.

    The resulting calories is your daily calorie budget. It's normal to go a little over or under, but since weight loss is already included in these calories, you don't want to intentionally go hundreds of calories under.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2023
    .

  • believe2409
    believe2409 Posts: 2 Member
    I’m 56 i increased my water intake and protein and doing weights for me it has helped tremendously

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