over 50 women... how do we lose weight ladies?

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  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Yes, it is a little bit harder, especially if you have a lot of weight to lose, but not impossible. The trick is to move more and eat less because at our age (I am much older than you OP), our bodies don't require as much food as when we were young. We tend to forget that.

    Some older folks tend to slow down a lot with age (no sports, no gym, very little walking, etc); and that is a mistake. Get obsessed with measuring, weighting, and logging your food; join a gym, go the YMCA, walk, get a DVD and do some workouts at home, etc. Keep on moving and above all, start today, and don’t use age as an excuse.

    You can do it, good luck!

    Edited to add: there are several groups for woman over 50, just check the "groups" section if you are interested in more support.
  • momc4sons
    momc4sons Posts: 20
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    I'm 53 and it is definitely much harder! Seems like it takes forever to lose a pound or two and it is easily gained back....so frustrating!! Anyone in the same boat can add me; I could use encouragement!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Can one of you over 50 ladies who've lost weight reassure me that the skin goes back eventually? I don't have heaps to lose but I'm just a bit concerned/curious to know if I'll end up with flabby skin
    &/or wrinkles :) I know that sounds dumb but I know my skin is not as elastic as it once was....-.-

    You are correct; our skin is not as elastic as it once was. It all depends in how much weigh to have lost (I only had less than 14 lbs to lose), genetics and exercise, especially strength training. Daily moisturizing also helps.

    However, the health benefits of not carrying extra weight and of being strong and fit, outweigh the aesthetics of extra skin. At least it does for me.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
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    I'm 60 and the pic in my avatar is really me, taken last month after a 35-mile bike ride.

    I had a smaller battle to win: about 20 lbs. put on over the last 10 years or so after marrying DH, who's a wonderful cook. He cooks healthy and I blame it totally on my inability to exercise portion control around good food! (He's much better at stopping when he's not hungry.)

    A few years ago I got into 5:2 fasting and started exercising harder because I got roped into doing a sprint triathlon (1/3 mile swim, 9 miles on the bike, 3K walk/run) by some skinny 20-somethings at work. Instead of slowing down after 50, I've gotten more active. I've done a 35 to 38-mile bike ride each of the last 3 months. During the week I do an hour of cardio every day and I take long bike rides on the weekends. I now have a heart rate monitor so I know when I'm slacking off.

    My weight loss was slow. I didn't weigh myself for months because the daily ups and downs drive me crazy. My clothes were getting looser, though, and when I was weighed at the doc's office I found I'd lost 17 lbs. since my last checkup.

    So, yes, you can do it- eat less, move more. There are no shortcuts.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    I'm not quite 50 yet, however my plan is to stay active, very active, and NOT think that because of my age I should slow down, or can't do things. If you want to lose weight, figure out how many calories you need in order to achieve your goal, log what you eat, get daily exercise, both moderate and strenuous exercise, lift weights, and get plenty of good sleep.

    P.S. @Athena - you look fantastic!
    P.P.S. I don't know why people say it's harder to lose weight when you're older. I have a lot more self discipline and sheer perseverance than I did when I was in my twenties.
  • coffee4me57
    coffee4me57 Posts: 195
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    Bumping for all the inspiration!
    I have been a MFP member since April 2013 and have gained and lost the same 7 pounds and basically started over two weeks ago. I have a Fitbit Zip and am doing TDEE-20%. I used to weigh daily but it messes with me too much so now I decided that I will only weigh on the 1st and 15th of each month.
    I also joined a gym this summer and hired a personal trainer once a week and I have seen such progress. I can now jog for 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes for a 35 minute session. When I started, all I could do was walk. At my personal training session this past Saturday, the trainer increased the weights on the machines and I held a plank for 45 seconds. My resting heart rate is down from 90 beats per minute to 65. My blood pressure is 113/70. I have made progress in so many areas and now that I have this TDEE thing figured out I will just wait for the scale to catch up.
    The way I look at it, even if I don't lose any weight, I'm still healthier than I was before I started all of this. The scale weight is just one measure of "success"
    Best of luck to everyone!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    Well... I'm not 50, but I'm not one of the young ones either.

    Is it a little harder? Maybe. But it's sure not impossible - there are many examples of success here on this site. If you want it, you can have the success too. Good luck to you - it's worth the effort!!
  • cathead9
    cathead9 Posts: 29
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    I've found it much harder to lose weight lately. I'm turning 48 this month and menopause has slowed my metabolism, but I stick with going to the gym because it makes me feel better. I concentrate now on weight lifting and the pleasure I get from getting stronger, because that's pretty easy to do.

    We'll both get it done eventually, just keep at it!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    I'm 51 and started this journey about 6 months before I turned 50. It's the first time I've ever been truly serious about losing weight so I can't compare it to my younger years but it hasn't been all that bad. I've lost 56 pounds in about a year and a half. That may seem slow but I figure I can sustain it better if it comes off slow because I'm not starving myself.

    I eat about 1800 calories a day and work out 30-45 minutes 5 days a week. I eat the foods I like and just stay near my calorie limits daily. My workouts consist of 20-30 minutes of cardio and 10-15 minutes of strength.

    I think with anyone it's a matter of breaking bad habits and learning new good habits. I never exercised before, now I can't stand to miss it. I used to eat for comfort, now I eat for hunger only.

    I tried several approaches before I found what works for me. I did a lot of research on this sight and others to figure out how it all works. I do think our metabolism slows some when we get older but we can't use it as an excuse.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I have lost the weight the same way younger people do. Eat less than you burn. I just turned 62 two weeks ago and have been on MFP since March 12, 2012.

    I did not even begin to exercise until I had lost 100# in October of 2012.

    I just got back from a weekend camping trip, and hiked over 10 miles today. I could barely walk up the stairs without getting winded a year ago. I am honestly in better shape than I was decades ago.

    Barring medical issues, most people can do this. If I can do it, most anyone can!
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
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    I am 58. It has been a bit harder this time around. I do some form of exercise everyday even if it is only to walk for an hour. I run 3 days a week, lift weights 3 days a week, bike ride 22+ miles twice a week and try to get in a 6-8 mile walk once a week. I have lost close to 45lbs since Feb 1st. I use the St Ives collagen body lotion after my morning shower and before bed. I would say back in May my skin looked it's worse as far as being loose. It does catch up over time, especially with weight training. Mine looks a lot better now. It is better for your skin if you lose the weight slow.
  • missability
    missability Posts: 223
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    I am 51, and have a host of blood related diseases....I had a full hysterectomy when I was 45, I was 304 pounds and miserable....I joined MFP on Jan 1 of this yr....I am down 91 pounds...secret? NOPE!...just reduced calories to meet my VERY sedentary lifestyle, and here's the BIG ONE?

    Eating healthy, very little restaurant or fast food, virtually no junk food, fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, skinless chicken and turkey, whole eggs, beans, nuts, grass fed cheeses, beef <occasionally, Spelt or millet bread, Oatmeal, almond milk,....

    I only drink water with added fresh lemon, or Apple cider vinegar...I have green tea with nothing added about every evening, and allow myself one cup of coffee with some creamer every evening...but only after I have drank at least 100 oz of water.

    I can count on my 2 hand how many times I have had pasta, rice, coconut sugar, Organic Honey, and regular store bought bread, this past 9 months

    Is this maintainable? I allow myself a treat meal once every couple weeks, I have one serving, at one meal, and before 4PM. Not an all day extravaganza!

    When I reach maintenance I plan on playing with my calories until I find my maintenance number, I also plan on having a treat 1 or 2 x's a week, and lowering calories the other 5 or 6 days so that my weekly calories total does not exceed maintenance....I can live with that!

    And the thing is, eating this way has improved so much more than my waistline....My hair, skin, nails, my mood, my energy levels, quality of sleep, AND my Blood disorders!!!....it is truly amazing, and definitely life changing!

    YOU CAN DO IT!!! Good luck to you:)
  • jeansuza
    jeansuza Posts: 148 Member
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    It may depend on individual characteristics but sincerely I didn't find it any harder. I lost 160 pounds in the last 17 months. I still have about 35 pounds to lose. I believe the trick is to up the activity level and to control portions. It also means to adapt and change activities because the body get used to them and do not spend as many calories for the same activity. Also, do not weigh in too often: the loss is not linear and it is disheartening at times. In the long term it works though! Perseverance is the key.
  • Danni3ll3
    Danni3ll3 Posts: 365 Member
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    In a nutshell, I walked and cut my portions down. And it took a lot of patience. I started walking in May of 2009 so it has been over 4 years. Originally I started with a 5km walk and built up to over 10km daily during the week and 12.5km each weekend day. However, my walking partner has a torn meniscus so we are down to 8.5 km each day.

    I don't diet because there is no way that I am going to make radical food changes in my life since I enjoy food too much. Being French, we live to eat. LOL Anyhow, there are a few things that I did change: I only drink green tea or water with one glass of wine on the weekends; I stay away from chocolate as this is my downfall; I have much smaller portions of everything that I used to have and I count my calories now that I am down to the last few pounds to go.

    If I go away on holiday, I don't deprive myself (I don't pig out either) but I do know that I need to get back to watching when I come home. For example, last year, I gained 12 lbs on a cruise but got it off again and more. Last month, I again went on a cruise and gained 5 but it is on its way out. Patience is key. It took a while to put the weight on, it will take a while for it to come off. My doctor told me that the longer I take to get the weight off, the more successful I will be at keeping it off.

    By the way, I read a really good article on maintenance. Basically, the research says that once you get to maintenance for your weight, you are still going to need to be at a calorie deficit compared to a person of the same weight that has never been heavy to keep the pounds off. This might explain why so many of us gain the weight back once we go to maintenance. Our caloric need is less than what one might expect. So this is truly a lifetime change. One must always be vigilant.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    In a nutshell, I walked and cut my portions down. And it took a lot of patience. I started walking in May of 2009 so it has been over 4 years. Originally I started with a 5km walk and built up to over 10km daily during the week and 12.5km each weekend day. However, my walking partner has a torn meniscus so we are down to 8.5 km each day.

    I don't diet because there is no way that I am going to make radical food changes in my life since I enjoy food too much. Being French, we live to eat. LOL Anyhow, there are a few things that I did change: I only drink green tea or water with one glass of wine on the weekends; I stay away from chocolate as this is my downfall; I have much smaller portions of everything that I used to have and I count my calories now that I am down to the last few pounds to go.

    If I go away on holiday, I don't deprive myself (I don't pig out either) but I do know that I need to get back to watching when I come home. For example, last year, I gained 12 lbs on a cruise but got it off again and more. Last month, I again went on a cruise and gained 5 but it is on its way out. Patience is key. It took a while to put the weight on, it will take a while for it to come off. My doctor told me that the longer I take to get the weight off, the more successful I will be at keeping it off.

    By the way, I read a really good article on maintenance. Basically, the research says that once you get to maintenance for your weight, you are still going to need to be at a calorie deficit compared to a person of the same weight that has never been heavy to keep the pounds off. This might explain why so many of us gain the weight back once we go to maintenance. Our caloric need is less than what one might expect. So this is truly a lifetime change. One must always be vigilant.
    Everything you're doing sounds great. And I guess it's just semantics, because it sounds like a diet to me. A diet is how we eat. And eating a calorie deficit and limiting portions and having one glass of wine is your diet.
    Keep it up!
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    Mamadon,
    You look amazing! Congrats on all the weight lost. I agree that I want to lose the weight for health reasons. Heart disease runs in my family and I want to be here for my kids and future grand kids. I'm 48 and have about 50#s to lose. I've had some issues with depression, hormone imbalance, and high stress in the past several years that has caused me to gain weight. You said watching the calories has worked for you. Have you exercised also? Thanks for posting. You are an inspiration to me.
    Cseaglass19

    Thanks so much! I admit the exercising has probably not been as good as it should be. I mostly walk or do the treadmill around two times a week for about an hour.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
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    Well, I'm almost 53, and I still want to look good naked!

    I am fifty one. Simply counting my calories has worked for me just fine. I think for many of us it's mostly about regaining our health. I don't care as much as I used to about looking good naked lol, but do want to be around for awhile longer.
  • hippie_spirit
    hippie_spirit Posts: 104 Member
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    Well, I'm almost 53, and I still want to look good naked!

    THIS ^^^
    I am fifty one. Simply counting my calories has worked for me just fine. I think for many of us it's mostly about regaining our health. I don't care as much as I used to about looking good naked lol, but do want to be around for awhile longer.
  • Dottie27
    Dottie27 Posts: 159 Member
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    bump
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
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    I can see that you like your chocolate! Me, too.

    quote]
    I'll be 50 next year, and while I would never ever (really never ever ever) recommend that anyone eat like I do, I've managed to lose quite a bit of weight in the past year. I'm at about 18 months into the process now, have thyroid issues and take inhaled steroids for asthma. Watching my calorie total and logging seems to be working for me.
    [/quote]

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