LF women over 40 who have lost 50+ pounds

djk721

wow! you look awesome! Good Job!

jwpamp

I am 49 and lost 60 pounds about 3 years ago. I followed the WWatchers plan of counting "points" and after walking off the first 20 pounds I started working out more intensely. Over the course of about 6 months, I reached my goal. I went from a size 18/20 to a 6/8.

I now go to the gym 5-6 days a week and on any days I don't go I make sure I at least walk or do a stationary bike for 30 minutes. I do weight training 3x a week, 2 days upper body and 1 day lower....I do 45-60 minutes of cardio in the morning and 30 minutes most evenings from home.

I had spinal surgery about 8 years ago and have screws and rods in my back which limits my running -- so I do HIIT on the treadmill and focus on the elliptical types of machines and the bike for cardio. I lift low (12-15 pound dumbells) but my arms are very cut.

I eat clean most of the time....but I love my chocolate! And when I eat poorly (pizza, a burger, etc) I work out a little harder after. I never finish everything when we go out to eat -- I only eat 1/2 of my plate and ask for a box to take the rest home.

Water -- at least 8 glasses a day. VERY LITTLE soda and virtually no alcohol (unless I am on a vaca somewhere!).

I still follow the WWatchers program and am a meeting leader. I highly promote the program....it's a lifestyle change and it will work for anyone who follows it. We get a lot of people who reach their weight goals and then don't attend because they think they can do it on their own....many come back a few years later to remove the weight they gained after they left. After reaching your goal, you only have to weigh in once a month and you are FREE forever (as long as you weigh in no more than 2 pounds above your goal once a month).

I don't count points EVERY day, there are some that I don't -- but I know that it keeps me in line. I weigh in every week and if I am up I get back to tracking points (EVERY THING I put in my mouth!) -- it works.

I am going to be 50 in a few months. I wear a bikini and am proud of my body. I feel good, am healthy and have more energy than I ever did. It's soooooo worth the pain that I went thru to get here. I have 2 children in their 30's and people can't believe it when I tell them that....so nice!

Good luck with your weight loss journey -- just stay focused on your goal and you will get there!

Tanimom

I like this approach. I'm 69 years old and lost 75# over 6 years using Weight Watchers. I still have 40# to go. I had joined WW many times in the past and had never been able to stick with it. The big change for me was in my attitude. I recognized that every previous attempt was a learning experience, not a failure. I recognized that I needed to change my relationship with food permanently, not just while "I was on a diet". So I cut myself enough slack to defuse the "deprivation trigger" that so often defeated me before. I allowed that life has it's ups and downs, that a stumble is just that and it doesn't define me or my future. While I was not 100% faithful to the points system, I was 100% faithful with the meetings, where I found support and accountability. I got off track when someone (my personal trainer at the gym) convinced me that he had a better plan - Paleo. It totally messed with my head and I've had a hard time getting back in the game. MFP has helped tons. I'm temporarily laid up and can't go to WW so this is a life saver. I totally plan to continue with MFP when I'm up and about again and can go to WW. One does not exclude the other.

DebbieLyn63

I'm 46 and have lost almost 80 lbs total. 5yrs ago I started WW and after an initial weight loss of around 25lb in about 4mo, the loss slowed down but in about a 18mo had lost 40lbs ... all without exercise. Then, as had happened so many times before, I lost my motivation and I put 20 back on

Then about 2yrs ago something just 'clicked'... I'd been reading some about 'cognitive' responses to weight gain and how one needed to change the way they think (not just eat/exercise) to really lose weight.

To be totally fair, around that same time, I did have a very stressful life experience that (for the first time ever) made me almost unable to eat... like my stomach was 'in knots' most of the time. Within a month I dropped 15lbs!! Yes, many people would say that's not healthy .... it will come back, and then some .... etc etc etc ... BUT what it did for me was motivate me like nothing ever had -- and I've struggled with weight my entire life. I KNOW losing a substantial amount in a pretty short time has made ALL the difference

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!!

My eating then evolved into a small, late morning breakfast that always included protein, a good sized late lunch of pretty much whatever I wanted --- normally healthy choices, no fast food, no fried food, very little 'white' stuff, then --- and I swear by this -- when I got home at night, I would NOT EAT DINNER!! I know that sounds outrageous to most people, but I realized that so often I would eat dinner just because it was there... even if I wasn't really hungry -- which was very often the case because of that late lunch.

I would give myself a little treat in the evening: ONE square of dark chocolate and a glass of red wine!! that's all I would eat in the evenings. What made it easier, was that I changed some of my behavior. Instead of hanging around the living room, watching tv, I took my computer to my bedroom and surfed the net or watched netflix. Within 5 months I'd lost another 25lbs.

Then I decided I wanted to exercise... and then my weightloss actually slowed down, but I got fitter and healthier than I have ever been! I joined the gym and tried every class I could -- bootcamp, body pump, pilates, etc. Somehow, almost miraculously, I fell in love with exercise! And I was seriously a certified couch potato my entire life, even as a kid. But it was just like the motivation kept on snowballing ... losing weight... feeling like I had power over food for the first time .... made me feel so good about myself that I began to really crave THAT over food! And exercise soon made me feel like I had power over my body.

Almost 2yrs later, I can say this is my true lifestyle. I try to eat a clean diet 90% of the time... lean meats, eggs, fruits and veggies, very little grains (and my calories are 1200-1400 now, depending on my activity level). I try to steer clear of sugar, even keeping my fruit intake to maybe 3-4 servings a week. I make sure I eat plenty of protein which keeps me satisfied and clear headed. I'm a firm believer that weight loss is done 90% in the kitchen, 10% in the gym.... the amount of food that goes in. You can probably lose eating 1000 cals of 'crappy food' a day, but you'll physically and mentally feel better eating clean healthy calories.

I now run 2-3 times a week and lift weights w/my hubby 3x a week and throw in a pilates or yoga class when I can. I enjoy my life, and have my 'cheat' times over holidays and occasions, but I see those times for what they are... and jump right back into my 'clean' eating. Honestly I'd like to lose about 10-12 more pounds and lose that excess fat that still seems to cling to my midsection, but I know my taste for a couple of hi-octane craft beers with chips and salsa on the weekends isn't helping, lol... but I feel good about myself and how I look (ok, mostly), and I'm living a real life.

When I turned 40, I was over 200lbs (i'm 5'1") and was wearing a snug 16, and walking 2 houses up a slight hill to my neighbor's left me winded. When I turned 46 last July, I weighed 125, wearing a size 4, and place 2nd in my age group at 2 of the many 5ks I've ran in the last year. I'm firmer and stronger and faster than I've ever been... but the best part is having tons of energy for running and jumping and rolling around with my 2yr old grandson (after bending over to tie my shoes with no discomfort whatsoever!! .... that alone gives me the motivation to keep going, lol)

Bottom line: you CAN do this!! You gotta figure out how to wrap your head around it, and keep your head in the game. Spend time reading, learning, focusing on weight loss, exercise, healthy living, etc.... some people call it obsession, but there are worse things to 'waste' time on, right?

Thanks so much. This is pretty much how I am eating, and altho I can't run, am really enjoying getting in a good ride on my recumbent almost every day. Glad to see what I am doing, has worked for so many others. Congrats on your new life!

DebbieLyn63

YOU are an inspiration.

A week ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes type 2. My life completely changed. I'm 45 and have over 60 pounds to lose. Before, I was on a 1200 calorie diet and was losing Maybe a pound every 2 weeks, if I was lucky. This went on for months. Then, in order to control my blood sugar, I had to go on an extremely low carb diet. I'm still trying to get it under 30 grams a day. Out went all of the breads, crackers, potatoes, corn, and pastas. The diabetic forum I joined a few days ago said I needed a high protein, lots of fat, and Extremely low carbs, no fruit. I thought they were Crazy. But, after 3 days I lost 4.2 pounds! I still kept it under 1200 calories, for the most part.. and I feel stuffed. My blood sugars are primarily Normal. I'll say that again. My blood sugars are, for the most part, Normal. When I was diagnosed, they were in the 300's! (70 to 110 is normal between meals, and nothing over 140 is normal 2 hours after meals). Apparently, my triglycerides will be normal, too, if I follow this diet. We'll see.

Great for you taking charge of your health and making the changes needed. I miss my mom, but I'm mad at her at times for not taking her diabetes serious when she was first diagnosed. She waited too late. Kidney failure and other organ failure finally woke her up, but it was too late at that point. We watched her slowly die over 3 yrs. I refuse to do that to my children and grandchildren. Keep up the good work. You are worth it, and your family will thank you.

islandnutshel

I am 39, so hope you don't mind. I restarted beginning of may. And in 4 and a half months have lost 40 pounds. I have my goal set at -1 pound a week and because of this I leave some of my exercise calories uneaten. I always eat over 1200 calories, unless sick. I started out losing quickly, and it is in the 5th month, I have slowed down. It was expected and not even unwelcome. (I want to wear some of these cloths before I am forced to buy new)
I have anther 40ish to go. Don't know what is the right weight to get to, but I can figure that out later.

DangerSass

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/704314-beautifully-flawed

Here's my story. I am 42 and I lost 58 pounds. I am still transforming. I eat around 2000 cals a day.

Carfoodel

I am 45 I started in November (but took two months out and just maintained when there was family illnesses to deal with on top of my dissertation and final exams to cram for)

I eat 1500 on average - when I try and decrease it I start getting too fixated on counting every calorie - and 1500 for me is about right. on high exercise days I can eat up to 2,000.

for exercise I do Kettlebells class, just started weightlifting 2 or 3 times a week and do about an hour of cardio most days. On the odd day I don't go to the gym, I take the dog bigger walks - on most days the dog gets about 3 or 4 walk about 1 1/2 - 2 hours overall and about 2 or 3 days a week I take her a 5 or 6 mile walk - but am working on increasing that. I have also just started swimming again. - I set myself targets all the time - for example for August I took part in the Row around the World competition (our team won yeay! and I set a personal target to see if I could burn 30,000 calories in 30 days and managed 31048 and that was 4 days out of commission with a migraine - so I am getting so fit I am loving it.

Momma_Grizz

Bump so I can read after my workout - this is a great thread!

CALABRESE3

bump

pigote

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! )

^ This!
I'm 57, hove lost 43 lbs in 6.5 months doing the above, plus some weights at home during the last 2 months

nowine4me

Im 46 and have lost almost 50 pounds since January. Try to lose 5 pounds per month, no more, in order to minimize the flabbiness. I also weight train 3x a week for the same reason. I try to stay at 1500 calories (net) per day broken into 5-6 small meals per day. Honestly, I eat almost the same thing everyday (except dinner) to avoid having to weigh/measure food. And I keep plenty of Lean Cuisines on hand in case I get hungry and don't have anything better to cook.oh, and drink 100oz of water per day--no exceptions.

fisherlassie

I'm 50 and I've almost lost 90 pounds. The end of Oct it will be a year on MFP.

I usually eat all of my exercise calories.

I drink lots of water, 8-10+ a day.

I do cardio and strength training, usually around 700 calories a day.

I eat a fairly high fat 50%, high protein 25%, low carb diet 25% more or less.

I avoid sugar and it's substitutes, and most fruits except dark berries (One cup a day)

I eat LOTS of fresh and frozen vegetables

I avoid flour, except one brown rice tortilla a day.

I eat protein at every meal

I eat almonds for snacks 24/day unless I am really hungry

I don't go out to eat as much as I would like!

I eat real whole food, lots of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts and of course VEGETABLES!!

I make rules. For example large coffee with half a cup of half and half is ok on the weekends.

I eat lots of food so my body doesn't burn my hard earned muscle.

I didn't do this at the beginning because I was so addicted to sugar I had to go cold turkey but now I have half a bar of really good expensive chocolate every day on the weekends. I tried more and went crazy when we were on vacation but I decided I have to have a chocolate rule.

I exercise a lot because I like to eat a lot! I don't like to feel hungry so i usually burn around 700 a day. I also want lots of muscle so it isn't as hard to keep the weight off. I also like to be able to do things without pain!!

If I were to aline myself with a diet I would say I am closest to Primal Blueprint but I eat lots of dairy.

A few months into MFP I got some blood work done and I was just this side of a diagnosis of diabetes. I think I was saved by cutting out sugar and flour. I have always eaten a lot of good fat, including 3 whole eggs most days until I discovered salmon! (not processed, transfatty foods) and the doctor said my triglycerides were amazing. I think all that stuff has to do with sugar and flour and processed fats.

I am able to run again!!! I'm so happy!! I never thought I would ever be able to run again!! I do aikido! I never thought I would ever be able to do a roll again (not since I was a kid!) I am getting flexible again!

The one thing I have learned being on MFP is that the scale is not as important as gaining muscle! Muscle makes your body thin. I have a friend who had had an uncooperative scale but her body has changed tremendously! Keep eating whole real food and exercising as much as you can every day! That is what we want isn't it to be able to move our bodies in this last half of our lives! Who cares what the scales says if we have muscles that allow us to do what we want to do!!!

Real whole food has vitamins and minerals and enzymes and other things we don't know about that make our bodies work more efficiently than nutritionally void foods with the same calories. What good is being thin if you aren't healthy?

This is definitely worth it!

DebbieLyn63

Well, I have to beg to differ with the OP's original statement.

I lost 55 lbs at age 54. I used exactly the numbers given to me by MFP. I always ate every single one of my exercise calories. I was often way over my calorie goals - by 500-1000 calories. I did regular exercise, used a heart rate monitor, and used those numbers exclusively for exercise. I updated my "goals" here whenever the site asked/prompted me to. It took me seven months, or 1.96 lbs per week, on average.

I also take thyroid medication, and I've gone through menopause, so you can throw those excuses out, too. I found it is mostly about a long-term consistent pattern. Some weeks I lost nothing, some weeks I lost one pound. But it was a general downward trend.

I went from 210 to 155, and I have been maintaining for five years.

Well congrats on the success. You definitely seem to be the exception to the norm., Was wondering if you were on Thyroid medicine while you were losing? I haven't had mine checked in a few years, so maybe I should do that. Thyroid meds def help with metabolism. Thanks

rubyjune27

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.

annemckee

Hello, I am 56 and have lost over 50lbs. it has taken me over a year, but that's ok. it was what I reckoned when I started. As I am only 5ft 1 I have been on 1200 calories since I started on here and of course the deficit has gone down and down as I lost weight! I exercise between 4 and 6 times a week, mostly walking but also gym and a bit of running recently. I do not eat back all my exercise calories.

There have been times when my weight has stayed the same, or even fluctuated upwards (in fact I am working down from an increase on the scales at the moment). Certainly not the "I lost two pounds every week" scenario we read about on some of the young ones' posts! The trend has been downwards however. I am now in smaller clothes that I ever have worn, have loads of confidence, am in much less pain from arthritis and a bad back ...............

If anyone checks out my diary, they will see I am now on 1420 calories - that is maintenance. Because I have only a few pounds left to lose, I changed things aroiund about a week ago and I am creating the deficit with exercise. I'm not sure if this is a good idea but I am going to give it some more time and am prepared to put teh calories back down if it doesn't work. The next step exercise-wise is to work with weights and ry to tone up.

SuMcP

I'll be 49 next month and I've lost 46lbs so far with another 16 to go until I go on to maintenance.

I exercise most days and eat back my calories. My net calorie goal is 1400 and I zig zag, eating more on some days, less on others in order to balance out over a week. When I started out, I was netting 1200, but soon hit a plateau so increased following advice from my mfps and fat2fitradio.com

I also eat 5-6 small meals a day, lots of protein (tricky sometimes as I am a veggie) and less carbs than recommended by mfp.

Progress is slow but steady and I feel like it is a life change and change to my relationship with food rather than a diet plan.

Happy to friend with anyone who is active and supportive, eats at least a net of 1200/day and does not use faddish meal replacement plans. Hope this helps!

beattie1

Bump to answer properly later. I'm 60 & have lost 50lbs since Feb this year. I eat about half my exercise calories back. Diary is open. I was counting calories Feb - Aug, started the 5:2 diet about a month ago where I eat 500 calories on 2 days a week & 1500 or so, give or take a few hundred, on the other days. Works for me, not saying it would suit everyone.

jchocchip

bump to read later

miracle4me

I'll offer myself as another example. I joined MFP in Dec. 2009 when I was 58. I used the tools to figure out what my maintenance calorie level would be once I hit my goal weight. I figured out how much I thought I would actually exercise on a daily basis. My daily calorie level was 2000 and my exercise calorie level was 500.

The important bits to know are that I wanted to lose over 100 pounds, I'm 5'5" tall and I use an elliptical trainer (though I hadn't used it in over a year when I started.)

So, I started out by eating my maintenance calories. And I've stayed eating at that 2000 calorie level ever since. Sure sometimes I'm over, sometimes I'm under. My exercise calories have gone up - I'm at about 800 calories on the elliptical now when I use it. I also now run three miles times a week which is supposedly only 300 calorie a run. I bike about twice a week which is anywhere between 600 and 1200 calories.

How'd I do?

The first year - I lost 65 pounds
The second year - I lost 30 pounds.
This third year - I've lost 5 pounds.

100 pounds total over 2.75 years.

Was it slower than when I was younger? You bet.

Do I care? Well, let me put it this way - I've gone almost three years without gaining back that first pound I lost in December 2009. I've always gained back all the weight I've ever lost and this time I haven't.

And now all I have to do is just keeping doing what I've been doing for the past three years.

So I don't care how long it took me because now I feel terrific and I look better than I have in my whole life.

My advice - don't try to replicate the speed at which you lost weight when you were younger. That obviously didn't work out because now you have the weight to lose again. Instead, try to lose weight so that you don't ever gain it back again.

This ^^^^
You helped me a lot because the majority of my MFP Friends are not in their 40's or older. I have severe health issues that does not allow me to exercise like my beloved MFP Friends or lose weight as fast as they lose it. I have hypothyroid under active and for every 1 lb I lose the average woman without an under active thyroid loses 5 lbs. I am menopausal also and this plays havoc with my metabolism on top of Fibromyalgia which is chronic pain, Chronic Fatigue, hypoglycemia, hypothyrodism,hypertension and I struggle with severe edema and have to limit salt to 1500 a day. These are just to name a few along with heart and respiratory problems and spinal issues. I am so encouraged to read what you wrote above. Thank You! I have lost 20 lbs since joining MFP and do qualify. I also count carbs like the other poster said and lost the most when I was under 50 carbs but now I have raised it to just staying under 100 carbs. I eat clean meaning rarely eat processed foods and no sugar, gluten. If anyone wants to send me a Friend invite I would welcome more women 40 plus who are serious as I am with losing weight. I have logged on for over 140 days in a row so you know I take this very serious. I keep comparing myself to my Young MFP Friends and I have battled unrealistic weight goals and feel depressed when the scale moves so slowly. I carb cycle and also calorie cycle so my body does not think I expect it to always run on 1200 calories at times I go as high as 1650. Please when you send me a Friend invite mention this Post because I do not accept Friend invites without any introduction. I have 135 Friends and take active interest in their progress as they do mine. I am looking for encouragement like I give encouragement. Thank You OP for this post. I am editing because I forgot to add, I have lost many inches all over my body even when the scale is stubborn and does not move. I am grateful for that.