Struggling 44 year old woman

Welcome! Congrats on the new job and we are all here to help!!

Awesome Jennifer! You've already inspired me! I'm at my highest weight right now...a whopping 190 pounds...yuck! I'm only 5/5 tall so this is way too much for me! I'm not looking to be a skinnie-minnie..just want to get down around 140-ish. If I were toned and in cardio shape, I think that would be ideal.

Let me know what you did on those "hard" days...hours...minutes...to get you through!! Way to go on your loss...this is what I need to hear!

Thanks!
Mary

Hi Mary, I'm 45. I'm currently at 184, I started at 198.4. I'm also 5'5. My goal is to get to 139. I've been at this a month. I also love wine, and guacamole . Better than losing weight is the getting healthy; it's odd, but I get more satisfaction from meeting my exercise goals for the week or my calorie goal for the day than the weight on the scale. I think the reason for this is because I've always obsessed about the numbers on the scale and actually making myself accountable and seeing the results is new to me. I'll send you a friend request.

You have started a journey that isn't easy, but is definately worth it. HW 250, CW 177.4, Turning 40 this year and I am in better shape than when I was a teenager. Your age is just a number as your weight is. To eat less..... drink a bottle of water 10 mins before EVERY meal, eat slowly, and cut out the carbs. This is the best quickest way to jump start your new lifestyle. Focus on eating as little processed food as possible. Fresh fruits and veges are your friends. With time, you will start to see a difference. My biggest struggle was cooking for my family and knowing I couldn't eat what they wanted (red meat and potatoes), so I would cook me a chicken breast and a vegetable. I now have to force myself to eat at night. I'm not hungry but I know that not eating will shut down my metabolism (did that a couple weeks ago and realized I was consuming only 500 calories a day, but I wasn't hungry). With time, you can succeed. Just remember we all have off days (I still have that occasional time where pizza calls my name and I can't resist). Don't forget that you have a MFP family that has been exactly where you are now. Lean on them and they will never fail to encourage you when you thought it wasn't possible.

When I was teaching, I would eat great all day, then come home and pig out. It was so hard to stop because I was tired and stressed. I've also ready articles that link will-power to glucose levels in the brain, so when you are exhausted, you are more likely to make bad food choices. Try taking a nap when you get home from work before you start snacking. That always helped me!

Good luck with your weight loss, maybe your closet of smaller and cuter clothes can be your motivation!

With a few exceptions I could have written this post! I am in EXACTLY the same situation. I have been on MFP for quite a while and I have still gotten no where. It is my fault completely and I know that but I just can't seem to stay on track. Evenings and weekends are the worst for me. I am the same age as you and I have the same slow metabolism. Please feel free to friend me and perhaps we can keep each other motivated and figure it out together.

hi i know the feeling. same here, same age and little progress
perhaps we can support each other

if you like you can add me..

good luck!!!

You sound so much like me!

I am 40 and at my highest weight ever which is really only 10lbs from what I consider "acceptable" but weekends are so hard, I negate everything I did right during the week. I have been on MFP for a long time and have only managed to lose and gain the same 3-5lbs.

I also love wine, guac, sweets and salt (mood driven). I should probably stick to 1200 calories to actually lose weight, but I can only do it for a few days and then I over compensate.... I have trouble controlling portions. I know what a portion size is, but I don't stop at that. I set my MFP calories to my BMR 1450. I can stick to this ok during the week - most of the time, but the weekends kill me. Another thing that I notice REALLY helps is drinking 10-12 cups of water/day. This also suffers on weekends for me.....

I have a desk job and travel 2-3 times a month (which adds to the calorie mess).

I am working out 4-5 days a week. Mixture of boot camp classes and running days. Only 30 minutes a day. I have noticed better toning in my upper body almost immediately, but the scale hasn't moved (which is ok if other things are happening) and my clothes don't fit any better.

People are so amazing on here - losing 30, 60, 100+lbs and I suck - can't even lose 10, let alone my "goal" of 15.

Feel free to add me as a friend and we can encourage each other. I know I need it.

Also forty ish here.
Feel free to add me for motivation and support.

Hi Mary. My advice, if evenings are tough, is to *not* have a light supper. Try saving the majority of your calories for supper and a satisfying evening snack.