LF women over 40 who have lost 50+ pounds

DebbieLyn63

PLEASE, I respectfully ask that ONLY WOMEN over 40 who have lost, or need to lose more than 50 pounds respond here. No offense, but men's and younger women's metabolism and body makeup is drastically different. NO, I am not saying I am a unique snowflake, but we older women ARE unique as a group.

So my question is- how did you lose the weight and how quickly did it come off?

I completely understand that I will not drop 50 pounds in a month. I have realistic expectations of .5-1 pound per week.

From what I have found so far, all the women in my age range who have lost more than 50 lbs, have done so by eating well under the required calorie goals, and not eating back exercise calories. I know this freaks people out to hear, and I am in no way supporting unhealthy starvation techniques. They have been on nutritionally healthy diets- good protein and fats, high fiber carbs- but fewer calories overall. Basically keeping the good stuff and getting rid of the junk foods.

I am sincerely looking for women who have figured out what works for them.

PLEASE no one turn this into a flame war and keep all comments respectful. Thanks

mfpseven

guess they just want a flame war

Aello11

I am soon to be 50 and have dropped 22 pounds in 4 months.... I lose about a pound a week. I still eat the same foods just reasonable portions and yes I do eat back a small percentage of my exercise calories. I walk every workday morning and either strength train or bike in the evening.

DebbieLyn63

I am soon to be 50 and have dropped 22 pounds in 4 months.... I lose about a pound a week. I still eat the same foods just reasonable portions and yes I do eat back a small percentage of my exercise calories. I walk every workday morning and either strength train or bike in the evening.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your calorie level with and without exercise calories?

jazzalea

Morning Sunshine,

I'm over 40 and I've lost over 50 so I guess I qualify

whooo hooo I finally fit the profile!!!!!!!!!

ok so seriously now, what worked for me was getting real and separating the me inside of ME from this demanding whiny body.....

I started with the Atkins diet hardcore..... if you don't like it don't do it and don't scold me..... I'm telling you how I did it not how YOU should do it!

I cut out all the empty carbs that I could.... think of it like quitting smoking... cuz it really is!.... your body doesn't need all these empty overprocessed carbs that it doesn't know what to do with and it needs real honest food. after a couple of weeks I started feeling a LOT better than I had in years.... the word CLEANER comes to mind....I wasn't so bogged down and tired and I knew that the food thing was under control......There were a LOT of slip ups along the way I won't lie.....I would get tempted and eat those fries "just this once" and like having "just one puff" of a cigarette all the old cravings came RIGHT back and I would have to go through a roller coaster of ups and downs to get back on track.... it was a tough lesson to learn and it's one that still teases me now and then... I honestly can say after living the low carb lifestly for 4 years now I really enjoy food more than I ever have before and I have control over it MOST of the time, now when I do "cheat" I know what to expect in the way of cravings and I'm ready for them so they don't take control again, but mostly I just try to steer clear of temptations.

Second part is exercise..... I tried the gym, I would go to my local and work out for 3 hours a day 6 days a week and I LOVED it..... I felt like I was really working towards getting my body back, I was sweating and could feel the muscles building, but to be totally honest I don't really feel like it helped all that much.... afterwards I would come home and sit on the couch all day feeling proud of myself for having worked out those three hours and it was understandable that I was exhausted and had no energy to do anything else....after all.. I had already worked out for the day..... The weight was coming off slowly but not nearly as fast as I wanted it to.

I started trying to do little extra things.... I know this will sound crazy but every time I went to the bathroom I would hold the counter and for balance and do squats until my legs were sore...not really sore.... just enough so that I could feel it.... when you go to the bathroom ten times a day they add up!..... things like parking further away, taking the stairs, leg lifts when you re sitting on the couch.... I figured if the calories piled on one at a time they could come off the same way...... the more I did this the more energy I had, the more focused I became and THATS when the weight started falling off.... I really believe my metabolism is faster now than it has ever been.... I have more energy now at 44 than I did at 24 and I am FAR FAR more active than ever before.....

good luck


The opinions and experiences expressed here are purely my own and what worked for me don't be a hater :flowerforyou:

Aello11

1420 without exercise --- but on my no workout days(one day a week) I am closer to 1300
17-1800 with exercise and I am usually eat between 15 and 1600 calories

DebbieLyn63

guess they just want a flame war

I have faith that if I asked nicely enough, the flamers will stay away, dear daughter of mine. And thank you for never yelling at me for my dieting strategies. As you have probably learned by now, not everyone is the same. The difficult part is finding success stories. I have found several already, but am looking for more so I have enough to find some commonalities.

gwicks54

Morning Sunshine,

I'm over 40 and I've lost over 50 so I guess I qualify

whooo hooo I finally fit the profile!!!!!!!!!

ok so seriously now, what worked for me was getting real and separating the me inside of ME from this demanding whiny body.....

I started with the Atkins diet hardcore..... if you don't like it don't do it and don't scold me..... I'm telling you how I did it not how YOU should do it!

I cut out all the empty carbs that I could.... think of it like quitting smoking... cuz it really is!.... your body doesn't need all these empty overprocessed carbs that it doesn't know what to do with and it needs real honest food. after a couple of weeks I started feeling a LOT better than I had in years.... the word CLEANER comes to mind....I wasn't so bogged down and tired and I knew that the food thing was under control......There were a LOT of slip ups along the way I won't lie.....I would get tempted and eat those fries "just this once" and like having "just one puff" of a cigarette all the old cravings came RIGHT back and I would have to go through a roller coaster of ups and downs to get back on track.... it was a tough lesson to learn and it's one that still teases me now and then... I honestly can say after living the low carb lifestly for 4 years now I really enjoy food more than I ever have before and I have control over it MOST of the time, now when I do "cheat" I know what to expect in the way of cravings and I'm ready for them so they don't take control again, but mostly I just try to steer clear of temptations.

Second part is exercise..... I tried the gym, I would go to my local and work out for 3 hours a day 6 days a week and I LOVED it..... I felt like I was really working towards getting my body back, I was sweating and could feel the muscles building, but to be totally honest I don't really feel like it helped all that much.... afterwards I would come home and sit on the couch all day feeling proud of myself for having worked out those three hours and it was understandable that I was exhausted and had no energy to do anything else....after all.. I had already worked out for the day..... The weight was coming off slowly but not nearly as fast as I wanted it to.

I started trying to do little extra things.... I know this will sound crazy but every time I went to the bathroom I would hold the counter and for balance and do squats until my legs were sore...not really sore.... just enough so that I could feel it.... when you go to the bathroom ten times a day they add up!..... things like parking further away, taking the stairs, leg lifts when you re sitting on the couch.... I figured if the calories piled on one at a time they could come off the same way...... the more I did this the more energy I had, the more focused I became and THATS when the weight started falling off.... I really believe my metabolism is faster now than it has ever been.... I have more energy now at 44 than I did at 24 and I am FAR FAR more active than ever before.....

good luck


The opinions and experiences expressed here are purely my own and what worked for me don't be a hater :flowerforyou:

You are amazing. So glad that you found what works for you. I have lost eleven lbs in 45 days on a low carb diet (doctors orders) & I feel good. Hopefully my tryclerides will be down when I go back for blood work.

samf36

I am 49 and have lost 40 since the 1 st of the yr. (28 since joining 12 before ) so that is close to 1 lb a week. Some weeks none some 1 or 2. I have 10 more to go. I have never eaten under my calorie goal (1400+) on purpose and I eat back a good portion of my exercise calories. I only walk/jog and let fitbit figure my exercise.
The best thing I did was get a food scale and start to log my all my food, the good the bad and the ugly.

sewerchick93

Hi, I'm 44 and have lost close to 80 lbs over the last 2 years. I counted both calories in and out, but wasn't completely obsessed with having them be exact, so I found if I still had 300-400 calories available at the end of the day, that seemed to be when I dropped the weight the fastest. although my ticker says I still have 20-30 lbs to lose, I have started doing a lot of strength training so I'm eating back more of my exercise calories and my weight has plateaued, but I am still dropping clothing sizes.

DebbieLyn63

1420 without exercise --- but on my no workout days(one day a week) I am closer to 1300
17-1800 with exercise and I am usually eat between 15 and 1600 calories

Thanks

mfpcopine

What does "LF" stand for?

DLKeeble

I am fairly new to this, 90 days today. I have lost 20 lbs. (as of last Friday) My daily calorie goal is 1500 calories. I do 30 to 40 minutes of cardio a day, if I don't walk. I try to walk 3 -4 times a week (anywhere from 3.5 to 5 miles, time permitting) I eat what my family eats. I don't deprive myself. I am 52 and hypothyroid. I averaged 1.55 lbs a week for the past 3 months.

DebbieLyn63

What does "LF" stand for?

'Looking for'

moonspells

I'm 41 and I haven't quite lost 50 lbs...yet. But I'm at 42 lbs. down in just over 6 months, with another 80 or so to go.
So far, I am eating lots more veggies, drinking lots more water and watching my portion sizes. I, too, have tried to cut way down on as many refined carbs as I can manage (in other words, the ones that I can happily live without) but I haven't cut anything out completely. If I want something, I have it...just in a much smaller portion that I would have before.
The other thing I've been doing is walking...I try to do at least 20 minutes or so every day. MFP builds in your caloric deficit so you don't NEED to exercise but I definitely feel better when I do...and believe me, I NEVER thought I'd hear myself say THAT! lol I do eat back some or all of my exercise calories but you'll figure out your own way with that issue and there are MANY threads on here that can help you (or confuse the heck out of you!). Do what feels right for you and what works...if you eat 'em back and lose, do that! If you don't lose, stop that and try the other way!
Feel free to add me if you'd like (my diary is open to my friends, which would let you see what and how much I've been eating, if you're interested) and best of luck in your journey! )

Angie789

I (just barely) qualify - I'm 41 and I just topped 50 pounds lost when I weighed in this morning.

For me, the key has been eating clean - I don't eat any processed foods. And yes, that includes sugar and flour. I used to track my calories religiously but now that I feel more comfortable with my choices I don't do it as much - I've learned how I need to eat for weight loss (and I know people around here get up in arms over that, but it's worked for me). When I was tracking, I was eating about 1450-1600 calories a day, but again - all veggies, fruits, meat/seafood, dairy & eggs. No refined sugar, bread, pasta or cereal.

I don't have a specific exercise program, but as the weight has come off, I've been way more active - doing things like taking walks or running around playing tag with my kids.

mfpcopine

What does "LF" stand for?

'Looking for'

Thanks.

I'mi in the right age range and the right gender but I've always maintained my weight. The key was refusing to be in denial about what I could eat and doing something about it rather quickly. I think that applies to people who want to lose weight as well.

And yes, it generally is much harder for a woman to lose weight as she gets older, not impossible, but harder. You simply can't eat the same way you did when you were young. Being healthily trim has to mean something to you and you have to replace the pleasure you got from overeating or eating the wrong foods with something else.

Best of luck.

NicLiving

I'm 41.5 and I lost 55 lbs in one year. I did it one pound a week for one year in 2011 and I have kept the weight off. I thought trying to lose 20 in a month would be the death of me (if it works for some; great)! Honestly, I could not have done it without mfp.com. There, I've said it. I have been logging what I eat; everything EVERY-THING LOL. The good, the bad and the pms; if I bit it I write it! It helped me recognize my bad habits and fix them. I eat more fruits and veggies now. I work out 4x a week, do Meatless Monday's and I eat/drink what I want on Saturdays so that I don't feel deprived. I still go out to eat, but now I can check the menu items before I order and make better decisions.

DLKeeble

I forgot to add that I drink 8+ cups of water a day and watch my sodium (hbp) I also eat some of my exercise calories.

cmwhited6204

I am 47 and have lost 28 lbs sincs April 24th and have a goal of 60 to 75. I think there are many little things that you can do on a daily basis. I hardly exercise at all. I do have fit bit so I can track what I am doing throughout the course of my day but I have a full day with kids and work so adding extra is not always possible. I am not one to get up early to go to the gym. Wish I was.

Little things:

If I can walk while one of my children are a practice, I consider it a bonus for that day
I eat about 1200 calories each day. My BMR is 1474 so I hardly ever go about that
I do wall pushups at work each time I go to the bathroom at work
I do arm circles when they come to mind at work while at my desk
I eat as few obvious carbs as possible
I eat Greek yogurt several days a week and this has done wonders for my stomach issues
If I eat a sandwich, I eat only half of the bread
I have a good friend who I discuss my journey with everyday!!! I found this to be critical
I weigh myself every morning on a new digital scale but I do not obsess. It just helps me stay focused
I drink my water of 8 classes as often as possible and when I do not, I feel it.
I mentally tell myself 1 lb a week
I record and weigh everything I eat

The most important thing is how I view this process. I tell people I have just made the decision to change my life and it is not a diet. The bottom line, is I cannot continue to eat the crap I was eating. Do I miss having my little chocolate donuts of course but each day it is easier.

Good Luck and remeber the weight did not happen overnight and if it comes off slowly and correctly you are more apt to keep it off.

kkayecarlson

I (just barely) qualify - I'm 41 and I just topped 50 pounds lost when I weighed in this morning.

For me, the key has been eating clean - I don't eat any processed foods. And yes, that includes sugar and flour. I used to track my calories religiously but now that I feel more comfortable with my choices I don't do it as much - I've learned how I need to eat for weight loss (and I know people around here get up in arms over that, but it's worked for me). When I was tracking, I was eating about 1450-1600 calories a day, but again - all veggies, fruits, meat/seafood, dairy & eggs. No refined sugar, bread, pasta or cereal.

I don't have a specific exercise program, but as the weight has come off, I've been way more active - doing things like taking walks or running around playing tag with my kids.

I am 43 and have lost 75 pounds and it took me a year and a half, I followed WW most of that time but I did the Simply Filling diet, it stresses fruits and vegetables, lean protein and as little processed food as possible. And like the above comment NO SUGAR and that includes all the fake sugars too!!
Second is exercise, find something that challenges you and something you will do 6 days a week and something you love! I do Boot Camp, if you would have told me that 5 years ago I would have thought you were insane, but I LOVE it and I now have strength and stamina and confidence that I never thought I would have! SOOOOO try lots of different exercises and fine one or two that you love!
The last piece of advice is don't give up! So you have a bad day, so you get sick, so you have a personal problem, do the best you can through the tough parts of life and then get back to it! I speak from experience here...this has been a hard year and lots of ups and downs but the strength I have found in myself physically and mentally have made it more manageable.
I just read a quote yesterday " Because compared to everything else I have been through, eating right and exercising is easy!"
You can do this!