5'0" - 5'3" ladies -- 150 and down to 110-120, how?

olehcat · September 2013

Hi, I thought I'd throw this out here in a very specific way. I realized that I have gained 20 pounds in the last 2 years and this scares the daylights out of me. For years I was hovering in the 133-135ish range and I was agonizing even then because I wanted to get down to 120. Well, this morning I weighed in at 152. I have gone through some major life things since then, like a divorce, so I know that hasn't helped keep me focus, but it comes down to not really knowing how to lose weight for my lifestyle.

I would love to hear specifically how people lost weight if you are around my weight/height and got down to where my ideal is, which is somewhere between 110-120 (I'm 5'2 1/2"). (Bonus if you're over 35, but that's certainly not necessary

)

Things that are working AGAINST me: I'm 43 years old, I love red wine and going out to dinner with friends, I dislike food without a lot of flavor so the standard chicken breast and steamed veggies diet food has never worked well for me although I'm willing to try it now), I hate fat-free dairy products, I'd rather do without than have the low-fat, fat-free kind.

Things that work FOR me: I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I can easily give up sweets, I love to walk and run for exercise, I like a lot of healthy food like salads, kale, most vegetables and fruits, I have a pretty good metabolism if I feed it right.

THANK YOU, anyone who answers!

DesireeNL · September 2013

The same way as everyone else: track your calories and increase your exercise!

I suggest you take a look at this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=roadmap+short

Basically, this lets you calculate the calories you need on a daily basis to maintain your weight. You then eat at 20% below your maintenance calories to lose weight.

The calories MFP gives you are likely to be on the low end (1200-ish). Do your TDEE calculations and you'll find that you can eat more and still lose weight. There are a lot of success stories on here about people eating at TDEE.

Personally I have found that you can eat whatever you want, no restrictions, and still lose weight. Just track everything you eat, make sure you drink enough water, and that you get your portions of veggies, fruits, dairy and healthy fats.

Oh and, I do fit most of your description, 5'0" and I've lost about 40lbs. Good luck!

nshollan · September 2013

I am 46 - 5'2" and weigh 151. I have always hovered around 140 so I'm not sure 120 would ever work for me. I stay very active. I try to make goals and exercise with others to stay motivated. I did add 16lbs last year doing my first 1/2, full and 1/2 marathon (run/walk) so my desire is to get these 16lbs back off and still feel energetic to complete another round of marathons this year. You are welcome to add me as a friend. I am dedicated to using this tool as of this week and plan to log daily. We can help to motivate each other...

suzieduh · September 2013

Hey,

I'm 5'3, started off at 145lbs and currently down to 117lbs. Its taken me about 18 months to get down this low as it gets harder to lose as you get lighter! My 'secret' is portion control and exercise. I never deny myself any type of food if I want it, and I do cardio 4x a week plus pilates and LBT class once a week. I log all my food religiously and my best friend in the kitchen is my digital scale. LIke you, I don't have a sweet tooth so I don't have a problem with high calorie ice cream or chocolate (although of course I still have both regularly). Oh and I drink like a fish, which has never hindered my weight loss as long as I remain within calories. I don't usually eat back exercise calories as I don't believe in the calorie burn being accurate.

Probably the biggest thing you need is willpower - it takes patience and the occasional saying no, but it's worth it. Nothing tastes as good as buying new smaller skinny clothes feels!

:flowerforyou: :drinker: :smokin:

77tes · September 2013

My daughter did it mostly through tracking her food with a little exercise. She is younger (in early 30's), but she loves her beer. She worked it into her daily calories. Sorry, she doesn't add friends on MFP, but it certainly can be done.

I am taller than you - 5'5", and I started ALOT heavier, but I'm also ALOT older. It can be done!

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

PippiNe · September 2013

I'm close to your specs, so I'll comment. I just posted my success story "Down 30 lbs, going for bonus" It is complete with pics and my story if you care to read it. I'm 5'4", 41 years old, and currently weigh 123 lbs. I am going for about 5 more.

I have found that using MFP makes weight loss sooooo easy, I never realized how simple it would be to lose weight (or I'd have done this years ago!) As long as you fit your food choices into the calorie deficit MFP lays out for you, you can eat anything you want. Obviously, healthier choices = healthier you. But it allows you to not completely deny yourself of everything you take pleasure in along the way.

You like wine, so find a way to fit that into your calorie allotment. As for eating out, several restaurants list healthier menu items that aren't just chicken and a salad. On days you plan to go out to eat, eat a lower calorie breakfast and lunch so you can save up extra calories for a richer supper followed by a glass of wine. A small filet is a very healthy cut of red meat and would be a great compliment to your wine. Chose healthy options to go with your dinner (small salad, cottage cheese instead of a potato). Avoid the complimentary dinner rolls or buttery breads, crackers and desserts. You should have no problem fitting in the things you enjoy and have greater success because of it.

Good luck to you on your journey!

g1amc00 · September 2013

You can dO it ! I'm 44 and had gained 25 lbs over 13 years after having my second child. I decided one day to use fitness pal and begin a cardio workout on the elliptical every day for 30 minutes. I also made a few changes. I gave up meat, pop, juices, carbs and cut back on wine during the week, and measured every glass until I met my weight goal. I also didn't mind giving up sweets so I also cut them out except a bite or two on a special occasion. And most importantly I started eating smaller portion and more frequent healthy meals. I lost 25 lbs in 5 months and kept it off!

snejkaxo · September 2013

I am 41, 4´7"-ish, and when I started losing weight, I was at 130. So, I think, considering height difference, we started almost at the same point. I am at 101 now, and super happy about results. I eat in moderation, and I move my butt. I am not an athlete, I don´t do extreme workouts, just yoga, going for a walk, running stairs. You definitely need to find food that you enjoy eating, that is high density and low calories. For example, I love beans and lentils dishes. I can flavor them in different ways, so it never gets boring, and the food is so dense, I could never eat more than a cup. I don´t eat much meat, so I can relate to not wanting to chew on a boring chicken breast. Eating out with friends is definitely an issue. I think if you keep it down to twice a month, you will see a huge difference. I got fat, because I was eating out all the time. If you want to eat out more often, you need to increase exercising significantly. It is all about creating calories deficit. So if you ate a cobb salad for lunch, which is usually over 1000 calories, you need to burn quite a bit to see the difference. I hope this is helpful.

olehcat · September 2013

WOW, thank you thank you thank you for the replies so far!

And thank you for that website to figure out the TDEE! I got somewhere between 1500-1600, given "moderate activity" which I think is accurate with exercising at least 5 times a week and I have a job where I walk around a lot. I think I might try 1500 and see how that works.

lin7604 · September 2013

i am 5.2 ft and going to be 37. I started out at 142 lbs, it took my years to gain it. i was 120 lbs when i got married in 2000 and by 2006 when i got pregnant i was 130. once i had my son i got back to 130 very easy but then started to gain again when he was around age 1- 1.5 and crept up to 142 when i decided to do something about it. I am not like you with a good metabolism though, i have hypothyroidism and it takes a huge toll on me losing weight. This oct 22 will be 2 years i have been on my new journey, i am now 115 lbs. I hit my goal last christmas for weight and this year i have been just trying to focus on losing body fat. For me it's been keeping with my cals, logging everything and exercising a good 4-5 days a week. currently i am doing focus t25. I don't have a huge amount of time to exercise so a good 30 min is about what i can do and will get it in., IT has been very hard and a long slow journey but i am glad i did it.

BluthLover · September 2013

Interested in answers.

tammymusic1 · September 2013

I am 38 and was 200lbs when I started 18months ago. I am 5'3" and I am now down to 114lbs I track everything I eat on here I started here in Jan 2013 and the weight started coming off much faster when I started tracking. I run 3 times a week and do heavy weights the other 3. Started with 30day shred when I first decided to loose weight and walking on the threadmill 7months in started Couch to 5K . I am also very careful about what I eat try not to eat processed food 95% of the time we also almost never go out to eat if I do I look things up first and decide before I go.

suzeminn · September 2013

Hi! I'm 5-0 and 55 years old. I found my weight creeping up over the last 5 years, and it's really really hard to get it down at this point. HOWEVER, I found a "gimmick" that is working wonders for me (no, I don't get credit for selling this:) It's called a FITBIT and it syncs with My fitness pal. You enter your food in as usual, and it takes care of the rest. You put in your stats and your wishes for weight loss (easier like 1/2 pound a week or harder like 1 pound lost per week). I did the easier one because I don't think we get enough calories allotted to us if we do the 1 pound loss per week route. I think when you are our age and height, the metabolism thing is really important. Anyway, for some reason, the FITBIT is making all the difference. I have the FITBIT ONE and it tracks my movements throughout the day, converts them into calories, sends me little messages saying I'm doing a good job (if I am), and it is working! It tracks steps taken, miles walked, intense or "more active minutes" of exercise, and even sleep efficiency and patterns. It's not cheap but I've had it for about 8 weeks and I've lost 5 pounds. For me, that is success! Good luck! You can do it...just change things around a bit, and if you need a "gimmick" then go for it!

jennaworksout · September 2013

Exercise and watching food ...I went from 170 to 113 , i'm 5'2" by exercising, and cutting out all the garbage....no more fast food, soda, etc. eating more whole foods, less processed. Sticking to what works for you too :happy:

brown46545 · September 2013

Well, I don't qualify as a Success Story yet, but I'm 5'2".5 (I usually just say 5'3). I currently weigh 135 and want to probably lose 20-25 lbs. I just turned 49.

Red wine is evil. :-) That has been my downfall. I love it. every.night. And I think that is why I haven't lost weight. I said no more last month and gave up wine and most processed foods. I basically eat eggs, meat, and vegetables. Tonight I had 1 slice of pizza and it's been over a month since I had had anything like that. I wanted another piece, but said no.

But it's worked. I started last month at a 10 and I think I'm going down to a 8 now (10's are loose but I haven't tried my 8's yet). I've only started weighing myself in the past 2 weeks and I've lost 2 lbs. So obviously not a lot, but I'd rather have my clothes loose than the scale lower if I had a choice.

KittyViolet · September 2013

Hi, I thought I'd throw this out here in a very specific way. I realized that I have gained 20 pounds in the last 2 years and this scares the daylights out of me. For years I was hovering in the 133-135ish range and I was agonizing even then because I wanted to get down to 120. Well, this morning I weighed in at 152. I have gone through some major life things since then, like a divorce, so I know that hasn't helped keep me focus, but it comes down to not really knowing how to lose weight for my lifestyle.

I would love to hear specifically how people lost weight if you are around my weight/height and got down to where my ideal is, which is somewhere between 110-120 (I'm 5'2 1/2"). (Bonus if you're over 35, but that's certainly not necessary )

5'1" (barely), going on 23, started at 160 lbs and down to around 110 lbs, body fat % was unknown at my starting weight but it WAS 21% before I started lifting earlier this year. It's gone down some more, for sure.

In fact, I got down to 106 lbs in January, but ended up flabby as hell, so I started lifting, gained weight but lost inches and now I feel FABULOUS. :bigsmile:

Things that are working AGAINST me: I'm 43 years old, I love red wine and going out to dinner with friends, I dislike food without a lot of flavor so the standard chicken breast and steamed veggies diet food has never worked well for me although I'm willing to try it now), I hate fat-free dairy products, I'd rather do without than have the low-fat, fat-free kind.

Me too. Dining out is an addiction, I swear. I also get lazy to cook. However, I've taught myself to be sensible and choose menu items that are healthier. Grilled chicken, grilled or poached fish, sashimi (sushi with no rice), salads (dressing on the side to eyeball my portions myself), soups, avoid the bread basket, skip dessert. Do I do this every time I go out? HAH nope. Everything in moderation, otherwise I'd go loony.

Also, there is no need for fat-free. Fat is flavor after all lol. And the fats in nuts, nut butters, vegetable oils like olive oil, and avocados are GOOD for you! I have a tendency to go over on my fat thanks to the deliciousness that is peanut butter sandwiches and milk. YUM.

Finally, you're talking to a chick who has seriously burnt out taste buds. I always get my boyfriend to taste my cooking because I'm not an accurate judge. I tend to over salt, over pepper, over heat, over spice everything because quite frankly, I'm not a daffodil. I want my flavors to punch me in the face. When you're cooking your own meals at home, spice that chicken up! Chicken does not have to be "standard". Neither do veggies. My sister likes to steam broccoli with steak spice. Like, WHOA.

And finally finally, with regards to exercise, whatever you enjoy doing, just do it. It's important to find something you like, because really, who wants to do stuff they hate? If exercise becomes "work" to you, you'll most likely give up and be back at square one in no time. Good luck!

Joebob8 · September 2013

I just wrote this to an mfp user in a pm and thought I'd share in hopes that it helps:

Diet: rule #1 is calories. I figure I burn 1500 via daily activities and an additional 300-500 through exercise (my rmr is 1320). Therefore in order to lose one pound per week I strive for about 1375 calories on average. That means 1250 on some days and 1850 on others (ie if I'm going out to dinner with friends and want to eat a bit more liberally I can plan this into my overall deficit). This keeps me sane and happy. 80% of the time I am in readily disciplined and once in awhile I get to treat myself within reason. This a lifestyle I am able to maintain easily.

Rule#2 is getting the most bang for my buck with regard to what I eat. That means I always seek out food that has high nutritional content, is filling, and low in calories. That way I'm healthy and not hungry. I eat a lot of vegetables, seafood, chicken, eggs, berries, full fat Greek yogurt. These foods are packed with nutrition, low in sugar, and keep me satiated. I don't deprive myself of any other foods as long as 80% of my diet consists of the above. Fruit is something I consider a treat, for example, because it's very easy to over eat it ( I could eat an entire watermelon, easy). If I really want, say, a chocolate croissant, it's fine as long as I am within my calories. But this is rare because I find that sugary and starchy foods make me feel lethargic.

Sample day of food:

Breakfast: smoked salmon and 1/2 an avocado (250 calories)

Lunch: home made tuna salad with regular mayo (fat keeps me satiated), sliced bell peppers, baby carrots, Greek yogurt (450 calories)

Dinner: 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs with BBQ sauce, bag of steamed vegetables (500 calories)

Dessert/snack: 1 pint blueberries, a few squares of dark chocolate (300 calories)

= 1500 calories, or 1350 if you skip the chocolate or the blueberries.

Exercise: weight traing 2x per week for one hour (get a personal trainer for minimum one session to instruct you on form and technique)

HIIT class/ boot camp class/ kickboxing class / or something similar 2x week for one hour

Running: 20-40 min following weight lifting depending on how I feel. Usually a combo of walking and sprinting

One 3-5 mile jog per week

So 5 days a week of exercise.

This is more or less the path I took from 192 all the way to 122. I've maintained within a 10 pound range for 7 years. If I have a "bad" week or go on vacation, etc I just get right back on the horse again. It is a lot of hard work but it's worth it! I don't know where you are at with your fitness, the first time I got on a treadmill I could only jog for 30 seconds but my body adapted to exercise within a month or two so you can certainly build it up. Also I find that I cannot maintain weight without exercise because when I don't work out for long periods I get lazy and start spending more and more time on a couch in front of the tv snacking mindlessly. It also helps regulate my sleep and energy levels.

olehcat · September 2013

Again, thank all of you guys so much for all the VERY helpful and supportive replies! I am reading and rereading them. I start my journey tomorrow.

I"m hoping to have an average of about 1500 calories a day, which means about 1200 during the week and then extra calories allotted to the weekends when I tend to want to go out more.

I hope you don't mind, but I've added most of you who replied as friends! I didn't intentionally leave anyone out, so if I didn't friend you and you're following this thread, please feel free to friend me. Also, don't feel obligated to friend me back!

PinkNinjaLaura · September 2013

I'm not a success story yet but I've been having great results so feel free to add me too. I'm 5'2" and 44 years old. I started MFP the beginning of the year, started working out with a trainer in February, and started running in May. I began with Couch to 5K and am a week away from finishing 5K-to-10K. I also do Zumba, Pilates, and other cardio cross-training. I eat anywhere from 1300-1800 calories a day - having a range works better for me than trying to make every day exact. When I'm hungry I eat more. When I'm not hungry I eat less. The days I work out the hardest aren't necessarily the days when I'm the most hungry. I try to eliminate as many processed foods as possible, except that I do have a meal replacement shake for breakfast most days because that's what's convenient for me. I do enjoy red wine, but it's once or twice a week vs. once a day. I gave up diet coke and try to avoid artificial sweeteners (I was drinking so much Crystal Light I should have bought stock in the company). I don't have a sweet tooth either so giving up added sugars wasn't a problem. I do eat fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, Greek yogurt. I eat my starches at lunch, with dinner being a protein & vegetables.

stealthq · September 2013

5'3", 39 yrs. old in a couple of weeks. 143 down to 123, so I've hit my first goal. I've realized I want to lose a bit more, though, so I'm going to keep going until I'm somewhere between 115 and 120.

Yep, track your calories and be as accurate and thorough as possible. That's pretty much it.

I recommend you lift weights as well to help you maintain your lean body mass, but it's not necessary to lose weight.

Cardio exercise means you have more leeway with calories, plus it's good for you, so I recommend that, too. But, again, not really necessary to strictly lose weight.

Don't let anyone tell you you have to sacrifice any of your favorite foods. You don't. You just have to be smart about how you work them into your day and watch how much you're eating. You can keep all of the full fat foods that help with flavor. And spices have very few calories, so use those to your heart's content.

brynnsmom · September 2013

I'm 5'2" and have lost down from the mid-140s twice: once after high school, just because I got heavy, and then after I had my daughter in 2011. I've been weighing in at 107-109 for the past few years now. For me it's been strictly diet and not living a sedentary lifestyle. Yes, I work a desk job and I do not exercise as much as I would like. But our family does try to stay active and we go on evening walks, light bike rides, swimming, etc. I look for any opportunity I can to stay moving- even if it's just dancing around to my iPod music while I fold and put away laundry. Count your calories, make good choices most of the time, keep moving, and have fun. You can do it!

5'0" - 5'3" ladies -- 150 and down to 110-120, how?

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