Who can help a 50 year old women lose pounds?

Are u my my age and can't get the pounds off? I've lost inches and gained muscle is my problem drinking coke (the fake sugars) and a glass of wine with a meal? Help me please, I gotta and wanna lose pounds.
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    If by "fake sugars," you mean is diet soda making you gain weight or prevent weight loss, no. It can't. It doesn't have calories.

    Are you logging the glass of wine with your meal? As long as you are in a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight whether you are having a glass of wine or not.

    If you're losing inches, you're making progress. Maybe focusing more on how you look and feel and less on a number on scale may help you. How long have you been trying to lose weight?
  • Deborah1229
    Deborah1229 Posts: 8 Member
    Hello Matzie - I'm your age and trying to lose weight too! I don't drink soda, I've stopped eating carbs and I exercise 5 days a week. The pounds are coming off - slow, slow process.
    I am Deborah1229 on MFP if you want to friend me.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Hello Matzie - I'm almost your age but am losing 1 pound per week by eating less and exercising more. I gave up wine because I felt like I couldn't afford those empty calories in my calorie budget.

    Studies have shown that artificial sugars can make some people crave sugar, so if this is true for you and you are going over your calorie budget because of this, might want to cut back on the Diet Coke.

    But if by "fake sugars" you meant the HFCS in regular Coke, if those empty calories are making you go over your calorie budget, that's a reason to reduce as well.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    Hi, I am 53 years old and have lost 43 pounds since March 8, 2015. I started my journey because of a pre-diabetes diagnosis. I limit my carbs, increased my protein and fiber and saw good losses. The losses became most consistent after my start with MFP in May. Not because MFP is magic, but because it is a great tool for counting calories and tracking nutrition. I added a Fitbit to measure activity in July. I use a digital scale to measure my food and choose the most accurate entry for recording it in MFP. The CI-CO=weight change formula works very accurately for me. BTW I gave up Pepsi the day I started the diet. I occasionally have a diet soda, Crystal Light or Sweet leaf in chamomile tea. My blood sugars are back in the normal range.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Wow @daniwilford, that's awesome! I feel like a slacker now, lol.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Your age shouldn't make much difference at all.

    Stop consuming too many calories and stop drinking your calories. Start tracking everything and start moving.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    With the exception of newbie gains, one doesn't "gain muscle" in a deficit. If you're not losing, you're not in a deficit.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Wow @daniwilford, that's awesome! I feel like a slacker now, lol.
    In five more pounds, I will be taking it much slower. How many times have you heard slow and steady wins the race.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    oh I LOVE MY WINE!!, winos,, ADD ME!!!, only if you are fun!!!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited August 2015
    I've hit menopause and have thyroid issues and still lose weight. I lose slowly, but I lose! We aren't far apart in age, but as my friends cross over the Big, Old Line, I am still clinging to the whole "I'm not 50!" thing, lol. (It works for me.)

    I exercise at least twice a day, mostly walking and swimming. I watch my calories like a hawk. Everything gets weighed and logged except spice (sometimes) and garlic, which I do by the clove. I count big cloves and little cloves the same, so it evens out. When I found out sugarless gum had calories, I began logging it. I log pills. Everything!

    I know you Wine People love your wine. I don't know why, but I have been told. You can still have some, just log it. :)

    You can do this. You aren't too old to lose. :)
  • thetruekim47
    thetruekim47 Posts: 7 Member
    edited August 2015
    I'm in the same boat. I've lost 35 pounds in 3 years. That's it. So now going to cut the carbs and calories b
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    edited August 2015
    I am 50 and lost 101 pounds in 9 months
    So no problem
    Eat everything only i eat less calories than i burn. And to achieve that i weigh every solid food on a food scale and log it here on MFP

    Because of a high BP i dont add salt to my food :)
    But i didn't give up anything
    Just ate a my own made pizza lol....

    btw you dont gain muscle in a deficit..(except for newbie gains)
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Just to back up whats said above. Its highly unlikely youve gained muscle on a deficit and diet coke wont make you put on weight.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    It is great that you have started losing weight pre menopause.

    Menopause doesn't have to make it harder to drop the weight, but it does impact your bones and muscles.

    Loss of both start to increase, so as well as keeping to your MFP calorie goal, eat whatever you like to reach your goal, include your wine when it fits ( I do), do try, within the above, to nourish your body. It really needs to be cared for.

    Weigh and measure everything you eat and drink.

    Drink plenty of water too.

    Exercise is an excellent way to retain both muscle and bone mass. Especially resistance work; progressive weight lifting is good, as is body weight resistance work.

    To keep your cardiovascular system healthy, walking with purpose, jogging, running, treadmills, and anything else you like that raises your heart rate is good ( I like, aqua fit, belly dancing, and Zumba as well as walking).

    Cheers, h.
  • Matzie wrote: »
    Are u my my age and can't get the pounds off? I've lost inches and gained muscle is my problem drinking coke (the fake sugars) and a glass of wine with a meal? Help me please, I gotta and wanna lose pounds.
    Diet soda is horrible for your body..any artificial sweeteners in my opinion just not good. Here is a look at what it does to your body. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20739512,00.html I would advise you to see if you are eating within your dietary needs and getting enough exercise. Put your info into MFP and it should tell you how much to eat to lose 0.5+ lbs a week. A glass of wine is okay..a bottle not so much. Stop drinking diet soda's and using artificial sweeteners, your body will thank you.

  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
    I'm 51, and I have lost 65 pounds since January. I try to workout 5 to 7 days a week. Usually it is only 30 to 45 minutes using Darebee.com, or just making up my own body weight routines. Initially, I worked with a personal trainer for couple of months, so I learned a lot about how to exercise properly. Lately, I have been putting in more minutes because I am doing a the Hogwarts and Game of Thrones Challenges here on mfp. I think the most important factor for me in losing is pre-logging my food consistently and staying under my calories. Age really hasn't been an issue. The weight has been and issue, but not age. Good luck. The odds are definitely on your side:-)
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Thanks everyone who shared. Inspiring.
  • ♥xenawarriorprincess♥
    ♥xenawarriorprincess♥ Posts: 440 Member
    edited August 2015
    The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.

    I would just caution the use of artificial sweeteners. They are very confusing to our bodies. I would say artificial sweeteners or flavors are not good for our bodies as they work much more efficiently when given natural whole unprocessed foods. Yes there are a wide variety of opinions of whether artificial sweeteners are safe or not but I definitely don't put too much stock in what the FDA deems safe anymore, or certain websites for that matter. I research and try to eat as much unprocessed whole foods as I can. Wine is completely fine to drink in moderation and of course the opinions on that are varied as well. Its all about eating as close to nature as you can and researching to see if what you are consuming is good and or safe for your body. Happy eating!

  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.

    I would just caution the use of artificial sweeteners. They are very confusing to our bodies. I would say artificial sweeteners or flavors are not good for our bodies as they work much more efficiently when given natural whole unprocessed foods. Yes there are a wide variety of opinions of whether artificial sweeteners are safe or not but I definitely don't put too much stock in what the FDA deems safe anymore, or certain websites for that matter. I research and try to eat as much unprocessed whole foods as I can. Wine is completely fine to drink in moderation and of course the opinions on that are varied as well. Its all about eating as close to nature as you can and researching to see if what you are consuming is good and or safe for your body. Happy eating!

    please dont turn this is a thread about good or bad foods
    OP just asked to how we lose weight


  • The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.

    I would just caution the use of artificial sweeteners. They are very confusing to our bodies. I would say artificial sweeteners or flavors are not good for our bodies as they work much more efficiently when given natural whole unprocessed foods. Yes there are a wide variety of opinions of whether artificial sweeteners are safe or not but I definitely don't put too much stock in what the FDA deems safe anymore, or certain websites for that matter. I research and try to eat as much unprocessed whole foods as I can. Wine is completely fine to drink in moderation and of course the opinions on that are varied as well. Its all about eating as close to nature as you can and researching to see if what you are consuming is good and or safe for your body. Happy eating!

    please dont turn this is a thread about good or bad foods
    OP just asked to how we lose weight


    Just going by what she posted regarding drinking diet soda and I believe I did say how to lose weight. Have an awesome day! Food is either good or bad and that is what we humans eat to survive so I think I did a good job addressing that issue. Losing weight is about food and exercise is it not?

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    I'll add that as I neared 50, I had a harder time losing/maintaining. I wondered briefly if my metabolism was slowing, and I concluded no, it was not. My exercise was the same, but my activity level at work was *way* lower. I bought a scale and counted calories more accurately than I ever had, and that is all it took. No problem getting back in maintenance range.

    I'll confess also a bit of trepidation about menopause. As a 50 year old who doesn't have signs, I feel my experience is probably not that relevant or helpful to a woman who is experiencing the signs of menopause. I really appreciate hearing from women who have experienced it. Man, building this muscle and bone has been a huge effort, and I cringe at losing any of it.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.

    I would just caution the use of artificial sweeteners. They are very confusing to our bodies. I would say artificial sweeteners or flavors are not good for our bodies as they work much more efficiently when given natural whole unprocessed foods. Yes there are a wide variety of opinions of whether artificial sweeteners are safe or not but I definitely don't put too much stock in what the FDA deems safe anymore, or certain websites for that matter. I research and try to eat as much unprocessed whole foods as I can. Wine is completely fine to drink in moderation and of course the opinions on that are varied as well. Its all about eating as close to nature as you can and researching to see if what you are consuming is good and or safe for your body. Happy eating!

    please dont turn this is a thread about good or bad foods
    OP just asked to how we lose weight


    Just going by what she posted regarding drinking diet soda and I believe I did say how to lose weight. Have an awesome day! Food is either good or bad and that is what we humans eat to survive so I think I did a good job addressing that issue. Losing weight is about food and exercise is it not?

    There is no good or bad food. You can lose weight on a deficit whilst drinking diet soda.

    So no matter if you think or if it is your opinion if artificial sweeteners are bad for you or not, it has nothing to do with losing weight.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    Stay under your calorie goal and you can eat (or drink) anything you enjoy. Age & menopause has no bearing on this. Add exercise for fitness and to earn extra calories, if you'd like.
  • pug11
    pug11 Posts: 23 Member
    It's true, we shouldn't think of food as good or bad, as The Owlhous above says, you can lose weight on a deficit drinking diet soda, the key is deficit.

    Now, I feel much better if I eat "healthy" foods rather than say McDonald's but I work some chocolate in to my day, usually every day (love chocolate) I just account for it.

    I have lost over 50 pounds and kept it off for 5 years not going nuts over "diet" mentality, it's a good thing to track your food as of course you need to know exactly how much you're eating.

    Oh, forgot to say I'm 55, I hike and lift weights, used to run but just don't enjoy it anymore, I do run up hills though, you can lose weight not doing any cardio, again it comes down to food intake, but you'll most likely feel a whole lot better exercising and doing something you really enjoy.

    Find your maintenance, don't go too much below that to lose weight, you don't have to, if you plateau later on you can always change it but for now I'd say shoot for not more than 300 below maintenance then see if you lose, you should! Find some type of exercise you enjoy, you gotta move though, not just a stroll around the neighborhood :)

    I've not noticed a problem with maintaining my weight now even in Menopause, I'm 5'6 and maintain on 2100 but everyone is different.

    Good luck.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    vivmom2014 wrote: »
    Age & menopause has no bearing on this.

    For clarification, I want to ask those who have experience or have done research what the bone/muscle mass impact actually is. If a decrease in progesterone and estradiol inhibits bone regeneration and muscle repair to the extent that loss exceeds regeneration, then LBM goes down. (My doc said I will lose bone. I didn't ask about muscle, though). That suggests TDEE will go down too, dagnabit. I would love hearing the muscle-loss-fat-gain story has been overhyped. That's what I'm hoping anyway. My weight training 3x/wk genuinely challenges me, and although I probably could step it up and make it more challenging, I don't really relish that thought.
  • The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.

    I would just caution the use of artificial sweeteners. They are very confusing to our bodies. I would say artificial sweeteners or flavors are not good for our bodies as they work much more efficiently when given natural whole unprocessed foods. Yes there are a wide variety of opinions of whether artificial sweeteners are safe or not but I definitely don't put too much stock in what the FDA deems safe anymore, or certain websites for that matter. I research and try to eat as much unprocessed whole foods as I can. Wine is completely fine to drink in moderation and of course the opinions on that are varied as well. Its all about eating as close to nature as you can and researching to see if what you are consuming is good and or safe for your body. Happy eating!

    please dont turn this is a thread about good or bad foods
    OP just asked to how we lose weight


    Just going by what she posted regarding drinking diet soda and I believe I did say how to lose weight. Have an awesome day! Food is either good or bad and that is what we humans eat to survive so I think I did a good job addressing that issue. Losing weight is about food and exercise is it not?

    There is no good or bad food. You can lose weight on a deficit whilst drinking diet soda.

    So no matter if you think or if it is your opinion if artificial sweeteners are bad for you or not, it has nothing to do with losing weight.

    Hey all I am doing is putting my two cents (researched and tried) in to the mix, what makes your opinion any better than mine? There are good foods and bad foods..for example, 19,900-calorie Octuple Bypass Burger at the Heart Attack grill. Bad food. Good food..fruits, grains, nuts to name a few. Yes I agree you can lose weight whilst drinking diet soda but at what price long term?

  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    The adverse affect of artificial sweeteners has been repeatedly debunked. It is my opinion that the wine is a worse choice for achieving weigh loss then the diet soda, but that is an OPINION and not a scientifically proven fact.

    I would just caution the use of artificial sweeteners. They are very confusing to our bodies. I would say artificial sweeteners or flavors are not good for our bodies as they work much more efficiently when given natural whole unprocessed foods. Yes there are a wide variety of opinions of whether artificial sweeteners are safe or not but I definitely don't put too much stock in what the FDA deems safe anymore, or certain websites for that matter. I research and try to eat as much unprocessed whole foods as I can. Wine is completely fine to drink in moderation and of course the opinions on that are varied as well. Its all about eating as close to nature as you can and researching to see if what you are consuming is good and or safe for your body. Happy eating!

    please dont turn this is a thread about good or bad foods
    OP just asked to how we lose weight


    Just going by what she posted regarding drinking diet soda and I believe I did say how to lose weight. Have an awesome day! Food is either good or bad and that is what we humans eat to survive so I think I did a good job addressing that issue. Losing weight is about food and exercise is it not?

    There is no good or bad food. You can lose weight on a deficit whilst drinking diet soda.

    So no matter if you think or if it is your opinion if artificial sweeteners are bad for you or not, it has nothing to do with losing weight.

    Hey all I am doing is putting my two cents (researched and tried) in to the mix, what makes your opinion any better than mine? There are good foods and bad foods..for example, 19,900-calorie Octuple Bypass Burger at the Heart Attack grill. Bad food. Good food..fruits, grains, nuts to name a few. Yes I agree you can lose weight whilst drinking diet soda but at what price long term?

    Your opinion is a nutrition subject not a weight loss like the OP asked for.

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    After 50 weight loss is an interesting topic to me. The evils of diet soda...not so much. So I appreciate Owlhouse Trying to keep the thread on topic. And I agree with Daniwilford that, for weight loss, wine is probably less helpful than diet soda. My opinion. OP has not come back to clarify if the "fake sugar" is HFCS or aspartame. Nor did she indicate how much was she drinking. If one is drinking enough fluids otherwise, a diet soda every day is very unlikely to harm health or weight loss. Similarly, a glass of wine daily is unlikely to harm health or weight loss. You just have count the calories.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    It's an interesting topic to me, too. I really hate to admit it because half of me still thinks that 50 makes you an old lady and well, I AM NOT OLD, so I can't be looking at things for old ladies. But it's always interesting to hear people's take on stuff. :)