49, female, tried everything

timealready

Just joined MFP. I'm 49 years old and over the years weight has crept up, even though I have worked out, watched food intake etc. My big problem is slow starts and getting discouraged. I recently re-joined Weight Watchers,thought I was doing great..and gained 1.5 on week (I thought it would hv been a 3 lb. lose) It really through me for a loop. I lost that 1.5 the next week, but I basically feel like I am treading in one place. i need to lose 40 pounds!! I can't gain and lose the same weight week after week. It's demoralizing. I also spent 6 months this year doing a program called Body for Life, which I LOVED!! But I actually gained weight and ultimately ripped my knee, which made me stop all workouts and put me in a downward spiral.
I realized if I could figure out the formula for even 1 pound a week...I would be at my goal at this time next year. But I get discouraged. I need to find that formula in excercise (treadmill??) eating etc. I'm on a search. I just need to get moving from point ONE.
Sorry for the babbling, but that's how I feel emotionally. I need to get a handle, a plan, and move forward. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

1exercisefreak

You came to the right place....logging in your food and exercise is so easy....Would love to be your friend....

dimple_gal

I feel your pain. I too am 49 and have been on MFP for over a year, but have really been cracking down the last 5 months. I have lost the same 7 pounds since I have been on here. HOWEVER.... my clothes fit me better, I feel better, and so the scale, like my age - it is just a number. It shouldn't limit me and certainly doesn't define me. I have found that weight training has really helped, you may want to give it a try.

Paula038

I feel your pain. I too am 49 and have been on MFP for over a year, but have really been cracking down the last 5 months. I have lost the same 7 pounds since I have been on here. HOWEVER.... my clothes fit me better, I feel better, and so the scale, like my age - it is just a number. It shouldn't limit me and certainly doesn't define me. I have found that weight training has really helped, you may want to give it a try.

^^This. After peri-menopuase hit, my system was completely out of whack - I was convinced I could gain weight simply by walking past a chocolate I could have a large deficit and lose little, or exercise without any visible effect.

Since I started doing the heaviest weights I could handle, and increasing them regularly, my body has actually started to behave again. At first my weight was fairly stable, but this month my weight loss was above target. (I aim for slow loss, which is more sustainable for my lifestyle.) And the inches are coming off nicely.

Most people on my FL are ladies our age - you are welcome to join us!

editorgrrl

I'm 45, and it took me a year to lose 20 pounds. But hey, I lost 20 pounds! It took several months of trial & error before everything "clicked" for me. Everybody's different, but I can share some things that worked for me, and you can see if any of them help you:

Drink plain water. (This took a lot of work for me.)

Treat your protein goal as a minimum (fiber, too). Then meet your calorie goal and ignore fat & carbs.

Look at your nutrition over the last 7 days, not just today.

Your weight will vary from day to day (and throughout the day). So give yourself a probationary period during which you get used to logging everything you eat & drink. Measure everything, learn to find accurate database entries, and work on being 100% honest with yourself. (Maybe the last one was just me? My diary was private, so I was lying to no one but myself, but it took me months!)

Look at your long-term progress (the proverbial big picture), not just whether or not the scales read less today than they did yesterday. Do your clothes fit better? Has your stamina increased? Are you eating more fruits & veg than you used to? Celebrate every NSV (non-scale victory).

Mr_Knight

You are eating too much.

Step one, start logging everything - literally everything that passes your lips. Don't worry about goals or counting, just log until you are solidly in the habit of logging.

ScientificExplorerGirl

Yes. I'm 49 too, will soon be 50---similar issues. Please send me a friend request if you would like my support.

Paula038

You are eating too much.

Someone will always say this, and it is often a man Whatever the question, the answer is "eat less". Obviously, if you are not losing weight, there is a calories in/calories out problem. But the answer isn't simply to eat less.

When you hit (peri-)menopause, your metabolism slows down. Some studies ascribe this to the loss of lean body mass (LBM). The NIH says, "Menopause is associated with a gain in fat mass and a loss of lean body mass." I have seen suggestions that women who start menopause may lose LBM at double the rate they did before (haven't seen this proven).

So you can follow Mr Knight's advice and simply eat less, and eat even less next year as you lose more LBM, and eat still less the following year, until you eat like a bird. Or you can do something to reduce the loss of LBM, so you can eat more normally. Hence the advice from women who have been there - try strength training.

LiftAllThePizzas

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/963088-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

This will also help you get started.

2muchchocncrisps

Been there! As it's already been suggested - log everything! Being honest resulted in me seeing that I was eating too much and once in the habit, and with all the wonderful support you can get on this site, you will lose. Yes menopause mucks up your metabolism and plays havoc with sweet cravings but you quickly learn to make those sensible choices and be accountable. It's not a quick fix, it's a lifestyle change and you can do it!

Barbonica

You are eating too much.

Someone will always say this, and it is often a man Whatever the question, the answer is "eat less". Obviously, if you are not losing weight, there is a calories in/calories out problem. But the answer isn't simply to eat less.

When you hit (peri-)menopause, your metabolism slows down. Some studies ascribe this to the loss of lean body mass (LBM). The NIH says, "Menopause is associated with a gain in fat mass and a loss of lean body mass." I have seen suggestions that women who start menopause may lose LBM at double the rate they did before (haven't seen this proven).

So you can follow Mr Knight's advice and simply eat less, and eat even less next year as you lose more LBM, and eat still less the following year, until you eat like a bird. Or you can do something to reduce the loss of LBM, so you can eat more normally. Hence the advice from women who have been there - try strength training.

Not to be too much of a contrarian, but Mr knight is correct; if you you are not losing weight, you are not eating at a deficit. According to WedMD, the loss of LBM and weight gain as estrogen declines may be attributable to changes in eating and exercise. In other words, it is not determined which is cause and which is effect. However, reduction in estrogen does appear to be associated with weight gain. If if helps, I am a 52 YO woman, started a lifestyle change when I was 49 by exercising more and eating in a healthy manner (which resulted in eating at a caloric deficit because i was eating mostly meat, veggies, fruits, nuts). I have lost a total of 56 pounds since April 2011 - the first 40 in about 9 or 10 months. I do lift, and agree that it is a wonderful addition to any exercise program, but you still have to eat at a deficit to lose weight, and lifting isn't going to burn enough additional calories to allows you not to reduce intake. Log everything, be honest with yourself. You CAN do it!

_jayciemarie_

Make sure you get a food scale and use it on everything. Do not rely on eyeballing or cup/spoon measurements. That was a huge adjustment for me. Also, get a HRM so you have a better idea on how many calories you burn. I've cut out soda--actually diet soda. All I drink is water and coffee. On a rare occasion I have a soda. I log everything---including my vitamins. Also--be honest with yourself. If you eat it--log it. Regardless how significant you think it is. See a nutritionist to find out a meal plan. We have all been in your shoes at one time or another. Dont give up. If you eat at a deficit--YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT.

MaryMBacon

Feel free to add me as a friend & join my group called real people weight loss.
I too tried everything lost it gained it, then I took a coaching course in eating psychology and it really changed my outlook on everything. success doesn't happen overnight but I'm down about 35-40 pounds since taking that course, I didn't join MFP right away and didn't think to enter my original starting weight when I started.

Stripeness

In addition to the good advice others are providing (log! lift!), the biggest thing you can do for yourself is ask your doc to do a simple painless resting metabolism rate (RMR) test. Do not rely on the online calculators. Work with the REAL number that applies to YOU.

I keep hammering on this point, b/c 1200 calories is egregiously low for many women. However, it is perfectly reasonable and even generous for others. I don't want to say it doesn't matter what drives changes in your metabolism (because some things can be treated), it DOES matter that you know for certain where your metabolism's at now.

Start with facts, log, observe, adjust :-)

zyxst

You are eating too much.

Someone will always say this, and it is often a man Whatever the question, the answer is "eat less". Obviously, if you are not losing weight, there is a calories in/calories out problem. But the answer isn't simply to eat less.

When you hit (peri-)menopause, your metabolism slows down. Some studies ascribe this to the loss of lean body mass (LBM). The NIH says, "Menopause is associated with a gain in fat mass and a loss of lean body mass." I have seen suggestions that women who start menopause may lose LBM at double the rate they did before (haven't seen this proven).

So you can follow Mr Knight's advice and simply eat less, and eat even less next year as you lose more LBM, and eat still less the following year, until you eat like a bird. Or you can do something to reduce the loss of LBM, so you can eat more normally. Hence the advice from women who have been there - try strength training.

Where did he say anything about eating less? :huh: He said OP is eating too much and aside from being blunt, is probably something OP didn't think about. Until OP starts consistently and honestly logging her food intake, she has no clue how much she's eating.

CompressedCarbon

I'm female, 53, short and hypothyroid. I refer to this as the trifecta of crap getting in my way. I'm down 50 pounds (with a bit more left to go). It can be done,even when you think you have stuff working against you.

Start, as others have suggested with logging it all: the good, the bad, the ugly. This will give you a place to start. You can start making adjustments to what you're eating. Then, once you are in the habit of logging, start other stuff. Adjust the kinds of foods you eat to get more nutrients shoved in your face, start to walk on a regular basis. Then walk more. Then ponder the joys of other "moving stuff" you could be doing: yoga, lifting, running, slinging hay bales, whatever seems like it would be sustainable for you.

While you're doing that, start searching the forums for the often quoted and referred to messages (a guide to start you on your way to sexy pants) is one I can think of off the top of my head.

Start reading the forums and look for posters who seem to make sense to you. Then start watching for all the stuff they write. There are an incredible number of generous and helpful people here who share their knowledge. It won't take long to separate those who are offering up snake oil from those who offer up solid advice.

Build your own friend list of supportive people. If you can, gather them from all different experiences. I'm convinced that my FL is one of the biggest contributors to the success I've had so far. They encourage me, they redirect me when I start to go off track, they listen to me, and maybe most importantly, they make me laugh. On a regular basis.

It's not complicated, but it is hard. Some days harder than others. But it is doable. If I can drop 50 pounds and actually learn to love running, anyone can. Really. Just take a step in the right direction and the next day, take another step.

Paula038

You are eating too much.

Where did he say anything about eating less? :huh: He said OP is eating too much and aside from being blunt, is probably something OP didn't think about. Until OP starts consistently and honestly logging her food intake, she has no clue how much she's eating.

Doesn't "you are eating too much" translate into eating less? Or how do you read it? I agree that accurate logging is needed, obviously!

My point was simple. In my first month of dieting (on another site), I averaged 1368 calories a day and exercised over 9 hours a week. I lost 3.6 lbs. Then I discovered MFP, started lifting weights (thanks MFP!), cut an hour off my cardio, and reduced the intensity of my remaining cardio days. In the month to last Sunday, my last weigh-in day, I logged an average of 2194 calories a day, and lost 3.4 lbs. That is 826 calories more a day, for essentially the same weight loss over the same period.

Don't know about you, but I would rather have the extra 826 calories every day? And no, I don't log vitamins and I often eyeball my cheese, so I probably eat more.

Regan45

Being peri-menopausal seemed to kick me in the butt too! I woke up at 46 and was a fat woman : (
I joined MFP, followed the guidelines to the letter and I'm thin again : )
I still measure and weigh my food. I exercise at least 3 times a week - Jillian Michaels and the treadmill.
I cannot even describe how good it feels. I don't have to find those special clothes that hide all the bad spots. I buy clothes because I like the style. The work to get to that point is more than worth it.
I'd be happy to encourage you along the weigh (I can always use encouragement myself too). Feel free to add me.

editorgrrl

I'd be happy to encourage you along the weigh.

I heart this.

usmcmp

You are eating too much.

Step one, start logging everything - literally everything that passes your lips. Don't worry about goals or counting, just log until you are solidly in the habit of logging.

This. Even if you think you are logging accurately and staying under your calorie goal chances are you aren't being accurate. If you can weigh it please weigh it. A tablespoon of peanut butter can be almost one and a half in a measuring spoon, so it should be weighed.

If you are 100% accurate and still not losing you either need to lower calories or start strength training.

GeminiBridget

First of all, get in your mind that you didn't gain that weight overnight, in a week, a month, or a couple of months, so it will take more than that to lose it. Next, you have to commit to a healthy lifestyle of eating right and regular exercise. Cardio for burning fat, and strength training/weight lifting for overall toning and strength. I DO NOT eat fast foods, I eat organic 95%, and I have cut down on white sugar tremendously. I'm 42 and have been able to maintain my weight pretty much for the past 10 years. I'm a diagnosed diabetic but I haven't had to test my sugar or take meds in about 10 years because I eat healthy and workout regularly. I don't give myself excuses as to why I can't do something, I am all about what I can accomplish, and set my mind to reach my goals. Anyone who has successfully lost weight and kept it off will also tell you that it is something you have to decide for yourself to stay dedicated.