49, female, tried everything

13»

Replies

  • brianages
    brianages Posts: 49
    A friend introduced me to Body for Life and it's overwhelming. Most of it is EAS marketing. Best advice? Eat less, exercise more. Eating your body weight in grams of protein helps eliminate the cravings.

    This and MFP are all you need. I'm 56, sit behind a desk all day, and recently quit smoking after 30 years of intense smoking pleasure (2-3 packs per day).

    I went through the weight gain and then joined MFP. I'm down 60 pounds and out of all the verbage in ads and websites, the above quote is all you need and track calories on MFP.

    I feel great again!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    You are consuming too many calories. The magical key to weight loss is simply CALORIE DEFICIT. Use MFP to calculate your proper calorie intake goal, log every single bite as accurately as possible, stay consistent your calorie goal and the weight will come off. Don't get hung up on a specific timeline or how long will it take or why didn't I loose weight this week.......CONSISTENCY will get you there. Be patient!

    Yep I agree, perimenopause/menopause is a *****!!! It makes weight loss and maintenance more challenging. Our bodies are not that willing to drop the weight but this is why CONSISTENCY is so important. Another thing that is very important in general but especially for women our age is strength training. With the natural process of aging and changing hormones we are losing muscle mass which will cause your metabolism to become sluggish. A good strength training program does a body good!!
  • ctalimenti
    ctalimenti Posts: 865 Member
    Here's something to chew on. If you input the same height and weight but different ages (lets say 20 and 45) into one of those calculators, the 45 yr old burns 300 less calories daily. Over one year, this means 30 extra lbs for the 45 yr old. See how it creeps up?

    I don't think the same attention and knowledge is paid losing weight at a younger age verses an older age. I've seen over and over people write about how easy it was to lose when younger but I doubt they realized there was a big weight loss due to less salt intake. This is only one example.

    I'm 49 and have lost roughly 20 lbs in the last 2 yrs. It's not that easy but permanent changes in one's life never are.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    You are consuming too many calories. The magical key to weight loss is simply CALORIE DEFICIT. Use MFP to calculate your proper calorie intake goal, log every single bite as accurately as possible, stay consistent your calorie goal and the weight will come off. Don't get hung up on a specific timeline or how long will it take or why didn't I loose weight this week.......CONSISTENCY will get you there. Be patient!

    Yep I agree, perimenopause/menopause is a *****!!! It makes weight loss and maintenance more challenging. Our bodies are not that willing to drop the weight but this is why CONSISTENCY is so important. Another thing that is very important in general but especially for women our age is strength training. With the natural process of aging and changing hormones we are losing muscle mass which will cause your metabolism to become sluggish. A good strength training program does a body good!!
    Great post. And great reminder about strength training.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    A friend introduced me to Body for Life and it's overwhelming. Most of it is EAS marketing. Best advice? Eat less, exercise more. Eating your body weight in grams of protein helps eliminate the cravings.

    This and MFP are all you need. I'm 56, sit behind a desk all day, and recently quit smoking after 30 years of intense smoking pleasure (2-3 packs per day).

    I went through the weight gain and then joined MFP. I'm down 60 pounds and out of all the verbage in ads and websites, the above quote is all you need and track calories on MFP.

    I feel great again!


    Congrats for quitting smoking! That's a major accomplishment!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Medical issues aside, it is NOT harder as you get older. The equation remains the same. Yes, your metabolism slows down. That means you eat less. I think that's why people say it's harder. It's not harder, it's the same. I think if you have medical issues or hormonal issues, that changes the equation. Then, yes, it's probably more difficult because the equation is now lopsided. It's no longer calories in/out, but there's an odd factor that impacts everything.

    Thanks for your posts. I can't speak for other people, but I'm a 59 year old woman and your comments match my experience.

    I was overweight because I ate too much and rarely exercised. I changed those things and lost the weight. I don't care whether I lost it faster or slower than somebody else. It's almost all off in 10 months of reducing my calories and adding exercise.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Here's something to chew on. If you input the same height and weight but different ages (lets say 20 and 45) into one of those calculators, the 45 yr old burns 300 less calories daily. Over one year, this means 30 extra lbs for the 45 yr old. See how it creeps up?

    I don't think the same attention and knowledge is paid losing weight at a younger age verses an older age. I've seen over and over people write about how easy it was to lose when younger but I doubt they realized there was a big weight loss due to less salt intake. This is only one example.

    I'm 49 and have lost roughly 20 lbs in the last 2 yrs. It's not that easy but permanent changes in one's life never are.
    Yup. Here's some stats from google: Sedentary women generally burn 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Page 14), and should consume the same number of calories for healthy weight maintenance. Specifically, sedentary women ages 19 to 30 burn 1,800 to 2,000 calories; sedentary females between 31 and 50 years old burn about 1,800 calories; and sedentary women older than age 50 burn about 1,600 calories each day.
    and
    Sedentary men burn more calories than sedentary women because they are generally bigger and have more lean body mass. The USDA reports that sedentary men burn — and therefore should consume -- 2,000 to 2,600 calories each day to maintain a healthy body weight. Specifically, sedentary men ages 19 to 30 burn 2,400 to 2,600 calories daily; sedentary males between the ages of 31 and 50 burn 2,200 to 2,400 calories; and sedentary men older than 50 burn about 2,000 to 2,200 calories each day.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    A friend introduced me to Body for Life and it's overwhelming. Most of it is EAS marketing. Best advice? Eat less, exercise more. Eating your body weight in grams of protein helps eliminate the cravings.

    This and MFP are all you need. I'm 56, sit behind a desk all day, and recently quit smoking after 30 years of intense smoking pleasure (2-3 packs per day).

    I went through the weight gain and then joined MFP. I'm down 60 pounds and out of all the verbage in ads and websites, the above quote is all you need and track calories on MFP.

    I feel great again!


    Congrats for quitting smoking! That's a major accomplishment!
    It absolutely is!
  • ZEmma2012
    ZEmma2012 Posts: 4 Member
    I too am 49. I have spent my years taking care of everyone else and I simply let my self go. I own horses and need to lose about 90lbs so I can ride again. I purchased a weanling filly last year(2012) , so I am now on a mission to get my life back so I can ride her when she is ready in two years.
  • timealready
    timealready Posts: 11
    Thanks for your input. Seems alot of us are in the same "group" ..age, etc. I'm new to the whole "board' thing so I will try and friend you. thanks, shelley
  • timealready
    timealready Posts: 11
    Thanks for yoyr response to "eat less"...I'm sure he meant well, but it came off obnoxious and unexperienced (as a woman in her upper 40"s. So again, thank you. when I am really "on" and track my food (which I have many times before) I really can't and shouldn"t eat much less. For me, it's not giving up early. I have started with cardio and I love weight training. Problem is I still have injury from early Sept on my knees and now I have lower back sprain from when I re-joined my gym by "free" trainer didn't have me warm up and threw me into swinging kettlebells, TRX, and weights in a curcuit and I pulled my back. Now I have to ease into the weight training...but I will!
  • DeniseBarone
    DeniseBarone Posts: 80 Member
    You can friend me.
  • toygeo
    toygeo Posts: 5 Member
    Hello
    I just read your mail. It is not ranting. I understand you completely. it is demoralizing always losing and gaining. I have been trying to start for a year now and just decided to get serious. I am planning on loosing 2lb per week. I got a threadmill. Will be walking 60min everyday, six dys a week. The biggest challenge for me is food intake. I find that impulse absolutely difficult to control.

    So here is my plan if you are interested.

    60min walk everyday. (3km)
    Bfast will be fruit and lemon water. The rest meal i will keep normal. No meals after 6 and no meals between meals. I hope to loose 10 pounds by jan 30. I hope this encourages you that you are not the only one struggling and that we can not give up.
  • phyllisbobbitt
    phyllisbobbitt Posts: 347 Member
    :flowerforyou: I am 60 yr old female who has lost 130 pounds since june 2012 & I can say that logging everything that enters your mouth is a must! then you need to concentrate on high protein! high protein keeps you from being hungry! if your not hungry then it helps with not eating in between meals! water is a ultimate must do! 10 eight oz. glasses a day is great! if you don't feel like heavy exercise then a brisk walk for several hours is great! but exercise of some sort is a must! pre-plan your meals in advance is a must! before I go shopping I plan my menu for a week & buy only what I have planned & stick to it! I keep nothing in the house to tempt me in cheating! I am sending you a friend request because your story sounds a lot like my past! I think together we can support & encourage each other daily! be sure to have an open diary because your mfp friends can give you suggestions that may help!
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    U ate way over your bmi & became a fat ars! Now it's time to eat under your bmi & burn more fat! Girl, make a gym your friend, continue logging & work out to make time go by faster so you aren't fat anymore....

    Girl-welcome to our place.....:)
  • wannabefree
    wannabefree Posts: 32 Member
    I'm also 49. I lost 30 lbs in 2013 by watching what I ate and exercising. Then in Sept I hurt my back. I couldn't exercise anymore and became depressed. I probably have gained almost all the weight that I worked so hard to take off back. After months of physical therapy and finally a spinal injection just last week, I feel like I'm ready to give it another shot. It's so discouraging to start over again knowing how hard it was. I just keep trying to remind myself of how great I felt and keep that thought in front of me as motivation. If you need a friend on here, feel free to friend me. We can encourage each other. :)
  • ThriceBlessed
    ThriceBlessed Posts: 499 Member
    First, it's not an age thing. I get so pissed off when people are like, " I'm 50, it's so hard at my age." No it's not. It's hard at any age. It's the same thing at age 5 or age 95. It's about creating a calorie deficit. That's all. It's not harder at any age. Just eat less than you burn and you'll lose fat. It helps a ton if you strength train. But, even if you don't, it's simple math. It's not harder at 49 than at 29. The equation is exactly the same.

    What I think people mean is at age 20, you burn calories faster, so it's easier to create a deficit. But, the equation is still the same equation. It's not harder. It's the same amount if effort at either age.
    I get what you're saying, but disagree. It IS harder. It's all about creating a deficit, yes, and as you said it's EASIER to do that when you're younger. That makes it easier. Add hormonal changes that come with per-menopause and that *can* make it even more challenging. When I'm "sedentary" (rest days mostly) the difference between BMR and TDEE is much smaller than it used to be. The margin of error is smaller. Of course, these numbers are all hypothetical, since I don't know my actually BMR or TDEE, I only know what the formulas tell me.
    And, yes, my hormonal levels are fluctuating daily, my sleep changes daily... all of which affects cortisol too, and that, then affects everything else. So, yeah, I'd say it *can* get harder with age. Semantics, perhaps. But I think it's harder, for me to shift weight, than it was at, say 22. It takes longer. It takes more perseverance, and the margin of error is smaller. I'd say that's harder. But, it's totally possible, as evidenced by all the fabulous ladies and men here.


    I'm age 59 and have lost over 50 pounds in 10 months (probably closer to 60 pounds -- I lost some before I joined MFP). I try to stay away from age related discussions because they make me cringe -- so many people saying it is so hard to lose when you are older. In my case, it just wasn't true. I ate less, cut out food that gave me cravings, and started walking to work instead of taking my car.

    I don't want to judge other people. Some people really do have medical issues, especially older people. But in many cases the age thing is just an excuse. Most overweight people eat too much and don't exercise enough. The way out is to stop kidding yourself. Log everything, eat fewer calories, and get off the couch. Find an exercise you like to do and start moving. The weight will come off.

    I agree that some people use it as an excuse, and for some it my genuinely be harder than it is for others. Everyone's metabolism differs slightly.


    OP:
    Weight loss does get harder as you get older, but not impossible, and some of the differences in calorie burn come from muscle decreases, that is something you can take some control over through strength training.

    Bottom line, it IS harder when you are older, or when you have an injury, or a hormonal imbalance, etc. But it is still not impossible. you need to log everything you eat, eat at a moderate deficit and see what happens. If you faithfully do that you should lose weight, if you don't, then chances are you aren't burning as much as you think, you may need to adjust your calorie levels or activity levels... but if you log EVERYTHING and keep track of it, you will probably see that when you eat at a deficit, over time, you lose what you "should". It may not drop off at a steady rate, the same amount every week, but over 6 months or a year, you will probably see that you lost pretty much what you should have based on your defict.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    You are eating too much.

    Step one, start logging everything - literally everything that passes your lips. Don't worry about goals or counting, just log until you are solidly in the habit of logging.
    This. I came here last May and learned how to accurately log (again, after I'd learned from my trainer ten years prior) all food and exercise. It's all in being totally honest about calories in and calories out. I've lost 32 pounds, and I think that last pound is hanging on for dear life! Why? Because during the holiday season there were too many days when I ate too much. I didn't gain actual fat, but my overeating kept me at maintenance and that last pound is just handing out until I decide to eat at that deficit. :smile:

    This is the FIRST holiday season where I stayed conscious of what I was eating and how much I was eating, and choosing to go over my calorie goals on some days. In fact, this has been the best holiday season yet (except I caught a bug. Ick!).
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    First, it's not an age thing. I get so pissed off when people are like, " I'm 50, it's so hard at my age." No it's not. It's hard at any age. It's the same thing at age 5 or age 95. It's about creating a calorie deficit. That's all. It's not harder at any age. Just eat less than you burn and you'll lose fat. It helps a ton if you strength train. But, even if you don't, it's simple math. It's not harder at 49 than at 29. The equation is exactly the same.

    What I think people mean is at age 20, you burn calories faster, so it's easier to create a deficit. But, the equation is still the same equation. It's not harder. It's the same amount if effort at either age.
    That's been my experience as well. This time around it was easy for me to lose the 32 pounds I'd gained back because i learned some great tools to track food and exercise. This is the FiRST holiday season I have not binged on all the sweets and gained weight. I'm so proud of myself. :smile:
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    It's so discouraging to start over again knowing how hard it was. I just keep trying to remind myself of how great I felt and keep that thought in front of me as motivation.
    This is the FIRST holiday season where I stayed conscious of what I was eating and how much I was eating, and choosing to go over my calorie goals on some days. In fact, this has been the best holiday season yet.
    This time around it was easy for me to lose the 32 pounds I'd gained back because i learned some great tools to track food and exercise. This is the FiRST holiday season I have not binged on all the sweets and gained weight. I'm so proud of myself. :smile:
    Congratulations all three of you on your huge NSVs!
  • drizzlesugar
    drizzlesugar Posts: 16
    I also struggled to lose weight. I have lost 28 lbs so far in a little over 4 months with myfitnesspal. I try to exercise 6 days a week and have been eating a vegan diet. I would love to add you as a friend. Don't be discouraged, there are a lot of helpful, positive people on this site.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    I am also 53, short, and hypothyroid.
    I'm female, 53, short and hypothyroid. I refer to this as the trifecta of crap getting in my way. I'm down 50 pounds (with a bit more left to go). It can be done,even when you think you have stuff working against you.

    Start, as others have suggested with logging it all: the good, the bad, the ugly. This will give you a place to start. You can start making adjustments to what you're eating. Then, once you are in the habit of logging, start other stuff. Adjust the kinds of foods you eat to get more nutrients shoved in your face, start to walk on a regular basis. Then walk more. Then ponder the joys of other "moving stuff" you could be doing: yoga, lifting, running, slinging hay bales, whatever seems like it would be sustainable for you.

    While you're doing that, start searching the forums for the often quoted and referred to messages (a guide to start you on your way to sexy pants) is one I can think of off the top of my head.

    Start reading the forums and look for posters who seem to make sense to you. Then start watching for all the stuff they write. There are an incredible number of generous and helpful people here who share their knowledge. It won't take long to separate those who are offering up snake oil from those who offer up solid advice.

    Build your own friend list of supportive people. If you can, gather them from all different experiences. I'm convinced that my FL is one of the biggest contributors to the success I've had so far. They encourage me, they redirect me when I start to go off track, they listen to me, and maybe most importantly, they make me laugh. On a regular basis.

    It's not complicated, but it is hard. Some days harder than others. But it is doable. If I can drop 50 pounds and actually learn to love running, anyone can. Really. Just take a step in the right direction and the next day, take another step.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Looks like we've been losing at about the same rate.

    I also struggled to lose weight. I have lost 28 lbs so far in a little over 4 months with myfitnesspal. I try to exercise 6 days a week and have been eating a vegan diet. I would love to add you as a friend. Don't be discouraged, there are a lot of helpful, positive people on this site.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Never mind. Already replied. :smile:
  • bhsishtla
    bhsishtla Posts: 151 Member
    Bump

Categories