49, female, tried everything

sbeltman61

Maybe try low carb diet here is some good places to read on scientific studies...

http://www.dietdoctor.com/science

EvgeniZyntx

OP these two threads might help.

They are a good starting point

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

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.

Umm...how would you lose weight then?

I am 46 years old...and a women. To lose weight, you need to create a deficit. You should resistance train also, but if you are not losing weight over the long term, you will either need to eat less, move more, or do both.

Eek, I didn't choose my words terribly well. There are two sides to the equation - calories in and calories out. I was trying to say that you need not focus on only one side of it, only reducing calories in. You can also try to raise calories out. So I agree with you. I also understand that there are limits to the extent to which you can raise calories out.

When I first joined MFP, someone posted a study that compared weight loss in men and women, and divided the women into pre-menopausal and menopausal groups. It controlled for the usual variables, but still found statistically significant differences in weight loss between menopausal and pre-menopausal women. Once it controlled for LBM, the differences disappeared.

The implication was that the reason menopausal women find it harder to lose weight was lower LBM. I stupidly didn't bookmark it, so I will have to spend days to find it, but the findings really made a difference for me.

I don't know whether you can completely overcome the loss of LBM by weight training, so you may in any event need to eat less over time. But you can at least make a difference in how much less.

(Edited to fix typo.)

revjames

I'll put my 2 pence worth in since lots of people start thinking about making health and fitness changes this time of year. I started out about 3 years ago weighing at my highest point 15 stone or more. Same age as the OP now.

What have I learned in the last 3 years?

Everything that goes in the supermarket trolley gets the ingredient list and calories and fat content etc looked at. Wow is a piece of chicken pie really 600 calories? Are digestive biscuits really 75 cals each?

Basic physics for me - calorie deficit - weight loss, exercise means I can eat more if I want.

I have lost 2 stone, feel much better about myself, have done things I never thought possible like running several half marathons and now considering a full marathon.

This place is a great source of information, inspiration and encouragement. You can do it - with a bit of help from your friends as they say.

Another thing learnt is that rapid weight loss will return. Slow and steady seems to be the way it works for most people. Lifestyle change mentality instead of diet mentality.

I wish you and all newcomers to this journey well in their endeavours.

BrainyBurro

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).

don't ignore fats. dietary fats are important for health. meet or exceed your daily fat goal (it's a minimum to shoot for).

0.35g/lb of bodyweight. for example, if you weigh 150lbs then your goal should be 52g of fat per day.

Fivepts

Bump.

Rachelmilloy

Bumping for later, thanks!

SandiW02

I understand and can relate. Please feel free to add me to your support group. I believe we all need support.:happy:

Sabine_Stroehm

First, it's not an age thing. I get so pissed off when people are like, " I'm 50, it's so hard at my age." No it's not. It's hard at any age. It's the same thing at age 5 or age 95. It's about creating a calorie deficit. That's all. It's not harder at any age. Just eat less than you burn and you'll lose fat. It helps a ton if you strength train. But, even if you don't, it's simple math. It's not harder at 49 than at 29. The equation is exactly the same.

What I think people mean is at age 20, you burn calories faster, so it's easier to create a deficit. But, the equation is still the same equation. It's not harder. It's the same amount if effort at either age.

I get what you're saying, but disagree. It IS harder. It's all about creating a deficit, yes, and as you said it's EASIER to do that when you're younger. That makes it easier. Add hormonal changes that come with per-menopause and that *can* make it even more challenging. When I'm "sedentary" (rest days mostly) the difference between BMR and TDEE is much smaller than it used to be. The margin of error is smaller. Of course, these numbers are all hypothetical, since I don't know my actually BMR or TDEE, I only know what the formulas tell me.
And, yes, my hormonal levels are fluctuating daily, my sleep changes daily... all of which affects cortisol too, and that, then affects everything else. So, yeah, I'd say it *can* get harder with age. Semantics, perhaps. But I think it's harder, for me to shift weight, than it was at, say 22. It takes longer. It takes more perseverance, and the margin of error is smaller. I'd say that's harder. But, it's totally possible, as evidenced by all the fabulous ladies and men here.

editorgrrl

When I'm "sedentary" (rest days mostly) the difference between BMR and TDEE is much smaller than it used to be.

Me, too! I assumed it's because I'm 5'1 or 2". It never even occurred to me it could have anything to do with my age.

Sabine_Stroehm

When I'm "sedentary" (rest days mostly) the difference between BMR and TDEE is much smaller than it used to be.

Me, too! I assumed it's because I'm 5'1 or 2". It never even occurred to me it could have anything to do with my age.

In your case, both. I "create" a bigger difference via 500 or so calories of exercise a day. And if you can't exercise, it's a bit more of a challenge. I just used my sister's stats (5'0", 54 and 160LBS) and IIFYM.com gave me 1249BMR and 1499TDEE. It also gave her an ABSURDLY low number of carbs. Like Keto level. So, yeah, it can be a challenge if you can't/don't work out, you're short and/or older.

KahuNZ

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 is probably true.......you do need to log Everything!
Exercise is important to health and wellbeing so start that....even walking daily helps. Most people overestimate the calorie burn from exercise so look at your food logging first.

Resolve2B

I'll tell you my story FWIW.

No matter what my age I was never able to get down under 128 (my set point). That weight sits on a "fine-boned" structure so most of that weight was just fat. I never was much of a one for exercise. In my early 50s I saw a lot of my contemporaries gaining weight and decided to go on a mission to change things up. I researched food and took a look at how I was eating. WAY too many carbs. I did a South Beach type change to my eating plan (for me looking at ratio of food types on my plate was easier to put into a "lifestyle" than counting calories--although I know MANY are huge proponents of the calorie counting approach so each person has to find what works for him/her). I started putting in more effort to walking...faster, more minutes/miles, more hills. But the real body changer was lifting weights. I started on the machines at the gym. After some months of doing that I can honestly tell you that I was in the best shape of my life and got down to 113 pounds (a 15 pound weight loss during menopausal time on a body that was already fairly "thin" by some standards). We live in a condo complex on a lake and I lived in a bikini those next couple of summers.

I've not been tending to business and not only are the pounds slowly creeping back but I've lost all my nice muscle tone I had.

I've just joined here and am working on getting back into better food habits and exercise. I just started Jillian Michaels "Ripped in 30" program.

HollisGrant

First, it's not an age thing. I get so pissed off when people are like, " I'm 50, it's so hard at my age." No it's not. It's hard at any age. It's the same thing at age 5 or age 95. It's about creating a calorie deficit. That's all. It's not harder at any age. Just eat less than you burn and you'll lose fat. It helps a ton if you strength train. But, even if you don't, it's simple math. It's not harder at 49 than at 29. The equation is exactly the same.

What I think people mean is at age 20, you burn calories faster, so it's easier to create a deficit. But, the equation is still the same equation. It's not harder. It's the same amount if effort at either age.

I get what you're saying, but disagree. It IS harder. It's all about creating a deficit, yes, and as you said it's EASIER to do that when you're younger. That makes it easier. Add hormonal changes that come with per-menopause and that *can* make it even more challenging. When I'm "sedentary" (rest days mostly) the difference between BMR and TDEE is much smaller than it used to be. The margin of error is smaller. Of course, these numbers are all hypothetical, since I don't know my actually BMR or TDEE, I only know what the formulas tell me.
And, yes, my hormonal levels are fluctuating daily, my sleep changes daily... all of which affects cortisol too, and that, then affects everything else. So, yeah, I'd say it *can* get harder with age. Semantics, perhaps. But I think it's harder, for me to shift weight, than it was at, say 22. It takes longer. It takes more perseverance, and the margin of error is smaller. I'd say that's harder. But, it's totally possible, as evidenced by all the fabulous ladies and men here.

I'm age 59 and have lost over 50 pounds in 10 months (probably closer to 60 pounds -- I lost some before I joined MFP). I try to stay away from age related discussions because they make me cringe -- so many people saying it is so hard to lose when you are older. In my case, it just wasn't true. I ate less, cut out food that gave me cravings, and started walking to work instead of taking my car.

I don't want to judge other people. Some people really do have medical issues, especially older people. But in many cases the age thing is just an excuse. Most overweight people eat too much and don't exercise enough. The way out is to stop kidding yourself. Log everything, eat fewer calories, and get off the couch. Find an exercise you like to do and start moving. The weight will come off.

Sabine_Stroehm

First, it's not an age thing. I get so pissed off when people are like, " I'm 50, it's so hard at my age." No it's not. It's hard at any age. It's the same thing at age 5 or age 95. It's about creating a calorie deficit. That's all. It's not harder at any age. Just eat less than you burn and you'll lose fat. It helps a ton if you strength train. But, even if you don't, it's simple math. It's not harder at 49 than at 29. The equation is exactly the same.

What I think people mean is at age 20, you burn calories faster, so it's easier to create a deficit. But, the equation is still the same equation. It's not harder. It's the same amount if effort at either age.

I get what you're saying, but disagree. It IS harder. It's all about creating a deficit, yes, and as you said it's EASIER to do that when you're younger. That makes it easier. Add hormonal changes that come with per-menopause and that *can* make it even more challenging. When I'm "sedentary" (rest days mostly) the difference between BMR and TDEE is much smaller than it used to be. The margin of error is smaller. Of course, these numbers are all hypothetical, since I don't know my actually BMR or TDEE, I only know what the formulas tell me.
And, yes, my hormonal levels are fluctuating daily, my sleep changes daily... all of which affects cortisol too, and that, then affects everything else. So, yeah, I'd say it *can* get harder with age. Semantics, perhaps. But I think it's harder, for me to shift weight, than it was at, say 22. It takes longer. It takes more perseverance, and the margin of error is smaller. I'd say that's harder. But, it's totally possible, as evidenced by all the fabulous ladies and men here.

I'm age 59 and have lost over 50 pounds in 10 months (probably closer to 60 pounds -- I lost some before I joined MFP). I try to stay away from age related discussions because they make me cringe -- so many people saying it is so hard to lose when you are older. In my case, it just wasn't true. I ate less, cut out food that gave me cravings, and started walking to work instead of taking my car.

I don't want to judge other people. Some people really do have medical issues, especially older people. But in many cases the age thing is just an excuse. Most overweight people eat too much and don't exercise enough. The way out is to stop kidding yourself. Log everything, eat fewer calories, and get off the couch. Find an exercise you like to do and start moving. The weight will come off.

I'm at maintenance. And exercise every day. But, I firmly believe it is harder than it used to be for many many women. I also believe when women who were at an ideal weight, gain 10+ during menopause they often find that very tough to lose. I've seen it time and time again. And I know for myself that if I'm not diligent the weight goes up more quickly than it used to.
Congrats on your weight loss! 50LBS in 10months is great.

Sabine_Stroehm

I'll tell you my story FWIW.

No matter what my age I was never able to get down under 128 (my set point). That weight sits on a "fine-boned" structure so most of that weight was just fat. I never was much of a one for exercise. In my early 50s I saw a lot of my contemporaries gaining weight and decided to go on a mission to change things up. I researched food and took a look at how I was eating. WAY too many carbs. I did a South Beach type change to my eating plan (for me looking at ratio of food types on my plate was easier to put into a "lifestyle" than counting calories--although I know MANY are huge proponents of the calorie counting approach so each person has to find what works for him/her). I started putting in more effort to walking...faster, more minutes/miles, more hills. But the real body changer was lifting weights. I started on the machines at the gym. After some months of doing that I can honestly tell you that I was in the best shape of my life and got down to 113 pounds (a 15 pound weight loss during menopausal time on a body that was already fairly "thin" by some standards). We live in a condo complex on a lake and I lived in a bikini those next couple of summers.

I've not been tending to business and not only are the pounds slowly creeping back but I've lost all my nice muscle tone I had.

I've just joined here and am working on getting back into better food habits and exercise. I just started Jillian Michaels "Ripped in 30" program.

Cheers! I did a south beach style makeover to my diet about 12 years ago. Right before the SBD book came out, actually. I just sorta made it up. I did ultimately read the book and did tweak my own eating a bit more based on what I learned. I've been eating that way every since. I know that when I don't, unless I'm super active (like on vacation in London walking everywhere), the scale creeps up. I also know that when I return to what I know works for me, it creeps back down.

Phildog47

A friend introduced me to Body for Life and it's overwhelming. Most of it is EAS marketing. Best advice? Eat less, exercise more. Eating your body weight in grams of protein helps eliminate the cravings.

gsager

Weigh and log all your food and follow the MFP program. If you do this you will lose, there is no guess work. Doesn't matter how old you are. If you can't exercise you won't be able to eat as much. Good luck!

Sabine_Stroehm

Medical issues aside, it is NOT harder as you get older. The equation remains the same. Yes, your metabolism slows down. That means you eat less. I think that's why people say it's harder. It's not harder, it's the same. I think if you have medical issues or hormonal issues, that changes the equation. Then, yes, it's probably more difficult because the equation is now lopsided. It's no longer calories in/out, but there's an odd factor that impacts everything.

Best of luck on your journey.