Members over 40....

Danp

Sw33tKnees wrote: »

How do you lose your weight? What are your goals like? What way of eating are you following? (MFP, TDEE-20%, Low Carb etc.,) What exercises are you doing and how often? I know its not like we are in our 20's but how much harder for you know that we are in our 40's? Soooooo many questions.. Sorry!! I really just want to do it and do it right this time!! I want it for the rest of my life.. not the next roller coaster ride!!! Any tips or advise you can pass on would be great! Thank you in advance!!!!!!!

I'm 45 now and started 2 years ago so I'll try to respond to each section individually.

I lose weight by being in a calorie deficit most of the time. Sorry, no magic or secrets. Just eating fewer calories than I use.

Goals were simple. Eat an appropriate number of calories which I started doing 2 years ago. So in effect I 'Succeeded' 2 years ago, now I just need to be patient and wait for my body to catch up which it's doing.

I eat food I like and track it to make sure I'm eating in a modest calorie deficit most of the time. No special foods, in fact I didn't even change the food I ate. The only difference is now I keep an eye on it and make sure I don't go over my calorie target too often or by too much. Again, no magic or secrets.

It's really not that much harder at 40 than at 20. That's an excuse I fed myself for years. The change in metabolism between 45 and 25 is less than 100cals per day so practically nothing. The only reason it's perceived as harder to lose weight later in life is that we tend to be more active (and less sedentary) when we were younger. In fact I've found it a bit easier to drop the weight in my 40's as my life is far more settled and in control now than it was during my flighty, wilder years.

As for tips.
There's no magic, there's no secrets, there's no mysteries. Weight loss (and gain) is math and science. It's nothing more than a simple energy equation. Eat more calories than you use you'll store that excess energy as fat. Eat fewer calories than you use and you'll draw energy from that fat to make up the difference. That's it, eat whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. As long as you're in a calorie deficit most of the time the weight comes off.

Easy is better than fast. The measure and value of an approach to weight loss is in how easy it is and how long it can be sustained. Struggling and suffering to lose 5lbs a week is a complete failure if you can only maintain that approach for a month or two compared to an approach that sees you lose 1lbs per week effortlessly. In 12 months from now the fast, unsustainable approach will see you exactly where you are now or heavier. Take the slow effortless approach and you'll be 52lbs down.