40's and up on EM2WL Support Group ?
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dwn2erth
Posts: 144 Member
Hello all, I've been following this program for about 10 weeks now. I've noticed that most of the 'really' successful women seem to be under 40. I'm 53 with a low thyroid and I've starved myself in the past so think this groups GREAT!!! I'm holding steady but know if a 36 or a 28 year old is saying 'this is going to take a while' Anyone over 40 needs A LOT of support to keep going.
Most of our 'mature' body's have been through it.. Stressors... Cortisol .. extreme diets.... loss of muscle mass..... old ideas. We need not only a reset but probably some encouragement not only from the younger pioneers to this; but, to the ladies over 40 that this has worked for.
Can anyone leave their story and what worked for them; who's over 40?
Thanks So Much!!
Most of our 'mature' body's have been through it.. Stressors... Cortisol .. extreme diets.... loss of muscle mass..... old ideas. We need not only a reset but probably some encouragement not only from the younger pioneers to this; but, to the ladies over 40 that this has worked for.
Can anyone leave their story and what worked for them; who's over 40?
Thanks So Much!!
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I need a 40's group for sure! My metabolism/body shape is not what it used to be and I'd be interested to hear what works for others in this age group!
I've been on EM2WL since August 13th. Have gained just a couple of pounds since then. (Was on 1200 cal/day for years but with pretty substantial weekend 'binges'...) With EM2WL, I have really learned how to eat more so I don't feel so deprived and, therefore, don't binge!
I would like to lose some more fat off the belly but I don't know whether to up my calories or lower them!!!
I'm currently eating 1700/day on nonworkout days and about 2000 on workout days. My BMR is 1300 and TDEE is 2000. However, I'm in the process of getting the Fitbit One so I'll get a more accurate reading...
Stats are 40 years, 5'7" and 127 pounds. Have given up wheat the last few weeks to see if that makes any difference on the scale...???0 -
I need a 40's group for sure! My metabolism/body shape is not what it used to be and I'd be interested to hear what works for others in this age group!
I've been on EM2WL since August 13th. Have gained just a couple of pounds since then. (Was on 1200 cal/day for years but with pretty substantial weekend 'binges'...) With EM2WL, I have really learned how to eat more so I don't feel so deprived and, therefore, don't binge!
I would like to lose some more fat off the belly but I don't know whether to up my calories or lower them!!!
I'm currently eating 1700/day on nonworkout days and about 2000 on workout days. My BMR is 1300 and TDEE is 2000. However, I'm in the process of getting the Fitbit One so I'll get a more accurate reading...
Stats are 40 years, 5'7" and 127 pounds. Have given up wheat the last few weeks to see if that makes any difference on the scale...???
I have the same issue's CanGirl Lets see if we can get some experienced EM2WL comments going. My abdomen is the problem too. However, I'm sure I have a bit more there than you do!!!0 -
bump0
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I'm 51 and have had great success using this site
My Journey
2/27/12 started with myfitnesspal at 146 pounds eating 1000 calories a day
5/25/12 weighing in at 128.8 increased my calories to 1100 a day
6/8/12 weighing in at 126.4 increased my calories to 1200 a day
7/6/12 weighing in at 124.8 increased my calories to 1300 a day
7/20/12 weighing in at 124.6 increased my calories to 1400 a day
8/3/12 weighing in at 124.4 increased my calories to 1500 a day
10/10/12 weighing in at 124.3 increased my calories to 1700 a day
6/11/12 started doing 20 lunges to tone my legs every day but one
6/13/12 started doing arm lifts 3 sets of 10 every other day
I walk about 25 minutes 4 times a week
9/3/12 started walking on my treadmill at home for 15 minutes at at time0 -
The reason I started out at 1000 calories was because I was used to skipping dinner so eating three meals a day seemed to much for me. I took baby steps with this. The key was sticking to each calorie level long enough for my body to adjust to it .0
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I'm 42, 5'4" and around 130 pounds. I have done the low calories diets in the past and Weightwatchers. Yo yo'd basically. I also have pcos but it would seem that it doesn't hold back the weight loss. I'd hazard a guess and say that it wasn't the reason for me gaining weight either - that'd be my tendancies to binge.
My ticket weightloss details are in my profile. I'm on my phone at the moment but I think that 7 pounds was what I lost last year just cutting out the crap. Sort of stayed around that loss from August to the new year. Joined mfp in January. Did half a day and didn't come back until mid February.
I think I did a week or two at 1200 but soon started to eat back my exercise calories just from remembering that eating back earnt points with WW was what helped me the last time I did it, 7 years ago. Based on the fact that 1 point was about 70 calories I always made sure that my NET points were around 14 - 16. Sort of EMTWL but not enough calories looking at it now
ok I think I lost 5 pounds on 1200 then started to increase. I messed about with my numbers for a week or two down to fear really but then decided to just stick with the numbers I got from the scooby calculator - BMR 1350, TDEE 2050, 15% cut. I took a 4 week TDEE break because I wanted to see if my weight would stabilise and it pretty much did. A few more weeks at cut followed by a week of not logging/eating what I wanted as we were away, put on a few pounds, increased to 10% cut and lost the gained weight by the following weekend. I think there was also a no logging week back in August.
So all in all I have lost pounds eating the EMTWL ideas. Slowly. Am I happy? You bet. I've been away, had a wedding weekend, a holy communion - basically been part of the real world and still, oveall, lost inches and drop 2 dress sizes.
Oh and yes I have that whole belly pudge thing going on. I hate that I can grab it in both hands like a pile of dough
I guess there's no magic wand that can be waved over it. I have a sneeky suspicion that if we lift heavy weights that will help to eventually get rid of the 'dough'.
I don't know if any of this waffling post helps but 'friend' me if you're tempted to
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Almost 50 here and loving the EM2WL lifestyle. Made it to goal and love lifting heavy! :-D
I am at work now, but will add my story here tonight ...
Anitra0 -
Hi! I'm 48 and I too am on my phone! But my story is on EM2WL.com and on my profile. Been a part of this group since the beginning! This isn't a fad, not a quick fix, it takes patience. Go into this knowing what you want to accomplish. If its a number on the scale, you may be disappointed. If its a look, a size, healthy metabolism for the coming years, strength, endurance, looking good naked, then this concept can work for you. It may take time to tweek your numbers to get them right. But this can and does work for any age! Keep in mind that Lifting weights is an essential part to this working!
I hope this helps. You can add me for support if you like!0 -
I am 40, 5'7, 148 and loving this program. I lost over 87 pounds on WW, and then started to do some pretty intense workouts to keep the weight at bay and improve my health. I started MFP back in February and started out at 1200 cal and couldn't figure out why my hair was falling out, I was so tired and basically felt like crap. Well.....HELLO i wasn't eating enough. Since Starting EM2LW in September, my hair has stopped falling out, I have stopped over eating with stress and feel so much more satisfied from day to day, I am so much happier, don't get light headed, and have a lot more energy. I was never into lifting, so to start out I am doing Chalene Extreme and I love how much stronger I am getting. I hope by spring to be lifrtng heavy and getting rid of all the flab I have. My husband has already noticed the difference in my tone. I no longer am worshiping what the scale says. I know this is a life long process and I am it in for the long haul. I to also have to ab issue. It is so frustrating. I would love support for this age group. Feel free to add me as a friend, I could use more EM2LW supporters 0
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I'm 41 (soon to be 42) and have hypothyroid controlled with meds. I'm 5'4 and currently 140.4.
I had previously lost 10 lbs last year with a Weight Watchers/VLCD diet and 1/2 Marathon training.......and ZERO strength training. I did, however gain it back from April - September. Part of that was a metabolism reset and part of that was plain ol' pigging out. I have a TDEE of about 1750 so I maintain on about 1500-1600 cals.
At any rate, I have decided that I just do not have anything to give to hard cardio any longer. My knees just can't take it and quite honestly, it doesn't give me the same feeling heavy lifting does. So my goal is to body recomp with my current weight. I'm not worried about the scale moving. If it does, it does. I'm not even really worried anymore with my measurements changing monthly. I'm still wearing the same clothes I did when I was 130 (although I will admit, some are tighter than others!!).
I do, however, feel fantastic. My arms are showing definition and my body feels tighter. I feel sexier than I have in a long time!
I had an epiphany last night watching one of Kiki's videos: this is not going to happen in 6 months.....probably not even in a year. And I am now COMPLETELY ok with that. I accept the task at hand.
I'm going to continue to track my food intake and heavy lifting and KEEP my sanity. I am so thankful to find a group of women who can openly express themselves without fear of judgement.
A HUGE thank you to Kiki and Lucia!!!!!!
Jen0 -
I joined MFP in November of last year at 210 pounds and immediately started on 1200 calories a day and not eating back any of my exercise calories. I managed to get from 210 down to 160, but then those last 10 pounds would not go away, not matter how low I went calorie wise, or how much cardio I did. I was stuck on a major plateau. Not only could I not get rid of that last 10 pounds, but I could not imagine how I was going to maintain once I finally got to goal (of 150). I was terrified of gaining it all back again :-/
Several of my MFP friends kept telling me to eat more, but I was scared. I was directed to EM2WL where I read and read and read. I felt like I was standing on the high diving board, and could just not make myself jump into the pool!
Once I decided to jump in, I upped my calories (beginning in May) from 1200 to 1400 to 1600 to 1800 over about a month. I gained no weight through this process (although I did feel some of the bloating and gassiness). Once I got to 1800, I started to very slowly lose weight again. I got a Body Medis Fit and discovered my TDEE is about 2300, so I decided to up my calories to 2,000. Even after going to 2,000 I continued to lose (very slowly) and managed to recently get to my goal of 150. I am currently eating 2,050 and seeing if I maintain there.
As suggested by Kiki and Lucia, I started strength training in May. I didn't really start out with the idea of wanting to "lift heavy", but I just started raising weights as the workouts became easier over time. I started seeing such dramatic changes in my body that I decided I wanted to pursue it even farther... I got a few Cathe Friedrich DVDs and now absolutely love it! I have only been doing the weights since about May, but it has totally not only changed my body shape (for the better) but I think it has also allowed me to be able to eat more. I would highly recommend strength training (I also have reduced the cardio to just walking and maybe jogging once or twice a week) I do all of my workouts at home, and have just slowly accumulated dumbells and a barbell set over time (fairly cheap at WalMart...) Now I vary my DVDs daily between Cathe, Kelly Coffey-Meyer and Jackie Warner.
Although I have only lost 10 pounds on EM2WL, it was that last stubborn 10 pounds. More importantly, I have gone from a size 8 or 10 jeans to a 4 or 6 (depending on the brand). My body is so much smaller and "tighter". I also no longer care what the scale says any more. I do weigh in once a month or so, just to make sure I am still "on track". (Eating this much, my brain keeps thinking I am going to see a gain on the scale, but I have not...)
I will be 50 soon, and was determined not to celebrate that birthday as a saggy fat person - EM2WL was just the change I needed, and I know I can live this way for the rest of my life!
Feel free to add me if you would like :-)
Anitra0 -
bump!0
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I joined MFP in November of last year at 210 pounds and immediately started on 1200 calories a day and not eating back any of my exercise calories. I managed to get from 210 down to 160, but then those last 10 pounds would not go away, not matter how low I went calorie wise, or how much cardio I did. I was stuck on a major plateau. Not only could I not get rid of that last 10 pounds, but I could not imagine how I was going to maintain once I finally got to goal (of 150). I was terrified of gaining it all back again :-/
Several of my MFP friends kept telling me to eat more, but I was scared. I was directed to EM2WL where I read and read and read. I felt like I was standing on the high diving board, and could just not make myself jump into the pool!
Once I decided to jump in, I upped my calories (beginning in May) from 1200 to 1400 to 1600 to 1800 over about a month. I gained no weight through this process (although I did feel some of the bloating and gassiness). Once I got to 1800, I started to very slowly lose weight again. I got a Body Medis Fit and discovered my TDEE is about 2300, so I decided to up my calories to 2,000. Even after going to 2,000 I continued to lose (very slowly) and managed to recently get to my goal of 150. I am currently eating 2,050 and seeing if I maintain there.
As suggested by Kiki and Lucia, I started strength training in May. I didn't really start out with the idea of wanting to "lift heavy", but I just started raising weights as the workouts became easier over time. I started seeing such dramatic changes in my body that I decided I wanted to pursue it even farther... I got a few Cathe Friedrich DVDs and now absolutely love it! I have only been doing the weights since about May, but it has totally not only changed my body shape (for the better) but I think it has also allowed me to be able to eat more. I would highly recommend strength training (I also have reduced the cardio to just walking and maybe jogging once or twice a week) I do all of my workouts at home, and have just slowly accumulated dumbells and a barbell set over time (fairly cheap at WalMart...) Now I vary my DVDs daily between Cathe, Kelly Coffey-Meyer and Jackie Warner.
Although I have only lost 10 pounds on EM2WL, it was that last stubborn 10 pounds. More importantly, I have gone from a size 8 or 10 jeans to a 4 or 6 (depending on the brand). My body is so much smaller and "tighter". I also no longer care what the scale says any more. I do weigh in once a month or so, just to make sure I am still "on track". (Eating this much, my brain keeps thinking I am going to see a gain on the scale, but I have not...)
I will be 50 soon, and was determined not to celebrate that birthday as a saggy fat person - EM2WL was just the change I needed, and I know I can live this way for the rest of my life!
Feel free to add me if you would like :-)
Anitra
Awesome!0 -
57, 5'8". Have lost 23 lbs in MFP since March. Slowest weight loss in the planet. 2 more to go...I switched to eating more in August...have only lost several lbs on it as of today. However, I am more toned, stronger, and have never felt better! I look as if I weigh at least 5 lbs less than what the scale says. I have learned to pay less attention to the scale and focus more on measurements and how I look! This is a lifetime program!
This weight is solidly off me! Work out 5 days a week, strength training 3x and cardio, mostly elliptical. Off days are walking.
Love to have more support.. Add me as friend if you like.
Susan0 -
I'm 41, 5'3" and have just been doing EM2WL for about a month. I've been tracking on MFP for over a year eating VLC. I don't really need to lose weight, but I definetly do need a healthier relationship with food. I went from 92 lbs to about 105 over the past year eating 700-1000 calories a day before I finally decided I needed to do a reset (obviously!). But it took me a long time to work up the courage to do it. So about a month ago, I pushed my calories up to 1800 (BMR 1200, TDEE 1800 per FitBit). In the past month I've gained 3-4 pounds and maybe an inch all around. But I know it's the right thing, and I'm trying to push through the mental stress of it.
I've been lifting heavy for over a year now (after years of being a runner), and I love it! But I've made the best gains in strength since I upped my calories, which seems obvious. Gotta fuel the workout. Just last week I switched from a full body workout 3 days a week, to a split routine over 4 days, and MAN! it was challenging! I'm looking forward to seeing where it will take me strength and body comp wise.
My plan for the moment is to continue on my reset until at least Thanksgiving, then cut by 10-15% to see if I can shed a bit more fat and show off my new muslces. And to *never* go back to eating 700 calories a day!!!!
I'd love some more friends in my stage of life...feel free to add me!!0 -
I'm 45, type 1 diabetic and low thyroid. I've lost 110 pounds in a year and love eating more :-)0
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I just posted a rambling thread because I was so pumped to have finally lost some weight. lol. I'm 40, 5'4" and at 170lbs after eating at RESET for the last 12 weeks. I couldn't bring myself to CUT 20% because it seemed like so little food at 1890 cals. haha. Who would have thought that 4 months ago??? My date for serious CUT is going to be Dec 31.
I am also hypothyroid who went through 2 surgeries due to a ridiculously angry fibroid. First surgery put me out of commission for almost 7 months (nicked femoral nerve) and the second was finally a hysterectomy. I have never felt better and would love a support thread for the 40's and up!
I am lifting pretty challenging free weights and am enjoying feeling my body tighten up!0 -
I just saw this thread and not sure anyone will see my post. I always thought that if I had more time to exercise I could lose weight but it wasn't working. I lost about 9 pounds but gained half back.
I started on MFP a few years ago and used its settings for a 1 pound loss a week. My weight loss was better being able to track calories burned and eaten but Others were losing but I wasn't really losing much. So of course I lowered my calories. Thank goodness I went back to school then and would ease off on the exercise at the end of the quarter. I lost very slowly about 29 pounds. I would always stall out in the breaks when I could really concentrate on exercise. At least I had stopped gaining. Then I got out of school and really concentrated on exercise and eating under my goal calories. I stalled out completely. I tried everything I lost a bit when I tried weight training after a week or so but it came back on when my life got a bit busy with a sick parent. After that I just couldn't lose. I have decreased my bodyfat percentage because I did focus on exercise so much. I would see those who didn't lose much more than I did. At least I lost inches. I think the reason is since I had exercised more even before MFP I needed to up my calories not lower them. Many were just starting to up their exercise.
Then I started reading about eating above your BMR and found this and a few other threads. I realized I had been eating below my BMR for more than a year. Until then I didn't really understand what it was. So I slowly upped my calories and I would gain a few each time and then lose them and in fact lost a bit more. I got up to I think 2100 calories plus exercise calories or at least most of them and I kept them there for a month to reset. I wasn't sure it was my TDEE but it was as far as I had time to go. I then lowered my calories to what I figure was a 15% cut and I wish I could say the weight started to fly off. It hasn't. One issue was just then I had an injury from weight training so I had to slow down my exercise. I have recovered but am a bit gun shy of weight training. I have lost about 10 pounds since I have upped my calories. I have alot more to lose than others who have posted here and I am in my 50's.
I am nearing my 1st goal since upping my calories and each time I lose seems to be connected to some active new job(s). I usually do 1 hour of exercise 6 days a week but staying active most of the day works better. I do want to get back to strength training but I am going to take it easy this time. I did C25K the summer I was just out of school. I have fallen in love with running. However I realize that I only want to be able to walk/run and run around our 2.8 mile lake park here a few times a week. I also do Aquafit and it has really helped reduce my waist. It is a great core work out. We use water resistance weights for strength training. The stretches are very effective in the water too. Right now I am working so hard that I don't really have time to exercise but I come home everyday with sore muscles. I am using a pedometer and there are days that I go way over 10,000 steps. So right now I am making some progress losing. I hope I have found that sweet spot but know that I will get used to my jobs and they will be slowing down in a few weeks anyway so I will have to find it again. Maybe weight training will help find it then. I have quite a few friends but most don't follow EM2WL. I plan to take a rest week from a deficit after I make my next goal.0 -
I'm 43, 5'6", and have done the 1200 cal thing for over a year with little success. This year I tried 1400 - 1600 calories and still nothing. I completed C25K and have had several pulled muscles that takes months to recover from, I get started running again and have another injury...hmm, perhaps because I was under-eating for so long?
Found this group yesterday and it just makes sense as to why I can't lose anything. So I jumped in with both feet yesterday and hit my 2300 TDEE. Would love some friends, both experienced and just starting their reset!0 -
I joined MFP in November of last year at 210 pounds and immediately started on 1200 calories a day and not eating back any of my exercise calories. I managed to get from 210 down to 160, but then those last 10 pounds would not go away, not matter how low I went calorie wise, or how much cardio I did. I was stuck on a major plateau. Not only could I not get rid of that last 10 pounds, but I could not imagine how I was going to maintain once I finally got to goal (of 150). I was terrified of gaining it all back again :-/
Several of my MFP friends kept telling me to eat more, but I was scared. I was directed to EM2WL where I read and read and read. I felt like I was standing on the high diving board, and could just not make myself jump into the pool!
Once I decided to jump in, I upped my calories (beginning in May) from 1200 to 1400 to 1600 to 1800 over about a month. I gained no weight through this process (although I did feel some of the bloating and gassiness). Once I got to 1800, I started to very slowly lose weight again. I got a Body Medis Fit and discovered my TDEE is about 2300, so I decided to up my calories to 2,000. Even after going to 2,000 I continued to lose (very slowly) and managed to recently get to my goal of 150. I am currently eating 2,050 and seeing if I maintain there.
As suggested by Kiki and Lucia, I started strength training in May. I didn't really start out with the idea of wanting to "lift heavy", but I just started raising weights as the workouts became easier over time. I started seeing such dramatic changes in my body that I decided I wanted to pursue it even farther... I got a few Cathe Friedrich DVDs and now absolutely love it! I have only been doing the weights since about May, but it has totally not only changed my body shape (for the better) but I think it has also allowed me to be able to eat more. I would highly recommend strength training (I also have reduced the cardio to just walking and maybe jogging once or twice a week) I do all of my workouts at home, and have just slowly accumulated dumbells and a barbell set over time (fairly cheap at WalMart...) Now I vary my DVDs daily between Cathe, Kelly Coffey-Meyer and Jackie Warner.
Although I have only lost 10 pounds on EM2WL, it was that last stubborn 10 pounds. More importantly, I have gone from a size 8 or 10 jeans to a 4 or 6 (depending on the brand). My body is so much smaller and "tighter". I also no longer care what the scale says any more. I do weigh in once a month or so, just to make sure I am still "on track". (Eating this much, my brain keeps thinking I am going to see a gain on the scale, but I have not...)
I will be 50 soon, and was determined not to celebrate that birthday as a saggy fat person - EM2WL was just the change I needed, and I know I can live this way for the rest of my life!
Feel free to add me if you would like :-)
Anitra
I want to be you! This is awesome. I am on the last 10lbs as well!0
