Weight loss tips?
Im a 55 year old female, who needs to lose 25 lbs and it's hard . (Menopause) Everyone says watch your calories, then others say no, watch your carbs. What is the best way to get started and start losing ? Any ideas or help is greatly appreciated. Thank you !!
Answers
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Watching your carbs is essentially watching your calories. People eat fewer calories (generally) when they cut carbs, so they lose weight. You can also just track your calories and continue to eat carbs, just remain in a deficit. Do what feels the least restrictive to YOU. Don't worry about all the noise you'll get from other people about what you should/shouldn't eat.
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You just need to restrict calories. It doesn't matter for weightloss which macro (carbs, fat, protein) you decide to eat less of. However, for satiety and happiness you need to figure out what works for you. Everyone is different. If I had to limit carbs I'd chew the wallpapers off the walls. Less fats? shrugs.
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Log your food.
That is all.
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It's the calories that directly determine gain, loss, or steady state of body fat, and in extreme cases maybe some muscle or other lean tissue besides.
Water and waste in the digestive tract are also part of body weight, and fluctuate independent of calories, usually with wider day-to-day changes than the changes in fat/lean tissue that result from calorie balance.
Macronutrients - protein, fats, carbs - only indirectly affect fat/lean tissue loss. That's because sub-par nutrition can cause fatigue, so we move less and burn fewer calories than expected; and can spike appetite, so we have trouble staying within calorie goal. The direct effect is still via calories.
I ate plenty of carbs, usually 150g+ most days, when losing around 50 pounds at age 59-60 (while in menopause, severely hypothyroid (medicated)). I've eaten more in the 9+ years since of successfully maintaining a healthy weight, usually 225g+ daily. Most of those carbs are from veggies, fruits, and no-sugar-added dairy foods.
Reducing carbs is popularly hyped in weight loss books and videos because of the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity (whose accuracy is debated). It is true that those who are diabetic or insulin resistance need to manage carbs carefully, but outside of relevant health conditions, carbs are just one of the macronutrients. In fact, carbs are the only macronutrient that our bodies can manufacture out of other food intake. In contrast, both protein and fats contain "essential nutrients" our bodies need but can't manufacture, so we need to eat certain minimums of those for reasonable health.
Many people find carbs - especially highly-processed/refined carbs - to be relatively easy cuts to reduce calorie intake. That would be things like candy, baked goods, sugary drinks, and that sort of thing.
Research studies have found that high carb/low fat or high fat/low carb diets yield statistically equivalent weight loss as long as the calorie and protein levels are equal.
I'd suggest figuring out what mix of foods keeps you full and happy most of the time, within a manageable calorie level that will yield sensibly gradual weight loss . . . bonus for health if those foods also add up to overall decent nutrition. Most people will feel more full eating primarily things like meat, fish, veggies, fruit, and whole grains. Calories will be moderated if those foods are less frequently fried, but instead cooked in ways that add less of calorie-dense fats and oils, and with minimal calorie dense toppings (like butter, creamy dressings, sour cream, etc.).
One of my favorite weight loss stories: When I was almost through weight loss, so very visibly 30 or 40 pounds down, I was at dinner with a group I dined with regularly. I got in an argument with one acquaintance there. She indignantly insisted that there was no way to lose weight without eating low carb. Why? Because "over the Winter she had read all the books and they all said so." I couldn't convince her otherwise, even when I pointed out that over that same Winter I'd lost tens of pounds (and she'd seen that happen) while routinely eating carbs (and she'd seen me eat them at regular group dinners). Hilarious! As far as I know, she's still overweight.
Some people find that eating more carbs spikes their appetite. Those people may prefer lower carb eating. Other people find that low carb eating tanks their energy level. Those people may prefer higher carb eating. That kind of thing tends to be individual. You'll figure it out.
Best wishes!
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well, I typed one of my hour long, heartfelt epistles, but MFP ate it.
So short version, I started here in late 2018 as an obese, sedentary 56 year old female.
It was basically committing to weighing, logging, honesty, looking at what I was eating and being willing to make changes, and reading these boards religiously to sort the wheat from the chaff. For example, the 75 Hard people who come so enthusiastically and are typically gone with a couple weeks. The Apple Cider Vinegar or protein shake all day every day crew.
I learned that fast loss is not efficient or healthy loss. Reading all the rebound and “I’m back” posts had a deep effect on me. I read those posts to learn why they failed and resolved not to do that, since, clearly, it didn’t work.
Investing in a fitness tracker was an utter game changer.
I went from XXL (XXXL, if I’m honest) to a 4 and have held there in maintenance.
I lost waaaay more than 25 pounds I am no unicorn- though some might have said I ate like a horse and was as big aa one. If I can do this, anyone can do it .Oh and I learned to learn and have a plan and new habits for maintenance. Again, so many I’m Back posts because people reached and goal and then fell back to those old habits and put it right back on again.
Barring anything unforeseen, I’m going all Scarlett O'Hara: “I’ll never be fat, again”.
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First, menopause makes it harder but you can do it, I needed to lose 20 lbs a year ago just as menopause started and now I have 3 to go. Second, what got me out of the cycle of losing a little bit and then gaining a little bit more back (rinse and repeat through my 40s, until there were 20 lbs to lose) was starting to lift weights - I think because I can see my body shape improving it's been easier to stick to the rest of it. Third, as everyone has said, there is no getting away from calorie deficit. For me that's planning my meals, not snacking, and running or swimming three times a week as well as the weights. Be brutally honest with tracking calories until you know what a deficit looks like for you. I'm in better shape now than I have been for a decade or more. You've got this!
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A female what? 😉 JK, female and male are terms typically used for animals.
This is a calorie counting site so most people count calories to manage their weight. There’s a myriad of ways that help us keep our calories down so we can maintain our diet. Some use IF, some use keto, some use calorie counting, but no matter what diet you choose, a calorie deficit is the only way any human, or animal tbf, loses weight. Logging in here is a good start!
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work yourself like every week try to lose a couple pounds and then like eat a little bit less not saying you’re fat or nothing and I’m sorry that got out that way, but like eat a little bit less every day from what you usually eat like so you eat three chicken tenders next day try one and a half chicken tenders and then go even less every day to the gym and lose a couple pounds every I did that I still have blue skin. Don’t give but like I don’t have as much as I would, if I just went for it and lost all that .
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❤️ girl, we are here for you ❤️
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I think we may have a language difference here, so all courtesy to you. I’m not sure how to explain this, but I don’t try to eat “less”, I try to eat “better”.
I still have lots of satisfying volume, it’s all just lower calories and more carefully chosen.
If I halved what I ate and then halved it again, and then added new or more exercise, I’d eat my extremities.
It was getting rid of pounds of candy cookies pies and caked per day, and replacing them with quantities of lean meats, beans, greens, lean dairy and more of it (instead of cheeses and ice creams and the minimum half gallon of whole milk I drank per day), discovering fruits I enjoyed (old me=fruit=shoot me but hand over the M&Ms before you do) that’s what set me on the path to loss and maintenance.
I get (and respect) that cutting your chicken fingers in half is a starting place, but I replaced them altogether with dry-sautéed chicken and low cal sauces like the honey buffalo I had for lunch today.
I started at a rather wildly arbitrary 1470 per day, but within six or eight months- as I felt better and began walking, bumped my yoga practice up to “power” versus “basic”, and added weight training, I increased what I ate to 2270 per day, and still lost weight.
It’s not necessary to burn the candle at both ends to lose. It is necessary to study the candle, judge the size of it, and the other characteristics of it.
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Many people in the US have started using the terms male/female/Trans male/Trans female. But that's a whole other discussion.
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Oh! Completely missed that.
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Losing weight during (and after) menopause can be tougher because hormonal changes can slow metabolism and make the body hold on to fat differently — so it’s not just “calories in, calories out.”
A few things that can help you get started:
- Focus on protein & whole foods – Prioritize lean proteins (chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt) along with vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. This helps keep you fuller and supports muscle, which boosts metabolism.
- Watch refined carbs & added sugars – You don’t have to go zero-carb, but limiting white bread, sweets, and sugary drinks can make a big difference in insulin control and fat storage.
- Strength training – At 55, building and maintaining muscle is key. Even 2–3 sessions a week with light weights or resistance bands can help burn more calories at rest.
- Walk or move daily – Aim for 7–10k steps a day or any form of regular movement you enjoy.
- Stay consistent, not extreme – Avoid crash diets; instead, create small, sustainable calorie reduction (e.g., 300–500 fewer calories a day) so it’s easier to maintain.
- Don’t forget sleep & stress – Poor sleep and high stress raise cortisol, which can make losing fat harder, especially around the belly.
If you’re unsure where to start, tracking food for a couple of weeks (with an app or journal) can give you clarity on your eating habits. From there, adjust one or two things at a time rather than overhauling everything overnight.
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Protien is the Macro that keeps you feeling full longer. Make sure you are getting enough at every meal. Especially breakfast.
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