OVER 40 - TOUGH WEEK - PLEASE HELP

IT IS CONSUMING YOU.... and way too much,, you need to take a chill pill, back off for a bit and regroup,,,how bad do you want it??? you need to focus, eat well, sleep well and exercise... it will all come together for you.First, I suggest drinking a bottle of wine and unwinding............. kidding.

First of all, breath, it's okay! We don't need all these fancy gadgets and such to lose weight, all we need is determination and a steady diet. Maybe see your doctor if you're not losing weight? Are you healthy, thyroid issues, etc etc? Relax, get back to the simple basics, track your food, and LET YOURSELF ENJOY YOUR MEALS. Like you said the food they sent you tasted TERRIBLE! Look online for some delicious healthy meals, things you enjoy making and eating! It doesn't seem so bad, and soon youll realize you dont have to give up the treats, just eat them in moderation.

Hey and don't forget, you are on here for a reason. You are doing the right thing, so pat yourself on the back for that. I am 44 and totally can relate to the "what worked 2 years ago doesn't work now". I have been at a plateau for the last 2 months and have tried changing my exercise routines and my diet and still am stuck. But in the end I know I will not give up, no matter how frustrating that is. 11 pounds in 4 weeks is good and you should be happy with that. It is better to lose it slowly so it stays off. Isn't that what they always say? ;-) My suggestion to you would be change your exercise. Spin class is good but you are only working part of your body. You really want a cardio workout that evolves all the muscle groups, not just legs. Add weight training in there too as muscle burns fat. :-) Keep up your good work!!!!

Get rid of the scales and work on your diet and exercise plan for you, for doing the right things for your body. Fat loss will come, but it won't come on your chosen schedule. Honestly, most of the frustration that I see around here comes with the observation that the scales aren't moving or are moving too slowly or are moving in the wrong direction.

I had to do that. I gave my scales away and am waiting for the day that my size 18 jeans won't stay up without a belt. Meanwhile, I'm learning how to eat appropriately rather than hurrying to the kitchen every time I'm bored or want to stuff uncomfortable feelings down with food. These are important things, and I don't need the scales to tell me whether or not I'm succeeding.

I went through a similar weight loss stall last year. I was counting calories and down to 1400 a day. I did at least one hour of cardio everyday, plus some strength training and rock climbing at the gym a few time a week.

I didn't lose a single pound! Something I discovered is that when I cut back on calories, my body freaks out and I start to retain as much fat as possible. I think that I also stop building muscle which is important for fat loss. So I've been doing a lot of research over the past year to figure out my folly and finally find a weight loss plan that works and is easy to maintain. It's been so much fun to research the female body, that I'm in the process of changing careers to become a personal trainer to help women understand their bodies better.

This is what I've discovered works best for me.
First, cutting back on carbohydrates. Not to an extreme level, but definitely cutting out all refined sugars and grains. A friend of mine who is a nutritionist, convinced me to go paleo, and I feel amazing! You don't need to be that extreme, but I think eating a "lean and green" diet will help you feel great, and slim down. I eat a lot of green veggies (broccoli, brussels sprouts, leafy greens), meats (chicken, grass fed beef, salmon), eggs. When I feel like I need more carbs after working out, I go for fruits (berries, apples) or starchy veggies (sweet potatoes, squash, potatoes). If you eat grains, I would just choose whole grains and limit the amount you're eating, and fill up on veggies.

Second, high intensity interval strength training. I've come to believe that hours of cardio doesn't do hardly anything for fat loss, and if you want to lean down the best way to do it is with strength training, especially if it gets your heart rate up. I'd suggest either, doing sprint intervals (on a bike or the treadmill), and/or doing strength exercises with weights in intervals that gets your heart rate up. You really only need to do these high intensity workouts for 10 to 30 minutes at a time. Just as long as you put in your maximum effort.

I'm in the process of building a website and fitness program for women. Neither of them are finished yet but you can check out my videos to get ideas for the types of strength exercises you could do as part of a circuit. Here's the videos:
http://trueformstrength.com/videos/

I have an 8 week training program for women developed that I plan to sell on the site, but if you're interested, perhaps you could test it out for me. Let me know if that is something you would be interested in.

I'm 58 and lost 65 pounds last year. Working on getting 30 pounds off this year, the last phase of my weight loss. I stalled between Jan and Feb, losing and gaining the same 5 pounds. I decided to stop worrying about it till just before March and now I am totally back on track. I think I just succumbed to that cold winter drive to store fat. Now I'm geared up for the spring and ready to tackle more weight loss. I don't expect to lose a lot each week but I will focus on adding more kettlebell weight workouts to my cardio. Also I'm eating more vegetables, preferably raw, with hummus. I refuse to let age or whatever excuse keep me from my goal. If it happens this year, great! If it takes more time...ok. And moneywise, if I feel like splurging on wild blueberries or other healthy food, it's worth it. But I am too stubborn to pay $ to some company for their food or follow a certain diet.
Good luck to you! It's all worth the effort.

You are doing great! I am just wrapping up the first two weeks of South Beach and I've been losing well, but not nearly as fast as I would in my 30s. I also seem to need a lower carb diet, cutting out refined sugars and things like bread and pasta. I will start to slowly add more carbs back in next week while keeping an eye on my MFP calorie goal, so it will be a hybrid program but it seems to work for me.

I think we need to remember that this is a process and those 11 pounds are gone. Deep breath, be happy about those 11 and now it's time to focus on the next 5 or 10. If you start to focus on the big numbers to goal, it gets overwhelming fast.

Do you do yoga? That and strength training seems to help me budge off a plateau. Be creative, but give it all time and congratulations on the loss!