LF women over 40 who have lost 50+ pounds

barb1241

I am 51. From February 20, 2010 until July 4, 2010 I lost 57 pounds. Between then and about 5 weeks ago, I lost another 8 lbs and then back up to only a loss of 43 total. I ate the best food I could for those first 4 months, mostly veg, lean protein, whole grain carbs, some fruit. And I did a lot of walking. When I first started though I could barely make it around the block. It took about a month and I was walking around 2 blocks. I found geocaching and had so much fun doing that that I hiked up and down hills and such and didn't think about it much and got pretty fit in the process...or as fit as I could be considering I was still not thin. I am not a gym girl, so I rode my bicycle and walked and hiked and did the WATP video. Honestly, for me it really was a matter of getting healthy food the majority of the time and MOVING. I weighed my food and I counted the miles.

I lost track of it for a bit and life got in the way. 5 weeks ago, I re-started the healthy lifestyle, foods, exercise and such and I've lost 16 pounds so far. I still need to lose at least 34 more and really another 54 would be better, but it is different for me at this age than it was when I was a 20-something and I may have to just do with a little more poundage. We shall see.

I just started using light weights (dumbbells?) the little 2 lb kind that you hold, with my WATP video a couple of days ago because I know that aerobics alone isn't enough to get fit, just to lose weight. At some point, I will probably have to suck it up and go to the gym or find a trainer to show me how to lift weights at home. I'm not there YET, though, so I'll just keep doing what i do for now.

If anyone wants to look at my (imperfect) food diary, you can send me a friend request. I'm not all that great, but what I do works really well for me and I would be happy to share if it can help one of my sisters.

Barb

twingirlsmommy

Wow you must be so proud! Great job!

mdmorgan25

Hi, I am 42 and have lost 60 lbs overall. That has taken me about 2 years, but I wasn't always dieting and exercising in those 2 years. I started with a meal replacement diet through my doctor's office. I lost about 50 lbs, stopped doing the diet because I hated not eating real food and gained some but not all of it back. Then last year at the beginning of Sept I joined WW on line. I have lost 42 lbs since then. I found that using WW, I would stay at the same weight for several weeks and couldn't figure out why since I was following my points and exercising. It was frustrating! I found MFP and I like it better than WW on line. When I logged my last day from WW, I saw the problem...too many carbs! I would have never known that on WW. I use a formula for eating from a post I found about TDEE, so I eat about 1700 cals a day. MFP figures it much lower. I normally lose about a pound a week. I aim to exercise every day at least 30 mins a day. Cardio every day and weights 3 times a week. I do skip a day every now and then. Overall, I wish I was losing faster, but I know that I will keep it off when I am done by doing it the right way. I eat what I want, but I am accountable to myself and everything gets logged. The main thing I learned about eating is that it is ok to indulge when you crave something but you have to make it work with everything else (what else you eat that day, your exercise, etc) so some days I have to put off eating it until I can make it work. Don't give up if your weight stays the same or goes up a pound or two from week to week (especially that time of the month). Try to weigh yourself on the same day at the same time, but only once a week. Also, take your measurements and record them. I only lost 4 lbs last month, but I also lost 2.5% bf, so that was a huge win! You have to find the small victories and keep working and it will pay off in the long run. The 15 I have lost on MFP is since July.

Luv2Smile55

Bumpity Bump Bump Bump

jeme3

I'm 50 years old, 5'7" tall. Highest weight was 208 at the end of August. I looked puffy and shapeless, and felt terrible.

I am down 22 pounds (current weight 186) and feeling so much better.

Goal weight is 145.

I set my goals according to MFP to lose one pound a week, and I eat back my exercise calories (um, hello, I get to eat more if I exercise! Yay! I like to eat!). 1540 I think is what I have for calories before exercise at a lightly active lifestyle. Well, if you do the math, you can see I'm losing faster than one pound a week. I don't know if that's because I am more active than I thought, or what, but I am using all MFP numbers for exercise and food calories.

I eat pretty clean. I'm not extreme about it, but I aim for clean.

I eat at least two fruits every day, and have a big salad (no dressing, I'd rather save those calories for something else) at least once a day most days. Salad is a mix of spring mx/spinach/romaine, I grate a carrot and a zucchini in to it, add a cucumber, some tomatoes, bell pepper (usually red), tomatoes, and whatever else I find in the fridge. And usually another veggie with dinner as well.

Whole grains are first choice. I have been working on incorporating more different kinds of whole grains and not get stuck in a rut of brown rice and whole wheat.

I haven't really eliminated anything from my diet, but knowing that I'll have to log it on a public diary and that I don't want to go over on my calories sure makes me stop and think about what I want to eat at any given moment!

I eat three meals a day and two or three snacks most days. For me, that keeps me from getting to the oh my god I have to eat now and I will eat it ALL I see stage.

I have a bad back/neck from a car accident and another injury, and a bad knee, so I have to be careful about the types of exercise I am able to do. I walk mostly, but I recently went skating with some friends from work. I hadn't been skating in over 20 years- so much fun!

Had my annual physical in October. Good news: total cholesterol 158, BP 120 over 70. Bad news: fasting glucose 101 - should be 99 or less, so not terribly high, but is just inside the pre-diabetic range. My doctor wants me to retest in December, and is pretty confident that if I keep losing weight and exercising the glucose level will be down then.

I have watched several of my friends slip in to type 2 diabetes, and I don't want to join them! I know that diet and exercise makes a huge difference, so I'm working on it.

The biggest obstacle for me on this journey is that my husband (who is on high blood pressure medication and is about 100 pounds overweight) does most of the cooking and shopping for the family. He is feeling very threatened by my incursion in to his territory- the kitchen. He took over cooking about 8 years ago due to my work schedule. He's retired and stays home all day watching cooking shows, then likes to cook what he has learned. He is an AMAZING home cook, but eating Mario Battali meals every night is killing us (literally).

We had a big blow up about it the other night, but I think he is getting it a little more now.

I am commited to getting healthy and losing the weight. It's a lifestyle. I want along healthy life, so this is what I have to do.

lmunro5394

I'm 44 and have lost 104lbs to date. It's taken me 5 years to do it though. I didn't consistently "diet" through that time which is why it's taken so long, but I'm ok with that. It was baby steps. In 2007, after 20yrs of marriage, my then husband decided it was too much work to be married and walked out. To cope with the depression and anxiety I started walking, that was hard!!! Being 5'4" and 286lbs at the time, it was a struggle to walk far without pain. But I did. Also couldn't eat so those first 30lbs was pretty easy to lose. We changed what we ate. My ex only wanted to eat junk. So, every meal was either fried or fast food, and completely unhealthy. Once he was gone, we bought much less junk food, and we developed a love of broiling and grilling. More veggies, more fruits.
Over the next few years, I would attempt to "diet" and would exercise, but then lose interest, I'd gain some back and eventually start again. The end of June of this year I decided it was time to really get serious. I know, I'm a slow learner! It was time to start tracking what I ate, hence why I'm on MFP, and being consistent with exercise. Not only because I want to look good, yes that plays a part in it. But more so because I want to FEEL good! I want to be strong! I want to be able to run! I want to be able to DO! So along with tracking calories, I now do strength training 2-3x a week, oh my goodness if you've never done strength training, you're missing out! I've been consistent with it for a month and a half and I notice differences! I do a Mind and Body class 1X a week which is a class that combines Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga, I do Zumba a minimum of 2X a week, water aerobics 1-2X a week and have developed an absolute love of the rowing machine!!!
In order to lose, you simply have to DO. It's taken all of these years to finally realize that. Put aside your excuses as to why you can't start today, face head on those reasons why you may eat emotionally and DO SOMETHING!!! It may take FOREVER to lose weight, but at least you'll be doing it! Don't listen to those voices in your head that tell you you aren't good enough.

Lipstickcherry

only on page 1, keep requesting to add friends and reading slowly. This thread is chock full of awesomeness! :happy:

Neeser926

I'm 50 and have lost 46.5 of 133 so far. Not quite what you asked for, but pretty darn close!

I eat between 1250-1500 a day. It has been 106 days. I do not go to the gym. I do not eat exercise calories. I walk. A lot.

I agree with an earlier poster that the secret is really in moving more every single day, All DAY LONG. I will make 4 trips up the stairs with laundry instead of loading my arms for one trip. I park farthest from the building at work and when shopping. I set an alarm to remind me to move every hour when I'm on the computer. I do squats and lunges whenever I am standing idle. I pace while on the phone.

Just move! I use a fitbit to track my steps. Goal when I started was to get to 2500 steps every day. Then it was a stretch to get 5000 a day. Now I push for 7000 every day and have had several days over 10,000 in the last two months.

canlid

hello, first I want you to know that I am a man but I thought you might be interested in my wife's weight lost. My wife has little to any will-power when it comes to food. She is okay with me doing the cooking and keeping track of weight stuff. I cook most meals, not real good at it but getting better. She is allowed 1440 calories a day for a 1 pound per week weight lost goal. I have found that if we stay below 1300 she almost always drops a few ounces the next morning. She does light exercises for 15 to 30 minutes nightly, but if she consumes the extra calories she almost always gain ounces the next morning. I believe salt is the main problem but haven't verified that yet. she will soon be 60 and has lost 40 plus pounds. Canlid

mnichol

bump

zombilishious

I'm 42, I've lost a total of 40lbs (30 with MFP) and I'm definitely NOT starving. I try to stick to around 1500 calories a day, but I often go to 1700 or more. I let my body tell me when it needs more nutrition. Heavy weights make all the difference. It's an absolute necessity. Along with eating clean, of course!

cindyhoney2

I'm only 40 but I lost 60 lbs on Atkins in about 12 months, I have since switched up my eating habits to include carbs and I eat very clean w/a lot of fresh veggies and fruits. I exercise 4-6 times a week for 45 mins plus. I have continued to lose weight, however it has slowed and I'm currently stuck fluxuating between 180-185 lbs. My goal is 150ish. It gets harder not only because of our age but because I am closer to goal. Feel free to send me an invite, always looking ofr motivation!

SopranogirlCa

bump

gauchogirl

I am 45 and to date have lost 70 lbs. I still have 50 to lose. It's been 17 months so far. The first 8 months I lost 30 lbs and that was with exercising 2-3 times a day, 5-6 times a week. I also tried to "eat better" but really didn't change what I ate much. In month 9 I discovered the research and science behind Paleo/Primal/Ancestral eating and it made perfect sense to me. It wasn't a diet, it was like I discovered I'd been fooled all this time and just realized how I was supposed to be eating. Like I hadn't learned it right the first time. I switched to that method of eating and have no problem following it 100% M-F. On weekends, because of convenience, I don't worry about what I eat too much. So I tend to lose well during the week then go up over the weekend, still netting some sort of loss. From months 9-12, I cut back my exercise to 1-2 times a day, changed my eating as described, and lost another 40 lbs. From months 12-17 I "didn't change anything" but plateaued and have fluctuated the same 5 lbs for months. Last week I decided to work in 1-2 days of fasting, in the style of the "Eat Stop Eat" book by Brad Pilon. THIS WEEK, I LOST 8.1 lbs. Not a joke, broke through my plateau, went past those same 5 lbs I've been toying with all summer and even went lower. I don't know if I'll continue the intermittent fasting, I might reserve it as a tool to get through tough times. I don't know yet. This week was so dramatic I kind of just want to see where it goes because I don't necessarily think it's good to lose too fast. SO...that's my "over 40, at least 50 lbs" story.

themommie

I am 49 have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and hypothyroid and I have lost 107 lbs in the last 2 yrs. I have kept my calories between 1000=1300 a day and exercise 6 days a week at first just swimming and then walking due to the fibromyalgia (constant pain) then I added in my recumbant bike and some exercise dvds. I usually exercise between 40-90 mins a day but i had to work up to that at first it was just 10-20 mins. I do not eat back my exercise cals and i have done the calorie cycling from time to time when my weight loss slowed and it seemed to work for me. Just find what works for you.
Sounds like you are doing great , keep up the good work

Amy911Gray

What does LF mean? I didn't know if I qualified for that part...

But I am over 40 and I have lost over 50 pounds. The key is to structure your diet the way you want it to be for the rest of your life. Identify the foods or food groups that you want to part with temporarily -- for me it was all potatoes, rice and bread. Structure your meals around protein/vegetables/fruit. Limit fat--no more high calorie/high sodium dressings for this girl.

And then...watch what you are drinking. Diet soda may decrease calories, but it really does nothing for "eating clean" every day. Fruit juices rarely aren't just juiced fruit.

And then...find an exercise or a group of exercises that you like or wanted to try. I started very very slow by walking. Once I lost about 30 pounds, I purchased an elliptical machine and haven't looked back!

I only have 5 pounds to goal, and so I'm working on a maintenance plan--these last 5 will be gone by January (I think).

Plan Plan Plan--your meals and your exercise. It's YOU time...you've got this and you can do it!

miracle4me

I am 64 yrs old and had 112 lbs to lose when I started in April of 2011. I have lost 82lbs so far and 30 to go. It can be done, and logging is one of the most important things to do.......I will add u as a friend... Good Luck....Joann

This is really encouraging Congratulations! I am reading all the posts so I can learn your secrets also. Thanks OP for asking this question I keep comparing myself to my beloved MFP Friends who have no health problems, and younger metabolisms that are faster than mine. When I read a 64 year old woman can lose the weight I know I can also.

venturaroo

I am 48 and lost 50 pounds last year in about 4 months. I did water aerobics almost everyday sometimes twice and would do an hour on the treadmill as well. I kept my calories around 1200 but was not eating clean and would eat my calories back sometimes. I have now been around the same weight for about 9 months which I am happy about because I haven't gained it all back. Just recently getting my focus back to lose the next 100. Good luck to you!

charlestonchickk

I have lost 36 pounds in 3 months after struggling for a year with no results. What did it for me was investing in a good sports watch with a monitor you wear around your chest while you exercise. (Hidden under your clothes) It will tell you exactly how many calories you burned for REAL. When you have that information, you realize that when you are menopausal, you burn approximately 15% less calories than any table will tell you. You also need 15% less calories than the tables tell you.

I started exercising 5-6 times a week. I strength train with a trainer one a week. I track every calorie on MFP and I eat back some of my exercise calories if I feel I need to. That is when I started losing 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. When I was younger (30's) I could lose 3 pounds a week eating more and exercising less. It is what it is and that's what we've been dealt.

I learned to eat "cleaner" and I basically gave up red meat altogether. I eat fish 1-2 times a week. The rest of the time is veggies, fruits and whole grains. I never ever felt better. I am 54 and am told I look about 35.

I think the mindset is very important. Be sure to grasp that this has to be a LIFESTYLE......not a temporary situation. Most likely you, as I, will have to monitor our intake and our exercise for maintenance as well. I also try to imagine that my cravings or temptations in the grocery store or when I am hungry are the temper tantrums of the 2 year old inside of me. I try to tell her to just scream all she wants. She is not getting her way. I basically tell her to go to her room and shut the door until it's over! It always gets "over" and the 2 year old always stops screaming. When you resist, it feels wonderful.

I wish you the best of luck. I know you can do this. Just keep walking toward your goal and see yourself, thin, waiting at the end of your journey to meet you!

Charlestonchickk

no1belongs

my mom is in this catagory she lost over 60 pounds i believe and she did it by jogging p90x and watching how much and what she ate. im so very proud of her