how many calories for 50yr women - to lose weight?

sha4sure

I need some help!!! I have been using MFP for over one month and not losing the weight I want to lose, infact I gained 1 pound last week. I was eating 1200 calories a day and also exercising and some days I would eat the exercise calories and then some days I would not, well I lost 3 pound and then maintained. So I upped my calories to 1400 calories last week and exercised and eat my exercise calories and GAINED one pound because of it. I would like to lose 25 pounds and I know I can be at that weight because it was the weight I was before I had my daughter. My question it...What am I doing wrong that I am not losing. Should I be starting and changing my calorie intake to 800-1000 calories a day? I am 49yrs old and very active. I exercise 6 days a week. I just don't know what I am doing wrong. Any help from the older gals would be greatly apprecitated as I am so discouraged right now I could cry. Thank you for the help.

barbiecat

I'd love to see your food diary to see what you're eating.....not all calories are created equal.

also, if you asked this question on the women ages 50+ thread, you'd get lots of great suggestions

fatgirljessica

Could be water weight.. How's your water intake? Sodium?
Could you be building muscle?

morticiamom

MFP frequently overestimates calorie burn, so try eating back half of your exercise calories. I wouldn't drop below 1200 to make sure you can get your nutrients in. You have relatively little to lose, so it's going to go slower.

drgnflys

OMG, just read your post we could be twins! weight wise I just posted the exact same thing well almost, check my timeline and you can jump to the post. DO NOT LOWER your calories! I was at 1200 for a year and did not lose. I have been active and currently workout 6-7 days cardio in addition to 2-3 days upper body bowflex traning.

I'm going to check out the 50+ group that barbiecat suggested as well.

Also check out http://www.fat2fitradio.com/ it has helped confuse me, hence my previous post mentioned in a good way

sleepytexan

get your answers with the formula here:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

you should most definitely NOT be reducing your calories; that is the fast track to failure and getting fatter.

45 years old, 5'4, 135-ish lbs., 2000-ish calories per day.

stardancer7

You have probably already looked at this, but are you certain your calorie count is accurate--it can be easy to over/under estimate amounts of food if you aren't using a scale or being consistent with measuring cups, etc. Also, you want to make certain that the entries you are using in the data base are correct--there are lots of errors.

eftguru

Hi Sha4sure,

Nice to meet you, I have a lot more to loose than you, but the only observation I would make is; where did you get the 1200 cal daily target and why did you "up" it to 1400? I am loosing steadily and am doing so by entering all the details required and then keeping under the limit that MFP set me. Simples!

One thing I can feel from your writing, is that you seem to be in a hurry to be in a hurry to lose this 25lbs and I believe that this is a really major factor in your attitude towards the whole thing. What is it that you need to loose this amount for and are you actually "overweight", or are you what we fatties would call "slim" and just want to loose a dress-size for a party/wedding/the summer?


Good luck,

John.

sha4sure

When I typed in the information on MFP to lose 2 pounds a week that is the calorie amount that it told me to use for losing that much each week which has Never happened. I either lost 1 pound or gained. Men lose weight faster than women so I am happy that you are losing your weight but I am struggling. I want to lose weight to get to my pre- pregnancy weight that I felt my healthiest at and that is my goal but having a hard time getting there because of my age.

sleepytexan

When I typed in the information on MFP to lose 2 pounds a week that is the calorie amount that it told me to use for losing that much each week which has Never happened. I either lost 1 pound or gained. Men lose weight faster than women so I am happy that you are losing your weight but I am struggling. I want to lose weight to get to my pre- pregnancy weight that I felt my healthiest at and that is my goal but having a hard time getting there because of my age.

ya, you're not gonna lose 2 lbs. per week.

read this:

Why it might not be a good idea to eat so few calories:

I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

majope

I'm a 49-year-old woman, and have been losing over a pound a week on a net of 1660, eating back my exercise calories so grossing an average of almost 1900 calories a day (over 2200 some days). Since I don't have that much to lose, I just increased my daily net calories to 1780* to try to lose weight slower, to keep myself as well-fueled as possibly while still losing. 1200? That's just crazy talk.

*to do this, I just set MFP to the next highest activity level--I already had it set to .5 pounds a week, and was still losing ahead of schedule

rubyjune27

I am 50 years old. I lost 30lbs on 1500 a day and lost a lb a week on average but it wasn't a lb every week,sometimes I lost 2, sometimes I gained but over time I lost all the weight I needed to. I think it is about being patient and being very accurate with weighing and working out calories.

Good luck and keep at it.

katevarner

I'm a 49-year-old woman, and have been losing over a pound a week on a net of 1660, eating back my exercise calories so grossing an average of almost 1900 calories a day (over 2200 some days). Since I don't have that much to lose, I just increased my daily net calories to 1780* to try to lose weight slower, to keep myself as well-fueled as possibly while still losing. 1200? That's just crazy talk.

*to do this, I just set MFP to the next highest activity level--I already had it set to .5 pounds a week, and was still losing ahead of schedule

This.

I am 48, lost 24 lbs. last year eating 1650 when I was working out only on the weekends and then increased to 1850 when I started working out 6 times per week and continued to lose at about the rate of .8 lbs. per week.

If you only have 25 lbs. to lose, 2 lbs. per week is too fast. Slow down. Refigure your goals by either changing MFP to 1 lb. and very active or go to the calculators provided by others and figure out what you should be eating. You are not sedentary, so do not use sedentary to calculate. Include how many days you work out. The calculators don't base their numbers on being active all day, just on a hour of workout activity per day. If you use sedentary, your numbers will be off.

Also, if you base your intake on one of the calculators, you should not eat back exercise calories as they are already figured in. MFP expects you to eat your exercise calories, so the intake number will be lower, but be careful. MFP's exercise numbers are inflated for many of us (and deflated for others), so either use an HRM or fitbit/BodyMedia/Jawbone UP to calculate your workout calories, or be careful about how many you eat back.

Melo1966

46 1/2 and menopausal here I just broke a pleateau after I stopped losing on 1,200. I upped my calories to 2,000 and did little exercising to regain my metabolism. Now I am eating 1,500 exercising most days doing what my knees will let me and am losing 1-2 a week for the last three weeks almost 5 pounds this month. Perhaps you need to eat more for a bit to reset your metabolism and then go lower again. Add me for further support.

sha4sure

Thank you for all the helpful input ladies. I realized I need to be more patient with myself. I will continue with the 1200 calories AND eat my exercise calories also and see how I do the next 2 weeks, and then up my calories to 1400 and eat those exercise calories.
I will keep everyone posted and thank you again for the support!

drgnflys

I've upped my calories to 1401 and just upped again today to 1450. This is very difficult for me but I totally get the concept about my metabolism in slooooow mooootion! I want to lose it like sha4sure "yesterday". I do not think it is unrealistic to lose my weight by August 20-25 lbs but I just need some help wrapping my head around the eat my calories back and must eat minimum I eventually want to be 135 if I'm close in Aug that's ok too. I dont have any problem with hard work as long as I know in the end I will get there.

I'm doing a fast hike with the following stats.

Duration 51min / Cals burned 393 /Steps 6235 / Floors 46 / Distance 3.09 mi / Pace 16:30/mi

I drink protein shake within 30 minutes of the above hike / speed-walk.

upperbody strength training on bowflex 3 times per week 40 min session.

I appreciate any and all advice.

Thanks

sandyas2

I too am 50 and struggle to lose weight at the suggested 1200 calories. I have hyperthyriodism which is controlled by medication. I work as a groundskeeper/gardener and am a avid cyclist. I also lift weights 2-3 times a week. I am 5'4 130 lbs and want to get down too 120-125 lbs. i have tried uping my calories but just gain weight. I have a healthy diet and have had one since my early twenties. It is very frustrating. I don't think there is a easy answer and weight lose seems to be very individual. My doctor agrees. I keep trying different things and find that the scale only budges if i cut fruit and root vegetables. No wine, no rice (sushi) and potatoes are a once or twice a year treat. The best we can do is keep trying.