LF women over 40 who have lost 50+ pounds

DebbieLyn63

I am 50 and have lost 40lbs and plan on loosing 6lbs more. I might loose less because at my age its a trade of between flatter tummy versus too gaunt in face:sad:

First 7 months I ate 1500 every day irrespective of my exercise. I swim 6 days a week and run 4 but this is not new, I managed to gain 30lbs with the same level of exercise. I am convinced it is about calories in. I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years so no change. I try to eat lots of fruit and vegetables but so that I didn't become a social recluse I cal counted in meals ot at resturants, dinner parties etc. every 12 weeks or so I have a diet break. Follow work of Lyle McDonald and Stroutman81 my heros.

During August commenced 5:2. 5 days at 1500 and 2 days at 500. Started this primarily for health benefits but also to help lose. Hope it will help with maintainence, something never achieved previously.

Have lost at 1lb a week on average - except on diet breaks when no loss.

Good luck.

Did you mean to say that you LOST 30 pounds on 1500 per day and exercising at the level you do? I surely hope that was a typo.

Givemewings

Hi. I am 43 and have lost around 42lbs so far. I lost this in around 11 months but then lost motivation and stopped for a while. I love my food far too much not to eat back exercise calories and so this is something I have always done. In fact I exercise so that I can eat more. I started with walking and exercise videos , then started to build up my running. In May 2012 I ran a 10K which felt amazing. For most of this time i had my cals set at 1200 but my activity set at sedentary so I had to exercise to eat more than this. At the moment I have upped my cals a bit to 1500 but still plan to run most days and burn lots of calories!

the1to1

I am inspired by the stories shared here.

gabriellejayde

What I recognized was that my calorie intake had SERIOUSLY reduced.... I'd gone from eating probably 2500-3000 cals a day to less than 1000 --- yes that sounds drastic, but it worked to show me that I could do it! I could quite easily live on a LOT less food. That motivation just continued to snowball... I learned that it was OK to be hungry! In fact, it's good to be hungry on a regular basis... we've gotten so accustomed to being in a state of 'comfortable/fullness' that being hungry just seems too extreme... but it's not!!

IT"S OK TO BE HUNGRY!
YES.
I see so many people here saying "why starve yourself?", as if being hungry is starving yourself. follow a lifetime thin person around who is over 40 and see if they are constantly eating. not many are. If you want to lose, it's okay to be hungry. and to be honest, you CAN live on 1250 calories and NOT be hungry... I seem to eat something low cal every few hours and I'm fine. my body hasn't "shut down" and I'm not losing all my muscle. lol

DebbieLyn63

What I recognized was that my calorie intake had SERIOUSLY reduced.... I'd gone from eating probably 2500-3000 cals a day to less than 1000 --- yes that sounds drastic, but it worked to show me that I could do it! I could quite easily live on a LOT less food. That motivation just continued to snowball... I learned that it was OK to be hungry! In fact, it's good to be hungry on a regular basis... we've gotten so accustomed to being in a state of 'comfortable/fullness' that being hungry just seems too extreme... but it's not!!

IT"S OK TO BE HUNGRY!
YES.
I see so many people here saying "why starve yourself?", as if being hungry is starving yourself. follow a lifetime thin person around who is over 40 and see if they are constantly eating. not many are. If you want to lose, it's okay to be hungry. and to be honest, you CAN live on 1250 calories and NOT be hungry... I seem to eat something low cal every few hours and I'm fine. my body hasn't "shut down" and I'm not losing all my muscle. lol

Yes, what you guys are doing if definitely working for you. May not be for everyone, but most ladies in our age range are saying the same thing. Starving and not feeling full are drastically different things, and I think many people don't realize that. We are so used to a 'full' feeling, and like drugs or alcohol, it takes more and more food to reach that 'fullness' and then one day we look down and are 100 pounds overweight. Cutting out the sugar and junk carbs are definitely working. The higher protein and good fats are keeping me from getting hungry. My knees prevented me from riding my bike for 2 days, and I unintentionally dropped my cal level to around 1000 those 2 days (just wasn't that hungry). This morning I was down 2.6 pounds! The calorie cycling seems to really work. I will up my cals back to 1200 when I start riding again, but for sure plan to try dropping the cals on my rest days. Nothing more motivating than success!

Thanks to all of you that have shared your stories. You have helped not only me, but MANY other women struggling for answers. Didn't expect to get this much response, but have made some great MFP friends to join me on this new lifestyle journey!
I told my daughter that the old ladies are taking over MFP just like we did Facebook. Haha.

mystikfairy61

I am 51, started MFP in early Aug 2012 and have lost 15 pounds to date. I have been eating 1200-1400 calories with an occasional higher calorie day. I was also sedentary prior to starting MFP and have since started exercising, with my recent one being doing Zumba 45 mins 4-5 times a week. My goal is 125 making me need to lose 100 pounds since I started at 225, but i think a 15 pound loss in 7 weeks is not bad. Makes my average about 2 lbs a week but i lost the first 11 from 8-6 to 8-26 and then about a pound a week since then. Not sure why but thats what happened. I have at times eaten back my exercise calories and sometimes I don't, depends on how I feel. I am a diabetic but not on insulin, not sure if that makes any difference cause I am still eating what I normally do just smaller portions and not as many carbs. Just found out I was diabetic in April so these changes are all new to me.

mmmyotwnz

Wow there are some inspirational stories on here...

I'm newly 45..been trying to work my fanny off to loose weight, I drop some and then the scale doesn't move for a month despite what I do... MFP has me set at 1900 calories but I try to shoot for lower than that and allow myself a cheat day to boost up a stagnant metabolism. I exercise 5-6x a week, elliptical, walking in a very hilly neighborhood, I do Zumba 3 times a week, and drink plenty of water. I try to not eat back the calories. I'm loosing inches slowly, but it moves more than the scale does. I've been on since April and have lost about 27lbs since then.
This is a lifestyle change for me, not a quick fix. I am grateful that my body does respond and hopefully will forgive me for not treating it with the respect it deserved when my brain and heart with otherwise occupied.

I'm looking for supportive women as well to go along with in the journey.

SueC0825

Hi,
I'm over 40, over 50 actually. Haven't quite lost the 50 lbs. yet but half way there. Another issue I'd like to throw in is when there's health issues, either present or in the past that you have to adjust how and what you eat or how & what you do to workout. Then there's always menopause ~ that can be pre-menopause that affects you for years before you finally get thru it all.
I've done with menopause, have osteoarthritis in numerous joints and had both knee replaced. But ~ now I'm back to the gym, losing weight and getting my life back on track.
Thoughts?

NewLIFEstyle4ME

jazzalea said:

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:

Woooowwwww...you rock jazzalea, period. I you attitude and I'm so proud of your progress and your way of communicating is so, ummm....COOL and totally encouraging to me--Thank you for replying:flowerforyou:

Thank you OP for starting this thread. I'm looking forward to reading more replies!!!!!

donnakcraig

I have been on this program for 2 monthes and lost 30 lbs. I eat 1200 to 1500 a day. i don't eat back my exercise calories unless I really am hungry and want more. most days i don't need more.

I made little changes all along. one thing that helped me is counting salt. staying under my salt count get the scales moving in the right direction.

I have learn to enjoy greek yougart, fish, veggie burgers, lots of beans and whipped peanut butter to finish off my calories for the dy. I eat some cheese, a few nuts and love love love laughing cow cheese on anything...toast, cucumbers, veggie.

just little changes all along as gotten me to eating much more healthy.

good luck

good luck

DebbieLyn63

I have seen more women eating the laughing cow products. I might just have to try those!

LeggyAmericanGirl

I have lost 56lbs and plan to lose 65lbs more. you are welcome to add me. Im 42

0somuchbetter0

I'm 46 and have lost 57 lbs since summer 2011. I lost the first 20 in about 6 months by meeting regularly with a nutritionist and keeping a food log...(I can't remember how many calories I was eating then)...and by working really hard not to binge at night, which is my biggest problem. I couldn't exercise much because I was SO heavy and everything hurt. I had lap band surgery in May 2012. The first 15 after surgery came off fast and easy for obvious reasons, but ever since I healed and started eating regular food again, I've been at about 1500 cals/day and I burn about 2800 cals/week with exercise. I don't go out of my way to eat back exercise calories, but if I'm hungry I go ahead and go over the 1500 on exercise days. I'm almost halfway to my goal and for the last couple of months I've lost at a rate of about 1 to 1.5 lbs/week. Good luck!

letmebeda1_wechange

hi and i'm 45 years old and have been on my health journey now for almost 10months. what has worked for me is exercise. yes working out. walking, weight lifting. and of course i have done portion control. eating 5-6 meals a day in smaller portions. also all i drink is water. but yes it can be done, you can surely lose the weight.

ladybugss

bump

gabriellejayde

I have seen more women eating the laughing cow products. I might just have to try those!

OMG, it's good. I have it on rice cakes, on my wrap, mixed with spinach, and on a baked potato.

In fact, I have spinach... i know what i'm having for breakfast.

adietz12

Hi, I have lost 85lbs with 40 to go. I am 49 years old. I started out just exercising. Every day. That started in May 2009. I lost a bunch of weight that way but then I could not lose anymore even though I was working out every day for 1-2 hours and running races. So I addressed my nutrition. Since July I have been on a 1500 calorie a day food plan. I have been steadily losing ever since. I don't mind the 1500 requirement and I love to exercise. I do a lot of cross training - cardio, yoga, weight training, high intensity interval training. I would not lose any weight without the exercise. It would be gridlock. The body is fighting me every step of the way but little by little it is giving up the fat. Focus on the exercise. You will come to love it. Stick to the calorie count but give yourself a treat day every week. Not a binge day. Have a beer or something. It tricks the body and all works for the good. Good luck. With exercise the body you want comes way before the weight you want. I bought a size 10 skirt today. I started in a size 22. Life is wonderful.

imwithgizmo

I just turned 47. 5' 3", and have lost 73 since Jan. of this year. I started on WW, and switched to MFP in August. I started here at 1200 calories (What the calculator deal gave me as a number), then upped it to 1400. I eat back about half my exercise cals.

Merrysix

Age 57 and have lost 39 pounds since February. I eat 1500 cals a day, clean, lower carb, avoid my triggers (sugar and white flour and high carb foods). I eat back some cals if I exercise over 1hour, and I exercise about 5 days per week mixing it up between kettle bells for weights, Pilates for core, distance hilly bicycling, spinning, and wallking.. Feel great. I have about 20 more pound to lose.

70davis

Bump

tigs728

bump :flowerforyou:

traceygl1967

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I am getting some good info.

I do eat low/slow carb. As sugar free as possible, with high lean protein, good fat, and as much fiber as I can get in. I do feel SO much better without the sugar. I have mild RA, and my joints don't hurt nearly as much without the sugar. I ride a recumbent bike usually 6 days a week, and have worked up to an hour a day, tension level 4 so it doesn't trash my lousy knees, and spin 10-12 mph.

The diet changes and exercise have resulted in less pain, more energy and sleeping better, so my efforts have definitely not been in vain, I just really want to see even a little weight loss each week. I started off with 6 lbs the first week, (normal water loss for me the first week on a diet) but I have hit a stall now. I tried upping my calories and exercise, but that resulted in a 1-2 pound gain. I seem to be able to maintain on 1200 calories, burning 500-600 on the bike, and not eating back the calories. (occasionally going over or under 100 cals). I am finding so many women that are successfully losing on 800-1000 p/day, exercising daily, but not eating back many calories. It goes against the general consensus of this site, but for them it has worked and is still working long term. Their cals come from lean protein, good fats, lower carbs with lots of veggies. I know you can't eat 800 a day in donuts and be successful long term.

The poster suggesting more movement thruout the day made a lot of sense. My hubby actually suggested that as well. I will put my pedometer on and purposely try to move more thru out the day. I know I need to build more muscle, but need to find some exercises that don't hurt my joints, back or neck. In addition to the arthritis, I have a spinal cord injury/disease as well that creates challenges for me. I have used that excuse to gain a lot of weight over the passed 10 yrs, so now I am finding ways to get the exercise in despite the challenges, without causing major flare ups. So far, so good.

I think my body may get used to a set calorie level quickly, and am thinking about changing it up, eating 200 less one day and 200 more the next, or something like that to try to shake it up. Has this worked for any of you?

I know I have only been at this for a month, and I know it will take time, but I just want to quickly figure out what will and won't work for me so I can make the most of my efforts, and not get frustrated. I know how to maintain and keep the weight off, it's just very difficult to lose the weight I gained due to my accident, a baby at 37, and getting older. I know WHY I gained and have changed those habits, now I just have to undo the damage.

Thanks again for all the info.

Do you use a heart rate monitor for your excercise as MFP hugely overates some excercise calories.
I found that stationary recumbant bike for me at an hour a day medium resistance burns only 200 calories according to my heart rate monitor and I am 286 lb age 45.

Zaphyre13

What a great thread! Thanks for starting this post, it's very inspiring. WTG ladies!!

It does seem to be harder to lose at 41 than at 31~ I'm at 1200 or less and eating low carb. It's working for me. I'm down 26lbs since the beginning of the year. I feel so much more in control when I cut out the sugar and carbs! Like a normal person with food.

Looking for a new friends for support, I have a ways to go

Defren

I'm 46 and have lost over 90lbs since being diagnosed T2 diabetic in March. I began on Atkins induction, virtually no carbs, and really clean eating. I then heard about the Newcastle diet which had been formed to help T2 diabetic patients. I did four weeks of just three shakes a day, then four weeks of 2 shakes a day and 200g of veggies, with a tiny portion of protein. My glucose levels came right down to non diabetic levels, and I lost around 50lbs those eight weeks. I still think that is too fast to lose weight, but it worked for me. I went onto Primal eating, basically as clean and wholesome as I could. Portion sizes were closely watched and the weight slowed to around 1-2lbs a week. I was and am much happier with that kind of loss. I have around 17-18lbs still to go, and I am hoping it will be gone by the end of the year, but I am not pressuring myself. I go through periods where I do struggle to eat and my 1,500 calorie goal can be missed by quite a bit, but I think so long as I am never hungry, I have energy, and can do what I need to do, then I must listen to my body. I think that has been my problem for too many years, not listening to what my body is telling me.

Good luck every one!

Rosezilla

I am 51 and I've lost 44 lbs so far, but it has been a process. Feb. 2011 I had a 99%blockage in my main heart artery. After that, I began changing my eating habits a little at a time, and dropped pounds, then maintained there for quite some time - more than a year - but in Aug. 2012 I began meeting with a dietician and dropped a few more - then in Sept. I began going to the gym 3 days a week, doing cardio for 1/2 an hour and strength training for an hour, also working out at home on the treadmill 3 more days a week, and now my rate is 1 1/2 to 2 lbs weekly. My eating has changed drastically, but over time, so it didn't feel drastic. I just made changes one by one - less meat, fruit instead of sweets, a lot more veggies, and a lot more water. I eat between 1200 - 1500 calories per day, and I don't eat back my exercise calories. I don't feel hungry or have cravings, probably because I eat small amounts frequently throughout the day. Also, I pray a lot, and ask God to help me control and discipline myself, so I give Him the glory! I still have quite a ways to go weight wise, and health wise I need to eat this way the rest of my life - but only one day at a time!

ccsick

I am 55, took off 40# I think since June 1st. I am not starving myself, I am running, doing stairs, walking and just staying active. I have no pictures of me to show now. I do have a before, but have to learn how to get it off my camera and uploaded to here, I think this site is hard to get photos onto.

fastforlife1

I am 55, took off 40# I think since June 1st. I am not starving myself, I am running, doing stairs, walking and just staying active. I have no pictures of me to show now. I do have a before, but have to learn how to get it off my camera and uploaded to here, I think this site is hard to get photos onto.

If you can load your photos from your camera to your computer and the up load them from your computer to MFP. Sometimes I have to load my photo on to Facebook, then to my computer, then to my MFP. I know - it is not easy!

suzywantsitall

Love your your thinking, have printed out a few of your ideas and will practice. you inspired me.

Qskim

I'm 43, lost 81lbs, eat betwee1200 - 1500 on average in a week...I eat fairly clean because I too have an arthritic condition that resembles yours (psoriatic). I don't eat unless I'm hungry but if I am and if it puts me over for the day I don't care. I have 5 kids.. The last two were when I was 39 and 42. The best thing I've done for myself is learning to listen to my body. I eat easily at 1200 because of what I eat. Not perfectly all the time. I'm still learning about eliminating some foods but can easily say I have never had this much energy since I was first diagnosed. Had a recent flare up that upset me (tackled damn pizza). Still learning, probably b a lifelong series of lessons!!

NewLIFEstyle4ME

I'm 43, lost 81lbs, eat betwee1200 - 1500 on average in a week...I eat fairly clean because I too have an arthritic condition that resembles yours (psoriatic). I don't eat unless I'm hungry but if I am and if it puts me over for the day I don't care. I have 5 kids.. The last two were when I was 39 and 42. The best thing I've done for myself is learning to listen to my body. I eat easily at 1200 because of what I eat. Not perfectly all the time. I'm still learning about eliminating some foods but can easily say I have never had this much energy since I was first diagnosed. Had a recent flare up that upset me (tackled damn pizza). Still learning, probably b a lifelong series of lessons!!

You're my shero !!!! How long did it take for you to permanently EVICT those 81 pounds?