40-50ish ladies?

DebraYvonne · February 2014

I am divorced, mom of two grown kids (who still live with me), and I would love support from our age group. It seems I go down 1 pound up 2 down 3 up 2, never losing. I get frustrated and over eat not but much but with every year it seems to get harder and I lose focus, get tired of it all, etc. I lose momentum much easier than I used to. Is anyone else in this boat? I have NO support at home. I do have a close friend that I walk and do things with but she has 3 younger kids. Just not sure what I need to do to wake up whatever I need to wake up to make a change. I have a shoulder injury so I cannot lift anything for quite a while. I can do cardio and squats and lunges. I am thinking of rejoining a gym but also trying to watch my $ too. I guess I am just frustrated right now. I want so badly to succeed in this weight loss.

margannmks · February 2014

I was having the same problem gaining and losing the same 4 -5 lbs but never really getting serious enough and mostly staying frustrated. I gained steadly thru my 40s. I joined a bootcamp style class and it has worked for me. Its way more intense than anything else i have done and ive been doing it for a year and a half.I am 53, 5'2" and started at 150lb im 125lb now but have alot more muscle than ive ever had, I like it and dont get bored as it is always challenging. Treadmills,ellipitcal,bike bore me after awhile so do videos. If you have a ymca they should have a variety of classes to try and prices are usually according to income. Make sure whatever you do it has strength training, youll see results much better than just cardio. Heavy weights and low reps. You have to find something you enjoy and can live with its not just for losing weight its got to be a way of life. Your hormones are probably not helping but you can get fit and change your body its just takes alot more than most women think at this age. I do an hour class 5 days aweek and some other exercise on weekends, i even do a hour zumba sometimes during week after bootcamp. But i dont starve myself, i eat fairly clean and track all of my food. I still want to lose 10 more lbs and itll probably take another 6 months

mrsl90 · February 2014

Hi I am 45 and am trying to loose weight, before my hysterectomy I could loose 7-8 pounds just by not eating as much junk food in a couple of weeks. Now I find myself trying to loose 14 pounds and in the 3 weeks since I joined MFP I have lost and gained the same four pounds despite keeping within my calorie target. I have been doing an abs workout, the 30 day squat challenge, and a weekly Pilates class, it's difficult to do more as I work long shifts as a nurse. I know the menopause and slowing down metabolism have a lot to do with this but it doesn't stop it being any less frustrating. I keep looking at and trying on my cocktail dresses I need for my holiday and although the scales say my weight isn't going down the way I would like, they are at last feeling less tight and the zips go further up! This helps keep my motivation . But some friends who are going through the same would be good

margannmks · February 2014

As hard as it is im trying to ignore scales but old habits die hard. I also try a skirt that i couldnt zip and can now, not sure if i can sit in it yet or eat but what the hey. I also have some jeans that fit at this same weight and now there too big so i know something is changing. Just dont keep lowering calories increase exercise first if you can and make sure you get enough protein and fiber too.Hang in there and focus on the positives.

forevermaryb · February 2014

I hear you and empathize! Back in my 30's, I lost over 50 pounds by just cutting back and increasing some moderate exercise. The scale always moved down. Not always fast, but I never had the fluctuations. After regaining those 50 pounds plus more to boot, I thought I would just do what I did the last time. I had initial success (mostly water weight), then nothing despite cutting back on my food even more (I have no idea of calories at the time as this was pre-MFP). Things at 45 years of age were just different. I ended up going on the Ideal Protein diet mostly because a friend of mine was a practitioner. If you're unfamiliar with it, it is a pretty restrictive diet that really limits carbs and puts you into ketosis (fat burning). I lost 35 pounds over 13 weeks, but I have to say I wouldn't do it again. It really was very limiting and I was HUNGRY all the time (and the food is expensive plus you are not encouraged to exercise since it's so low-cal. I felt "skinny fat".). Plus it is not a life style type of program. I still had weight to lose, so I joined MFP and have lost some more, but it is SLOW despite eating at a deficit and working out pretty religiously. I do find if I want to lose, I have to keep my carbs right around 100g/day and I have to watch my sodium. Increases in either, even if I'm under my calories goal, will make the scale bounce around. I would look at adjusting your macros to see what combination seems to work the best for you. Mine seemed to be best at 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30%fat. I don't know your stats or how many calories you are currently consuming, but it's going to be a lot of trial and error and commitment to keep going. Exercise is also important; just find something you like doing. It doesn't really matter as long as you're moving. I've also had to focus less on the scale and much more on how I feel, which is pretty awesome right now. There are some 20 year olds in my Zumba class that can't keep up with me! Good luck!

SharonNehring · February 2014

I'm 45 yrs old and have been overweight basically all my life. Joining MFP has been the best thing I've done for myself. The support here is wonderful. I check in here everyday, so feel free to add me if you'd like to.

rider123 · February 2014

I am 56 and in the same boat. Menopause makes it much more difficult to loose weight. I won't take hormones because of the medical risks. Two years ago I lost 31 pounds with MFP and then my husband went to the hospital. I am an emotional eater and this was a big catalyst to start eating again. I have gained back 30 of them and am now beginning the process to loose it again. I love to walk and do about four miles a day. We can do it ladies; we just need time, patience and support!!

frangrann · February 2014

HI, I'll be 50 in April (shhhh). I decided in Sept to join a gym and lower my carbs. I have lost 28 lbs....30 was my goal but now I want more! I love the gym weights, cardio, classes. I even feel guilty if I don't go...kind of an obsession! I feel better and my "skinny" clothes fit me again!
I agree with all the posts that it used to be easy to drop a few pounds but now its work.
I have 3 kids (20,18,13) and work part time.
Please feel free to add me!

scrague · February 2014

Boy, can I relate. I had a wake up call yesterday. I also go up and down in weight by small amounts. My husband said to me yesterday that he didn't want to be a single parent. I had a fair day today, being the first day. I got hungry between morning and lunch. I said today, that I have 42 yrs of bad habits to break. And from what I hear its hard to teach old dogs new tricks. I too had motivation at one point in my life and lost 72 pounds and had kids and gained it back plus more. I find life to be like a daily grind and I have just been going along for the ride. Well I guess its time to get off this ride and move on to a better one....

SKME2013 · February 2014

Hi everybody,

First of all, DebraYvonne- congrats on your massive weightloss (according to your ticker!). Don't despair about plateaus but look at the bright side: all the weight that you have lost already!

I am turning 49 in two months and yes...menopausal!

I never had a weight problem in my whole life, actually I was very skinny for most of my life, even after three kids. Stopping smoking, pre-menopausal, a knee injury that left me "hobbling" around for a year and a love for food all helped me gaining weight.

I was not terrible over-weight, but unfortunately in my case the weight distribution is not evenly and I got a double (...tripple?) chin and a tummy looking as I was pregnant, but my legs and butt stayed skinny. Not a very sexy image in the mirror.

In November I came back from a trip to Turkey and while on the tour bus, I drank even more full sugar Coke than usual and lived on chocolate and cookies (those trips were long hours). When I came back, I thought enough was enough.

At first I started to look at my nutrition very closely and I decided to make some fundamental changes. (At that point I was still not overtly concerned with my weight). I stopped drinking Coke altogether, no more coffee (as I only drink it with sugar) and generally reducing my sugar intake (No more chocolate boohoo!!!). I also started to read some "clever" books about nutrition which was kind of funny, as the more you read the more conflicting messags you get!

Nevertheless, over a couple of weeks I started to get really hooked on healthy eating, cutting out as much crap as possible and looking at my macros and micros. I also paid more attention to calories, which then lead me to the 5:2 intermittent fasting.

Since November I have combined 5:2 with 4:3 and occassionally alternate day fasting ADF. I have lost 8 kgs in 12 weeks and am now close to my ideal weight. (I am 5'6; start weight 65kg, now at 57.1). Strangely enough though I believe I did not have any plateaus due to my menopause, but then I take the pill to counteract the symptoms I had. (Works very well for me).

Anyhow, time will tell whether I can keep it at that weight as it seems that unfortunately there will be no end to calorie watching
e v e r...

Best of luck to all of you
Stef.

roxannedd1988 · February 2014

I am 43 and it seems like the older that I get the harder it is for me to get the weight off. Congrats on what you have gotten off so far! :-)

margannmks · February 2014

I agree the 40% 30%40% ratio works for me too. Back in the 90s it was called the zone diet. I find it much more flexible than the atkins and the emphasis is low fat protein,not the bacon and steak no bread diet. Its easy to follow for most women its 21 grams of protein, 28 grms of carb, and fat at 9 grms per meal with 2 snacks consisting of another 7 ,9,3 grms each. You also subtract your fiber from carbs so you can eat just about anything you just get more if its a good carb. Ive noticed that most of the posts mention regaining weight that was previously lost being harder to lose. Every time you regain weight more of it is fat, less is muscle and as women age they lose muscle mass naturally, combine this with low calorie low protein diets and cardio only exercise and your fighting a losing battle, your burning your muscle for energy and your not building it with lifting weights. If you only change two things please eat a protien rich breakfast and lift the heaviest you can. Your own body weight can be used for exercise. Pushups, wall squat holds, tricep dips, walking lunges are a good place to start. You will see results and that new found strength will give you motivation to do more. Caution,strength training gets addictive.

40-50ish ladies?

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