Over 40 Fitness

Everyone is different. I upped my exercise and lost. You also have to eat good, real clean foods. It's not easy !

I just turned 46. :drinker:

Unless you are very short, 1200 likely isn't enough for you, which is why it leaves you starving. Been there! It wasn't enough for me either - my BMR is over 1400, so I eat above that. In fact I eat and lose eating 1800-2000+ cals a day - been doing so for over two years and have had my best success since then.

Have a read through this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13 Great info there and links to tools for calculating how much you should be eating.

As for upping cals and gaining - if you've been eating low cals for awhile and then increase, you will see a slight gain at first - the body has to adjust to the new intake. Sometimes it can take 4-6 weeks of consistency to see results, but if your numbers are figured correctly, you will see progress.

For exercise, if your aim is to be stronger and you have access to heavy weights, check out New Rules Of Lifting for Women (can get it at most libraries or order online) or Stronglifts 5x5 (google it). Or if you want at-home workouts with dumbbells, check out FitnessBlender.com for a great variety of free video workouts.

Edited to add: I still eat pizza, burgers, drink beer & wine, have desserts and fancy coffees - they just fit into my daily goals. Finding the right number of cals has been key for me - this is sustainable for life, a way I can eat forever, losing the fat and keeping it off.

I am 41 years old and lose weight on 1800 calories a day...that is a 400 calorie a day deficet for me.

There is absolutely no reason you shouldn't be losing weight on 1400 calories a day.

I personally don't always gain just on my mid section..for me it's all over...

I have lost 4.5inches off my chest and waist in 10months, 4 inches off my bra band and natural waist, and 3 inches off my hips.

As we age our metabolism can slow but you can counter that with exercise. 10 months ago my maintenance was 2000 calories...I have been lifting weights for 7 months it is now about 2200...

The key to make Calorie in vs calorie out work is logging accurately which means weighing your intake. Before I used my kitchen scale I would have swore I only lost on 1300 calories but low and behold...I can lose on 1800 calories if I weigh my solids...and I am not underestimating my food intake.

I'm over 40 - I'd be seriously hangry at 1200 calories. Can't do it! I definitely agree it is harder to lose weight than when I was younger though.

Oh, I understand, OP. But it didn't happen to me in my early 40s. It took a little longer.

I'm 51, not yet menopausal, and I didn't have a problem with what you describe until after age 45. But I sure do now. I had a baby 6 weeks before I turned 45 and could not get my weight under control after that. Up until then, I could lose weight at 1,600 calories with moderate exercise, but now I have to stick to 1,200 net and exercise 30-45 minutes a day for at least five days a week, which is what I can manage on my schedule. I do cardio some days, and work with weights on others. I weigh everything and eat protein and vegetables for the most part, so I feel like I'm getting a lot of food and I'm not starving. I cut out processed flours and sugar, and limit alcohol. According to the body composition scale, I'm gaining muscle and losing body and visceral fat, but it's nowhere near as easy as it was even 10 years ago.

Everybody is different, of course, but for me, getting into my mid 40s turned it into a whole new ballgame where my weight is concerned, as well as where weight distributes on my body. A few years ago I put it on and took it off evenly, but now I'm losing my butt and thighs while my belly fat is much slower to respond.

It will happen. It's just a lot more work now.

No way in a million years would I be okay on a 1200 calorie diet. I'm 41 and eat right around 2000 calories a day, 1650-1850 to lose (I like ranges, not hard and fast numbers).

Are you strength training?

I'm going to be 53 this year. When I hit perimenopause I began carrying more weight in my midsection. No matter what weight I am at now the difference between my waist and hip is never as great as it used to be.

I don't think I could eat only 1200 calories a day for long. Without exercise, I can lose on about 1400-1500 calories, but even that is too low for me to be satisfied.

My main motivators for exercise is health and wine. My chances of staying healthy as I age are much better if I do both aerobic and strength exercise, because I am at the age when most women lose bone and muscle at a greater rate. And I need the extra calories it burns to work wine into my diet regularly and still get enough other nutritious foods.

I don't know if any of that will be helpful to you, but my story is all I got. Good luck!

I'm 41. I eat 1800-2000 calories/day but I exercise every day. I run a few times/week, walk on the treadmill on the non-running days and lift weights from home 3x/week. I've been overweight all of my adult life, so I can't say if turning 40 made a difference since that is when I lost all my weight.

Lift big weights. You probably won't believe me with the puppy pic, but it's true.

I'm 40 and most of my weight is in my middle. To kick up my metabolism I eat every two to three hours. I eat between 1350 and 1520 calorie a day but I eat a lot of food because most of my diet is lean meats, fruits and veggies and whole grains. I still have a junk food meal once a week and two desserts a week so that I don't feel I deprive myself. I also make mostly the same dishes I did before with healthier substitutes. I agree with the others here, you need to find a way to cut down on your stress. It builds cortisol mostly in your mid-section and causes weight gain. No matter what you do if you are stressed out all the time you will have a hard time losing weight.