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

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...

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:

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!

Interested in answers.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!