LF women over 40 who have lost 50+ pounds

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?

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.